Etsy Labs Archive

Mary!

2007-03-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

Come knit with us sometime!

2007-03-20T08:53:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys!

Here is a pic from the most recent knitting class held here at the Labs this past Sunday:

The class was taught by Julie Schneider of YourSecretAdmiral on Etsy and we had fun sitting in the comfy lounge, drinking tea, eating lifesavers, and learning to knit!

I hope all your knitters and crocheters out there of all levels will remember to join us for our free weekly knit nights beginning at 6pm each Monday!! Come join us and meet other great people doing the same thing in the community!

Until next time,

Mary

First Etsy Labs listing!!

2007-03-21T09:40:00.000-07:00

Check out Joanne working hard in the metal studio:

These fabulous earrings were designed and handmade by Joanne of JoanneTracyDesigns. Joanne signed up for a couple beginning jewelry making classes from the workshop pages of the Etsy Labs and learned some new skills. She then used her PAL membership to the Etsy Labs to come use the metal bench she had learned those skills on to make this new pair of earrings and hang out with us...and finally, they are the first product born (made...haha) at the Etsy Labs to be listed on Etsy for sale!!

They are listed right here and I'm sure they won't last long!

-Mary

DIY Dress Forms, 3pm Today

2007-03-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

The Labs need dress forms in everybody's size, and we had heard that it was possible to make them out of duct tape. For real! Anna dug up this tutorial, and we're going to make some together this afternoon at 3pm. All Lab PALs (members) are invited to swing by and help us! If you can't make it, we'll be experts by this time tomorrow and we can give you advice on making your own anytime.
Have you made your own dress form? Upload a pic on our flickr pool.

Any Project Runway fans out there?

2007-03-26T15:14:00.000-07:00

Hey all you fans of Project Runway! Did you know that we will be featuring the Miss Angela Keslar of season 3 here at the Etsy Labs this coming Sunday for a very special workshop in which she will be teaching us all how to make her famous "rosettes???"

The class will be super fun, quick and easy for you beginning and seasoned sewers (no machines required!!!) and Angela will be hanging out after to answer any and all of your Project Runway questions!! You heard me.

The best part about this class is how cheap it is...only $25.00! Learn more and sign up for the class right here: click here.

Dress Form Tutorial: Want to make an exact replica of your body for custom work?

2007-03-27T07:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we set out determined to make our own dress forms for the Etsy Labs and thought we'd share the love with you guys if you want to make one of your own or just laugh at our own trails with the duct tape!

Materials:

A large T-shirt that fits below the bum that will be cut up and destroyed in the process
Another small piece of discard able cloth (a paper towel will do)
At least two 45 gram rolls of duct tape
A pair of sharp scissors
Cardboard, and cardboard tubing
Something to stuff the form with (peanuts, foam, polyfil, old clothes, be creative)
A helper

Here's what ya gotta do:

Step 1
Put on large T-shirt and have your helper begin to wrap the roll of duct tape around your body. Make sure the tape is somewhat smooth and that there are no gaps in between wraps. Stop wrapping once the bust is reached.

Step 2
Cut several strips of tape from the roll and apply them it a vertical pattern along the curves of the bust for most natural looking shape fit. Be sure to pat the tape down after the helper applies it to ensure shape.

Step 3
Once taping of bust is complete, begin to extend tape from front to back (making sure model’s hair is clipped up as not to tape hair...eek). Apply the second piece of fabric around the neck and back (sort of looks like a scarf or ascot) and begin wrapping tape around shoulders and bottom of arms until you have completed the basic shape of the dress form you are looking for.

Step 4
Repeat by continuing to add two more layers of duct tape over original layer to complete a total of three layers. Fee free to either follow same wrapping method or try a vertical layering method, whichever you prefer.

Step 5
With a sharpie, draw a vertical and horizontal line to mark the center of the dress form.

Step 6
With the scissors, begin to cut tape and T-shirt at the base of the form where your line was drawn. Make sure you have your hand in place between the T-shirt and the regular shirt you are wearing as not to cut your own shirt in the process. If you are having a hard time cutting all the way up the form from the bottom, you can cut from the top as well.

Step 7
Remove form from body and have your helper hold the form while you add a layer of tape to the cut line. Now you have the desired shape!

