2009 August | Lil Blue Boo

Yummy Tie Dye Colors

August 31, 2009 By Ashley Hackshaw 10 Comments

I’m working on Sienna’s fall clothes and finishing up a new fall pattern so I am running through a ton of t-shirts. My husband gave me a huge stack of dingy white t-shirts and I used oxyclean to brighten them and then I used fushcia and purple RIT dyes to tie dye them before I cut them all up into a million pieces.

I soaked the shirts in soda ash for 30 minutes before dying……then twirled them into spirals and secured with rubber bands.

Yummy Tie Dye Colors 2 via lilblueboo.com

I drain them on the side lawn…..since we live in the desert the ground doesn’t hold water so the grass makes a great “strainer.”

Yummy Tie Dye Colors 3 via lilblueboo.com

Filed Under: Recycled, Things I've Made Tagged With: colors, recycled, T-Shirts, tie dye, writing

Guest Blogging at U-Create Today!

August 28, 2009 By Ashley Hackshaw 11 Comments

Come and see my tutorial: How To Make a Distressed Folk Art Painting*

Guest Blogging at U-Create Today How To Make a Distressed Folk Art Painting via lilblueboo.com

*If you’ve ever been scared to paint before, here is your chance….anyone can do this. Acrylic paint is VERY forgiving. If you mess up, just paint over it!

Filed Under: Featured/News Tagged With: blogging, distressed, folk art, painting, tutorial

Flaming Pants

August 27, 2009 By Ashley Hackshaw 32 Comments

I’ve been neglecting making things for boys lately….so I made these little black sweatpants for my newborn nephew today. I made them with an old t-shirt and a layered freezer paper stencil. He’ll look really “tough” at 6 months old with the flames don’t you think? You can make them too…..I scanned and uploaded my flame sketch at the bottom of the post.

Flaming Pants tutorial via lilblueboo.com

Step 1: I cut out two legs from a black t-shirt (you can find my t-shirt pant tutorial here).

Flaming Pants tutorial step 1 via lilblueboo.com

Step 2: I cut an 8.5 x 11″ piece of freezer paper and printed my template directly onto it (make sure to print on the paper side…NOT the waxy side or you’ll have a real mess). I cut the template in half…. one flame for each leg.

Flaming Pants tutorial step 2 via lilblueboo.com

Step 3: I cut out the large flame from each piece of paper (save the inside flame for later)…..

Flaming Pants tutorial step 3 via lilblueboo.com

Step 4: I ironed on my flame stencils to the t-shirt (read this tutorial for more info on freezer paper stenciling, and fabric paint). I ironed a piece of freezer paper underneath as well so the paint didn’t bleed through.

Flaming Pants tutorial step 4 via lilblueboo.com

Step 5: I mixed a red/orange color and painted several layers onto the stencil.

Flaming Pants tutorial step 5 via lilblueboo.com

Step 6: I cut out the smallest portion of the inside flame.

Flaming Pants tutorial step 6 via lilblueboo.com

Step 7: Once the red/orange layer of paint was dry, I ironed the “inside” stencil directly onto the paint and larger stencil.

Flaming Pants tutorial step 7 via lilblueboo.com

Step 8: I mixed a little bit of white fabric paint with yellow (to make the yellow more opaque) and painted several layers onto the “inside” stencil.

Flaming Pants tutorial step 8 via lilblueboo.com

Step 9: Once all the paint was dry I peeled off the stencils and my flames were finished!

Flaming Pants tutorial step 9 via lilblueboo.com

Step 10: I sewed together my t-shirt pants and added the elastic waist (see the t-shirt pant tutorial here for directions).

Flaming Pants tutorial step 10 via lilblueboo.com

And put them on my new little “baby manny” that a friend gave me! He sure is frumpy.

