From Philadelphia
Tie-Dye DIY: Techniques
Now that we've covered the basics, try out these fun tie-dye techniques that will have you mastering the craft in no time! Here, Stevie and Allegra from our women's design team explain how to do the spiral, the bunch, the accordion, and dip-dyeing.
The Spiral
"Spirals are easiest to create on anything that has a large surface area like T-shirts or pillow cases or sheets! Start by pinching the middle of the shirt, or at the side (wherever you want the center of the spiral to be) and continue twisting until it’s a big swirl.
Wrap around the rubber bands tight—tight enough so that the fabric is in a good tight bunch. Try not to loose the swirl/spiral shape when adding the bands. Add as many rubber bands as you wish. The tighter the bands the more white will show and the looser the bands the more dye will saturate the fabric.
The Bunch
This design really has no rules! Just start bunching up the fabric in any which way, and add the rubber bands. We chose a two pairs of BDG denim cut offs for this one! Remember: the more rubber bands the more the dye will resist. For the white pair we added a lot so that the white of the denim will show up more in the final product.
The Accordion
This design can either make horizontal or vertical stripes. We chose a cute pair of white jeans to start for a horizontal line effect. Start by pleating the fabric from the base of the pant to the top. You can either do both legs at the same time or each separately to have a different design on each side!
Dip-Dyeing
Something like dip dyeing is a cool base coat for your garments, and super easy. Just dip a portion of your chosen item in dye and let it dry.
If you want an ombre affect, try dipping the garment really quick as a whole, then pinning with clothes pins to your bucket or bin and let the bottoms soaking for a good 20-30 minutes to really saturate the ends.
If you make some mistakes, don't worry. Tie-dye is very forgiving—although you cannot undo any mistakes, you can always keep adding! Happy tie-dyeing everyone!"
From Elsewhere
Awamaki Lab
All too often, fair-trade fashion feels a lot more fair than fashionable. Awamaki Lab is working to change that. The nonprofit organization hosts up-and-coming young designers each season for four-month residencies in Peru, where they work with indigenous Quechua weavers and seamstresses to produce a collection. The women get reliable and satisfying employment, and shoppers get something that looks as cool as the story behind it. The upcoming fall collection, created by Parsons grads and BFFs Andria Crescioni and Courtney Cedarholm, distills the collective's colorful handwoven textiles and nubby knits into contemporary, wearable shapes. The results—including chic cocoon coats, asymmetrical wrap skirts, and covetable bobble-textured patchwork sweaters—are equal parts Macchu Picchu and Manhattan. -Eviana
From Minneapolis
Marnie Karger
Crafterall Handmade Works is the creation of Marnie Karger, a former English teacher from Minneapolis. Her appreciation for card stock, coastlines, and topography are blended together to form her amazingly intricate paper-cut art, which let us look at bodies of water in a whole new way. Aside from her Etsy and local shops, Marnie's works can be found in stores in Chicago, at the MoMA in New York, and even as far as Tokyo.
From San Francisco
Chloe Fleury
Chloé Fleury's hand-cut 3D illustrations are pretty perfect. The designs may look simple, but the incredible detail and use of colors and shapes takes her work to another level. Plus, her creations dress better than we do. See more here and then watch her illustrations come to life!
