How to Make Ruffle Butt Undies – video tutorial

I finally got this tutorial uploaded to Youtube without problems. YAY!

This two part tutorial will show you how to make a damn cute pair of  ruffle butt underwear. (Or plain butt underwear if you’re not feeling ruffly. But ruffles are fun, so don’t neglect the ruffles.)

Thank you to rufflefabric.com for providing the ruffle fabric. Check out their site, it’s like a candy store for us fabric fiends!

Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel!  I have a crap ton of tutorials on the way (including drafting your own custom tube dress pattern, no-sew hair bows, sewing and hemming knits without a serger, making homemade limoncello and vanilla extract, and more)!

And if you have any tutorial requests, leave me a comment!

 

This tutorial was filmed using a Creative Labs Vado HD Digital Video Camera, a Canon Rebel (for still shots), and edited in Sony Vegas Movie Studio.

Tutorial: How to Crochet a Chain

by Stacey Trock

Hi there! Today, we’re going to crochet! Never crocheted before? Don’t worry! This tutorial is written for total crochet-newbies, and by the end of this post, you’ll be crocheting chains that you can use as necklaces, headbands… or whatever else you imagination comes up with!

Getting Started

To get started crocheting, grab some yarn and a crochet hook.  It’s easiest to use the size hook that’s recommended on the yarn label.

To begin, make a slip knot (check out my video if you don’t know how!).  All crocheting begins with a slip knot.

Now, we’re going to start crocheting! Insert your hook into the loop created by your slip knot, and tug on the tail (the short little piece of yarn that’s not connected to the ball) until the loop fits snugly around your hook, as pictured.

Now it’s time to chain! Hold the working end of the yarn (the really long end that’s attached to the ball of yarn) and wrap it around the back of the hook to the front, so that it wraps around the top of the hook, as pictured. Read more

Tutorial: Photographic printing with Inkodyes

The wonderful people at Inkodye have shared yet another fabulous tutorial with us.

Using their sun-exposed dyes, they use film negatives to do photo printing on a ribbon! It’s kind of like reverse-screenprinting, but so much easier than messing with screens and emulsions. You could easily do this on a larger scale by printing a negative-style image onto a transparency sheet and using that instead of a negative.

Since I first became familiar with Inkodye, I’ve been dye-ing to try them (hahahha, PUN!).  The Craft Gods were smiling down upon me, as Inkodye has generously provided me with a sample kit to experiment with. I can’t wait to show you what I come up with.

Click here for the full Inkodye Photographic Printing tutorial!

Tutorial: Lace Lampshade

by: inkodye

This project is shockingly simple, yet produces really beautiful and unique results. We were able to transfer the pattern of lace onto our lampshade by using the photographic property of Inkodye. It’s like magic! The lamp we used was found at Ikea for $15, but any cotton or linen lampshade will work perfectly.

 

Total tutorial time: 20 minutes

Used in this project: Inkodye Red Orange

 

Materials. All we used for this project was a cheap lampshade, some lace, a sponge brush, a few push pins, and of course Inkodye!

 

Prep. To extend and lighten the dye add water. This step is optional, but it allows your bottle of Inkodye to last even longer!

 

Mix. Stir the dye and water mixture to ensure even coloring.

 

Paint. Coat the lampshade with the Inkodye mixture, making sure to cover the canvas completely.

 

Pin. Next, use simple push pins to secure the lace. We pinned along the seem of the lampshade in order to keep the front flawless.

 

Snip. Cut off the extra fabric so that the print is undisturbed. Then, align and pin the bottom.

 

Develop. Watch the colors deepen and develop in the sun! We left the lamp out for about 5 minutes, rotated it, and left it out for 5 more.

 

Unravel. Remove the lace from the lampshade to expose the beautiful printed pattern. This is our favorite part!

 

Scrub. Wash with laundry detergent and water to remove excess Inkodye. Don’t be afraid to scrub hard; Inkodye is very permanent! Let dry.

 

Illuminate. Now you can display your newest piece of art anywhere around the house. Voilà!

 

Tutorial: Sun-Printed Batik Fabric Painting and Dyeing

by: inkodye

Batik is a traditional technique that uses Resist to prevent dye from reaching the fabric. You can use this method to create detailed patterns on textiles, wood and unglazed ceramics. With specially formulated Inkodye you get to use the power of the sun to develop the full vibrance of your colors and make them permanent, no other steaming or fixing is required!

