Spotlight on: Author Megan Nicolay @ World Maker Faire 2010

By now you may think you know all about our exploits at World Maker Faire (that festival of DIY and creativity that we just can’t stop blogging about), but put that thought away, because we have one more! In this last Author Spotlight, I’m excited to share Megan Nicolay, author of Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt and Generation T: Beyond Fashion, who drew quite the crowd to our booth.

Megan was on hand both Saturday and Sunday to demonstrate T-shirt refashioning techniques and to autograph copies of her books. Her scissors glinting in the midday sun, Megan made quick work of several leftover T-shirts–cutting them on live models in front of awed spectators!

One such hit was the Pinup Girl halter, project #1 from Generation T: Beyond Fashion, which Megan first tackled on Workman editorial assistant Avery, and then transformed on some members of the crowd. *Snip* the right sleeve disappeared… *snip* a diagonal cut slashed from the neck to the right armhole… *twist* the former sleeve went over her head… and ta-da! New adorable halter top! It was finished with the addition of a Camp Make button from our booth’s button-making machine (yes, button-making machine). In the spirit of the fair, our design team created button templates that celebrated our many books. “Make monsters,” “make puppets,” “make robots,” “make fun,” were just a handful of the options… and, of course, for Generation T, “make fashion.”

Another hit was Back in Action, project #101 (also from Gen T: Beyond Fashion), a lattice-work design that you may have seen on many a department store-manufactured tee. It’s amazing how horizontal slits and some simple weaving can turn a boring shirt into a work of art. Once Megan snipped through the fabric to create the slashes you see on the right, she pulled the tee horizontally, and–voila! Any jagged edges left from cutting off the T-shirt hem or sleeve rolled into practically straight perfection with a simple tug and a stretch.

Fans of all ages took home project cards for inspiration, and some even left with their own refashioned T-shirt (check out those lucky ladies below)! Those who bought books carried away their own pair of Generation T scissors–fancy scissor sheath included for easy transport–to create for themselves a new wardrobe out of piles of old, tired tees.

The refashioning demonstrations were such a big hit that Megan (and Camp Make) got some worthy press! Thanks to Megan, Time Out NY got a snapshot of our booth (#18). She was also featured as an earth-friendly DIY expert at onearth.org.  Be sure to check out her website for her own recaplets of the weekend.

Though the weekend is over, visions of tees and scissors still linger in the minds of the Workman volunteers. In fact, the Workman “Camp Make” crew had tees on the brain even before we got to Maker Faire! In a rash of creativity (see evidence below), we personalized tees that read “A T-shirt is a terrible thing to waste” and wore them all weekend long as our uniform.

All in all, it was a very successful weekend. Our puppets, potato propulsion pipes, squiggle bots, and fashionistas scored us an Editor’s Choice award for our busy and interactive booth!

Now, surely you have a tired T-shirt in the back of your drawer that could use some slash and flash?