From New York
Abby Walton at JF & Son
Tonight from 5-8pm, JF & SON will be hosting a nail art event at their store with designs by Abby Walton! I am so excited. Abby's style is original and it's like getting your nails done by a best friend, who is insanely scrupulous and crafty. Take a look for yourself in her nail art gallery. Make an appointment, I bet they're gonna fill up fast (email abbywalton@yahoo.com). Lickity split, ya'll ! -Maggie Lee
From Mexico
Goodbye Folk
Goodbye Folk sells custom handmade shoes from Mexico. All of their shoes look beautiful, especially their brogues, but these leopard Beatle boots are driving me crazy! They're so good! - Hazel
From New York
Maiyet
New luxury label Maiyet is the biggest thing to happen to ethical fashion since the advent of the term "ethical fashion." The brand's mission is to create lasting employment for artisans in conflict zones around the world to foster economic stability and peace, and the scale of the project is no joke. Founded by a team of heavy-hitters (including an international human-rights dignitary, the founder of KIND snacks, and the former COO of Band of Outsiders, and designed by Celine and Calvin Klein alum Gabriella Zanzani), Maiyet has already put on two top-model-studded shows at Paris fashion week, and has just debuted on the racks at Barneys. Maiyet's spring video and campaign, shot by Cass Bird and starring Daria Werbowy, makes the greater good look really, really good. -Eviana
From New York
Abigail Doan
Working as an artist and writer based in NYC and Italy, Abigail Doan creates fiber-based sculptures and site-specific installations that not only avoid environmental impact, but also challenge us to think about our own. Employing traditional crafting techniques to create bizarrely beautiful and complex forms, Doan works exclusively with found and sustainable materials—everything from discarded fashion-factory flotsam to hand-vegetable-dyed tufts of wool to intact silk cocoons. They're as perfect a sculpture as you’ll find in nature. -Eviana
From Sydney
Rachel Rodwell fabric
Australian designer Rachel Rodwell has found an unexpected source for recycled textiles: used Nespresso pods. Inspired by the creative and colorful junk repurposing she spotted on a trip to India, Rodwell spent months collecting, cleaning, and smashing the pods, which she painstakingly arranges and attaches together by hand. The results—which will be used in a clothing line she’s developing—have a whiff of mod glam to them, à la vintage Paco Rabanne. –Eviana
From Seattle
Shaun Kardinal
Shaun Kardinal's embroidered postcards make sending someone snail mail even more special. Each work is hand-stitched with geometric patterns and shapes on an oversized postcard of rock formations, landscapes, and the occasional tourist location. Check out his website and Flickr for more embroidered postcards, photos, books, and even a TV Guide.
From Elsewhere
Porky Hefer's Human Nests
African weaver birds are some of the world’s most talented architects, building sculptural, cocoon-like nests from fallen twigs and leaves. South African creative consultant Porky Hefer’s firm, Animal Farm, has adapted this concept for humans, making outdoor chill-out pods from woven fibers and steel that are big and strong enough to hold people. -Eviana
From San Francisco
Carve A Stamp Kit
As much as we love the stamps made by the Yellow Owl Workshop, making our own seems like a lot more fun. Get their Print Shop Carve A Stamp Kit to see what your hands can do.
From Elsewhere
The Middlest Sister
With the use of old paper scraps, recyclables, and anything else she can find in the junk drawer, Nicole Belanger Smeltzer recreates some of her favorite moments between her and her four sisters. Hand cutting each frame for her webcomic, The Middlest Sister, she lets us in on a world that's a little bit like a modern day Little Women (+1).
From Sydney
TMOD masks
TMOD, makers of dreamy stationery, clever jewellery and crafty totes, are soon to extend their range to awesome greeting-cards-turn-animal-masks. Can't wait! - Nadia
From Elsewhere
Low-Commitment Projects
Are you one of those people who has a million ideas but can never get anything finished? Maybe you're just setting your standards too high. Low-Commitment Projects proves you can do really cool things with only half the time and energy.
From Australia
Mel Stringer
We find ourselves a little overwhelmed when we look through Mel Stringer's Etsy shop—we want it all! With her mix of bunny buttons, greeting card art, and her Girlie Pains comics, she's got the cute game down pat. The coolest of all are her DIY PDF Patterns (like the items above) which you can download online, print out, and make yourself.
From New York
Rachel Sumpter's Penguin Threads Deluxe Classics
Last fall, Penguin Creative Director Paul Buckley commissioned Jillian Tamaki to embroider covers for a series of special editions called Penguin Threads Deluxe Classics. Now Rachel Sumpter has re-designed and embroidered the covers of three more classic books (Little Women, The Wind in the Willows, and The Wizard of Oz) for them. Don't they make you want to settle down like little old lady and embroider pictures of everything and anything? - Hazel
From Elsewhere
Keely O'Brien
Keely O'Brien's Woodland Creatures Mask Set is so freakin' adorable! We wish we had some kind of party or event to wear them to—we might look a little strange just wearing them to the mall.
From Elsewhere
Postscripts
Postscript's Paula Bertolino makes really simple—and super affordable—party decorations. From rustic wood cake stands (mmm, cake!) to party banners, her creations are making us wish we had a party to plan.
From New York
Lauren Clay
We love the way that Lauren Clay brings her work to life. Her papier-mâché sculptures look almost identical to her drawings. Lauren, teach us your ways!
