PROJECT 2: Tie-Dyed Baby Onesies & Vests

The second project that I have undertaken is hand tie-dying. This is something I have wanted to do for such a long time and I finally decided I must do it. It was so much fun and already can not wait to do it again. I will have to be careful or I will end up not having one white thing in my home :P

So as for materials for tie-dying I chose to use baby onesies and baby vests in an assortment of sizes. I used 100% cotton material which is perfect for the dye I got. In terms of colours I had: a beautiful Blue, a rich Red and a vibrant Yellow. Three primary colours with which I could mix to create a Purple, an Orange and a Green, other colours also resulted such as Pink which works perfectly for baby girls clothing. I am looking forward to experimenting further with the colours but I am thrilled with how they turned out this time!! I also did a lot of research into different types of dye and different tie-dying techniques before I began and this resulted in a vast array of effects to show.

I have taken an assortment of process pictures to show on my blog to give an insight behind the project. Personally I always find it extremely interesting to see photos of different stages of a person's project. So I intend to share the same.

The picture above shows various different tie's to create different end results, this part was really fun, deciding what effects I wanted to create. It also gave a little anticipation as to exactly how each technique would turn out!!

The next picture shows my set up and dye's used for this project. Note that there was also mixing to create a broader colour range.

The next sequence of photos show the dye applied and wet before resting and washing. Colours are much darker than once the dye has taken to the fabric and then been rinsed and washed.

So that summarises the process pretty well. It really was a lot of fun and all pretty straight forward. I am really just looking forward to more experimentation!! Here are a few picks of the final results. They make me smile every time I look at them, so what more can you ask for?! :)

Some detailed pictures of the results below: this includes both onesies and vests. They are not quiet dry at this stage, but almost. Just a little damp still.

Please feel free to comment on this post if you have any feedback or would like some further information. I would love to hear from you!!

PROJECT 1: Hand Appliqué Baby Onesies

My very first project for The Earthly Creative is hand appliqué baby onesies. I find onesies absolutely adorable so they make the perfect canvas for this project! They also offer so many different options to do with colour and theme. I have begun with an animal theme in particular different breeds of dogs and cats.

So I begin with a 100% cotton white onesies and an assortment of brightly coloured fabric in lots of different patterns. Bolder patterns tend to work better on less detailed shapes and smaller patterns for more detailed shapes, so that the pattern does not get lost in the detail. Below are my first four designs, two cats and two dogs. The first shows the design just before I have finished the hand-sewn blanket stitch around the edges.

All of the material plus onesies are pre-washed to avoid shrinkage and create colour-fast garments. The additional fabric is shaped and attached to the onesies with a product called Trans-web which is a type of adhesive which becomes fusible when heated. Each design is then hand-sewn around the edges to ensure it is tightly secured to the garment and reduce fraying of edges. All these designs will be available for purchase in my two online stores (one Australian and one American).

You can find the Earthly Creative Stores at:

• http://www.madeit.com.au/TheEarthlyCreative

This is the part of the Australian online, handmade market called madeit.com.au Only Australian residents can purchase items from madeit, if you are from another country please refer to the link below for my Etsy store.

• http://www.TheEarthlyCreative.etsy.com

This is part of the American online, handmade market called etsy.com People from America as well as other countries can purchase from Etsy.com

All the items I will have for purchase are created in a friendly, smoke-free and clean environment. All garments have been pre-washed, however it is advised to wash items before wear and to wash with similar colours :)

With the designs applied to the baby onesies I am hoping to be able to set up a system to offer a customised service where you will be able to request a particular breed of dog or cat (or any other animal) and a colour theme preference with the fabric and I will create your own one-of-a-kind garment which would be adorable to tie in with your very own family pets or those of a friend for a gift! At this stage email or comment if you have any requests!!

* I am also experimenting with this concept on bibs, I will post a picture of stage one on that concept below. Shown below is a Dachshund design on a baby bib, before hand stitching around edges is complete. This design matches one of the 'Dachshund' dog onesie design above.

Please feel free to comment on this post if you have any feedback or would like some further information.

The First Step...

To explain a little about this blog...my intention is to use this space to record details about my creative projects connected to "THE EARTHLY CREATIVE".

The Earthly Creative is a business I am starting as an outlet for all my artistic and creative projects and ideas. I have begun by creating an email account for this called the.earthly.creative@gmail.com if you have any questions or feedback then just send me a note and I would love to hear from you!!

Next I have created two online shops in which to start selling my products.

• I have one with the Australian handmade market called madeit (www.madeit.com.au) the address for my store on madeit is http://www.madeit.com.au/TheEarthlyCreative feel free to check it out...I hope to have items listed in the store asap and begin selling!!
• The second online store is with the American handmade and vintage online market called Etsy (www.etsy.com). The address for my store in Etsy is http://www.TheEarthlyCreative.etsy.com again please feel free to come and have a look around, let me know what you think and browse through the items for sale as soon as they are listed!!

A little about myself...

My name is Bec and I am 21. I live in Sydney with my gorgeous finance Mike and my awesome black cat called Jazz. I have completed a Bachelor of Creative Arts in Graphic Design and New Media with a minor in Media Arts. I am now also studying with Napoleon Perdis Makeup Academy in Paddington, which is another great creative outlet for me.

The items for purchase on my two online stores will be of a creative theme, eco-friendly where possible (I am hoping to increase this aspect once I get going), hopefully they will just be something that makes you smile. If you have any feedback then you can email me or comment on my blog, I would really love to hear from you!! Thanks for stopping by!!