Tiny Tipis Setup Video - How to Set up a Tipi Tepee Teepee

A quick look at setting up a Tipi Tepee Teepee made by Tiny Tipis.

Like Tiny Tipis on Facebook to keep up with sales and Giveaways!

Follow Tiny Tipis on Pinterest to see what's new and amazing.

Read the Tiny Tipis Blog and DIY articles.

SHOP Tiny Tipis on Etsy

Visit the Tiny Tipis Website

DIY - How to Make a Pattern from a Sketch

How to make a sewing pattern from an idea or sketch - Step by step Tutorial with Pictures

One of the most essential skills of sewing is being able to make your own pattern from an idea. In this post I will take you through the basic steps involved in creating your own pattern from a sketch. This tutorial will be best if you are an intermediate to advanced seamstress.

The original idea I had for a fun yet responsible looking shirt

Sometimes the idea comes first and the fabric must be sought out, other times I see certain fabrics that scream "MAKE ME INTO SOMETHING AMAZING!!!" Either way you need to start out with a loose plan. I sketched out an idea I had for a professional looking yet fun top as my first step. When drawing the idea I thought about things like shape and the way the fabric might fit after being sewn. All patterns are basic geometric shapes. Keep that in mind when you create your drawing. Also remember to be flexible, especial on your first few attempts to do this. My shirt varied slightly from my plan because I changed small things as I went in order to save time or simplify certain steps.

Old Men's Dress Shirts before being upcycled into a sexy Woman's business shirt.

 My next step was to pick the fabric that would become my top. I had saved several of my grandfather's old dress shirts when he passed away thinking that I could re-purpose them later. I chose Grey, Pink, and a fancy white and silver one. The combination of colors reminded me of a tie my husband had from probably before I was born that would work well with the theme of my shirt: responsible yet sexy.

Old Sports Bra being recycled to make a sewing pattern.

Now that I had all my supplies gathered it was time to start making my one dimensional drawing into a pattern that would create a three dimensional object. A very easy way to start is to choose an old article of clothing with a similar fit to what you want that you don't mind chopping up. I saved this sports bra with stains and holes for this purpose. I put the bra on and decided where I wanted the seams to be in the chest area. I then marked exactly where those seams would be with a sharpie. I took the bra off and chopped along the lines. The resulting bits and pieces are what I would later use to make the actual pattern. (Yes, this bra is just a precursor to the actual pattern.)

To make the official pattern I laid the cut up bra pieces on top of some junk mail and traced around them making sure to leave 1/4" to 1/2" inch of extra space around the edge for seam allowance and/or hemming. This only gave me the pattern for the bust of the shirt though. To design the body of the shirt I matched the waist pieces to the bust parts so they were the same width. I decided length by measuring from the bottom of where the bust would be to the place I wanted the bottom hem to lay around my hips. I then added seam allowance where needed. To get the shape of the sides I simply drew a rectangle that matched up to the width of the side bust piece and the length of the center body piece. I then trimmed it to look like an hourglass shape. If the hourglass isn't perfectly shaped for your body don't worry too much. There are ways to take it in later that will save frustration and brain cells. It just needs to be close to correct at this point (error on the side of too large.)


Lay your pattern on a flat surface in the way that it will be sewn together. This will allow you to see if there are any big mistakes before you cut into fabric. When you are sure it looks like what you want transfer your pattern onto the fabric you intend to use. If you are worried about mistakes or wasting expensive fabric I suggest buying some muslin or linen to make a tester.


At this point you will need to decide what order to sew the parts in. Think about what will fit easily on your machine without a lot of bunching in the arm. Also consider where the various seams will join up. There's almost nothing worse than a seam that doesn't line up right. For the shirt I made as an example I joined the upper and lower parts first, then sewed the vertical panels together. I hemmed everything after joining so that they were all a consistent size. I did some decorative top-stitching on the gray panels at this point to make the shirt lay nicer when worn and because it makes the seams more sturdy.

