A Simple Guide To..

I have recently been working as a TA in the Textiles Department at my old high school! So much has changed, the classrooms have been refurbished, with new state of the art equipment, we are now an Academy instead of a state school, a brand new school is being built on the school field which will combine the two local schools, and the kids know so much more than i did when i was their age! Its really inspirational to see the children enjoying themselves and really getting to grips with new process'. Im also enjoying showing my own skills to the kids and getting them to learn new things that will help them earlier, things such as 'Bondaweb'. I didn't learn about this magical stuff until about two years ago - but it applies itself so well to most of the project briefs ive seen throughout the school years!

Anyway - the point is - i would like to create some tutorials that would be suitable to show in Lesson plans. I have to make my own lesson plan this week and it would have been handy had i have thought about something like this ages ago! Maybe i can create a whole bunch and give the kids this link so they can look through - who knows :)

So.. My Debut tutorial will be..

First in the series.. Batik!

I have decided i would like to create a few simple guides for certain process' i have learnt over the years, some really simple, some perhaps a little more confusing and specialist - but it would be great to start converting my technical files into easy to understand tutorials.

I am now writing up the first guide. check back soon! :)

How to join piping properly and professinally

I have seen many blogs and even most sewing books that show a way of joining piping that i just dont agree with! I found this recently again with my Weekender Bag. the Amy Butler pattern suggests that you cross over the tails of your piping at the bottom. this creates more oppertunity for the design to go wrong many times throughout the constructing, and also creates extra bulk when sewing.

My way ensures that the join looks neat, professional, and also you will never have to sew over the cording and therefore when you are sewing two seams together you can just follow the cording with your zipper/piping foot all the way round!


HOW TO:

You will be able to make all these maneuvers and adjustments whilst the work is still underneath the machine. Keep your needle down and also your foot down. then when you have played about you can continue sewing to give a 'seamless' look (sorry)

when you start sewing your piping on, start in a discreet area and leave a tail of about 7cm. Sew all the way round and stop about 10cm before the place that you started. You will have your 7cm tail and also the tail that you have no attached to anything yet. cut that at about 7cm too.

Cut the first tail down to about 3cm. Then carefully unpick it down to where it is sewed onto the fabric. Now you will have a piece of bias tape with the cord seperate and sticking out. Cut the cord so that there is only 1cm sticking out. Keep the flap of bias tape longer.

Now do the same with the other tail, but carefully cut the cording so that it lays down and joins up to the other piece of cord. Now you know, when you sew along this line, these two peices of cord will touch, or nearly touch.

Now get the flaps and re-place them wrapped around the cording. do one first, and then the other. On the one that goes on top, wrap it round the other cording, but be sure to fold the raw edge in on itself. Hold it taught and continue sewing on the line you were sewing.  It will match up like this!!

this is the finished join. It is no more noticeable than a join between two pieces of bias tape. A perfect professional finish.

I understand i am not the best in the world at writing down what i mean - it might be easier if i do youtube tutorials!

Creating a brushed rough lino print effect

Today i have been making cushions for a new stockist  - I have been lino printing these cute little buttons onto 100% cottons. The pattern is hand printed, with little handmade stamps. Its really easy. I dont do this this 'proper' way, i dont even have a roller or a stamp block!!

You can make a print like this and use the fabrics for pretty much anything. As i say - im using mine to make cushions, and i have made my makeup cases before!

You will need.

Fabric [always remember to pre wash and dry!]

Textile printing ink [i get mine from London Graphic Center or make my own colours at uni]

Lino 

A pen

Lino cutting handle and blades

Double sided foam backs

a bench wedge block thing

A ironing board or soemthing equally flat-but-kinda-squishy

An old tea towel

An iron

These may seem like big investments but it will keep you going for ages :)

HOW TO:

MAKING THE STAMPS

Draw onto your lino block the thing that you want to print. Mine was a button line drawing, so i did an enlarged button line drawing!

Use the lino cutter to carefully [go slow or you will cut yourself and seriously it hurts!!] carve out all the lino which has no pen on it. 

Cut around the shape! Repeat as many times as required to make as many stamps as required :)

PRINTING

Pre wash your fabric, dry it, and iron it flat. Lay your tea towel down on your ironing board (some ink may go through the fabric and you dont want to ruin your ironing board). Lay your fabric on top.

Take your stamps and put two double sided foam backs on the back.

Have your ink ready, with a paintbrush.

Find a comfortable position, and stick your fingers to the foam pads on the back of one of your stamps. This will take some re-arranging and many near-cramp-spasms to find the right position!!

Roughly paint the ink onto the stamp. make sure you have covered all areas and you dont have too much ink in any little dips in the design, otherwise when you press down, the ink will be everywhere and you wont see any detail!

Stamp stamp stamp away! I suggest if you are making a design like mine, where you have three designed randomly scattered, you fill in the whole piece of fabric with one stamp, then move on to the next, rather than peeling your fingers away from the stamp to re-attach to the next two minutes later etc.

The hand-printed effect is really nice, unpredictable, rough round the edges and this is why i chose to do it this way! If you are doing a scattered effect, remember to turn your hand otherwise the print will look strange with all your things the same way up :)

Here are some photographs so you can see what i mean!

The buttons after printing onto paper! Just use a makeup wipe to clean them up :)

The stamp stuck to my hand :P See what i mean about printing the whole fabric with one stamp before moving onto the next. This is not noticable in the final print. also you can see how messy it looks, but it really is not! you will also need to use your other hand to stamp down.

Stuck to my hand! Dont knock it!!

Adorable. Saw these in the V&A last week. This set includes a little roller and everything!

The finished prints are drying :) 

Make sure you iron your prints once they are completely dry. this heat sets the ink and then you can craft away! 

Bag Designing

A Huge area of development within my recent project is bag design. i have never made my own large bag before, and the thought of creating my own pattern scares
 me at the moment. Therefore, i have chosen this timeless pattern; the Amy Butler Weekender Travel Bag. Its perfect. its a beautiful shape and it *looks* simple enough.. i know it will be tough but i have to understand the construction of this beauty before i go and attempt to make my own patterns!!

Okay i have a confession - i did attempy this four years ago and cried the whole way through. round two..?

Okay so designing.. work from your drawings. draw alot. find a technique... then design the actual bags. be prepared to repeat alot of your colourways and designs.. i had two large pockets, two main panels  two side pockets and two top panels as well as a lining to decide on a pattern for; you can only imagine how many combos i could have created!

Here is a visual of some of my designs. i worked quite large (regrets, regrets..) so it was pretty time consuming but i like the look of them :)

dont give up! also - annotate everything.. those things you think are such a great idea you will deffo still remember them next week when you are printing.. they wont stick! write it down!

The New Blog..

My drawing of a tape measure for an old project

Welcome to my new blog! 

I have created this blog to illustrate and share my technical file for my university studies. Basically an online bible of all the techniques that i use, so that i can remember & easily access them, as well as being able to share my tips with the wider crafty & creative community :D 

I will include details of screenprinting, pattern cutting, pattern reviews, designer research & contextual information, as well as sewing know-how and finishing, and packaging too