Transfer Technique

Here's a cool transfer technique!

http://lilblueboo.blogspot.com/2009/08/journaling-transferring-images-with-con.html

How I Sewed Using a Pattern

Here's the pattern I followed. I tried to pick what looked like an easy one. No button holes, no elastic, nothing tricky. I made dress C.

This a diagram of how to lay your pattern pieces on your fabric. It has a key as to right side of fabric etc. on the pattern. What I couldn't figure out at first was how are my 2 selvage sides going to be perpendicular when they run parallel to each other. That's when I started looking at my pattern pieces and it said to lay it on the fold. So that was it, I had to fold it so that the 2 selvage ends are perpendicular to each other.

By the way, the selvage ends are those that don't fray, they are tightly woven and run down the sides that they don't cut at the fabric shop.

Lay down your pattern pieces (by the way, I knew I wanted to make the size 3 so I just cut out the pattern along the size 3 lines. I'm not sure if you're supposed to do that or not). Pin them in place and cut. Here, I was cutting into the fold so (so each pattern piece will double in size when you open up your cuts).

Piece number 1 had to go wrong side down.

See, here's piece number 1. It doubled in size since I cut along a fold. Lay your pieces right sides together and make sure the notches on the side line up. Pin and sew on the sides. Do not sew the arm holes yet.

I went ahead and added the hem piece before I finished the arm holes.

To do the arm holes, just fold over a 1/4 of an inch and press with an iron. Fold again and press. then sew.

To make the casing (the hole that the strap feed through), just fold over the top edge 1/4 of an inch. Press. Fold over again about a 1/2 an inch. Press. Sew.

I had to figure out a way to feed the strap through the casing. So I tied some embroidery thread onto the strap and tied it to a needle.

I just fed it through.

Wall Art Idea

I saw this wall art idea before and thought I might use it in our office. So I'm passing it along to you. http://http//blissfullydomestic.com/creative-bliss/nursery-wall-art/

It looked like a cool idea for filling a large space. Plus, I like the idea of using multiple canvases.

Painting Trick

Meet my old friend from college, Matte Medium. I used to use this all the time on canvases to create straight lines. You tape off an area. Apply the matte medium along the tape line apply a layer of paint. Allow to dry. Remove the tape and voila, you have a straight line.

Well, as you know, I've been painting my house and needed a way to tape off straight lines, but because our walls are so textured, I needed a way to do it and still get a crisp edge. I'd heard of using glazes to do this, but didn't really know much about them. Then one day, I was watching some design show (wish I knew who to give credit to but I watch so many, there's no telling) and they mentioned using matte medium to do just that, create a crisp edge when painting interiors. You mean you can use matte medium on something other than canvases? You betcha! I followed the same steps that I did with acrylic paintings on canvas and it worked great!

Here's where I taped off a weird angle on our ceiling.

After

After

This is just to demonstrate that even a subtle change in paint color can make architectural details like moldings "pop".

I didn't want anything too bold because I don't want to have to repaint if/when we move. So I wanted something neutral. Plus, darker colors can tend to make spaces look smaller.

Here's an up close pic of where I taped off in our kitchen. I hadn't decided what color to do in the kitchen, so I stopped along the corner. I had some difficulties in deciding where to stop because I have rounded corners, but I decided to stop right before the corner. I don't think it really matters as long as you stop consistently on all the other corners.

Notice how textured the wall is.

Steps:

1. Tape off the area you want to paint.

2. Apply a thin layer of matte medium along the edge you want to be crisp.

3. Allow to dry.

4. Apply a layer of paint. Allow to dry. (apply another layer of paint if necessary)

5. Once paint has been allowed to dry (I waited at least 6 hours), remove the tape.

Just make sure that you don't apply the matte medium or paint to thick. Also, just use a back and forth motion along the edge of the tape.

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog, Kaminski's Creations. I plan on blogging about different things that I create, tips that I've learned for designing, and just pretty much anything artsy that I find interesting. I decided to start this as a seprate blog so that those people who just want to see Sophia know to check out my other blog http://thekaminskichronicles.blogspot.com. Those people who just want to see design and art stuff can check out this blog. Or you can always check out both.