Happy New Year!

Lets start the new year with a look back! So much happened it is hard to remember everything! It feels like the days passed in seconds and I expect this next year to be equally busy.

This past year I was travel team captain for The Munecas Muertas roller derby team along with my friend Killer Queen. That was one of the most interesting and challenging experiences ever. I probably should not have run, but had so many people tell me they thought I would be good at it that I ran anyway. I am not one of those people who loves power, or leading things, or anything like that. I am even kind of shy, so the whole experience was way outside of my comfort zone, and the job came with a ton of paperwork. BOOOORRRIIINNNG. I became pregnant, about two months before the season ended so I removed myself from the travel team and then almost as soon as it was too late to put myself on for the last tourney, I had a miscarriage. I had a dream recently that the current travel team went to nationals! That would be so exciting!

I also opened my store, Caustic Threads, on etsy. ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/CausticThreads ) I started my account at the end of last year, but didn't actually list anything until April of last year, and since I have started listing things I have been really thrilled with how things have been going in that store. I have another store where My husband and I sell other items that we love to make, mostly Fine Art and Knives. That store is called Acrylic and Steel ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/AcrylicAndSteel ), and have to admit it has been pretty neglected since Caustic opened.

Those are the two things that stand out the most, but I also: had my gall bladder removed, started selling items on consignment, had a pregnancy, and a miscarriage, started running, lost 35 pounds, gained 40 pounds, had my blood tested A LOT, stopped eating corn syrup,traveled all around the US, played a lot of roller derby, had a great time with my husband Adam and daughter Autumn (pictured above) , went to visit my mom, laughed, cried and loved.

It has been quite a year.

I am also very excited because I am pregnant again, and things seem to be going well.

Thanks For visiting!

♥ Erica

NEW CAUSTIC THREADS:

• 
  dia de los muertos Sugar S...

  CausticThrea...
  $14.00 USD
• 
  Long Sleeved Cruiser Bicyc...

  CausticThrea...
  $22.00 USD
• 
  Sugar Skull with rhineston...

  CausticThrea...
  $12.00 USD
• 
  Key to my Heart Skeleton k...

  CausticThrea...
  $3.50 USD
• 
  Womens Octopus cotton tee...

  CausticThrea...
  $18.00 USD
• 
  Crochet Love ladies Tee Sh...

  CausticThrea...
  $18.00 USD

Adventures in T-shirt land:from the workbench

This was supposed to be a Wednseday post, but I am a day late and a dollar short, as usual.

This is the project that has been consuming most of this week. It is a wedding dress for a friend of mine, and I want to fit it this weekend . I usually like to fit things much earlier but I couldnt even attatch the skirt until the whole inside bodice was created... so... I hope it fits.

All of the leopard print was screenprinted by hand... and took FOREVER, but I think it looks pretty awesome.

The front has a hook and eye colosure, but it is a fake and is backed with black satin. After I fit the dress I still need to put big grommets in the back because it laces up, and the same big grommets in the front because it is supposed to be a halter. I have not done much with grommets so I am HOPING I do not have any problems with that.

Last week I mentioned an experiment. It worked. I can create my designs on shirts in burnout.

umm... awesome. Like I mentioned, I have seen lots of burnout shirts with random splotches burned out all over it, but nothing like this. I am REALLY excited about it. It has been suggested that I patent the application, but I do not know if it is different enough from other uses of these chemicals to make a patent feasible, although, I did think about the possibility before someone else mentioned it to me.

Whatever. I am REALLY excited to have discovered this awesome new technique.

and here is my shirt deisgn for the week, actually printed on a shirt. I think it is kinda cute. :)

I also mentioned on Friday that I liked that shirt from dark cycle clothing... and I bought it. I love it. I cant say it is my favorite type of tee shirt, it is a little thick and boxy for my taste, but the print is adorable and I am sure I will wear it all of the time.

And the pictures of autumn:

Running...

This weekend I got to fit all of the damas dresses I put in my post last Wednesday and I was very happy to see that they all fit well. We also got to see how the display in Stilo Lifestyle looked... and it looked REALLY awesome. I was really amazed at what a great job Stephanie did! She displayed my items way better than I ever could! Everything looked so... professional.

