Introducing Feature YOU Fridays - a day for YOU to showcase your talents!

Good morning StitchStealers!

Today we’re introducing a new weekly feature at the StitchSteals blog, called Feature You Fridays.

We want to be able to see your StitchSteals in action, and we want to be able to make the StitchSteals blog a place to share our talents with, and learn from, each other.   We would also LOVE to help you promote your business, website, blog or fabulous cause if you have one. So we’ve decided to have a day dedicated to you, our awesome StitchSteals customers and friends. 

Here’s how it is going to work:

1.  You choose a project (knitting, quilt, clothing, home decor, embroidery, etc.) that you want to show off – and have created using at least one StitchSteal.

2.  Email us a digital picture of your project to blog@stitchsteals.com, along with your name, email address, and the name of the StitchSteal(s) you used in your project.

3.  If we choose your project, we’ll contact you and get more information (maybe a short bio and any blog or website info if you have one). Then we will let you know when to look for your creation on our blog.

This will be an ongoing feature, not a one time contest. So when you create something you are proud of, tried a new technique that you want to share, decide to start that etsy shop, or want more blog readers, send a picture in! If you don’t hear from us that first week, don’t fret! We’ll be choosing our featured project each week from our entire pool of submissions (not just the ones received that week).

And if you are multi-talented, and like to play with paper, stickers, ink, beads, or stamps (which I suspect is true for MANY of you!), we will be having "Feature You Friday" on the blog for our sister site, CraftySteals.   If you have a project that you have made using a CraftySteal, we'd love to see your stuff over there too! To submit to CraftySteals' Feature You Fridays, please email your photos to blog@craftysteals.com

We are so excited to be able to learn from you and see all of wonderful things you are creating with your StitchSteals! 

How to make your own Recycled T shirt

Hi StitchStealers!

If you follow me on CraftySteals.com at all you know that I have a little bit of an obsession with t-shirts...I love to make them, wear them and dress my family in them! So I screenprint and use heat transfer vinyl but special for you guys I decided to sew one!

Now I am by no means a seamstress, in fact making this shirt was probably the first time my trusty machine has been used in at least 6 years (I know because my oldest son is almost 6 and I definitely have not used it since he has been born).

So my lesson for today is making a Valentine's Recycled T-shirt. So I took a new "distressed" shirt that I found online and a too small kid's shirt that was in my "to donate" bin and made a cute, inexpensive & earth friendly shirt for me to wear to all my Valentine's parties (i.e. a 4 year old & a kindergarten class party).

Step 1: Cut your shape out of the "recycled" t-shirt. I made a pattern but it could be freehanded.

Step 2: Cut the same shape only about 1/4 smaller on some iron on stabilizer. Then iron on the stabilizer to your shape. This just help keep the fabric from stretching and sagging whenever I sewed it on. I used this but I am sure there are many different varieties that would work.

Step 3: Sew the shape on with contrasting thread, I used white. I placed mine on the back of the shirt but anything goes.

Step 4: You are done! I did decide to add some strips to the sleeves just to add a little bit more color. I just cut some fabric and sewed it on, no need for stabilizer.

I have plans to make a few more shirts...so I will post them as I create them if you all are interested in seeing more.

Enjoy!

Stephanie