Step 8
Cut a piece of cardboard that fits the bottom of your form and the sleeve holes, tape them in place and stuff the form until you have your desired shape and mass. Close off the top with tape. Either affix finished form to pole made from cardboard tubing or hang from hanger.

Tu-Tu-Tutorial

2007-03-28T07:39:00.000-07:00

To celebrate our upcoming Etsy Labs PSA's, I'd like to share a fun way to make yourself a fabulous tu-tu. Everyone should have one of these in their house - they're very handy for playing dress up if kids are around or if you just need a quick costume for a party. Ok, let's go!

Start with a pile of fabric scraps:

You can make this out of any fabric really, but I chose some pinkish and purplish hued taffetta-like rags to get a traditional girly look.

Cut the scraps so they are a reasonable height (about twelve inches). They can be any length, you can have one continuous fabric layer all around or mix and match a bit. Set your sewing machine to a long stitch length and make basting stitches all around the top edge of all of your fabric pieces.

Once you have the basting stitches in place, gather the fabric by pulling one piece of thread (not both) at the end of the fabric. The fabric should bunch up and you can then spread out the folds evenly by hand.

When you have all of your pieces gathered, lay them out the way you want them to be on the tu-tu. Then, cut the bottom two inches off a t-shirt and cut in half so you have one long strip of fabric. Any long strip of fabric will do, but I like t-shirt material because it has a slight stretch and feels soft against the skin. Measure around your body where you want the tu-tu to sit (waist or hips depending on your preference) and make sure your fabric strip is long enough to fit you with a couple extra inches of ease for the fastener. Pin your fabric onto this strip.

Set your sewing machine to a smaller stitch and sew a straight line over the pins (you should take them out as you go along to prevent jamming your machine.)

Make sure to backstitch at the ends so your stitching is secure. Once you have all of your pieces sewn on (you can add many layers for different effects) sew on some kind of fastener. I chose velcro because it's durable, but you can also use a hook and eye or a button closure if you're feeling saucy. It's a good idea to close up the ends of your fabric strip by folding them and sewing them up with a vertical line of stitching. When sewing on your fastener, make sure it is placed where you want your tu-tu to fit. If you want to wear it around your waist you will have to make it fit smaller than if you want to wear it at your hips.

Once you have your basic tu-tu made, you can add little embellishments. I added a little rosette using leftover fabric and trimmed it with a button. To do this I gathered the rosette material using the same method and then sewed it on with the button by hand.

The finished product! (See how happy I am?) Accessorize with magic wand, etc.

How to Measure a Zipper

2007-03-28T14:18:00.000-07:00

Found this handy guide on zipperstop.com.

Welcome Chuck, aka DowntotheWireDesigns!

2007-03-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Meet Chuck, aka DowntotheWireDesigns on Etsy:

Chuck stopped by the Labs earlier today to say hello and check out the space...he travelled here with his girlfriend all the way from Seattle!! WOW! It is always so fun to put an actual face to the name (username) when we meet Etsians in person!

Just to keep you in the know, Chuck will be making another appearance here at the Labs tomorrow at 12noon to work in the metals area and show a small ring demo to anyone who would like to stop by...pretty nice of him if I don't say so myself!

Come on by at noon tomorrow and say hey to Chuck and ask him all of his Etsy Secrets if you so please.

-Mary

Did somebody say supplies?

2007-03-31T11:37:00.000-07:00

The zippers are officially in!!!

As one of our goals with the Etsy Labs, we have always hoped to be able to supply new commercial and recylced supplies at a low cost to Etsy users and we are very happy to say that it will all begin with zippers!

Keep in mind, these zippers are in no way associated with the supply donations that we receive from our users at the Labs. They are brand new supplies that we have bought wholesale so we can offer them to you at a wholesale price. Again, these are absolutely NOT donated supplies that we are offering for sale.

Keep checking back with the "wholesale supplies section" of the Etsy Labs shop for more great supplies at even better prices!! And don't forget...make a living making things!