My last step was to attach an old men's tie I was going to reuse for the straps. I had my hubby help me with this because it was late at night, I was getting lazy, and my girl friend was on her way to pick me up so we could go out ( I really wanted to wear this.) I sewed the small end of the tie where I wanted it to hold up the front and threw the extra over my shoulder. I told my hubby to snip the tie parallel to the upper back hem of the blouse and to leave me at least half an inch for the seam. The second strap was easier - I sewed the snipped portion of the tie opposite the other strap on the back, threw on the shirt, and marked where the excess portion of the tie fell on the front. I then took the shirt off and sewed the fat part of the tie in a decorative manner on the front. Voila! A brand new and completely unique piece of clothing for me to wear!

I tried the shirt on and noticed that there was extra space in the waist area. This is the simple fix I was telling you about: Mark with straight pins or a light pencil mark how much extra room there is in the areas needing adjusting. Turn the clothing inside out and add another row of stitches further in where you marked. Turn right side out and try on again. Repeat this step if needed - I had to take the shirt in twice after I finished it. I have since altered my pattern to save me this trouble if I ever make this shirt again.

If you are having problems with a pattern take a deep breath and remember to reduce all of it to simple shapes. It's just geometry wrapped around your body.

Thanks for reading! For more DIY articles by Tiny Tipis click here.

 Tiny Tipis is a small handmade company providing environmentally friendly products to help customers reduce their carbon footprint. We focus on using high quality materials with attention to detail and running our company as close to zero waste as we possibly can. All shipping materials are recyclable, compostable, and/or biodegradable. See more of what Tiny Tipis does for our planet at any of the links below: 

 

facebook.com/TinyTipis

pinterest.com/TinyTipis
TinyTipis.blogspot.com

instagram.com/tinytipis/
TinyTipis.etsy.com

 

 Thank you for being environmentally responsible!!!

DIY Tie Dye with Red Wine

Easy Do It Yourself Dye

 I'm obsessed with Fabric, especially canvas. It's natural, it's strong, it has more uses than a swiss army knife... and it can be a challenge to Dye. There's nothing I love more than a challenge. 

I also love red wine. 

Here is how I use Red Wine to Dye Fabric, including so-called "non-dye-able" Canvas, and a shirt I never wore:

Supplies: 

White or light colored fabric (I used cotton)

2+ cups Red Wine

Rubber Bands or Hemp Twine

Oven

Clean Baking Pan

Jar or Bucket 

Iron

An Old Towel

Supplies laid out ready to start dying fabric

 Step 1: Tie up items to be dyed. If you bind it with more wrinkles you will end up with more light colored areas after you are done. The tighter you tie or band it up the more areas of light color will remain as well.

Cotton articles tied up and ready to be Dyed with Red Wine

  Step 2: Steep the items in the Red Wine for at least 2 hours. I let mine soak for 4 hours.

A white shirt after soaking in red wine for 4 hours

Step 3: Squeeze the wine out of the fabric. Leftover wine can be saved to re-use next time you want to dye but the color won't be quite as strong. For really dark dye wring until no liquid drips. For lighter dye wring as much out as possible.

Wine Dyed items being laid flat to dry in the oven

 Step 4: Lay items as flat as possible on your clean baking sheet. Try not to let them touch or overlap so the color doesn't bleed from one article to another. Your baking sheet must be clean or you risk discoloring your dyed items. I covered mine with foil just to be safe.

Wine Dyed clothing and fabric drying in an oven

 Step 5: Set oven at 170 to 180 Fahrenheit with damp dyed items inside. The combination of heat and drying with the wine pigment still on the fabric helps set the color. Make sure to set a timer so you don't start a fire. I checked on my items every 10 minutes. The small items took about 20 minutes to dry fully while the shirt took over an hour. I didn't want to put freshly dyed items in the dryer in case it might leave color behind which is why I chose to do it in the oven.

Check your items every 10 minutes: Safety First!

