Using a Computer or iPad

I’ve detailed my process for stencil painting on fabric a couple of times, but recently I decided to branch out a bit and instead of just doing one graphic, try out a pattern.

This isn’t any more complicated than repeating the basic process several times all over the shirt, but just as I was sitting down to work on this one, I had a sudden memory of a post by Sum of Their Stories about hand embroidering a sweater (she calls them “jumpers”) and working up a placement that avoided any “unfortunately placed daisies.”

Since I was also working with daisies, I very much wanted to avoid “unfortunate placement” so I first put my T-shirt on, and then using a mirror and some painters blue tape, marked off the two spots where daisies would be funny, but not work safe.

Today is Friday the 13th, and while I’m not a victim of Paraskevidekatriaphobia or Triskaidekaphobia, the date really puts Friday on my mind and if there’s an excuse for a craft, I’m in.

Over the last several years I’ve been working on my hand lettering, and at first I was concentrating on brush lettering. In fact, I kind of thought Brush Letter was the ONLY form of hand lettering, but boy was I wrong.

I’ve branched out quite a bit, and lately I’ve been fascinated by Graffiti style lettering. I don’t know if it was because a co-worker asked me if I wanted to work on a logo that required it, or the trains covered in it on my daily commute, but all of a sudden this year I’ve been doodling a mix of balloon/cartoon/graffiti letters.