Flaming Pants tutorial step finished via lilblueboo.com

Flames Template

Filed Under: Children's Clothes, Freezer Paper, Printing/Stenciling, Recycled, Sewing, Things I've Made, Tutorial Tagged With: boys, flames, paint, pants, T-Shirt, template, tutortial, upcycled

Q – T – REX Applique

August 25, 2009 By Ashley Hackshaw 22 Comments

Sienna is all about dinosaurs right now (since seeing Ice Age). Not much out there for girls though….so we had to improvise. I drew the T-Rex skull from a photo of a skeleton…..it probably isn’t very anatomically correct but Sienna yelled “DINOSAUR…….RAWR” when she saw it and that is good enough for me! I was putting “Cutie-Rex” on the shorts but Brett came up with “Q T Rex”….. love it!

The great part is this can be an applique for a girl OR boy!

Free T Rex Dinosaur Template for Sewing Applique via lilblueboo.com

The tank top is reverse applique and the shorts are regular applique (click on the links for the tutorials). I’ve uploaded my applique sketch at the bottom of the post if you want to make one for your little boy or girl too.

Free T Rex Dinosaur Template for Sewing Applique 2 via lilblueboo.com

Sienna in her outfit:

Free T Rex Dinosaur Template for Sewing Applique 3 via lilblueboo.com

Cutie Rex*

Filed Under: Applique, Children's Clothes, Downloads, Sewing, Things I've Made, Tutorial Tagged With: applique, childrens clothes, free, girls clothing, sewing, T-Rex, template

Today requires…..

August 24, 2009 By Ashley Hackshaw 11 Comments

…..some organization.

Filed Under: Life, Work Spaces Tagged With: organization, work space

Sewing on Paper II

August 23, 2009 By Ashley Hackshaw 6 Comments

I love how easy Dana’s quilted notecard tutorial is. Yesterday I needed a card for a belated wedding present and used a bunch of white fabric scraps to sew this one up really quick:

Here are some other cards I’ve made by sewing on paper (click here to go to the original post):

Sewing on Paper II cards via lilblueboo.com

Sewing on Paper II gift tags via lilblueboo.com

Filed Under: Gifts, Sewing Tagged With: cards, craft, paper, sewing, tutorial

A Big Frumpy Mess…….

August 23, 2009 By Ashley Hackshaw 5 Comments

I really wish I was just a LITTLE more patient. I was working on this top….. the idea was sort of an “inside-out” top. Wow….. it was SO cute until I thought it was just a little too flowy….. then I was a rotary-cutter-happy refusing-to-measure-anything-out-stubborn crazy person…. and then it just turned into a disaster. A huge frumpy-lopsided-wonky-frustrating mess. Maybe it can be salvaged into a dress for Sienna……but I am SO OVER this project for now.

It is past midnight now….. I did finish sewing up some samples for a new pattern I am working on. At least something turned out today. Oh, and I just ate some Toll House pie that I brought home from a party tonight. And maybe Sienna will sleep in past 5:30 am tomorrow morning…..could I be so lucky?

Filed Under: Oops, Sewing Tagged With: frumpy, Oops, sewing, top

Sienna’s Art Journal

August 22, 2009 By Ashley Hackshaw 6 Comments

Sometimes is it pretty darn difficult to get projects done with a little one running around. Usually I give Sienna her own “miniature” version of whatever I am working on….. and make it slightly less messy (I make big enough messes on my own). A few months ago I gave Sienna her own “art journal.” I change up the supplies each time to keep it interesting and I give her lots of choices on what to use.

Last night Sienna worked on her book with a huge pile of sticker pages (I was catching up on Project Runway):

Inspecting a “googly” eye:

Sienna's Art Journal 2 via lilblueboo.com

Her finished page, and I’m still sane!

Sienna's Art Journal 3 via lilblueboo.com

P.S. I wanted Ari to stay on Project Runway! I agree with Micheal Kors….. maybe I’m just not smart enough to “get” her work?