Step 6: (This step is optional. I did it to make sure the color was fully set.) Lay your old towel on an ironing board. Iron dyed items as you normally would. The heat will help set the color so it won't fade with washing. The towel prevents your ironing board cover from getting any color on it if your dyed articles aren't fully dry yet.

Small test items in a Red Wine Dye Project

Step 7: Hand wash dyed clothing and fabric in warm water to get rid of any pigment that didn't set. This way the color won't spread to items you don't intend to dye when you wash it after regular use. After dying an article you should avoid washing it in hot water to keep the colors bright.

Gorgeous color and pattern from Red Wine Tie Dye

 And the finished product... 

I like this shirt so much better with the natural earthy rouge dye than I did when it was plain white. I think I'll actually wear it now!

Thanks for reading!!!

Click here for more great DIY ideas or visit the other Tiny Tipis Blog to learn about recycled urban gardening.

 Tiny Tipis is a small handmade company providing environmentally friendly products to help customers reduce their carbon footprint. We focus on using high quality materials with attention to detail and running our company as close to zero waste as we possibly can. All shipping materials are recyclable, compostable, and/or biodegradable. See more of what Tiny Tipis does for our planet at any of the links below: 

 

facebook.com/TinyTipis

pinterest.com/TinyTipis
TinyTipis.blogspot.com

instagram.com/tinytipis/
TinyTipis.etsy.com

 Thank you for being environmentally responsible!!!

DIY Valentines Day Gift

The Heart-ful Hand Warmer

A Picture Tutorial by Tiny Tipis

 

 

 

Visit the Tiny Tipis Store Here

I saw an idea on Pinterest this morning and had to try it. Since I was at a loss for what to give my husband for Valentine's Day I decided to make him something to keep him warm. I like to keep those that I love well-fed and warm. This simple present was free (recycled materials) and took about an hour total even with me pausing for pictures. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

 

 Supplies: Two scraps of T-shirt, Two rectangles of Fabric for exterior, One scrap of fabric for Heart Shape, Half a cup of 20 minute White Rice, Scissors, Thread, Sewing Machine, and Extra Thread to Hand-Embroider the Message.

Step 1: Sew one t-shirt scrap to the back of each piece of outer fabric. The T-shirt acts as a liner and stabilizer.

 

Step 2: Place Heart where you want it on the outer fabric and sew around the edge with a zig-zag stitch. You can use any shape you want. I used a heart so I could give it to my hubby for Valentines Day.

  

Step 3:  Embroider your Message with the visible side on the outer fabric. You could use a machine for this. I did it by hand to give it extra personality. I think this was my first time hand-embroidering.

 

 Step 4: Zig-Zag stitch around the edges with outer fabric facing in. Leave a 1 or 2 inch gap to turn and fill the handwarmer with the rice.

  

Step 5: Turn so that the correct side is now facing out and topstitch around the edges. Still leave the gap open so that you can fill the pouch with rice.

 

Step 6: Fill the Hand warmer with  20 Minute (NOT instant) White Rice. I used 1/2 cup but you can adjust the amount to fit your needs. More rice means longer heat. Less rice means a lower profile to fit better in a pocket. Top stitch the gap you left to close it.

 Step 7: The final step is to toss it in your microwave for 30 seconds. Pull it out and feel the heat. For a warmer effect microwave it longer. For less heat microwave it for a shorter time. The one I made stays warm for almost 30 minutes!

My hand warmer says, "You are loved" in shorthand or nerd lingo. What message would you embroider on your pocket size hand warmer?

 

For more great DIY ideas follow Tiny Tipis on Facebook, Pinterest, and Blogger. Also cruise over to the shop to see what's for sale today! Thanks for reading!!!

Yummy Snack Time

On the nights my hubby works late I like to make a snack for my son and I before we go to bed. The other night I was running low on groceries and needed to get creative. In no time at all I whipped this together from items that needed to be used - bacon, cucumber, and cream cheese on toasted wheat.

Look at that rich layer of cream cheese... yum!

To make this delicious snack follow these simple steps:

1) Toast bread - this gives it some texture and keeps it from getting soggy when you add the other ingredients.