I went for a run the yesterday... that was wierd... I plan on doing more of it. This online conversation occured:

Me:I went for a run today. It made me wish I had an Ipod or some portable music device.

Friend one: I can't imagine running without earphones, tbh.

Friend 2: get an ipod shuffle. i might sell my iPod touch and buy a shuffle. they are easier to manage while running, cheaper too

Me: thanks! I just need something to distract me from the fact that I am doing something I hate ... but hoping not to hate w/ time

Friend 2: i hate running, have always hated running, will always hate running but it's just about the only way i can tone/drop weight

Not promising that I will start to like running, but I will stick with it anyway...

Here is a sketch colored in gimp, cause it is fun. I burned a screen of this image too, I havens printed it yet, probably will to show tomorrow though.

Adventures in T-shirt land:from the workbench

So, maybe adventures in tee shirt land isn't the right title for my workbench post since I do more than make shirts... I dunno.

Just a thought.

Speaking of tee shirts, on Monday I posted a drawing that I turned into a screen. Screen-printing is a different way to convey an image than most of the art I did before I started screen printing. Things can be complex, but are also simplified. Now that I think about it I could surely write a whole post just about this... I always love how something that looks very basic on paper can be really awesome on a shirt. I think my robot is pretty cute :)

I hand dye my tee shirts, which is an interesting and fun process, and I mostly do it so I can offer a wide variety of colors to my customers without keeping a ton of shirts in stock, which I cant afford to do and don't really have the space for. Unfortunately it can be a little messy, and I really need to run to a thrift store one of these days and pick up some cheap pots. Adam snapped this picture of one of the pots I've used recently for printing.

it reminds me of growing salt crystals... and that is pretty much what is happening here since I add salt to the dye bath.

I am working on a couple of dress projects for friends. This is part of the top of a wedding dress I am making for my good friend Missl Command. I couldn't find white leopard print fabric... so I screen-printed it. I am almost out of white ink so I am at a bit of an impasse. I still have to print most of the skirt.

This is the other project I am working on. I these are damas dresses for a quinceanera. I have to make seven of them, and all seven of them are almost to this point and I will be fitting them this weekend. It was fun to make the first one, but I have reached the point that I really am ready for this project to be over.

Besides, I want to be able to work on my own designs.

Most of my time this week has been spent filling current orders and getting ready to hand over a bunch of stuff to Stilo Lifestyle for my consignment section in her store.

I have four sets of coasters that just got sprayed with some stuff that makes the design permanent, which is awesome, but it is also flame retardant. I think the thing I like best though, is that it makes my shiny tiles matte.

This is what my serger looks like right now... totally covered in projects, organized by what color ink I want to use. Right now have pillow sets, bibs, scarves, card holders, arm warmers and a few secret items. Up in the front is my notebook of screens. I use photoez paper for my screens, which I absolutely love, and one of the reasons I love it is that I can keep ALL of my screens in a notebook since they don't have frames. Although, If they had frames I suppose Autumn couldn't flush them down the toilet... (and yes, she has flushed a screen down the toilet. )

and as always, it is nice to have autumn as my helper when I am working, even with screens occasionally getting flushed down the toilet.

See you later!

♥Erica

Daydreaming and... Coming soon to caustic threads...

So, I have been doing more sewing and designing the past few weeks and as much as I REALLY LOVE screen printing, it is very revitalizing for me, as designing has been a long time passion. Soooo I have been daydreaming about making some investments that I think would really help me make more of a business out of my designing.

I want to buy two adjustable dress forms in addition to the designers dress form that I already have. I CAN grade (or size) Patterns, but I do not trust this method fully and would like to have SOMETHING to fit my clothing on. Since my business is an Internet business I usually don't get to fit the item directly on the customer (which is ALWAYS Preferred). So I think an adjustable dress form is the next best thing. I need two because they come in sizes sm/m and m/l.

The other thing I want is to either get my industrial overlock machine going OR try to resell it and buy a household one. I am hoping to find all of these things used, but I have a few ideas for coming up with funds if I cant.