2007-04-01T11:51:00.000-07:00

For those of you that missed out on Chuck's (DowntotheWireDesigns.etsy.com) visit to the Labs, I thought I'd share some pics of him working throughout the day yesterday:
He came and got settled in the metals area and flamed up the torch with a few ring designs in mind,

Then he worked meticulously on his new designs,

After a couple hours, he had decided to not only design a couple rings, but also a pair of earrings,

Here he is polishing the earrings with the Flexible shaft:

At the end of the day, he showed me his finished pair of earrings and so graciously said he would like to donate them to the Etsy Labs shop in hopes of helping to support more equipment and the idea of the Labs...wow!

These are the earrings that he made from start to finish while at the Labs, all silver with some mild patina and polished to perfection! You can see some more pics and angles of them in our Etsy shop here.

Thanks so much Chuck for a great visit, good company, and these beautiful earrings!

Any Project Runway fans out there?

2007-04-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

If you missed the Rosette Workshop taught here at the Labs by Project Runway's own Angela Keslar, we put together some pics to show you from the class:

The class not only learned all about making rosettes, but grilled Angela all about her experiences on the show and heard all of her inside stories!

We had a great time and hope to see you at one of our upcoming Workshops at the Labs soon!

Introducing: Skill Sharing!

2007-04-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!
As part of membership to the labs, we have decided to start a program called "skill sharing." This program will include brief tutorials on basic crafting skills that will go on each week in a casual setting. At the beginning of each week, we will announce each skill that will be shared during the week, who will be leading it, the date and time. All members are welcome to stop by and learn the skill for free while it's going on!

We will hopefully be posting brief picture and video tutorials concerning the skill share later in the week after we have completed the mini workshops!

Soooooo come learn with us!

Starting this week, skill shares will involve:

1. Make a customized word metal tag with Mary this Tuesday (tomorrow) at 4pm!! You will learn how to use the letter punches to write anything you want on metal!

2. Learn new techniques in packaging and shipping using recycled materials with Anda during Wednesday's Tea Party at 5pm!!

3. Learn how to make a regular old t-shirt into a fab new halter top with Anna on Thursday at 3pm! Be sure to bring a T-shirt!

4. Learn a quick and easy cheat on how to finish a zipper in a clutch with Anda on Friday at 3pm!

Hope to see you there and hope you will check with us each week for tutorials following the skill share sessions!

T-Shirt Party!

2007-04-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

We'll have a stack of books on easy DIY t-shirt modifications, all the sewing machines and sergers in the Etsy Labs arsenal, a large and strange array of notions, appliquemaking bar, and pitchers of grapefruit mimosas. Yeah, yes, come to it.

Pendant tutorial: Personalize your tags!!

2007-04-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

Ever wanted to write something special, custom, or downright ridiculous on metal tags?? Well this is how you do it:
Materials…here’s what you’ll need:

Aluminum (or any thin metal) tags…any shape will do
A small steel block (or other hard surface you can hammer on)
A Plastic, wooden, or rawhide malletLetter stamps

( you can find all of these tools at any metal supply store or super cheap online)

Step 1: Place aluminum tag on steel block and place first letter stamp face down but straight onto tag. Step 2: Take out letter stamps that have the corresponding letters to what you want to write and line them up in the order in which your word is spelled. We chose to stamp “Etsy” and “Etsy Labs” on our tags so we took out E, T, S, and Y letters. This step makes it easier when stamping to find what you are looking for and therefore you can get more done in less time.

Make sure the letter is in the right position and you don’t goof up by placing the letter backwards (like I have done several times in the past)!

Step 3: Holding the stamp on the tag with one hand, give the top of the stamp a couple firm straight blows with your hammer or mallet.

Then repeat this step by positioning the following letters where you would like them to fit on your tag and hammering them in place.

Step 4: Admire your new customized tag! If you would like, you could add a patina to the letters to make them stand out a bit more, but we chose the “just stamped” look for ours!

Happy Stamping, and keep in mind we have all the tools here if you’d like to drop by and customize a piece of your own!

BANGIN PLASTIC BAG TOTES

2007-04-04T10:42:00.000-07:00

Wow - I just found this amazing plastic bag tote made by arnym. It is much like those we make here in the labs but it looks like she's surpassed our skill level especially with that clever use of the Target logo. Way to go! Anyone else have bags they would like to share?

Etsy Labs and Etsy Press.

