Heat Transfer Vinyl Fun with Expressions Vinyl!

Ok people listen up! I have some fun to share with you today!!!

Do you remember this shirt from my CRAFTICON post, and then I promised you I'd share more about it later? Well today is "later". 

First off I used a Silhouette to cut my vinyl. why do you ask? Well it is the cutting machine I have. and I fricken love that I can grab an image and trace it in the program. When you cut to vinyl you are going to want to mirror your image. I didn't use words so it really wouldn't have mattered a lot if I didn't mirror such a basic shape, but I knew which way Mario and friends run across the screen - I have the games! 

I used Siser easy weed vinyl from Expressions Vinyl. and let me tell you - it is EASY to weed!!!!! I've weeded other things before and it felt more torturous than watching golf on tv, which for me is worse than watching paint dry. This easy weed stuff just lifted right off, nothing ripped or pulled and the backing is slightly sticky so the pieces I wanted to stay on the backing to iron to the shirt nicely stayed on the backing!

Then I went on over to Expressions Vinyl's you tube channel and watched this video, if you skip to about the 6:50 mark you can go right to the ironing bit. This shirt was my very first attempt at heat transfer vinyl so I figured I should watch a demo first and all the tips and hints in that video are AMAZING!!! Plus he uses an everyday iron - which is perfect since I do not have a heat press. So, if you want to learn the finer points of ironing on heat transfer with an iron I highly recommend the video!

This project was so much fun and such an easy first project! I will be on the lookout for more things to vinyl forsure! Plus, I have a bunch more vinyl so keep an eye out for more non sewing projects using vinyl! or maybe sewing projects using vinyl... Who knows really, we SHE'S like to keep things fresh!

ps see Luigi above, that is what happens when you think you should put your iron just a little bit hotter than the video recommends (even though the video warns against too hot ironing). I've learned my lesson. Trust the video and the experts when it comes to applying vinyl properly!

and yes, I still do love my shirt! Everyday with a little bit of my geek showing!

I should tell you that when Expressions Vinyl sent me the vinyl for the project, they shipped it right away and it arrived in record time to my middle of nowhere area! 

Crafting-Con Craft Off: Viever

So the challenge, create an everyday look that uses one of the following geeky (come on these are actually pretty cool, wait did I just admit my geekiness?) themes: Harry Potter, Star Wars, Avengers, Disney Princesses, Disney Villains, Hunger Games, The Hobbit, Dr. Who, Mario Brothers, Divergent, Disney (general theme excluding Princesses), and Board Game.

Crystal showed off her Geek badge with an awesome outfit in tribute to Star War's the RebelAlliance flight suit yesterday.  Did you see the vest?!  Brilliant!  The (crafting) force is strong in Crystal.

I have a certain little boy in my house who has been introduced to super heroes in general by his very "geeky" uncle.  My boy is OBSESSED so what's a mom to do but make his super hero dreams come true.  So I picked the Avengers theme.  S is crazy about Captain America, and hey his mama likes watching him too on the big screen.  Last year, we bought a Captain America costume, among several others, and some accessories post Halloween (woot 50%-75% off at Target!) and they get regular play at our house but they aren't the best for every day wear, especially in the summer.  Who wants to get all sweaty in polyester while trying to save the planet!?  And so an idea was born.

That's right my two cuties in decked out in Captain America attire fit for running, jumping, climbing trees, and all in a comfy lightweight cotton knit!

I again used Figgy's Tee for Two. You sick of me using this pattern yet?  Well if it ain't broke don't fix it is a motto here!  But this time I actually did the second of the two patterns included!  V is wearing my first version of the dress! 

I did modify the t-shirt a touch to get the stripes and for some reason I was having major collar issues.  I'm going to blame the knit I used as I've NEVER had this problem before but cutting a touch longer for both collars did the trick and we got those tee over my kids' noggins.  I also added a belt for V's dress as I didn't want to cut up the dress to create the stripes.

For the stripes I took the shirt piece and traced out a curve I wanted to follow then cut that portion of the front off.  Taking that piece I grabbed my handing tracing paper traced out the piece and then mapped out my red and white striped pieces.  I used the same template for V's belt which is why it turned out so wide but it works.  

For the star I used an embroidery file from Embroidery Library called Simple Star.  You can't quite tell from the pictures but I used silver and white coloring on the star to give it more of a popped look.

Anyway my kids were thrilled to wake up and find their shirts.  It spurred a morning of super hero play that included a rescue of the blue dog Patsy from a tree and running around our front yard fighting off imaginary villains.  Gotta get ready to face that big bad world!