2) Spread desired amount of cream cheese on toast - I do it on both peices. The cream cheese acts as a moisture barrier to keep the bread crunchy and the cucumber juice away from it.

3) Layer bacon to desired level - I used 3 slices cut in half.

4) Add cucumber slices - I used five 1/8 inch slices on mine.

5) Enjoy!




Next time I make this I think I'll try some turkey on it too. Maybe some sprouts... What do you think?

I  <3  BACON!

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to Follow me on Facebook to keep up to date on everything Tiny Tipis does!

DIY Lace Patch for Clothes and Jeans

5 Simple Steps to Patch old Jeans with Lace

      Recently one of my favorite pairs of pants started ripping at the back. For a while I sucked it up and wore them with shorts underneath but the hole just kept getting worse every time I wore them so I decided to do something about it. In my massive piles of sewing odds and ends I happened to have lace... lots of lace (Thanks Grandma.) Follow along to see how I fixed my favorite pants to make them even better!

1) Lay clean pants on a flat surface with lace on top of the hole. My hole was big enough I needed two rows of lace to cover it. Cut the lace about an inch too long (1/2" extra for each side of the rip). If you don't cut the lace long enough your patch won't cover the entire hole and it will continue to rip further. 

2) Since my lace needed to be wider to cover the hole I just cut two pieces the same length and cut a piece of hemp cord (about 2" longer than lace segments) to use as a stabilizer for joining the lace. I then placed both lace segments back to back with the hemp in the middle. To join them I used the widest zig-zag stitch on my machine with a short stitch length for the maximum amount of strength in the seam. I stitched down the middle ensuring the hemp cord was captured inside the zig-zag and both pieces of lace were secured together. I decided to use hemp because I have it on hand, it is cheap, and I like the natural look of it with the lace. You could use any type of strong cord pretty much.

3) After joining my two lace segments I cut the hemp cord to be 1/4" longer than the lace on each side. I left the hemp longer so I would be able to turn it under and prevent unraveling. 

Broken needles happen... just make sure you pull out all the little metal pieces or it can really damage your machine. My needle broke while I was sewing around the extra thick seams in the crotch. If you advance the needle by hand in the thickest parts it's less likely to break.

4) (Showing stitches inside jeans) I first zig-zag stitched a big rectangle to secure the lace to the jeans. Make sure to turn your cording under and zig-zag over it extra well if you had to use it to stabilizer. If you don't the stabilizer cord will pull out and your patch will fail. I tried to only zig-zag on the busy parts of the lace to hide as much of my thread as possible on the visible side. The rectangle will keep the lace in place but you still need to sew down any ends that are loose so they don't stick out when you wear your pants. I did this by using a straight stitch to sew around the outer edges of the lace patch. You can see this in the photo above where the straight stitch makes little triangles outside of the zig-zagged rectangle. This way I don't have any loose lace bits flapping around on my butt.

 

 5) Last Step! Cut any loose thread ends and try pants on. Now brag because your favorite pants just got even better!

This took me about 30 minutes to do (even with taking photos) and maybe half a brain cell. When I wash these pants I try to turn them inside out to protect the lace from snagging on other clothes. So far the patch has held excellent with no damage. Let me know how your lace patches turn out!

 Tiny Tipis is a small handmade company providing environmentally friendly products to help customers reduce their carbon footprint. We focus on using high quality materials with attention to detail and running our company as close to zero waste as we possibly can. All shipping materials are recyclable, compostable, and/or biodegradable. See more of what Tiny Tipis does for our planet at any of the links below: 

 

facebook.com/TinyTipis

pinterest.com/TinyTipis
TinyTipis.blogspot.com

instagram.com/tinytipis/
TinyTipis.etsy.com

 

 Thank you for being environmentally responsible!!!

As You Wish...

     Sometimes relationships aren't all they are cracked up to be. Sometimes you butt heads and chase each other round and round about daily worries. Sometimes the stress of life works it's way into our happy place.

