Low Cost Clothing Brand Name Labels

Hang tags are those tags that are on the back of your shirt. Correction: they are actually known as "labels". When they stick up, they are also known as "loser tags." :) Here's my method for making some low cost ones that look good. (My weekend was spent trying to stamp with acrylic paint onto ribbon, but that ended up looking messy.)

Using paper-backed fabric for use with inkjet printers - I used a Canon Pixma printer with archival quality ink - simply print out a page with your shop name or logo on it. I used Adobe Illustrator, but there's no reason you couldn't do this also in your word processor.I made some hang tags that were about 1.5"x1.5" square, with 1/4" space at the top for the seam allowance, then the logo, then the rest was for the fold-under/remaining seam allowance. I fold them once over then sew them into the seam. My only cost was my time and the photofabric paper. I ironed the labels to set the ink.

Update: I did a washing test of my labels in hot water, and the pink color faded a bit, but the black stayed true. My takeaway is that some colors work better than others for colorfastness with this technique. If one wants hot water colorfastness, then likely a fixative spray such as plasti-dip could be used. (I'm sure there's others, its just that I have Plasti-dip on hand).

my3littlemonkeys says:
Hi I use those on my baby slings. I don't bother turning over I just zigzag all the way around. You can also trim to the right size and apply fray stop to your edges.( put some on a plastic lid and just dip the sides)

Cricut works on rubber tire inner tube,

but only if you freeze it, first. Otherwise the rubber is too spongy and does not cut well. Also, it is a bit too thick to cut all the way through, but the Cricut is great for making guide cuts, which I'll finish off later with a craft knife. (Note: this off-label use for the Cricut is not recommended by the manufacturer. Just sayin.) I am making rubber stamps for my billboard vinyl wallets and soap totes on my Etsy shop. I'll stamp my logo onto a piece of satin ribbon and sew it into a seam on my wallets and soap totes.

I can't wait to try making soles for shoes on the Cricut. Did I tell you I made shoes, too? I'll save that for another post. Thanks for visiting, and please comment.

Using Cricut for my billboard vinyl wallets

I put my paper wallet pattern pieces into Illustrator then printed them onto the Cricut.

The biggest challenge was getting the vinyl stuck to the mat so it was true.

I am delighted with the results. Not much leftover vinyl to go into the landfill. I had always found it a challenge to cut out the driver's licence windows so they looked tidy enough. Now they are cut with precision.

Below is a small video with very annoying Cricut machine sound.

1111 Independant Artist's Exhibition

Here's me with my design buddy Schneider at the show. I had a great time and met a lot of interesting people. Everyone made me feel so welcome. What a great first experience!

Cricut Machine

I finally got my Cricut machine. A Cricut Expressions machine is a glorified craft knife. I am looking forward to testing this out on various materials like billboard vinyl. I am not into scrapbooking or cardmaking, but I see a lot of potential in this cutting machine. And maybe I will make a card or two!

Update: It works for cutting the thickest recycled billboard vinyl that I have. For those who are interested I'm using a high pressure and a blade depth of 6. I don't know if that's overkill but it works for now.

Now I have more possibilities like cutting filigree patterns into the billboard vinyl. Oh what artistic fun!

Handmade Soaps and the Guaifenesin Protocol

I've been thinking about Handmade soaps since I created my Soap Tote. Unfortunately I probably can't buy them. This is because I've been on the Guaifenesin Protocol for fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue for about two years, now. After having full-blown fatigue for 4 years, its nice to be feeling normal again. Well, mostly normal. I still have my limits and mostly short-lived spells of fatigue and/or pain. Thanks to the Guaifenesin Protocol, I have renewed energy, and so I was able to start this SewnAgain venture.

The protocol requires strict adherence to a few prohibitions, otherwise the guaifenesin will be blocked in the docking sites in the kidney and prohibit phosphate excretion. So, things like mint, castor oil, coconut oil are all forbidden. These salicylates are readily absorbed into the body via the skin and no amount of exposure is safe.

For soapmaking, the oils that provide the lather, such as coconut oil, are not allowed on the protocol. That's where the dilemma is for Etsy soap buyers who are on the guaifenesin protocol. Soapmakers work with a 5 - 7% superfat so there is 5 - 7% of those oils NOT saponified. That unsaponified residue will block our guaifenesin and keep us sick.

However, I'm looking forward to Joyce, a soapmaker who is on the protocol. She's done a lot of research on protocol-safe soapmaking and is planning to open up an Etsy shop and sell salicylate-free soaps and lotions. I'm lining up to be her first customer. I'm looking forward to it, Joyce!

oneoneoneone Calgary Art Show

I'm going to have my "Memories of Beijing" shirt on display at the http://www.oneoneoneone.ca/ , the Largest Independent Group Art Exhibition in Alberta 11Jan2009. This event is at 225-58 Ave SECalgary, AB on Sunday, 11Jan09 @ 11.11am-11.11pm. I'm going to be able to display wallets and soap totes, too.