Stenciled T-shirt

cw: domestic violence.  For more information about domestic violence or how to receive help, check out this post I wrote a few years ago.

     In addition to being Halloween season, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  Each day, more than 20,000 calls are made to domestic violence organizations across the country.  In Maine, about half of all homicides in a given year are acts of domestic violence.  Millions of Americans are experiencing or have experienced physical, psychological, or sexual abuse at the hands of intimate partners or family members.  Many of these people are suffering in silence.  There are myriad reasons why, but lack of education around what relationship violence is, inadequate support systems, and a cultural refusal to believe survivors are all contributors.
     This month I challenge you to do something to take a stand against domestic violence.  Participate in an awareness event, donate to your local domestic violence organization, check in on your friends and loved ones.  If we all made a small effort, the sum of those small efforts could create a big change.  That change could save lives.

Flowers laid down at the 5th annual UMaine March Against Domestic Violence in memory of school teacher Amy Bagley Lake and her children Monica and Cody, who were killed by the children's father in 2011.

     Now to your regularly scheduled craft.  I used my Silhouette CAMEO to cut out the letters for this shirt, but letter stickers could work just as well.

Materials:

*T-shirt
*Letter stickers
*Spray on fabric paint

Directions:

*Cover your well ventilated work station with newspaper, scrap paper, or some other covering.

*Lay your clean, dry T-shirt down on your work surface.

*Stick the letter stickers to the shirt, forming the message you want to send.

*Paint the area around the letter stickers following the directions on the can.

*Let dry for a few minutes and then carefully peel the letter stickers off.

*Let dry the rest of the way.

*If your stickers are sufficiently sticky, the fabric paint should not get under the letters.  However, if it does, you can touch up these areas with fabric paint that is the same color as your T-shirt and a small brush, such as a nail art brush.

Mad Hatter Hat

     No Alice in Wonderland themed party would be complete without the Mad Hatter.  Since Brian and I are going with a dark Alice look for Halloween, I used black fabric and adornments, but you could always use green or other colors for a more classic Mad Hatter look.

Materials:

*1 yd of fabric in the color you would like the hat to be
*Ribbon in a corresponding color
*All purpose adhesive
*Large cardboard box
*Two 12"x12" sheets of paperboard or large cylindrical container
*Packing tape
*Scissors
*Adornments (optional)

Directions:

*Start by cutting out the brim of the hat from cardboard.  Make sure to have the hat wearer nearby so they can test to make sure it fits.

*Cut out the top part of the hat from the cardboard.

*If you don't have a cardboard cylinder on hand to use to make the hat, you can make one from paperboard.

*Curl two sheets of paperboard such that, when placed edge to edge, they form a cylinder.

*Tape two ends together using packing tape and then repeat with the other two ends.

*Glue the cylinder in between the hat's brim and the top part of the hat like such:

*Drape the fabric over the hat.

*Tie a ribbon around the lower part of the hat.

*Trim excess fabric so that there is just enough to cover the underside of the brim.

*Glue the fabric to the brim.  Let dry.

*Once dry, add any adornments you would like to.

Alice in Wonderland Pinafore Apron

     Complete your Alice look with this easy to sew pinafore apron.

Materials:

*2 yds white cotton fabric

*Scrap red fabric

*Metallic marker

*Ruler

*Needle
*White thread
*Red thread
*Safety pins

Directions:

*Place a well fitting camisole or T-shirt over the white cloth and trace around it.  If the straps are thin, do not trace around those. 

*Using the outline as a guide and a ruler, create the top part of your pinnafore.  I've left the dimensions of mine on the pattern if you want to use those.  You'll want it to be long enough to reach your natural waist, so if you're tall, you'll want to add some length.

*Hem the edges, with the exception of the bottom edge and the tops of the straps.

*To make the bottom part of the pinnafore, you'll want to make the upper edge as wide as the bottom of the top piece and then flare out a little.  I've included the dimensions of mine if you want to use them.  Again, I'm short, so if you're taller, you may want to length it a little.

*Hem the edges, except for the top one.

*To make the waist tie, I cut out a length of cloth that was 2.25" x 60".

*Align the top piece with the center of the waist tie and sew together.

*Align the bottom piece with the waist piece so that it is in line with the top piece and sew together.

*Hem the edges of the tie.

*Cut out two strips of fabric that are 2.25" x 24".

*Hem all of the edges of both strips except for the one that will connect to the straps.

*Sew one length of fabric to each strap to create the neck tie.

*To make the pockets, trace the template below onto the white fabric twice and cut out.

*Cut out two small hearts from the red fabric and sew them to the pockets.

*Hem the top of each pocket (the side with no overhang).

*To sew the pockets on, fold the edges under and pin to the apron, then sew down the three sides, leaving an opening at the top.

Eyeball Throw Pillow

     All eyes will be on you this Halloween season if you add these spooky throw pillows to your decor.