     With the move coming up and a bunch of other major changes coming up in our life my honey and I have been finding the rough spots. As a loving wife I feel it is my job to find creative ways to brighten his day and help put him in a good mood. One of my simple ways to show him I care is to write a message for him on the mirror in our bathroom. I use our sons bath crayons that he never plays with and change the message each time I clean the mirror. Today I wrote "As you wish..." for him because he loves The Princes Bride movie. It's a small way to show him I care that doesn't cost me anything (maybe 5 minutes of time) and who wouldn't want a little positive message every time they look in the mirror!?

     If you don't have bath crayons (also called soap crayons) you can use dry erase markers. The darker colors work better. Sometimes if the message isn't easy to read you will need to make the lines thicker. The only downside to dry erase markers is that when the bathroom gets really steamy from the shower the message can start to run. It's not a huge deal but you will want to use the soap crayons for messages that you want to last longer.

     My honey had to run off to work before I changed the mirror this morning so I will have to wait till he gets home to see if he likes it. Some of the other messages I've left him are "You make me Smile!" and "You're Amazing!" but a simple "I love you" is always nice too.  :)  What messages are you going to leave?

For more updates like me on Facebook or follow me on Pinterest! Also make sure to check out my Recycled Urban Garden Blog if you love a green thumb. Thanks for Reading!

DIY Painting Tips for Tipi Tepee Teepee Owners

Canvas is the preferred choice for painting by artists today. Art Supply stores everywhere sell per-stretched canvases that have already been gessoed for you. These manufactured canvases are great for everyday practice or the traditional commissioned piece but what do you turn to when you want something that is unique to start? Tiny Tipis offers you an idea: Paint Your Own Tepee. Tiny Tipis offers custom paint and bead work but we understand that some people may want to take the art into their own hands. Thus we are handing out any of our knowledge for free so you can customize your own canvas teepee. The tips that follow in this article can be applied to Tiny Tepees or Large Teepees as well. 

When you start your painting adventure you will need to have the following items handy:

• Paint Brushes of various sizes. For a softer line use synthetic bristles, for a more crisp and clear line use natural bristle.
• A container of water. Make sure you use a container you don't care about in case you want to toss it afterwards.
• Acrylic Paints in the colors you will be using. The choice of acrylic paint is important and will discussed further below.
• An Acrylic Thinning Solution such a Flow Release, Liquitex, or anything comparable that you find at your local hobby store.
• An old rag you can wet and dab with in case of spills or mistakes.
• A board or hard surface you can use as a palate to mix your paints on.
• A strong string, straight edge (ruler), drop cloth, and a pencil.

The type of paint you choose will effect the final product greatly. Two standards must be met for the paint to be as sturdy as possible when finished: It must be Acrylic and it must be Fluid. Fluid refers to water based and can be thinned with water but is not recommended as this changes the pigment content (making the colors less vibrant) and the ability of the paint to bind to the surface of the canvas. If you aren't sure by looking at the label then ask someone who works at the hobby store, they should be able to direct you to the correct paints.

Once you have gathered your supplies you are ready to decide what design you want to paint on your tipi. Stencils work great and are very easy to do. The more geometric the pattern the easier it will be as well. Decide if your tipi will be displayed standing up in a cone shape or laying flat in a display. If your teepee will be displayed flat then you can paint on it as you would a regular canvas. If you plan to set your teepee up after painting then you will need to consider the 3D nature of it. Here are a few tips on making simple designs for a standing tepee:

