Bleached shirt tutorial

How to use bleach to create a shirt design

Hi guys!

Today, I have a tutorial to show you how to use bleach creatively to design a piece of clothing.

Lately, I have seen a tonne of variations of this method around and about online, however I wanted to add a bit of delicacy to mine and actually create a pattern, rather than using a block stencil.

This is a great way to reuse or spice up old pieces of clothing that you might not wear anymore to re-introduce into your wardrobe.

What you will need

• A piece of clothing you wish to bleach-You need to take into account the colour that the clothing will turn once it is bleached. For example, black turns brown and maroon turns light pink, So do some tests on some scrap fabric before you begin.
• A spray bottle- with a nozzle that allows that contents to spray in a mist, rather than a jet.
• Bleach- (If your bleach is thick or is too strong, then dilute it with water, which is what I did. This also helps the spray to be dispersed more evenly, and you don't need as much bleach).
• Masking tape- You only need this if you are planning to block parts of your design off and to leave clean, straight lines where there is no bleach. For example, I used it to cover over my buttons .
• A craft knife- You need this to make the cut outs for the stencil.
• Acetate- Or some other material for stencil making. I used acetate because I can wash it off and then reuse it for other projects. Because it is clear it is also easier to position it where you want it on your clothing item.

Method

1. First, you need to find a pattern that you want to use. It should have enough negative space, so that it is distinguishable when the bleaching process is complete. I wanted a fairly complex design, so I found a nice lace pattern here.

2. Either print the pattern or just keep it up on the screen. Hold your acetate up to the pattern and draw around the design with a sharpie or other permanent marker that is thick enough so that you can see it when you are cutting out.

3.Your design should look something like this when you are finished tracing it. At this point it is easier to make your design simpler if needed. I missed out a few of the intricate details to make it easier for myself later in the cutting process. you also need to be aware of any areas that are disconnected, because you are more likely to cut them and the stencil will fall apart. 

To avoid this, when you are cutting, leave little strips of acetate joining disconnected pieces. If you can see, at the bottom of my piece that I cut out (the squiggly strip), I left it joined at the bottom, so the stencil remains in one solid piece.

4.The next step is to to mask off any parts that you don't want exposed to the bleach with the masking tape.

I just wanted to restrict the bleach, so it didn't splatter too far up the shirt. I also blocked off the buttons and button holes so they had a clean edge.

5. Once your clothing item is prepped, you're ready to start spraying. Place the stencil over the parts of the shirt that you want bleaching and spray the bleach directly over the stencil, so it doesn't leak under the stencil.

6. Open a window so you don't fume yourself to death. Repeat the bleaching process as many times as your design require. I repeated mine 3 times across the hem of the shirt.

Between each use of the stencil, rinse your stencil under water and dry it so that when you put back on to a piece of untouched material, the bleach doesn't spread where you don't want it because it will ruin your design. Let the bleach dry overnight to get the maximum effect as it will get paler the longer you leave it on the fabric.

This is what my shirt looked like when it still wasn't fully dried yet. As you can see, the areas where the design was close together lost some detail as it leaked into each other. I quite liked this though because it gave the shirt a kind of loose tie-dye effect, but with some detail left in so that you can still see a clear pattern.

Once the shirt has finished drying and you are happy with your design, rinse it in cold water to stop the bleach spreading any further. The first time you wash your item, you must make sure that it is in the machine by itself so it doesn't ruin your other clothes. After that you can mix it back in with your other clothes.

Now you are ready to wear your new and improved shirt!

I also think it would be really cool if the sleeves were dip dyed so there is a gradient of colour climbing up the arms. Maybe that's one for the future!
Hope you liked this tutorial! Be sure to follow me on Pinterest and Tumblr, as well as on Bloglovin (button at the top of the page)

Make sure to keep checking back and thanks for joining me!!

Harry x

Project 365: Day 2-3

Project 365: Day 2-3

As part of my New Year's goals, I am going to keep on top of my Project 365 photos by waiting every few dews and uploading a couple at once. Here marks the beginning of my super-organisedness and let's hope I can keep it up for the rest of the year!