Rescuing Patsy proved to be a daunting task only for Big Brother Capt. America with Lil' Sis Capt. America watching on very concerned for Patsy's well being with Patsy's unnamed dog friend.  

V also took the opportunity to do some getting dressed practice while S was up in the tree.  She needed to make sure no one would know her identity...  Can you see her super proud smile while she finally figured out how to get the mask on all by herself?  Sadly I can't say that I made the mask but the kids had to have it out when they saw their outfits.

And so once again Mommy saves the day or at least the morning with a fantastic pattern and a little imagination.  So happy to help my kiddos save the world defeating one imaginary bad guy at a time. Now anyone up for getting some shwarma?

Can't wait to see what the rest of the SHEs have dreamed up and don't forget to vote at the end of the week!  Winner goes on to compete in the Disney Princess theme over at Crafting-Con in September!
--Viever

Crafting-Con Craft-Off: Crystal

You guys, I’m a geek.  Like really, I am.  I am not a hipster geek that wears glasses and think Hayden Christiansen did a good job in Star Wars.  I am a real bonafied geek.  I love all things Lord of the Rings (with the exception of Tom Bombadil- I hate that guy), Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica(2004), Firefly & Merlin.  I’ve played world of Warcraft and enjoyed it.  I married a Dungeon Master- yes, the man I love plays D&D.  Yes, I just called it “D&D” and not “Dungeons and Dragons”.  I find science fascinating and feel like Science fiction should become reality before I die. I dress up for renaissance festivals.  I will be Cosplaying at a Comic Convention in October.  I AM GEEK.   So when I heard of Crafting-Con...yeah, I wanted in.

The SHEs are up for a spot in the September theme of Crafting Con (Disney Princesses).  We are going to fight to the...not DEATH, but to the...um...winner?  for that spot!  We decided that we’d each make a look from whichever of the Crafting-Con themes that Spoke to us.  These are the themes:

Harry Potter

Star Wars

Avengers

Disney Princesses

Disney Villains

Hunger Games
The Hobbit
Dr. Who
Mario Brothers
Divergent
Disney (no princesses allowed)
Board Games

WARNING: Massive amounts of geeky information about to seep into your brain.  I hope you’re ready.

My choice was an easy one-I chose Star Wars because that’s the geeky that started it all for most of us.  I had one rule for myself, though... I HAD to use what was in my stash already.  We’re saving for Stan Lee’s Comikaze, so yeah.  No spending!  The big problem I had was color. The original 3 movies (you know, the ones that weren’t mistakes) have very little color.  Lots of grey, black, brown, tan, white...not a lot of BLAMMO!  I LOVE color, so I went to the most colorful costume in the trilogy- the RebelAlliance flight suit.

The rules of CraftingCon state that all items made should be able to be worn not as a costume, but as everyday garments.  I made the tunic from the inspiration of the Hummingbird dress by Rabbit Rabbit creations.  I don’t own that pattern but I wanted to make a top like that...but no spending money.  I drafted something similar on my own and I love the way it turned out!  If you can't draft on your own, just buy the pattern.  It's easier that way anyhow. I used orange fabric that I previously got at the thrift store for $1 for a little over a yard...SCORE!  The white was an upcycle from an old RTW dress that no longer fit my girl. The back straps represent the X-wing fighters that Luke flies when he made the shot that destroyed the Death Star..totally went there.  She can be Anti-republic everywhere she goes.  People at the grocery store will be like “There’s a cute girl in an orange top.”  They have no idea that she can blast away an epic weapon and space station with one little PEW!

The vest is super awesome and my favorite part.  I wanted it to look like the flight vest, but not like a costume.  I added some silver and black piping to make an otherwise simple vest into something pretty epic.  The patch on the front of the vest is the Symbol for the Jedi Order and is just a pinned on patch. It’s a little nod to Luke’s relationship with the force.   It comes off and makes this vest a bit but more “every day”.  The applique on the back is permanent because it can be.  No one sees the back of you until you walk away.  She’ll walk away in geeky style, baby. This emblem is the symbol of the Rebel Alliance.  In the movie it can be seen on Luke’s helmet, but I decided to throw it on the back. The pattern I used is an altered version of pattern 118 from the Little Darlings line by Enchanted Forest Inc.

That’s my whole look and I hope you geeked out a little.  I’m super happy that I was able to take neon orange flight suit inspiration and turn it into something cute for my girl.  And now she looks like a nerd girl; and nerd girls are BADASS.

Do YOU want to compete in future CraftingCons?  Sign up here!  Spots are filling fast!

-Crystal-