Materials:

*White fabric (I used flannel, but other fabrics would probably work just as well)
*Black felt
*Felt in the color you want the iris to be
*Needle and thread
*Red fabric paint
*Scissors
*Stuffing

Directions:

*Cut out two large white circles (I used a dinner plate to trace the circles), a medium sized circle in the color you want the iris to be, and a small black circle.

*Sew the black circle to the medium sized circle.

*Sew the medium sized circle to one of the white circles.

*Place the two white circles right side in and sew along the edge, leaving an opening for stuffing.

*Turn the pillow right side in and stuff, then sew closed using the ladder stitch.

*Draw on blood vessels using red fabric paint.

Alice in Wonderland Mushroom Props

     Here's another piece of my Alice in Halloweenland project.  You could make props for a typical Alice in Wonderland event by using red paint instead of black.

Materials:

*Air dry clay (I accidentally used oven baked and it still worked, but I would recommend oven baked so you don't have to worry about potentially setting the paper or cardboard on fire)
*Thin cardboard tube
*Scrap paper or newspaper
*Black paint (or red if you're going for the classic Wonderland mushrooms)
*White paint
*Paintbrush

Directions:

*Cover the outside of the cardboard tube with clay.

*Make a clay circle as large as you would like your mushroom to be and place that on top of the cardboard tube.

*Merge the clay at the top of the tube with the clay on top of the mushroom such that the whole thing comes together as one unit.

*Crumple a piece of paper and place it on top of the clay circle.

*Form a larger clay circle and drape that over the wadded up paper.

*Merge this clay with that of the other circle to form the top of the mushroom.  Set aside to dry.

*Once dry, paint the mushroom as you wish.

White Rabbit Pocket Watch Bag

     Your White Rabbit plushie will always be on time with this bag made using a real pocket watch.

Materials:

*Mini pocket watch
*Jewelry chain that matches the pocket watch
*Two pairs of jewelry making pliers

Directions:

*Find a mini pocket watch that is the desired size for your White Rabbit.  Many pocket watches come with a chain, so if yours does, all you'll have to do is shorten the chain to the desired length.

*Take the chain and drape it across the White Rabbit like a sash to figure out how much of the chain you'll need.

*Remove excess chain by opening the link at the end of the desired length with pliers.

*Slide the watch onto the desired length of chain and then connect the two ends of the chain using pliers.

Alice in Wonderland White Rabbit Plushie

     If you've been following my craft blog for a while, you may have figured out that two things I love are Halloween and Alice in Wonderland.  This year I decided to combine the two.  For the next few weeks, I'll be posting costume and prop tutorials for Alice in Halloweenland, as I've dubbed this darker Alice look.  With some color modifications here or there, everything should work just as well for a more traditional Alice costume and traditional props.  Follow me down the rabbit hole as we embark on the first leg of our crafting journey.

Materials:

*White flannel fabric
*Black buttons for eyes
*Black thread
*White thread
*Sewing needle
*Stuffing
*Metallic marker
*Scissors
*Pink felt

Directions:

*Print out a copy of the template given below:


*Trace two copies of the rabbit's body and four copies of the outer ear, leg, and arm shapes onto the white flannel and then cut out.

*Trace two copies of the inner ears onto the pink felt and cut out.

*On one copy of the rabbit's body, sew on black buttons for eyes.

*Cut a small triangle from the pink felt and sew or glue on to make the rabbit's nose.

*Using black or pink thread, stitch on a mouth for the rabbit.

*Take the inner ear pieces and sew each to one of the outer ear pieces.

*Take the remaining outer ear pieces and place them over the outer ear pieces with the inner ear pieces such that the inner ear pieces are facing in.  Stitch around the edges, leaving an opening in the bottom for stuffing.

*Turn right side out, stuff the ears, and set aside.

*Take two arm pieces, right sides facing in, and sew together, leaving an opening for stuffing.

*Turn right side out, stuff the arm, and sew closed with a ladder stitch.

*Repeat to create the second arm.

*Take two of the leg pieces, right sides facing in, and sew together, leaving an opening at the top of the leg where the leg will meet the body.

*Turn right side out, stuff, and set aside.

*Repeat to construct the second leg.

*Take the body piece with the face and place it face up.  Place the two ears on top of it, the pink inner ear pieces facing down, the points of the ears pointing toward the bottom of the body piece, the part of the ears that join with the body just barely past the top of the head.  Place the other body piece on top, right side facing in.

*Start sewing along the top of the head until the ears are secure.  Sew the rest of the head closed.  This may be a little tricky, as the ears will likely be a tight fit.

*Sew the sides of the body pieces together.

*Insert the legs between the two body pieces such that the "feet" are pointing toward the rabbit's head, the part of the leg that joins with the body sticking out a little past the end of the body pieces.

*Sew the legs into place, leaving an opening between the legs, then turn the rabbit right side out.

*Stuff and sew closed.

*Attach the arms using a sewing method of your choice.