Decide how to apply the resist. We used fine line applicators, also try brushes, stencils and sponges.

 

Choose your design. We printed out an illustration to use as an underlay, if you’re brave try freehand!

Flatten your work surface. We used a mild spray adhesive, you can also use stretcher frames.

 

Apply Resist. Try not to smudge your work as you go! Fine lines dry to the touch in minutes.

Finishing touches. Check your work for gaps, dye will bleed through gaps in lines. Sign your work!

Read more

How to Add a Collar to a T-shirt – Video Tutorial

I finally posted a new video tutorial! This one shows my No-Measuring (Cheater) Method for finishing the neckline of a t-shirt!

This tutorial was filmed using a Creative Labs Vado HD Digital Video Camera, a Canon Rebel (for still shots), and edited in Sony Vegas Movie Studio.

Tutorial: No Sew Roman Shade Style Curtains

This very clever tutorial shows you how to convert mini-blinds to a fabric curtain (similar to a Roman shade design) with NO SEWING.

Cute, quick, and cheap, just how I like it!

I’m actually disappointed I didn’t find this sooner, before I made a bunch of rod-style curtains for my windows!

Click here for the tutorial.

Tutorial: Upcycled T-shirt Rug

If you have a mountain of t-shirt scraps like me, and you hate throwing said scraps away (also me), then you’re probably always on the look-out for projects that use those scraps. This rug tutorial from Family Fun is just that.

I’ve seen other t-shirt rugs and t-shirt rug tutorials (most of which involved crocheting, which I don’t really know how to do), but this is definitely the coolest one I’ve seen. Using a hula hoop as a frame, the t-shirts are woven together. No sewing, knitting, or crocheting. Anyone with a hula hoop and some t-shirt scraps can do it!

I’ve stopped buying textile rugs because my cat has some sort of Rug Radar when he pukes. Plus, they’re a pain to keep clean. But I think one of these t-shirt rugs would make a perfect bath mat. Plus, once the rug gets funky, you can toss it out and make a new one!

Click here for the full tutorial.

Tutorial: Moss Graffiti

This tutorial from Popular Mechanics (which is actually an excerpt from More Show Me How) is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. PAINT WITH MOSS!

The possibilities are endless. I like the idea of writing some sort of message in moss for the neighbors or passers-by to see.

See the full tutorial here.

Tutorial – How to Design and Sew a Slipcover, Part 1

So you’ve got a perfectly comfortable, functional couch… it just looks like hell. With a custom made slipcover, no one will know what evil is lurking underneath all that handmade awesomeness!

We scored a couch, loveseat, and chair set at a secondhand furniture store when we first moved in.  The upside is that it’s the most comfortable couch I’ve ever had the pleasure of napping on. The downside is that the couch takes quite a beating, especially from our two cats. It also doesn’t help that we’re total movie and tv junkies, so we spend a lot of time EATING on it. So even though it was in Like New condition when we bought it, five years later… not so much.

I’d been thinking about slipcovering it for a while, and once Spring Fever hit me, I decided now was the time to do it.

Step 1
I decided on the fabric first. Actually, I decided on the fabric, and then I started doing rough estimates of cost and started asking myself if it was worth it. I even decided I wouldn’t make my own. I started looking at some of the “cheap” slipcover options (meaning not custom made and under $200, which was my estimated fabric budget). I liked none and all had mediocre-to-bad reviews, so I made the final decision that DIY was the way to go.

I saw a commercial a few years ago that featured two women sitting on a couch that was covered or slipcovered in a sort of crazy quilt type patchwork. I fell in love. I was initially going to cover each surface with a different print (left side plaid, right side polka dot, one cushion in damask, another cushion in stripe), but after doing a few sketches I decided to scale it back. It was looking busier than I wanted, and would have required more extra fabric/expense to do it that way. I decided I’d do the base of the couch in one fabric, the cushions in another, and the back pillows in a third fabric.

To choose my fabric, I did a few sketches on the computer, inserting various Home Dec fabrics I found online, until I found the ones I liked. After I sketched it out, I decided to also do the backs of the pillows in a different fabric.

Read more

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