I finally got back to this dress, it has been sitting in muslin, really just waiting to get ruined, so I finally made the pattern for it. This is what it looked like in muslin : http://acrylicandsteel.blogspot.com/2010/03/from-workbench.html

I was able to cut and sew most of the pattern this weekend, and I think it is SOOO cute. The problem is that I don't know if I can get this fabric again, so it may be one of a kind.

It has some really interesting details at the top that I just love...


And this Too Cute print in the pocket for a little interest. It helps that I love this shade of green I am sure, and I just swoon over Japanese prints. There are several variations of this dress that I have swirling around my brain, so I hope to get a chance to sketch them out and make the patter pieces soon. On this one I just need to do a little finishing on the inside on the neck and then install the zipper and do the hem for the outer skirt. It is fully lined.

I also want to offer this dress in several basic colors and fabric choices that I know I can always find, and do a version where the halter part of the dress is in a sheer fabric.



I burned two new screens this morning, this is a sample of one of them, of course the real thing will not say caustic threads across it :) the other one is a fox. I am trying to think up some cleaver text to print along with the fox but I haven't come up with anything yet. I am going to print this screen tonight to see how it turned out! I cant wait!


I also made two shirts like this. I whipped one up for autumn pretty quickly and had just enough fabric to make one to sell, so I decided to make another.



and... a bonus picture of Adam and autumn for family, fans of Autumn (fans of Adam???) and anyone else who likes cute kiddo's.

I'll be back late tonight to do my treasury of the day!

Take care!

Xoxo

Erica

Coming Soon To Caustic threads...

Good morning! I have to say I am pretty chipper for a Monday morning, especially since I stayed up late doing etsy work and had to get up early to go in to my day job earlier than usual.

It may be because I am excited about a few new items that I will be listing in my www.causticthreads.etsy.com store some time this week along with the other shirts I printed this weekend.

1.VENDOR APRONS

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I got three of these great little vendor aprons. I was already thinking about sewing something like this but I hadn't gotten around to it, and I found these for a great price. This is one of the ones I printed. Another one is a skate themed apron and I haven't decided if I want to sell it or keep it. I have not done a craft fair yet, but I have been considering it. Besides, these are even useful to wear around the house when one is doing etsy work. I can just stick the things I am always searching for in my pockets instead of driving myself crazy wondering where I put the scissors or the ribbon. I also have one more that I have not printed yet.

2.TOTE BAGS


I also got three of these lightweight "canvas" totes. The tag said canvas but they are really more like muslin. They are not especially big but they would work very well as a reusable shopping bag, or beach bag. One could also keep their crafting supplies like yarn and crochet hooks in one. It is a great place to keep current projects. I also got some thicker canvas totes. One is printed, one got ruined becaust the thick twill collects ink and spreads like a wildfire. One is not printed yet, and I think I have figured out a way to use it without having the issues I had wit the other two.



I also will be introducing some new screen designs. :)

Have a great day!

Xoxo
Erica

Wow. Its like I forgot I had a blog.

It's been a while, hasn't it? I can't say I actually FORGOT about my blog, but I have been tired and uninspired.

The last banner I made, the updated one was quickly insulted, It was described as tacky and distracting. So I replaced it with this:

I'm pretty happy with it.

This past weekend we went to play the Arch Rival Rollergirls and lost, we probably should have won, but our roster was four girls short, and many of the missing skaters were key skaters, so that was a bummer. I ended up with a scraped knee and came to the conclusion that skrapes hurt much more than sprains, bruises, punctures, cuts, and many other mild injuries.

Adam chimes in "But not as much as giving birth, or having gall bladder issues."

This is completely true.

I purchased a clothing showcase spot on etsy, and that was as pointless as the housewares spot I purchased for http://acrylicandsteel.etsy.com I thought maybe that the lower price point of my new store would make it more successful, but I was wrong. Oh Well, live and learn.

Last but not least, I am sick again. Very sick, but very ambiguously sick. I am so tired I dont really know what to do about it. Things I have been doing for a long time like skating and biking have become painfully fatiguing. I am feeling dizzy and nauseous. I know what you are thinking. NO, Im not pregnant. I feel as sick as I did before I started feeling better.

Well, Take care Folks,

Hope to unwind here again soon.

xoxo

Erica