Design Your Own Tees: Techniques and Inspiration to Stitch, Stamp, Stencil, and Silk-Screen Your Very Own T-Shirts [Paperback]

Jennifer Cooke (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 31, 2010

Sought after for her innovative use of color and pattern, professional t-shirt designer Jennifer Cooke has created 20 do-it-yourself projects--many can be completed in under and hour--for turning your classic tees (and accessories) into colorful, bold, graphic personal statements.

Combining basic sewing, hand-printing, and screen-printing techniques with stylish wearable projects, Design Your Own Tees gives you the tools to stand out in the crowd--whether you choose to re-create the looks shown or to adapt the techniques to express your unique artistic vision.

Use thread, ribbon, and fabric to play with texture through decorative machine stitching, hand embroidery, and applique. Experiment with found objects and stamps to create pattern through potato and block printing and stenciling. Choose your favorite doodles and images to enhance with color through screen printing.

Colorful photographs of the finished projects plus step-by-step instructions with easy-to-follow diagrams will soon have you wearing your art on your sleeve.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“[W]hat I love about this book is that it gives you so many different options to make cool designs, whatever your skill level or interest…I found this book extremely user-friendly…[and] works well for both beginners and those wanting to become more professional with their designs.” –thelongthread blog

“I…was immediately impressed by not only the fantastic uniqueness of the designs in her projects but the simplicity in which each project is explained…There is SO much fun to be learned from her book.”—Something I Made blog

"If you are looking for a good source of visual stimulation and would like some new ideas to spruce up those old tees, then Design Your Own Tees is the perfect title for you. Your creations will be the perfect way to spruce up your own family's wardrobe and would also make unique gifts for your friends." ---Wee Share blog

About the Author

JENNIFER COOKE has been designing t-shirts for over a decade under Raeburn Ink. Her designs have been sold in prominent stores, including Barney's New York, and have been featured in Lucky and Nylon magazines. Jennifer currently lives in western Massachusetts with two cats and a wildlife biologist.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (August 31, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312644248
• ISBN-13: 978-0312644246
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,224,211 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

JENNIFER COOKE has been designing t-shirts for over a decade for her own label, Raeburn Ink. Her designs have been sold in prominent stores around the world, including Barney's New York and United Arrows in Tokyo. She has been featured in many popular magazines, including Lucky and New York. Jennifer currently lives in western Massachusetts with two cats and a wildlife biologist.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Ready to Stand Out? June 3, 2011

By Sheri Newton

Format:Paperback

Design Your Own Tees by Jennifer Cooke is a how-to book that gives "techniques and inspiration to stitch, stamp, stencil, and silk-screen your very own t-shirts." If you want ideas on how to transform plain tees into something fabulous, this is the book for you!

Design Your Own Tees isn't exactly what I originally thought it would be. I thought that it would have more t-shirt reconstruction ideas in it. There really aren't any of those included, but if you have a plain and boring t-shirt that is already fitted how you like, you can use the ideas included to really make it into something unique that you will love.

What I really enjoyed about this book is that it is simple and something that everyone with a small ounce of creativity can do on their own. You don't need big expensive machines to do any of it and nothing included is too intimidating to try.

This is a fun book that really inspires those who read it to want to create something fun and a little edgy to wear. If you are tired of wearing the same thing as everyone else and you really want to wear unique clothing, this book is the answer to get you on the right path to creating your own works of art to wear! I highly recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of Design Your Own Tees, St. Martin's Griffin, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent October 23, 2010

By K. Sydney

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This excellent book is both instructional and inspiring. The author teaches crafting techniques in a very clear, straightforward way that makes you feel quite confident in your abilities, and produces great results. Her take on design is modern, fun and funky. The pictures inside are bold and bright and detailed so you're never confused about what to do next or how a project should turn out. You will love this book. Highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful printing book October 20, 2010

By Lena

Format:Paperback

Jennifer Cooke has a signature style that I have admired for a long time. This book has great projects and patterns- I would definitely recommend to anyone interested in fun methods of hand printing.