Mandala Stenciled, Beaded, Stitched T-shirt II

This is the second mandala shirt I have done, and I really like the way they have both turned out. Here is a pictorial essay on the process, and at the end some tips to keep in mind if you would like to try this process on your own. 

All these projects are done on Goodwill T-shirts, and the stenciled appliqués are other Goodwill shirts cut up for fabric.

Picking the colors. You can see I have already stenciled the first layer.  Paint color here is Dioxazine Purple acrylic by Americana. Try to chose harmonious color combinations, as the beading adds a lot of eye-candy to the fabric and you want that to be the focus. 

Next, set up the layers on the garment T-shirt. I use large safety pins for this. Be sure to center the design, which can be a bit tricky on shirts that have been worn as many times as these. The knit has usually warped or twisted to a certain degree. Get it as close as you can. I tend to eyeball it, step back, and eyeball it again until I think it is good to go. 

Then the fun begins. The beading. I used regular sewing thread, and whatever needle will fit the beads I am using. Test the beads after the needle is threaded, as some will go over the needle, but not over the extra bulk of the thread. Keep in mind the intricacy of the design, and don't get beads that are too large or too small. I use a standard, easy-peasy back stitch for beading. Once the beading is done, I do a running stitch just to the outside of the stencil. In this case, at each point of the mandala I added a blue bead. Stitching this way keeps the material from rolling back over the beads.

In this photo you can see how the knit is rolling toward the front. I got this one on backwards so had to deal with it. Also, as in this case, it looked like the knit was going to roll the other way, and then the more I worked with it, the more it changed. Bottom line, don't sweat over it. 

Next is to unpin and trim away the top (in this case rose colored) fabric, leaving about a 1/4" margin. Be careful not to cut into your running stitches, or the fabric underneath. 

 Re-pin the bottom layer and do another running stitch around the edge, again 1/4" margin. When finished, unpin the fabric and trim away the excess, 1/4" away from the running stitches. Again, being VERY careful not to cut into the running stitches or the shirt. 

Lastly, in this design, I add a charm in the center. This can be anything from a larger bead, a button, or charm. 

At this point, you are done! And just remember, this is meant to look handmade, not like some mass-produced piece from China. Small imperfections are not the end of the world. 

Here are a few tips and suggestions for stenciling and beading on fabric.

I use shirts from the Goodwill in an effort to recycle rather than buy new. The garment industry is one of the most heavily polluting in the world. Not only do I buy the base T-shirt, but also I buy XXXL mans shirts to cut up for flat fabric. The purple on this shirt was just the sleeve from one of those large shirts. I double wash everything before using. 

Stencils can be found everywhere. There are literally hundreds to choose from. To start, pick something simple. Also, I like to leave sections of the stencil un-beaded as part of the whole design. 

Beads are sold everywhere or can be ordered online. JoAnn's and Craft Warehouse are good sources. Online, Fire Mountain Gems and Beads will overwhelm you with choices. The size of the bead should be in relation to how complicated the stencil design is. Also, if your beads are really small, you will need to use a beading needle. I use a size 13. Anything smaller makes me crazy trying to thread it. 

When setting out the layers, check to see which way the knit tends to roll, then face that toward the main shirt. With this kind of work, it isn't super important whether you use the right or wrong side of the fabric, so if the knit curls toward the right side, put that side face down. This keeps the knit, after you have washed it a few times, from rolling over the stitching. 

As for paint, I have used fabric paint, craft paint, and my regular acrylic paints...all acrylic based, so easy to clean up and fast drying. I dab them on with small makeup sponges available at any cosmetic counter. I leave the piece to dry overnight and that has worked out just fine. 
Note: I tried a thick glitter paint once. Once. It was a nightmare to get in the stencil and didn't cover very well. When the project was finished, I threw the paint away! I have used metallic paint with great success, though. Next I want to experiment with fabric spray paint!

