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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Canada Sews - The Great White TShirt Challenge

Westcott Brand is proud to support

The Canada Sews Great White T-Shirt Challenge

It’s not too late to join in the fun and enter this inspiring contest
Check out some of the amazing entries submitted so far!

Westcott Brand can’t wait to see what you come up with next!
  • Contest open to Canadian residents only (excluding Quebec)
  • Contest closes 11:59:59 p.m. EST, March 22, 2013
  • Click HERE for full contest rules

Camisole and Panties by Joan from Ontario - Fashion Entry
Joan’s creativeness saw her use her white t shirt to create a set of “undies”.  Not content with just the re-purposing she added extra detail from some of the contest sponsors products, mini designs from the 5D embroidery settings on her Pfaff machine and using Sulky rayon thread.  She used her baby lock serger for edges.

Pillow by Susan from Ontario - Home Décor Entry
Susan started with a children's white t-shirt and cut two squares for the pillow then cut several 1 inch wide strips and pulled them to get them to roll (tarn) which was attached to create fronds, a few buttons for flowers and voila!

 Necklace & Bracelet by Carmi from Ontario - Fashion Entry
Carmi used a ball of tarn made from cut up T shirt fabric and a Kumihimo disk to create this wonderful necklace and bracelet.  Braided with a thin metal chain the results are spectacular, and even better in person than shown on the image. 
 
  Baby Diaper by Lisa from Ontario - Fashion Entry
The entire diaper is made of one cotton t-Shirt with 4 layers of T shirt fabric for the absorbent part. The only things added were snap’s and elastic. On the front of the diaper is a snapped on bow made from the bottom portion of the T-shirt.

Blouse by Margaret from Ontario - Fashion Entry
Margaret tells us she used “One white t shirt, bought from a charity ($1.00), some black lace from an antique sale ($5.00), one button with a little bit of bling from my button stash, a touch of inspiration and a couple of hours creating:  result - a great looking top.”
  
Summer dress by Megan from Ontario - Fashion Entry
Megan tells us “I started with four white t-shirts from the thrift store. Three shirts make up the main dress and a fourth was turned into t-shirt yarn to braid the collar/straps and the waistband/sash. I used cotton twill tape behind both braids to prevent them from stretching out. Once I'd sewn the dress I dyed it using a gradient dip-dye technique. It transitions from a pale sky blue to a medium indigo. On the left side of the skirt I used silver embroidery thread to create a filigree design and embellished it with hotfix swarovski crystals that I bought at last year's CreativFestival. I did a whole bunch of things that were totally new to me on this project. Firstly, I worked without a pattern of any sort. I just kind of envisioned how the pieces would need to be shaped, measured myself, then drew them out in chalk directly on the shirts. I made adjustments after I'd basted it all together. I'd also never used dye of any sort, and that was an eye-opener. It's a surprisingly physical process to dip-dye (even a small garment, saturated with boiling water, is heavy -- and painful).”

Baby Quilt by Nina from Ontario - Quilting Entry
Nina used her T shirt as a backing for her baby blanket.  The soft and easy wash T shirt fabric is a great fit for use on baby items.

Button T Shirt by Ursula from Nova Scotia - Fashion Entry
Ursula tells us “It began as a challenge from my aunt who gave me a bag of blue buttons she had bought from a shop in England called the Eternal Maker. I love blue & buttons and she asked me how I would use all of these. The center piece button was purchased on a trip to Florida and was waiting for just the right place to put it where I could enjoy it. Through several trials I eventually created this shirt which is a real conversation starter. Hand sewing is a real pleasure for me as it reminds me of both my Grannies who taught me the arts of needlework”.

Friday, November 16, 2012


Come see the magic of Westcott Brand cutting tools, as recently featured on the hit public television program Hands On Crafts for Kids with resident crafter Marisa Pawelko and host Candie Cooper.  Westcott Brand has been a long time sponsor of the show and is happy to share these segments from the 1500 series.  "Hands On Crafts for Kids provides projects and ideas for kids ages 7-12." Westcott Brand joined Hands On in the mission to make crafting a part of everyday life and to be surrounded by handmade things.

Keep on creating year round with Westcott Brand.  Join craft designer Marisa Pawelko as she shows Hands On host Candie Cooper how to get inspired by everything around us and make a decorative wreath that is as versatile as your imagination and surroundings.  Celebrate the seasons with your favorite cutting tools from Westcott Brand!

For more fun craft ideas visit http://craftingrocks.com

Find all these great tools and more at http://westcottbrand.com