It's All About The Zoo Crew at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk using the Silhouette Cameo with Vinyl and Tie Dying with Kids

                

Well Hello there!!! I know it has been a LONGGGG While, but I tell ya I just can't keep up with
everything......Now that the boys are out of school for the summer maybe I can sneak a few post in the morning or late evenings???? We shall see! I really do try.......but with today's social networks, it seems in some ways it's like a duplicate, but then again a much more detailed one at that! The T's-------This all started off with Mrs. Walker coming to Mrs. Savage and asking do you think we can make shirts for the K class to go to the zoo. Mrs. Savage called me and I was rolling off ideas.....I was thinking I should use the Yudu then I thought mmmmmm a lot of work for something simple.....so I revamped that idea and on my Silhouette Cameo from Silhouette America I designed "THE ZOO CREW" 

with a little welding. I sent the pics to the teacher and she liked this one the best, me too! So then I packed up my tie dye kit and off to school I went to help with the  children so they could dye their shirts that Mrs. Walker provided us. Mrs. Bazemore and Mrs. Savage did all the prep work on the T-shirts. Wash them in cold water 100% cotton t-shirts, DO NOT USE FABRIC SOFTENER OR DRYER SHEETS!!!!! The dye needs to bind to the fabric and cannot with the softener or dryer sheets they create a barrier for penetration. Then once you have the shirts washed soak them in a SODA ASH you can follow the directions. Please make sure you use utensils used only for this, like your measuring cup and spoon (I use an old spoon with a long handle) do not reuse for anything else. Soak  the shirts in the soda ash for at least 30 minutes.....then using gloves ring out and begin folding, we used the spiral, for these shirts. There are videos on YOUTUBE for this I'm sure. We used rubber bands to "tie" with however you can use string. The rubber bands are easy for the kids. Please keep the kids in gloves (I buy the box of latex free gloves at Wal-Mart) also put them in a plastic smock or cut the bottom of a trash bag for head space to cover them in. Use plastic on your table, we also keep paper towels under the dye to make these fabulous paper towel art pieces, which can be used to decorate the bulletin boards etc. You can also use gel medium or Mod-podge to paste them to your journal or cards, etc.

Cooper dyes the tie dye shirts

I use the shelf stacker that you buy from Wal-Mart or K-mart or Target they stack together and this way when the children are squirting the dyes on the shirts any excess drips down on the paper towels and keeps the dyes from becoming muddy. I also get the squirt bottles from Wal-Mart in the kitchen section to mix the dyes in. Label your bottles with masking tape so you will remember the colors. The dyes sometimes are not what you think they are. The dyes can be purchased at Jerry's Artarama, look for Jacquard Procion MX Dyes, or at Amazon. Fill the bottom of your bottle up 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch with the dye using warm water. Shake well. Make sure you wear a mask and don't breath in the dye dust. If using the x-tra large bottles fill up to one inch of the dye in the bottom of the container. HAVE FUN!!

The iron on material is a heat transfer that you mirror the image on your machine I buy the heat transfer from VINYL VILLAGE.

Here is the link to Mario's homepage

Vinyl Village

Note the cool awesome paper towels.  Mrs. Walker is having fun! Thanks again for purchasing these wonderful t's for the K class! YOU ROCK! Once you put the dye on allow the shirts to sit in a Ziploc baggie for at LEAST 24 hours I usually allow them to sit longer and I put them in the sun in the bags this helps to the dye to penetrate even more because it is warm. After the shirts have sit in the bags for at least the 24 hours remove using rubber gloves squeeze the dye out under running warm water. Rinse until the water runs clear, then hang out on the line to dry. This also helps for penetration of the dye. It allows the dye to "BAKE" in out in sun. Once dry you can now wash them in the washer, if you have various colors like a black and a red, don't wash together keep those separate. The dyes might fade together keep like colors together. If all the shirts are the same with the colors like seen here in the pic on the line wash together in COLD water. This will set the dyes. Hang to dry or dry in the dryer. You can now use the fabric softener and/or dryer sheets. Ta Da...... now you have beautiful tie dye shirts.   

Tie Dye shirts on the line

The finished shirts for 40 students and teachers.

While at the camper the Memorial Day weekend we all tie dyed shirts and socks.

Dusty and Cooper using the Royal Blue dye at the camper

Here is a spiral tie note those paper towels underneath

Here is the finished tie dye socks

I found these at Roses which were like 97% cotton o that made it perfect to tie dye them! These are for the girls. They are BRIGHT!

Here is one finished shirt. I ironed on the zoo crew with a machine that I bought from Amazon from Fancier well we got like 10 shirts done and the machine quit working well the company gladly sent us a new circuit board. We now have a new machine. Thanks Amazon as always you ROCK!

Now some pics of the Virginia ZOO

 Dusty telling the children about the zoo. He is an expert!!! LOL! We have gone so many times, Bruce calls him our tour guide. He even gets "mustard" on his chicken nuggets at the zoo cafe' because that is what we did one time. I think it is so funny! Don't deviate from the original first visit!

The kids look soooo adorable in their shirts.

Cooper gets off the bus with Mrs. Walker!!! We love Mrs. Walker she is such a super person! ALWAYS Helps in any way possible!!

Dusty thinking should I really go with the principal???? Who also went with us on the trip.

Cooper and Daddy at the Virginia Zoo

Always trying to be creative LOL!

While we were waiting for the bus.

Lots of beautiful geese at the zoo. Of course the boys wanted to chase them. The geese were like yeah I don't think so! LOL!

We JUST had to get a drink according to the world of Dusty...and Cooper! So off to the gift shop we went they sell drink inside the shop when you come in the zoo. The PSE Brushes are Rhonna Farrer

at Rhonna Designs.

Shortly after it was off for Dippin' Dots YUM!!!

Cooper loves the Dippin' Dots!!

This has to be the most photographed spot at the zoo!! LOL!

The boys run every time to get on the Rhino and pose for pics!

The spider web rope is always so much fun!!!

Cooper starts to complain "I'M HOT"

Of course the REPTILES the boys love!!! They are so fascinated with spiders, and snakes!!! ALWAYS!

Dusty didn't want Cooper in his photo!

 How clever is this it explains the "OLD ZOO STYLE" versus today's much more Happy animals ZOO. Here the children all enjoyed climbing the old cage. They even tried to close the door, which does not close!!! LOL!

How cute is this sign???!! Perfect! "WARNING" Homo Sapiens Caution!

Dusty found a family of Geese when we were by the monkeys. How sweet!

OF COURSE!!! Yep that's my kid! I didn't see it and then I did after the pic was taken, haha! SO I thought yep a perfect pic!

The kids all had lunch over in the playground area and enjoyed some play time at the park.

It was yet again another wonderful day at the Virginia Zoo.

Thanks Kindergarten teachers for taking us!!!

On our way home we all stopped and got a 7-11 Slurpee, I got the Sugar-free Sprite and the boys got the Watermelon Wallop. #awesummer

Thanks so much all your support and I hope that this little word tutorial on tie dye helps anyone looking to make tie dyes this summer!

Cyber Hugs, Dawn Gallop

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