2007-04-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Just wanted to give you all a quick update on some recent buzz the Etsy Labs has been generating for Etsy in the press both on and off the internet! Over the past several weeks that the Labs have been hosting open houses (that we call tea parties), events, trunk shows, and classes, lots of interested and curious researcher folk have stopped in to ask questions, take photos, and document exactly what Etsy is and what it is doing not only in Brooklyn but as a website globally! Here are a few of many press blurbs to look out for in the next couple weeks about Etsy as a whole that was generated by the Labs space:

The official photographers for “The” Paper magazine stopped in a couple weeks ago to snap some action shots with all of us in the Labs environment! So keep a look out for the article about Etsy and the interview with Rob about the site coming out in the next issue!! The Labs are also the executive offices of Etsy, and the crazy environment we all work and craft in provided the perfect place for the photo shoot!
Kayte Terry, writer of a new column for GetCrafty.com stopped by the Labs last week to learn about what the space has to offer, all about how it relates to Etsy and all of the users that can’t be here in person, and snapped a bunch of photos to include in her next column for Get Crafty! You can check out the article by clicking here.
Rob and Corrine of Threadbanger stopped by during their trip to NYC and spent the afternoon videotaping all of us and interviewing Rob, Vanessa, Anda and MAKE magazine (who shares our space). Threadbanger is an awesome website and their oft-hilarious Threadhead videos are not to be missed.
You can check out this blurb about the classes we have to offer on one of the latest Design Sponge posts. Each class we host here at the Labs creates a unique opportunity to talk more with people about Etsy and what it has to offer as both a buyer and a seller in a comfortable, fun, and positive environment.

We'll keep you in the loop as we keep working hard each day to generate the Etsy Buzz!

Make Envelopes.

2007-04-06T08:43:00.000-07:00

I made an envelope template for you to print out and use. Make your template out of cardboard or stiff paper and use it again and again to trace and cut envelopes from your interesting ephemera. Download the PDF.

Go Make Yourself Something Nice

2007-04-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

Hey, I don't know about you but I am so totally over winter. It's not quite warm here in New York yet, but it's coming. To take your mind off the persistent cold and get ready for the season of swelter I've prepared this halter top tutorial.

Start off with a simple t-shirt. I used plain white but you can use prints or anything you like. Cut off the bottom 12 inches of the shirt to create the bottom half of the garment. Then, cut 2 triangles from the remaining top half. The triangles should about two inches wide at the shoulder and nine inches long across the chest. You can cut them both at the same time by cutting through both layers of the shirt.

Set your sewing machine to a basting stitch length (usually around 4 on most machines). Baste the nine inch long sides of both triangles (basting can also be done by hand.) Gather the fabric by pulling one piece (not both) of basting thread on each triangle. The pieces should shrink from nine inches to about six.

Once you have your pieces gathered, pin them to the twelve inch bottom piece (right sides together) as shown. There should be about one inch between the two triangle pieces.

Set your machine to a regular stitch length (about 2) and sew the triangles to the bottom piece. Now you have your basic top. You can customize it in a number of ways. Lengthen the halter straps by cutting strips from leftover fabric and sewing them onto the triangle tops. If the bottom part is too large, you can make it smaller by cutting down the middle of center back and sewing it back up a few inches smaller. You can also make the back into an adjustable tie closure simply by cutting down center back and tying the two pieces together. Get creative and have fun! Let us know if you come up with any other variations, or send us pictures of your completed tops! We are having a T Shirt Making Party here at the Labs on Sunday April 15th at 3PM. Bring your old t-shirts and we can show you how to transform them into cool pieces you'll actually want to wear!

Zipper cheat.

2007-04-06T10:45:00.000-07:00

Stop by today at 3pm and I'll show you a stupid easy way to make your zippers in a clutch look finished. Everyone else, I'll post a tutorial tomorrow. Love!

This week's Skill Shares at the Labs!

2007-04-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

(our brand newest Tshirt design ready for the taking in the shop)

I hope you all will join us for the following skill shares this week and keep a look out right here for select tutorials following in the week if you couldn't make it out!

Teusday at 3pm Mary will be teaching how to make beaded earrings.
Thursday at 3pm Anna will be teaching another way to reconstruct a Tshirt in anticipation of this Sunday's up and coming T shirt party...hope to see you all there!
Friday at 4pm Anda will be teaching how to melt plastic grocery bags together to make an even larger more durable tote carry all!Looking forward to seeing you all here and learning some new skills

Etsy Metal Trunk Show!

