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Archive: Fabric
November 5, 2009
Screen-printed Bags for the Memories
My grandmother never threw anything away, and kept all of her possessions in pristine order. As a child, this was a little hard to deal with -- don't sit on the bedspread, no shoes on the couch, fold the towel after you dry your hands -- but as an adult I've come to appreciate her fastidious care of her items, some of which I now possess and thoroughly enjoy.
This WWII Army Housewife bag is one of my favorite hand-me-downs. Apparently, it included a sewing kit back when it was issued, and these kits were issued by the Brits and the Swiss as well. Nowadays, this little Army Housewife bag holds my jewelry on overnight trips. And it makes me smile every time I look at it.
When I started to think about making gifts for my family, I decided that I wanted to try and capture that same smile-inducing nostalgia for my relatives. Since we've got a few silkscreen-type machines in the office, I thought I'd beg one friend to make me a design and another friend to show me how to use the Yudu machine (I've used the Gocco printer before, but wanted to try a new device).
I'm loving the results! So much that I've now screen-printed about 12 bags and 8 dish towels, and am wondering if I can get away with giving nothing but self-branded textiles for all my gifts. (And thanks to Daniel and Brookelynn for helping me out, not to mention everyone else who helped with the manual labor in the name of learning!)
Posted by Shawn Connally |
Nov 5, 2009 11:00 AM
Design, Fabric, Fiber Art |
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October 31, 2009
Plaid Fascinator
You know how when you are supposed to be working on a specific project, like say, sewing your costume for a party? And instead all you want to do is make hair accessories? I was caught in that conundrum today. While the task at hand was a last minute outfit, I instead became inspired, and singularly focused, on a little plaid fascinator made from some costume jewelry, a bit of tulle, and a clip. It's so easy, just choose a fabric scrap, sew some ruffles on, add a pin, and glue the whole thing to a clip. Now if only I can think of a costume to go with my new hair piece! Check out a picture of it on my head after the jump.
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Posted by Brookelynn |
Oct 31, 2009 06:00 PM
Fabric, Fashion |
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October 24, 2009
The Detailed Beauty in a Crazy Quilt
My mother-in-law has a stunning antique Crazy Quilt that hangs on the wall in her home. I was visiting there today, and I caught my self inching closer and closer to the quilt, in an attempt to discover all of it's amazing details.
The tiny flower embroidery is so charming.
The discord is the one common thread. The shapes of each patch are just odd. And the colors, prints and textures match by not matching at all. When I look at these patches, I like to think about the special occasion dresses that gave up their velvets and taffetas, and all the well-loved items that went into this quilt.
The only identifying mark, and the only actual literally story reads: Fargo District Epworth League Convention- Ellendale June 30, July 1
Posted by Brookelynn |
Oct 24, 2009 06:00 PM
Fabric, Quilting, Vintage |
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October 19, 2009
Behind The Scenes of The Michael Miller Quilt Market Booth
There have been some great wrap up posts from the Houston Quilt Market floating around the craft blog circuit. One of my favorites, though, is this behind the scenes look at the production of the Michael Miller booth, which took home the Creativity Booth Award. It's an interesting look into how they went from concept to execution for this charming booth!
Posted by Rachel Hobson |
Oct 19, 2009 06:00 AM
Fabric |
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October 15, 2009
How-To: Make a Tutu
I think I might need a tutu for halloween. I'm not quite sure what I want to be yet, but I think that about 10,000 yards of tulle will be incorporated. I found many tutu tutorials on the web, but this massive, ultra colorful, punk rock version is exactly what I was looking for. The designer Emi took great photos, wrote clear instructions and makes it look so easy!
[via cutoutandkeep]
Posted by Brookelynn |
Oct 15, 2009 02:00 PM
Fabric, Fashion, Halloween |
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October 9, 2009
Britex Fabrics Sale in SF, Monday October 12th
My favorite fabric store in San Francisco, Britex Fabrics (146 Geary Street, SF, CA. 94108) is having their huge fall sale where all fabrics, notions, and remnants are 30% off. I went last year to get fabric and supplies to make doggie Halloween costumes, and ended up getting a bunch of other great things for my craft stash. Find out more about the sale on the Britex blog.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Oct 9, 2009 02:00 PM
Fabric |
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October 4, 2009
How-To: Fabric Collage
When I was back in junior high and high school, I was a collage addict. My friends and I were always making collages for each other, and I'm lucky enough to still have a few of them around. At the time, I was strictly a paper gal, but since then, I've been toying with the idea of playing with fabric collage. This tutorial from Belle and Burger is the perfect inspiration! Plus, it's a great way to use up fabric scraps.
Posted by Rachel Hobson |
Oct 4, 2009 03:00 PM
Fabric, Sewing |
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September 26, 2009
Easy Fabric Party Garland
I'm getting ready to throw a party tonight! As part of my decorations, I've been putting together some simple fabric garlands. I'm using Lion Brand Glitterspun yarn and knotting strips of blue fabric all along it. Each strip is about 3/4 inch wide, and 12 inches long. Because they go together easy without having to pay much attention, I made a ton while I caught up on Project Runway. As I finished each garland, I wound it on a piece of cardboard to keep it from getting tangled before they were hung.
Posted by Brookelynn |
Sep 26, 2009 06:00 PM
Cozy Up to Yarn, Fabric, Home Decor |
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September 24, 2009
Spider Silk Weaving
Talk about extreme craft! This gorgeous textile is an 11-foot-long weaving made from spider silk, specifically the golden orb spider of Madagascar. The story of how it was made is fascinating and well worth reading (a few tidbits: the saffron color is the undyed color of the spider silk, the threads have five times the strength of steel by weight, and it took more than one million spiders to make the cloth). The weaving will be on display in the American Museum of Natural History for the next six months, so if you're on the east coast, you should go look! Check out the New York Times article for more details on the history of humans using spider silk and how this particular piece was made. It's an amazing account that lives at the intersection of tradition and technology, science and art, craft and craziness.