Anyway, here's a short post of the past couple of days!

Day 2: I Spent the day doing a Georgia O'keeffe artist analysis page for my Extended Project Qualification. I am redesigning a book cover for 'The Perks Of Being A Wallflower'. (I'll show you the finished product when it is done). I used pencil crayon and fine-liner pen as well as acrylic paint for the studies and the painted over face which will form the basis for my cover design. I love the colours O'Keeffe uses and I want to translate them into digital format so I can further enhance things. Keep tuning in for the progress!

Day 3: I think this picture alone says how super active I'm being over the weekend. I'll have to force myself out for jog tonight if i'm going to keep on top of my New Year's goals, which you can read here.

Sorry for the rather short post. In the future I'll upload more than than 2 days at once so you can see more of a story between the pictures. I'm uploading a new D.I.Y tutorial on Tuesday, which I think you'll all enjoy and I look forward to seeing you then!

Harry x

New Year's goals

Happy 2015!

Can you believe that 2014 is over already? Neither can I. Never mind though, as one door closes, another opens, as some people say. And with a whole new year comes a 12 month window of opportunity to re-invent yourself and try something you've never done before. Make a better you!

As you all know, a common practice for the New Year is to decide on some New Year's resolutions, like 'stop eating chocolate' or 'get fit'. However, the word 'resolution' implies a firm decision to do something and to see it through, and while I do admire the people who successfully complete their resolutions and like the thought of being able to do this, to me, it feels as if I am being forced to do something, and when I feel like this, I tend not to do it (especially the whole not eating chocolate thing, because let's be real. That never lasts). So this year, instead of forcing myself to do things that I probably won't complete, I am giving myself smaller goals to be conscious of throughout the day, so that at the end of the year, which will probably fly by as fast as 2014 did, I will hopefully feel as if I have accomplished something, no matter how small it be. So let's run through my 2015 goals:

1. Get at least an hour of fresh air a day

With the ever increasing prominence of technology taking over our everyday lives, it's become all too easy to forget about the outside world, and trap ourselves inside in our little cyber bubbles, only to be interrupted by our compulsory obligations like travelling to work and getting up to fetch something to drink. So, by taking the dogs for a walk or going out for a short jog each day etc. we can reduce numbers of headaches, experience more of the environment we live in and hopefully lose a bit of weight while we're at it.

2. Get more organised

I don't know about you, but I lose things all the time, and I hand things in late. Ultimately, this impacts on my ability to complete things to the best of my ability and with all the time I spend scouting for pens and pieces of paper, I could have been doing something productive to actually sort myself out. If I get myself more prepared, then these obstacles will be less of an issue.

3. Say yes to more things

Recently, I have realised that I say 'no' to way too many things, which limits my perceptions of the world and restricts my ability to make more friends and enjoy life in general. This is why I have agreed to volunteer in a Turtle conservation project in Greece in the summer. I want to create a new and happier version of myself by accepting things, rather than letting them pass me by to improve the quality of my life.

4. Take more photos

I enjoy photography as a hobby, but I never seem to find time to get out and take photos (possibly because of what I mentioned in my 1st goal i.e. spending too much time on Pinterest). So this year, i have decided to take part in project 365, where I will attempt to take a photo everyday for a year, to create a photographic diary for myself which I can look back on for memories. I will also be uploading them to this blog so stay tuned to see the full collection and hopefully watch my photography skills improve over the year.
Anyway, this is day #1:

So there are my goals. I hope I have inspired you to change your outlook on New Year's resolutions and create some minor goals for yourself to achieve throughout the year.

Thankyou SO much for tuning in and please continue to do so to see If I actually achieve my goals.

Make sure to follow me on Pinterest, Tumblr and Flickr to see more of my photos!

Harry x

*find more information for project 365 here, and I encourage you to take part in it yourself and upload them to Tumblr or your own blogs so I can see them :) *

D.I.Y hessian wall hangings

D.I.Y Hessian Wall hangings

Hey! So today, I'm going to teach you how to make a wall hanging out of hessian to add a little hippie to any room. Make one or make a whole bunch to form a gallery wall of them!

