tutorial Archives - Page 43 of 61 - Ashley Hackshaw / Lil Blue Boo

Printing and Painting Fabric (A Tutorial)

February 3, 2011 by Ashley Hackshaw

Can’t find the perfect fabric for a project? You can make your own! Here’s Boo wearing the jumpsuit I made for Week 3 of Project Run and Play….it’s a basic style, I just needed to make the perfect print for it!

The basic jumpsuit consisted of 4 pieces of gray knit:

First, I silk screened several different layers of a butterfly print……

….in dark gray, turquoise and bright yellow (see basic silk screening tutorial here):

Using Setacolor transparent fabric paints….

…..I mixed a diluted hot pink color:

I used a large paint brush to paint areas of the fabric to add dimension:

After the fabric was dry I heat set the entire outfit using an iron to make it permanent:

The inspiration for this outfit was Alexander McQueen.:

But the print and style had to be something more childish and less botanical….whimsical and fun….comfortable and easily washed (Lil Blue Boo criteria!):

A Chalkboard Pig

December 20, 2010 by Ashley Hackshaw

Remember the piggy bank that Boo picked out a few nights ago for Daddy’s Christmas present?

I convinced her to paint it with chalkboard paint! To paint a ceramic piece like this I recommend using chalkboard spray paint because you will get a smoother finish, but with a toddler that isn’t so easy. We used a small roller and this can of chalkboard paint:

I let Boo do most of the rolling herself:

Every once in a while I could ask her if I could “try painting” and she would let me smooth out some of the large areas for her:

We used a small paint brush to paint in the hard to reach areas and then smoothed them out with a roller:

You will need to do several coats of the chalkboard paint, letting it dry in between.

A little trick I use for rollers so they don’t dry out? Wrap the paint-covered roller in a plastic bag and stick it in the freezer! You can even leave it overnight and just take it out and continue painting when you need to:

Here is the finished chalkboard piggy bank…..it’s a little bumpy but I think Boo did a pretty good job!

After the paint has set overnight, you can use chalk to decorate it:

Boo wanted to write her name….

…..and Daddy’s, so he will know whose piggy bank it was when he opens it Christmas morning:

This would be a great gift for any age…..child or adult! So fun to decorate the piggy’s expression:

Or make one for yourself and write what you are saving for on it!

Here are a few other projects I’ve done in the past using chalkboard paint:

Upcycled Knit Pom Pom Hair Accessories (A Tutorial)

December 17, 2010 by Ashley Hackshaw

I’ve had requests for this tutorial for a while and I finally just made myself finish it this week! Everyone loves these hair accessories and it is a great way to use up those extra knit scraps!

This is a photo from last spring with Li’l Miss Elle wearing a pom in her hair….I can’t believe how young she and Boo look!

Materials needed:
Knit scraps
3 ” or 4″ needle
Nylon thread
Pliers
Glue gun
An alligator clip, head band or pony tail holder
Optional: velvet ribbon for lining clip

Step 1: Cut out strips of knit yardage or t-shirt scraps measuring about 5″ x 3/4″ and thread your needle:

Step 2: Take your first strip and insert the needle about 1/8″ from the middle edge….you will stick the needle back through at another 1/8″ and continue……

…..until you’ve created an accordion-type fold onto the needle:

Step 3: Repeat the last step for your next strip of knit…..

…but twist it around once it is on the needle so that it lays across the other piece like a cross:

Step 4: Continue to add your other strips of knit in the same manner and twist them once they are threaded into a star shape as shown and flatten them all down together to the bottom of the needle:

Step 5: Once you have added enough strips so that the pom is the fullness that you prefer run your needle back through to secure all the strips.

Stitch back and forth through all the layers one or two more times to secure them well….you may need a pair of pliers for this step to help pull the needle through!