Posted by Arwen O'Reilly Griffith |
Sep 24, 2009 05:00 PM
Fabric, Fiber Art, Technology |
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September 12, 2009
Quilting Arts TV with Jay McCarroll
Project Runway Season 1 winner, Jay McCarroll shows off his quilting expertise and a few laughs in this clip from Interweave's Quilting Arts TV. Jay shows off some of his cool fabric designs too!
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Sep 12, 2009 12:00 PM
Fabric, Quilting |
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September 11, 2009
Amy Butler Announces New Line
Amy Butler announced her new line of fabric, called Love, yesterday. Preview pictures posted to her web site give glimpses of the vibrant floral designs sewn into garments from vintage-inspired western shirts to 70s-style frocks and even modern dresses, beautifully exemplifying the versatility of the fabrics.
Posted by Rachel Hobson |
Sep 11, 2009 07:00 AM
Fabric |
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September 3, 2009
Kate's Notebook Lunchbag
Kate Pruitt posted a clever Notebook Lunchbag tutorial on Design*Sponge. She used striped canvas fabric and a sewn red line to replicate the look of notebook paper and then wrote a sweet little message on it in black fabric pen.
Posted by Goli Mohammadi |
Sep 3, 2009 11:00 AM
Fabric |
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August 25, 2009
How-To: Sew a Simple Fabric Book Cover
Books take a lot of abuse. And when they're school books, they are most often owned by many people over the years. To keep a nice book nice, and to disguise one that's been defaced, you can sew a simple fabric book cover. Plus, textbook cover designs are usually utilitarian at best, and ugly at worst. With this fabric cover, your books will stay protected from the constant ins and outs of lockers and backpacks.
Make this book cover with any durable fabric you like. Choose one that shows your personality, or that matches your backpack and other school supplies. Be smart in class with DIY style and function!
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Posted by Brookelynn |
Aug 25, 2009 01:00 PM
CRAFT Projects, Fabric, School |
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August 17, 2009
Blue Jean Pillow
I absolutely love this gorgeous pillow from A Ervilha Cor de Rosa, a fantastic Portuguese craft blog (she often posts both in Portuguese and English, or you can use Google translate). Rosa gets a really soft but lovely contrast from using both right and wrong sides of the jean fabric. Check out the back, too!
Posted by Arwen O'Reilly Griffith |
Aug 17, 2009 10:00 AM
Fabric, Sewing |
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August 13, 2009
Momiji Doll Couture Contest
Love Momiji is hosting a fun Momiji doll couture contest. Momiji are Japanese message dolls, like the ones shown above, and each one has an opening in its base for a secret message. The contest rules are pretty broad, allowing for maximum creativity. They're looking for one-off, fabric Momiji dolls using a combination of crafty methods: weaving, printing, knitting, embroidery, whatever flavor you choose. Entries will be judged on "overall wow-factor as well as skill and craftsmanship." The deadline is October 30th. The ten finalists will be exhibited at Royal /T in Los Angeles, and the winner will be featured in Selvedge magazine. All the details you need, including templates, are at Love Momiji's contest page. I love this line: "Our aim is to create a catwalk of exquisite Momiji dolls which show off the skill and flair of textile artists around the world."
Posted by Goli Mohammadi |
Aug 13, 2009 11:00 AM
Amigurumi and Toys, Contests, Fabric |
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August 7, 2009
Digital Fabric Printing Guide From True Up
Kim at True Up has put together a very handy guide to the various digital fabric printing services available online.
I do recommend each of the companies, but each has its own price range, basecloth offerings, printing technology, file requirements, and extra services. I've prepared this free downloadable .pdf that compares all these factors at a glance. Decide what factor(s) are the most important to you and choose the service that fits your needs.
Posted by Rachel Hobson |
Aug 7, 2009 03:00 PM
Fabric |
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July 30, 2009
Betz White's Organic Fabric Collection - Family Cottage
Today marks the debut of crafter Betz White's new organic fabric collection called "Family Cottage"! The colorful selection of prints were inspired by her warm afternoons and cool evenings spent lakeside at a cottage with her family. Pick up the beautiful fabric exclusively in her Etsy shop.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Jul 30, 2009 05:00 PM
Bazaar, Fabric |
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July 28, 2009
Downloadable Remnant Wrappers
Cathe at Just Something I Made shares these snazzy downloadable remnant wrappers to help organize your fabric stash!
Posted by Rachel Hobson |
Jul 28, 2009 07:00 AM
Fabric |
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July 23, 2009
DuhBe's Fabric Rose Tutorial
DuhBe offers a great little tutorial on how to make these realistic-looking fabric roses in 5 easy steps. The method involves making strips of fabric, and then clipping and melting the edges over a flame. Love that she has this on her post: "Rather than keep all my secrets to myself, I want to share this method with others. Some crafters will think I'm crazy for sharing my secrets for an item I sell in my Etsy shop, but I believe that sharing information contributes to the creativity of others and that is more important than me selling stuff." Word!
I'd love to use this technique to make a slew of flowers to add to a rose umbrella!
Posted by Goli Mohammadi |
Jul 23, 2009 03:00 PM
Fabric |
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July 16, 2009
Natural Fabric Dyeing
Threadbanger has a collection of tips and instructions for making your own natural dyes for fabrics.
More:
Ask CRAFT: Tea-Staining Bed Linens
Posted by Becky Stern |
Jul 16, 2009 04:00 PM
Fabric |
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