Bleach T-Shirt Basics – Customize your tee for just pennies – And some other rambling about life
Sometimes it feels frivolous to work on this blog, my youtube videos and the silly upcycled craft projects in the first place. There are, after all so many serious matters in our lives. There are house keeping matters and family matters. There are problems, issues and even violence at our local and regional levels. Our country and the world are grappling with profound issues with far reaching consequences. It can be pretty overwhelming to try to take it all in.
And so I craft.
I make things with my hands.
It calms me.
It is my happy place.
My friends tell me I live in a bubble. It’s true I do live in a bubble and it has been a pretty happy place all in all. I have had a few bumps in the road of life but mostly I have to say it has been comfortable, peaceful, easy and happy. But that does bring us back to the frivolous part. I am old enough to realize that I am not going to have any real impact on the world and to date I have done nothing of great significance. I don’t even have any children to place high expectations and even higher hopes upon. I will leave this world having traveled through with nary a impact.
But, I am, in some weird way comforted by this fact. Perhaps it is because it excuses me from any responsibility to take on the bigger issues and problems of the world. My reach is short and my influence small but, if even one person is helped by what I write, inspired by what I make, or calmed by trying one of my projects for themselves, then that is enough. If I can bring more good than bad into this world.
That is enough.
Most of my projects are not earth shattering but I do like to think that some of them are pretty good. 🙂 They will not change the world. But they are what I have to offer it.
And here is the truth about bubbles, we all live in one. One of our own making. We don’t start with the same resources. We don’t have the same influences. There are outside impacts that are different for us all. Our bubbles get battered and in some cases even shattered by things that are outside of our control. But we all live in our own bubbles. We choose what we read, what we watch what we pay attention to, what we talk about, what we value, where we spend our time and who we spend it with, all these things create the bubble that each of us lives in.
And so I have come full circle. This blog, my youtube videos and my upcycled projects may in fact be frivolous, but they are a big part of making my bubble a happy place. So come on in and check out this post or another one or jump on over to my youtube channel and watch a video or two.
My hope is that you will find something happy and worthy of taking into your bubble.
How to make a bleach t-shirt design.
Step 1 – Choose a templete
Step 2 – Trace on to parchment paper and cover with clear packing tape.
Step 3 – Cut out and place on shirt.
Step 4 – Remove parchment paper and stick to shirt.
Step 5 – Spray with bleach.
Step 6 – Wash and dry.
Happy Upcycling,
Cindy,
I hear some dark tones in your writing. I hate that something/one has made you look outside of your happy bubble and now you’re trying to compare it to other people’s bubbles. But it takes all kinds/types of people to make up this world. You are one type and offer yourself along with your unique perspective which completes this world.
May God bless you.
Hello Cindy please do not underestimate your contribution to this wonderful world.Every single positive action that you do is helpful. You don’t have to do it – you could choose not to – but you do, and it is amazing. Keep going. Love the bleach tshirts.
Jill,
Thank you for stopping by and for your encouraging comments.
Hi Lisa, Thanks so much for stopping by and for your nice comments.
Hi Cindy, I just discovered you through Refashion Coop. I am also a sewing/crafty blogger, and I often feel the same way as you, that I am here writing tutorials that are useful, but that in the grand scheme of things are not important. But then I get messages from my readers that bring me to tears. They tell me of their difficult moments and often say that I have helped them get through those moments by concentrating on learning a new skill and feeling satisfied by what they accomplish. I think that all of us (well, almost all of us!) in this world do our part, whether it be on a large or small scale.
That said, you have so many great ideas here! I am fascinated by your technique of making stencils! I have been a fan of freezer paper for many years and it never occured to me to make my own stencils in this way! Kudos for your great ideas! 🙂 Lisa