Filed Under: Journaling, Kids Projects, Life, Sienna's Work Tagged With: art, journaling, kids projects

Little Sister, Big Sister

August 21, 2009 By Ashley Hackshaw 10 Comments

I made these pillowcases dresses a while back….. and was so surprised to to receive baby Sydney’s birth announcement with both sisters (Samantha is the big sister) wearing them! I had to share these photos….I rarely get to see gifts on the children I actually made them for.

Our friends Mike and Jen found out during pregnancy that Sydney had a congenital heart defect that would need surgery or several surgeries right after she was born. Sydney was born on June 19th and a few days after being born, Sydney’s parents and the cardiologist decided to do a small procedure to add an artery band to control a condition that sometimes causes too much oxygenated blood to the lungs. It is a temporary fix and the band will allow Sydney to be able to grow a little more so that when she is between 4 months and a year old she can have her ventricle defect repaired. Sydney was released from the ICU and was home with her family on July 4th! She is doing so well! She is a healthy little miracle baby Thanks for the cute photos Jen! XOXO

Filed Under: Friends and Family, Sewing, Things I've Made Tagged With: dresses, girls, pillowcase, sewing

Journaling: Transferring Images with Con-Tact Paper

August 20, 2009 By Ashley Hackshaw 33 Comments

You can make journal pages much more interesting by layering multiple images and text. There are many ways to transfer an image onto a page….so I’ll be doing several posts with different techniques. Below I’ll show you how to use clear Con-Tact paper (the stuff used for drawer liners and textbook covers). Many people use packing tape for this same technique, but I think it is too limiting because it’s size.

Below are three journal pages where I used Con-Tact paper to place an image or text as a layer.

How to Transfer Images with Con-Tact Paper via lilblueboo.com

Materials needed:

Clear Con-Tact paper

A photocopied image (inkjet will not work)

My photocopy is a quote written by Sabrina Ward Harrison in one of her books. I love her handwriting!

How to Transfer Images with Con-Tact Paper 2 via lilblueboo.com

Cut out your Con-Tact paper to cover the portion of the photocopy that you want to transfer.

How to Transfer Images with Con-Tact Paper 3 via lilblueboo.com

Peel the backing off the Con-Tact paper…..

How to Transfer Images with Con-Tact Paper 4 via lilblueboo.com

……and place on your photocopy.

How to Transfer Images with Con-Tact Paper 5 via lilblueboo.com

Use your fingernail or another object (I’m using a bone folder in the photo) to burnish the top of the Con-Tact paper to make sure it adheres well.

How to Transfer Images with Con-Tact Paper 6 via lilblueboo.com

Cut off the excess paper surround the image.

How to Transfer Images with Con-Tact Paper 7 via lilblueboo.com

Place the photocopy/Con-Tact paper into a bowl of warm water……

How to Transfer Images with Con-Tact Paper 8 via lilblueboo.com

…and gently begin rubbing the wet paper off of the Con-Tact paper.

How to Transfer Images with Con-Tact Paper 9 via lilblueboo.com

The photocopied image will be left behind.

How to Transfer Images with Con-Tact Paper 10 via lilblueboo.com

To adhere it to your page or canvas you can use matte medium, clear glue or modge podge. I use matte medium in my journals because it doesn’t cause the pages to stick together over time. I put some matte medium directly on the page and then spread it out using a paint brush.

How to Transfer Images with Con-Tact Paper 11 via lilblueboo.com

Then I placed the transferred image on the page……

How to Transfer Images with Con-Tact Paper 12 via lilblueboo.com

….and brushed the excess matte medium over the top and made sure to push out any air bubbles.

How to Transfer Images with Con-Tact Paper 13 via lilblueboo.com

Finished! An easy and foolproof way to make those pages more interesting.

(My mother is going to LOVE that I have this photo of her in a swimsuit when she was younger on my blog…..but she was Miss Teenage Maryland, I think she should show it off!)