T-Shirt Crafts abound on the internet.  If you’re looking for a fun craft to do with a t-shirt, you won’t be hard-pressed to find one on Pinterest or on the tons of sewing and craft blogs out there.

But, now comes the time for a little self-reflection.  Is it really a good idea to make all this stuff from t-shirts?

Of course, it’s great to recycle and reuse.  T-shirt fabric is suitable for a lot of projects, but sometimes it’s not the perfect material and the projects featured won’t last the test of time and use.

Here are a few things to keep in mind about T-shirt fabric.

1.)  It stretches!  That’s why you like to wear it!  What does this mean for your crafts?  It means that if you re-shape the neckline or the hem by just cutting it into a new shape- it won’t stay.  You must stabilize seams, hems and necklines on knits- or you’ll get a funky product.

2.) T-shirt fabric is thin!  Some T-shirts are thicker than others, I know, but thinner t-shirts are popular and have been for a few years.  So, if you’re going to make a skirt out of a t-shirt, take a look in the mirror first and make sure you’re not giving anyone a free show.  T-shirt fabric was originally intended for t-shirts, just keep that in mind while you’re cleverly redesigning them

3.) Can these fabric features be good- YES!  That’s why we love them, just don’t expect t-shirt fabric to act like anything other than what it is.

Do you want something to be be stretchy and soft?  Like a t-shirt scarf?  Go for it with a tutorial like this one from HelloGiggles.

Do you want to use up those t-shirts and be green about cleaning?  Check these washcloths out on My Bit of Earth.

And then there are t-shirt bags.  Normally, these don’t really turn me on- but they could be useful.  And the author at DeliaCreates does a great job of showing how to sew with t-shirt knit!

The point is this: Don’t get disappointed if your t-shirt craft doesn’t work out, you may have been doomed from the beginning.  Just keep in mind how the t-shirt fabric will act when you’re upcycling into your next project!

Have you made anything from a t-shirt?  How did it go?

You may never sew a beaded silk dress in your life.  But if you ever do, you’ll be down on your knees thanking us for this blog post!  Beaded fabric, silk or otherwise, can be a pain-in-the-behind to sew with.  Here are some pictures, tips, and pop culture song references to get you through such a project!

As you sew along on this fabric, the glass beads will inevitably break your needle, no matter how hard you try to miss them.  When we first started sewing a garment from this fabric, we thought the solution would be to cut the beads off the dress.  Unfortunately, that also meant cutting threads that held other beads and sequins on the fabric, leaving bare spots.  What to do? What to do?

Hammer time!  I can’t exactly remember how we got to this solution- I’m sure it was all mom’s idea- but here it is!

Trace your pattern onto your fabric and then place painter’s tape along the edges of the pattern piece.  Painter’s tape is low tack, so it should not damage your fabric. (I’m using a small sample of the beaded silk here, because it can cost $100/yard)

Then, hammer along the painter’s tape to break the bulky, glass beads.

Pull the painter’s tape up, and voila! all the little pieces of glass are nicely contained and ready to be thrown away. Hint: You may need to repeat this process a couple of times- it depends on how heavily beaded your fabric is.

Your seam lines are clear of debris and hazardous decoration.  Best of all, the threads holding the sequins down are still intact, so you don’t lose any more sparkle than you have to!

Believe you me, we were pretty excited when we figured this out!  It erased our fears and motivated us to use the fabric more often.  Here are some photos of projects we’ve done with beaded silk…they were both for me

Mallory and dance partner Brad in 2007. Ballroom dress repurposed from a thrifted beaded silk gown.

Mallory and friend Becca at prom in 2007. It was the year of the beaded silk dress!

Happy Sewing!!!