Here are a few photos of previous projects I have done. I love beading and stitching over stencils. I was my way of solving the problem of how to get an intricate pattern design on fabric that wouldn't rub off before the beading was done. I get things laid out,  cue up Pandora, and zone out. 

 The above piece is also reverse appliqué.

Enjoy...it is as fun as it is addicting. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to comment. 

Studio Corner as Sanctuary

As I fire up this long neglected blog site, I have faced some serious questions about how I want to proceed with my life.

In January I was stuck with SSHL - Sudden Sensorial Hearing Loss. Within four hours I was permanently deaf in my left ear, and have had months of balance issues to deal with, starting with vertigo so bad I couldn't stand up, to now, months later, I am finally able to drive my truck and ride my horse. Lingering problems with balance still plague me, but according to my GP, and the ENT specialist, my brain will eventually completely adjust...with time.

In April I turned 70. I was left wondering "How the hell did that happen?"

Then in May I had to have a chunk taken out of my right upper arm to remove pre-melanoma cells.

Warning lights started to blink. Sirens went off. Not so much a panic, but defiantly a wakeup call to reassess what is important in my life, and what is not. I  asked myself,  "What do I want to concentrate on, and what do I want to eliminate?" Some of those decisions were easy, some very hard, but necessary.

To that end, I am cutting my time on FB way, way back. It has become inundated with anger, politics, false memes, pleas for donations, requests to take surveys, and in some cases really vulgar comments on threads. Who needs it? Not me. Trolling trough all that negativity searching for the positive, fun posts by my friends started to depress me. The world is in enough chaos, and I know that, but I don't want to be assaulted by it all while drinking my first cup of tea in the morning.  I felt I needed to pressure-wash all that darkness out of my brain, and bring in some light. 

The remedy? Say bye-bye to FB, or severely limit my time there. Concentrate on my painting, beading, and jewelry making. Now that the weather is getting better, spend more time in my garden and working with my horse, Regala. Walk more, listen to music, read (I do that a lot already), spend more time with family and friends. 

Does this mean I intend to stick my head in the sand and ignore what is happening in the world? No, of course not. I want a certain amount of peace, but I don't want to be ignorant of what is going on everywhere else. That would be stupid. But wow, it is so easy to get sucked into all that chaos and forget to enjoy life. 

I have reclaimed my studio corner in the garage. It got buried during a kitchen remodel during which we lived out of the garage, and the whole place was a staging area for appliances, hardware, paint, etc. My corner is just that, a small space next to a window, wedged in-between the wall the the chest freezer. My big drafting table takes up most of the space. An inexpensive utility table holds my paints and brushes. There is a small alter made up of animal skulls I have found on our property, a big candle, a very special box made for me by a good friend, and a Halloween decoration skull I bought on sale. There is also a small greenhouse full of birds nests and feathers. This is my small sanctuary where I can create without interruption, open the window so I can hear the water fountain which is just outside, and look over and see the birds taking bathes and flinging water everywhere. 

My other "studio" is in what I call the Multi-purpose room. It holds the computer, my sewing supplies, and my beading and jewelry making supplies. It is where I do most of my winter work, as the garage corner eventually gets too cold. My sewing work gets transplanted to the dinning room table, and I have a big work table in the garage for laying out material and patterns. With only a two bedroom house, I have to make due where I can, and I am lucky in that my husband takes it all in stride. We have been married for 27 years, so he's used to it by now. 

So, that is the plan. Less darkness, more light. Less negativity, more creativity. 

Here is my little corner...it may not look very impressive, but it is mine, and I can play there to my heart's content. 

The inspiration board, decorated with a crochet piece done by the same good friend who made the special box. She is very talented and has her own blog site, https://onthehook.home.blog/?fbclid=IwAR3atfOq0ERmfLIUlGIR372zkgKD2XV5vvAQx0QPWTKLbmujX7Le5Z8M6G8

Drawing on the table is a work still in progress. Watercolor pencil on illustration board.