• To paint horizontal stripes: Find the Center of the Tepee 2 inches above the Tie Flap. Anchor one end of your string here so that neither the tipi or string changes position. Find the point where the string meets the edge of where you want your stripe. Place the pencil at this point on the string and secure it by tying it in place or holding it firm with your fingers. Pull the pencil around the tipi in a semi circle where you want your stripe. Don't draw too dark or use a pen in case you mess up. Keep repeating this where you want the edge of a stripe to be until you have all your guide lines drawn.
• To paint vertical stripes: Find the Center of the Teepee two inches above the Tie Flap. Mark this spot and ensure the tipi and mark won't move while you are drawing. Line one end of your straight edge up with the mark you made just above the center and the other end where you want the stripe to start at the base. This way the stripes will taper as they go toward the top creating the illusion of a taller Tipi.
• To paint triangles along the base: Decide how many triangles you want around the bottom of the tipi. Divide the length of the hem by how many triangles you plan to paint and use this number to make the bottom edge of a stencil. The other two sides of the triangle will be equal to each other. Smaller triangle sides will create a shorter border around the base of the teepee while longer sides will make a taller border. When your get your stencil made lay it on the canvas and trace around it lightly over and over until you have the whole hem covered.

Now you are ready to paint! Use a drop cloth if you are doing this indoors on floors you like or gather clean rocks to keep the edges from blowing up if you are doing it outside. If you are painting a Tiny Tipis brand Tipi I would suggest indoors since they are small enough to run away from you with a good gust before they get staked down.

If you desire the paint to stay on the surface like it would with a traditional stretched canvas you will need to gesso the surface first. If you want the paint to soak into the canvas more then you won't need to worry about that.

Mix your paints according to the directions on the labels. Remember you can use water to make your acrylics thinner and soak in better but water will destroy the bonds of the paint quicker than product made specifically for that. The purpose of thinning is so that the paint soaks into the canvas more and also to reduce the chance of the paint cracking as it gets older or if you have to fold the tipi cover. If you plan to set your tipi up outdoors I highly recommend Fluid Acrylics By Golden Acrylics in conjunction with their brand of Flow Release. This will withstand the test of time and the elements better than anything else on the marker but they are pricey if you are on a budget.

If you make a mistake while painting quickly dip your rag into your bucket of water and dab the mistake. Don't rub! This will spread the paint around making your mistake even bigger! If you gessoed your canvas tipi cover first it will be a little easier to clean up any mistakes. Go slowly when painting close to the lines since a slight twitch of the hand can cause your perfectly smooth line to look jagged. The smoother your lines the more professional the painting will look.

When you are done painting make sure to let the Tipi Cover dry for at least 4 hours before moving it. If you move it before the paint dries fully you risk drips, smears, and areas of darker pigment where the paint pools.

   This informative article brought to you by Tiny Tipis LLC. Tiny Tipis is a small handmade company providing environmentally friendly products to help customers reduce their carbon footprint. We focus on using high quality materials with attention to detail and running our company as close to zero waste as we possibly can. All shipping materials are recyclable, compostable, and/or biodegradable. See more of what Tiny Tipis does for our planet at any of the links below:

 

facebook.com/TinyTipis

pinterest.com/TinyTipis
TinyTipis.blogspot.com

instagram.com/tinytipis/
TinyTipis.etsy.com

 

 Thank you for being environmentally responsible!!!

Why Do I Make Tipis in a Series?

Lacing Pin Strip on a Tiny Tipi accented with Rose Petals

As an artist, seamstress, and tepee maker; I am inclined to find a special beauty in each thing that I create.  The artist in me strives to give a personality to each little tepee while the seamstress demands perfection in every seam. With teepees I decided to make them in a series much like a painter would make a series to show how they studied a subject from every angle. The resulting tipi cover is impressive.

What is a series?
     According to TheFreeDictionary.com a series is:
              1. a group or connected succession of similar or related things, usually arranged in order

 I define my series by pattern and material. I research the tipis of the tribe I chose and translate it into a functioning miniature version. I then use this teepee pattern to sew as many small tepees as I can from one batch of canvas.

I buy canvas according to quality, quantity, and price. Sometimes I buy as little as 5 yards and other times I buy much more. The amount of canvas isn't as important to me as the properties of it. One cut of fabric becomes a single series of tiny teepees. In this way each tepee becomes a work of art even when the canvas is blank.

Tiny Tipis Home Page

Tiny Tepees ETSY Store

Tiny Teepees YouTube Channel

Follow me on Pinterest