2007-04-10T08:58:00.000-07:00

Please come help usher in the Spring with some of the Etsy Metalsmiths at the Etsy Labs on April 27. This is a free event!

There will be spirits and lots of beautiful jewelry to buy!

Friday April 27 6-8pm Etsy Labs 325 Gold Street, 6th FloorBrooklyn, NY 11201

Hope we'll see you here!

Recycled Shipping Options, week 1

2007-04-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

So you're really interested in using recycled shipping methods, but are afraid of looking cheap? We here at the Etsy Labs have taken it upon ourselves to create a weekly spot for recycled shipping ideas, show you how to make them, and have them look way cooler than they did to begin with!

Week 1, Super Simple Sewn Envelope:
Here's what you'll need:

Several used flat envelopes, a pair of scissors, a sewing machine and tape.

These are just a few of the many envelopes we have gotten at the labs that we transform into new envelopes to go out with our next shop sale!

Step 1: Cut used envelope along two sides, the long side first and then the bottom.

Step 2: Flatten out envelope,

Step 3: Fold envelope over on itself so the sides on the outside are now blank.

Step 5: Trim off excess ripping and shreds of paper from envelope sides.

Step 6: Feed folded paper through sewing machine the opposite way you cut it, the bottom to the long side and create a curve with the thread when you reach the corner.

Step 7: Cut along thread line on the edge of the envelope to create a clean, rounded edge and a visible thread line.

And voila! Now you have brand new even better than before looking 100% recycled envelopes! Just fold the corners of the top down and fold this triangle down the back of the package and tape down!! You can use an array of sturdy papers including envelope paper, paper grocery bags, layers of newsprint, and my personal favorite: restaurant menus (some places throw away their menus each night...for real).

Ok, I'd love to see some pics of recycled shipping that you guys have made...we will be doing a weekly spot on new ways to recycle shipping supplies into new shipping supplies that look better than before, and are more than willing to feature YOUR ideas....so keep em coming!

T-Shirt Reconstruction: Installment III

2007-04-12T12:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, I can feel the momentum building for our T Shirt Making Party on Sunday. We just had a nice shoot for ABC News this morning and I got to finish this shirt during filming. Here's how to proceed:

Start by cutting the bottom 2 inches off the sleeves of a regular t-shirt.

Then cut the rest of the sleeves off.

Then cut a scoopneck.

Then place darts around the bottom, three in the front and two in the back. Be sure you measure around your hips (where the bottom of the shirt will sit) to prevent making the shirt too small.

Cut the darts out and pin the fabric right sides together to sew the darts closed.

Sew about 1/4" from the edge of the pinned fabric. Backstitch at the bottom of the darts. At the apex of the darts you can leave the thread long and tie it in a knot to secure your stitches.

The darts should look like this when they are done (this is the inside of the shirt).

Next, take the 2" strips you cut off the sleeves and cut them in half so they form two strips. Sew the strips together to form one long strip.

Sew the two ends of the strip right sides together to form a circle. This will become the band at the bottom of your shirt. Pin the band to the shirt right sides together and sew a line of stitches all around.

Your shirt should look like this now:

For the trim I used strips of fabric that I folded and then sewed onto the shirt. To get the v-neck I pinched the bottom of the scoopneck to make a triangle and sewed a straight line on the inside (much like a dart) to hold it in place. The circles I also simply cut out and sewed directly onto the shirt. This is your chance to get creative - viva la craft! See you Sunday!

Skill Sharing

2007-04-16T07:44:00.000-07:00

April Showers in Brooklyn means more skill shares for you!!

This week we will be sharing the following skills, so members come on out and join in....you might learn a new skill or two (wink):

Tuesday at 3pm, Anna will be teaching us all how to make a simple yoked skirt just in time for Spring!
Wednesday at 4pm, Mary will be leading a simple pincushion making skill share, so if you're coming for tea, be ready!
Thursday at 3pm, Anda will be teaching a skill share all about how to make your own hat...cycling hat style to be exact!

I hope we will see you here this week and stay tuned for some tutorials from last week's skill shares as well as some great pics from this weekend's T shirt party!