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Lil Blue Boo Citrus (and ZERO waste!)

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I’ve been working on some spring silk screens for my clothing store. I put the question out there on Facebook and the overwhelming requests were citrus and ladybugs! So I did both. Here are some sneak peeks from a citrus photo shoot my friend Lisa and I did this morning at the park! Lady bug photo shoot to come soon! The “orange fairy” came just in time for some photo props too!





Here is how the dresses looked on the hanger:


Have I mentioned that EVERY little last scrap of t-shirts and knits gets upcycled?! Lil Blue Boo is trying to go to ZERO waste. Pieces that are too small for dress sleeves I send to my friend Shari for use in her adorable Soren Lorensen Design creations. Pieces that are too small for her? Those go to my friend Lisa of Ellebows and More for her new line of upcycled hair pieces to match my Lil Blue Boo dresses! They are so cute I can’t stand it….she leaves pieces of the seams, stitching etc. Each one is limited and unique! She’ll be adding more mis-matched pieces as she gets dress scraps…..so if you are looking for pieces to match your dresses there will probably be a delay before they show up in her shop. OR send her photos of your LBB dresses and see if she has some coordinating scraps to match a few of them! More products to come as well!


There have been a few recent improvements to LBB dresses too…..a more refined neckline and a hidden seam at the neck for those kiddos that might have sensory issues like my little one!

Tie Dyeing using Procion Dye

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Want vibrant color? Use Procion Dye. It’s what the pros use (and those of us that are pro “wannabes”). Look how yummy:


First, you’ll want to prepare a mixture of soda ash and water to soak your fabric in. I like to do this before I tie my fabric so the dye bleeds just a little….but you can also soak it after your fabric is tied. Here is what the soda ash looks like:


Basically you add 1 cup of soda ash per gallon of warm water. Make sure to wear gloves though…..this stuff can dry out and redden your hands (I know from experience).


Soak your fabric until wet and then wring out:


I like to use string to tie my fabric. I like the effect I end up with as the dye bleeds into the string:


Below is what the Procion Dyes look like. Measuring them is SUPER simple because they are coded with asterisks (*). You just mix 8 oz of warm water to the following amount of dye:
Colors with no * need 2 teaspoons of dye.
Colors with one * need 4 teaspoons of dye.
Colors with two * need 8 teaspoons of dye.


In this example, I was using Hot Pink (which had no * on the title) so I just added 2 teaspoons of dye……


…..into an 8oz squirt bottle using a little funnel I made from some plastic sheeting.


Then I added the 8oz of warm water and shook it to mix:


Apply the dye!


Wrap up the dyed fabric in plastic sheeting or a plastic bag to keep the dye and fabric wet. I let mine sit overnight for 24 hours.


The next day I remove the fabric from the bag and while still tied rinse off the excess dye using cold running water. Then I untie, rinse out again and put it through the wash on cold. I try to keep the dyes similar in the first wash to preserve color too (i.e. one load of pinks, one load of blues). They won’t fade after that!

Note: Dharma recommends the final wash with HOT water and Synthrapol or something similar so that the garment will never bleed on anything.

Note: There are many other variations and dye formulas you can use to perfect your technique. I recommend the Dharma Trading catalog which is more like a manual for dyeing!

Two recent custom dress orders I did using Procion:

A birthday dress with a screen printed “3” and a dyed skirt. The customer sent me the bling to applique on the skirt.

A veggie dress made with upcycled knits and tie dye.

Winners of the Lil Blue Boo / Dharma Trading Design Challenge!

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We started with 154 amazing entries in the Lil Blue Boo / Dharma Trading Design Challenge! The judges (Shari, Dana, Disney, Candace and Rae) narrowed the entries down to 15 finalists. After a week long vote, with 3,855 people voting, I finally get to announce the winners! Congratulations to Shannon, Vanessa and Sarah! Thanks to everyone who entered the contest! I can’t wait for the next challenge!

First Place (884 votes):
Kung Hee Fat Choy (Happy New Year) Top
Made by: Shannon from Happy Tomodachi
Shannon used red and gold t-shirts: red-good luck, gold-wealth and happiness. She stenciled the character for “Double Happiness” at the top using freezer paper and Jacquard Neopaque fabric paint and added some 3-D gold glitter paint for some subtle “zing.” She appliqued the flowers using fabric from the original t-shirts and fusible webbing and dusted the flowers with glitter paint for sparkle. She then used hems from the original t-shirts to trim the sleeves and bottom hem of the new top.
Pattern: Recycled T-Shirt Sienna Dress

Second Place (746 votes):
Spring Fever Dress
Made by: Vanessa from Punkin Patterns
Vanessa used three different plain fabrics in a dark pink, light pink and green. The appliqued flowers came from a really beautiful border fabric. The applique goes all the way around the dress and the pockets hide where the applique pieces meet giving the fabric the illusion from far away that it is one piece of fabric.
Pattern: The Paper Doll Dress

Third Place (668 votes):
Chicken Nuggets Dress
Made by: Sarah Boyd from 2 Giggle Boxes
The dress was inspired not from chicken nuggets…… but from four pet goldfish that Sarah’s daughter chose to name “chicken nuggets.” Sarah created the fishbowl on the top of the dress using lightweight vinyl PVC. The underwater world was created using applique and fabric painting. The bottom of the dress features imported Japanese fabric sewn into a bubble style.
Pattern: Recycled T-Shirt Halter/Tie-Back Dress

Honorable Mentions:

Best Use of a Girl’s Pattern for a Boy’s Outfit:

“The Church Waders” by Sabra from Sew a Straight Line

Most Creative Use of a Halter Dress Pattern (tie):

“The Heat is On” by Sarah from Up to Date in Kansas City

The Knit Mermaids by Nicole from Cole’s Corner and Creations

Cutest Hair:

Girl Robot Dress by Charlene from Musings of a Mormon Mom

Most Patriotic:

Flag Dress by Lynette from Get Your Craft On

Best Mini-Me:

“Lil Lu and Bitty Baby” by Ashley from Not Just Grannies

Most Attention to the Details:

“Honeycomb Dress” by Nikki Williams

Best Period Piece:

“All Dressed Up” by Kestlyn from the Kestlyn Collection

Most Likely To Be Coveted By Every Little Boy in the World:

“Monster Hoodie” by Lynette from Get Your Craft On



First Prize:
:: Choice of one of the following: 50 Person Tie-Dye Party Kit, Screenprinting Kit, or $50 Dharma Trading Gift Certificate.
:: $25 Lil Blue Boo Etsy Store Gift Certificate.
:: Choice of boy or girl nursery painting from my fine art website.
:: “Challenge Winner” badge to display on blog or website.

Second Prize:
:: $25 Dharma Trading Gift Certificate
:: $25 Lil Blue Boo Etsy Store Gift Certificate

Third Prize
:: $15 Lil Blue Boo Etsy Store Gift Certificate

Click the collage below to view the entire gallery:

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