In case you haven't noticed I love sewing and all things DIY. Another thing I love, is unique t-shirts. I'm not a fan of slogan tees or t-shirts with brand names plastered across them. With that said, one can imagine that it's hard for me to find t-shirts that I like{which is why I make them}. The few times when I do buy a ready-made t-shirt it's usually from a company called Threadless.
Threadless is a community-based online apparel store run, since 2000, by skinnyCorp of Chicago, Illinois. Members of the Threadless community submit t-shirt designs online; the designs are then put to a public vote. A small percentage of submitted designs are selected for printing and sold through an online store. Creators of the winning designs receive a prize of cash and store credit. Here are some pictures of a t-shirt called Alice's Sewing Basket designed by Jillian Nickel {who also has an Etsy shop}:
I love the illustration style and the artful way in which the artist melds various sewing paraphernalia into the heads and bodies of animals. The color scheme complements the whimsical nature of the illustration and the subject matter. I love the bright pops of color. I happen to have just bought a pair of yellow canvas sneakers that match the yellow in the t-shirt design quite nicely. I'm definitely going to get this shirt before it sells out. You should stop by Threadless sometime— I promise it'll be worth your while!
We all know that President Barack Obama’s Mother, Ann Dunham, was a huge influence on the President, and that she exposed him to many cultures around the world. But did you know she was also an art collector? During the family’s time in Indonesia in the 1960’s, Ann Dunham collected amazing hand dyed batik textiles.
Batik is a traditional technique in which hot wax is used to create designs on fabric during the dye the process. Craftster has tons of examples and discussions of batik and other dyeing techniques. Even more information can be found on the Fiber Arts Boards.If you are lucky enough to be in Washington DC this weekend, you can see Obama’s Mother’s collection at the Textile Museum until Aug 23.
I wish I could go to DC ans see the exhibit at the Textile Museum. I LOVE fabric so I'm definitely going to go there one day. As a crafty person, I love the fact that President Obama's Mom had an appreciation for the arts. Yet another reason to love President Obama and his family.
Mo Rocca [one of my favorite comedians] endeavors to sew a hoodie from scratch with the aid of Ruffeo Hearts Little Snotty [one of my favorite Etsy sellers] on his quest to discover the underground DIY revolution. After the adventure of a lifetime, Mo Rocca goes on the Martha Stewart Show to show off his handiwork.
I think it's awesome that this video shows the intersection of three different facets of the DIY movement— the "house wives", the hipster youth and the entrepreneurs. Although each group has different motivations as to "Why DIY?" they certainly are all undeserved demographics in mass consumerism culture. With that said, I think it's quite fitting that they've each found their niche, and each other, in the DIY world. This video is just a tantalizing sneak peak of what's yet to come.
This necklace— handcrafted by Etsy seller Elizaveta— is made of sheets torn from Archie comic books. She folded each sheet into a mini envelope and linked them all onto gold chain necklaces in an explosion of colorful comic strip debauchery.
I love it and would definitely wear it...but I wouldn't pay $55 for it. However, I do have massive amounts of old comic books. Hmmmm...
A recent article in the Denver Post highlights the rise in men taking up sewing and other crafty endeavors. As someone who loves sewing, crafting and all things DIY I can wholeheartedly say that guys crafting is a good thing. It takes a strong man to go against stereotypes that say: "Only women sew" or "Real men don't cook, clean, etc." Through crafting, these men gain independence from factories and mass produced goodsAND have something to talk about with cute, crafty chicks. What's there to lose?
So...I'm seriously contemplating sewing this Domo-Kun sewing machine cover. I think would suit my sewing machine quite nicely. The site I found it on is called, Geek Crafts— aptly named as all of the arts and crafts posted on the site are of the geeky persuasion.
As a nerd who crafts I think we need more websites like Geek Crafts. No longer does being a nerd mean you lack appreciation for the arts—Viva la geek renaissance!