What you will need:

1. Hessian (whatever size piece you choose. I got mine from amazon)
2. Acrylic or Fabric paint in your brand and colour of choice
3. Thick paintbrush or sponge
4. Strong thread and needle
5. String (I used hemp, which is in picture 2)
6. A pair of scissors
7. A craft knife
8. A stick! 

Method:

1. Once you have decided what size wall hanging you want, cut a more manageable piece out, so it's easier to work with.

2. Make sure your stick is longer than the width you want your hanging to be as this is what your hessian will be hanging from. Because I wanted mine to be triangular, I found the centre of the stick's length, and worked this down to the bottom of the hessian, where I cut from this mark to the top corners of the hessian to make a symmetrical triangle.

You should be left with something like this (If you're making a triangle)

3. Now, at this point you need to decide on the design you want on your wall hanging. I chose a tribal Ikat design that I 'borrowed' from this blog to give a bohemian look to mine, or you could design your own stencil or simply free hand it (if you dare). If you do use an already available image from the internet, print it off in black and white to save ink and be very careful where you cut it.

You need to be really careful where you cut with a pattern like this, especially when the different sections are not joined up, so here's where I cut. Follow the red lines and you should be alright, and if you do make a mistake and cut the wrong part, then you can just arrange the pieces of the stencil like a jigsaw puzzle on top of the hessian and use a moveable adhesive to keep them in place while you paint on top.

4. Once you have finished cutting, you should have a very flimsy stencil, which you then need to lay over the top of the fabric and prepare your paint. I mixed light pink and green to make a kind of minty colour. I used a sponge to apply my paint over the stencil (if you apply it at an angle, then the paint will get under the stencil and ruin your design.

If your paint isn't even, it doesn't matter because it adds to the bohemian character of the piece.

5. The next step is to attach your floating piece of material to something so that you can hang it on your wall, which is where the stick makes it's appearance. If your stick is rough and might give you splinters then you need to remove the knobbly bits with a knife and sand it to a smoother finish.

Thread your needle (double thread it if you can to make it stronger) and tie a few knots at the end to keep it secure.

Thread the needle through the top of the hessian and around the stick over and over again until you reach the end of the stick. Do this as many times as you need until you feel that the stick is securely attached t your material and will last over time.

Once your stick is attached, tie a piece of string (or hemp) to each end of the stick that is overhanging the hessian to create a handle that you can hang on a picture hook.

Once this is done then you can hang your masterpiece up and admire it from a distance, or wherever, because it will be beautiful from however close up you see it from.

Thanks for reading! keep checking back to see what else is new and I'll see you in the New Year!

Harry

Walking through seasons

Walking through seasons

It was in the summer time that I decided to grab my camera, put on my walking boots and take a solitary stroll through the hazy countryside to feel the dry ground beneath my feet and the hint of humidity in the warm breeze. It was in this time that I captured some of my favourite pictures (3 of which are shown in the image above).
Since it snowed recently where I live in England, I set out to recapture what I loved in these images and photograph the transition that time and the seasons have on the environment.

The crystallising effects of the winter snow on living organisms casts a macabre shadow on the once lively and thriving environment and yet is still beautiful in the way it can transform an area so completely to the point that it is unrecognisable. The fresh and sparkling landscape gives nature a chance to begin anew in springtime.

The once overgrown and flourishing undergrowth has been stripped back to reveal a runway of slush and ice (also known as 'the place I almost slipped and died).

I love the way the once busy and prosperous branches give way to a sparse entanglement of bristles and thorns, which casts the focus on the odd leaf, still grappling onto it's autumn colours.

I will leave you lovely people with this final set of images. I tried to capture the same area to fully encapsulate the changes the environment goes through during the course of the year. 

Comment below what your favourite time of the year is and be sure to follow me on Pinterest and Tumblr for more Photography (including the rest of this photo series) and more creative inspiration.

Thankyou for reading and watch out for a D.I.Y post coming out on Tuesday!!

coming soon

COMING SOON...