Bright & Colorful Tulle Skirt with Colorshot

I have wanted a tulle skirt for quite some time. But I ran into a few issues... either they were too expensive or not the color I was looking for. When Tulip Colorshot sprays came out I fell in love with the blue color and knew I wanted my very first tutu since I was in elementary school to be that very color! In the end my tulle skirt is pretty and colorful and just what I was hoping for!

Dyed Maxi Skirt

The other day I sewed a long maxi skirt with a high waist.  I wanted to give it some more visual interest, so I decided to dye the bottom of it.  Here's how it turned out.  (It actually is a skirt, but I have a matching shirt on with it to make it look like a dress.)

After sewing the skirt, the dye process was pretty easy.  I used the Tulip one-step dye.  

It comes with a bottle that already has powder in it.  You just add the water to the line and you're set.  The package even has a set of gloves in it.

I poured mine into a spray bottle.  I also had some Tulip fabric spray at home that I used at the bottom of the skirt as well.  The other spray bottle was filled with water.

So here's how it went down.  I took my skirt, put on my safety goggles, and hung it in my lab.  Okay, it was really just my garage...and I didn't have goggles.  I put a drop cloth underneath.

I spray the middle section with water.  That way when I sprayed the dye it wouldn't show the actual spray marks, but it would blend well onto the gray.  This is key.

Then I sprayed the dye.

Lastly, I sprayed the fabric spray and let it all dry.

The colors all blend well when you spray them at the same time.  If you don't want to see the wrinkles int the fabric you have to hold out the skirt as you spray.  Or, if you like the wrinkles for texture (like the picture below) you can just spray away.

And you have a one-of-a-kind look.  If you don't sew, you could easily buy a plain skirt and dye the bottom as well.  I think it would look pretty with just one color at the very bottom, too.

Old Skirt New Pockets

If you have gone shopping anytime in the last year you might have noticed a trend towards ethnic prints. The trend is nothing new and something that seems to resurface every summer with a few tweaks. This summer I took the bait and decided to try my crafty hand at joining the trendy ethnic print party.

A few years ago my parents took a trip to Guatemala. My one request was for a shirt with a colorful brocade pattern. Sadly the shirt they brought me was a tad on the frumpy side and looked like something you would wear to a Phish concert. I loved the material and always knew that someway, somehow I would make that dumpy shirt wearable. Enter my new blue jean skirt from the thrift store begging for a pocket makeover.

SUPPLIES

Jean Skirt

Aleene's Fabric Fusion Glue

Pins

Sewing Machine

Scissors

Seam Ripper

Fabric to use on pockets

The first thing I did was using a seam ripper removed the pockets.

Using the old pockets as a guide I placed them on the dumpy shirt and cut out new pockets.

Just look at those fancy new pockets!

Instead of pinning the edge on the new pockets down we used Fabric Fusion glue. You might need to use clothespins to hold edges down until the glue dries.

Next I handed the skirt over to my mother to sew. I was visiting her house when i made this skirt. First she sewed all the way around the edges of the pockets. Next she pinned them to the skirt where the old pockets once lived. Lastly, she reattached the pockets to the skirt making sure not to sew the belt loops and part where you put your hands in shut.

It just so happened the night I finished my skirt I had a hot date with a few of my crafty friends. My skirt was a big hit!

Sadly after all that work I learned the hard way that the zipper is broken on my new skirt. Old skirt, new pockets and a broken zipper. Maybe I'll replace the zipper with something more exciting and colorful just like I did the pockets.

Double Dipped Glitter Skirt

My sister will be having her first little girl this week, which gives me the opportunity to use a bit of glitter in my crafting.  I made her this tiny glitter outfit, with a little salute to her superhero-loving brothers.

I started with a plain shirt and skirt (which I got from Wal-mart).  I used my Tulip Glitter transfer sheets.  The beauty of these sheets is that you can do glitter without the mess.

I started by cutting one inch strips out of the glitter sheets.  (In hindsight, I probably should have cut the pieces a little curved rather than straight.  The ruffles on the skirt were slightly rounded.)

I peeled off the clear protective top and then ironed the strips onto the skirt.  I found it was easiest to cut the strips into smaller pieces to apply them.  The glitter sheets can overlap each other a bit and you'll never notice it.  

To apply them you place a cloth over the top and press the iron onto it for 30-45 seconds.  

I made my way around both layers of the skirt until it was finished.

For the top I made an emblem like Superman, but changed it to an "M," since her name will be Millie.  Super Millie!  I used the glitter that matched the shirt, so it wasn't too loud.

Now she'll have a glamorous girly look, with a brother-approved superhero signature.

Thanks for dropping in.

Visit us on Facebook!

Craft on!

DIY Fabric Design

Recently I took a 3 part sewing class at Stitch Lab. For the first class we made a little drawstring bag. I brought in some fabulous vintage Barkcloth to make a pillow in class number 2. For the 3rd class we were making a skirt and I could not decide on the right fabric. Sure the stores were full of choices, but I thought it would be more fun to make my own. No, I didn’t go out and grow my own cotton and start from absolute scratch I should say I thought it would be more fun to embellish some fabric for my skirt. Today for I Love to Create I’ll show you what I came up with.


SUPPLIES
Black and White Cotton Fabric
Sponge Roll Brush
Tulip Fabric Spray Paint
Stencil 101 Décor
Tulip Slick Fabric Paint


The first thing I did was snag a few yards of black and white polka dot fabric. I thought it would be a nice back drop. Next I spread my fabric out in the yard and emptied a few bottles of Tulip Cool Color Spray onto the fabric in a random pattern. My pumping finger was sore for days, but the effect was worth it.


Chronicle Books had recently sent over a copy of Stencil 101 Décor: Customize Walls, Floors, and Furniture with Oversized Stencil Art for me to review. You might recall from my Raised in Craftivity and I Love to Create: Stencil 101 that I am a bit of an Ed Roth fan. I am still trying to find just the right piece of home décor to embellish with the stencils, but in the meantime I thought I would use one on my skirt. The book is full of several cool choices like birds, butterflies, circles, hounds tooth and more. I also love that new patterns are plastic which makes for super easy clean up. I always wondered how people who stenciled walls got the patterns to line up so perfectly and after reading Stencil 101 Décor I now know all about handy dandy registration marks.


Armed with my stencil, pencil, foam roll brush and some Tulip Slick Fabric Paint I spread the dyed fabric out on a flat surface and got busy. The stencils are large squares so it went quickly. I allowed the print to dry completely.


After that my fabric was ready for sewing class. The material worked perfect for my drawstring A-line skirt and I was pleased as punch with the results!


I just so happen to have enough fabric and enough time in class left to whip up Tallulah a matching version!