From Fabric to Project

I love a good craft challenge and have been using them in camp to not only create fun activities, but to foster creativity. It's always funny how everyone gets quiet and really starts to concentrate on their own projects. Then, about 1/2 way through, they start to wander around the room and check out each other's work. At the end, we share ideas and announce a winner or two.

In Advanced Sewing School camp we gave campers a fat quarter and access to a variety of print making supplies like paint, watercolors, stamps, and markers. Their first assignment was to create an original fabric print. To begin, we looked at a ton of different fabrics and talked about repeats, print directions, and color combinations. Many sketched their ideas first before moving to paint and fabric, but some designers just jumped right into it.

After the paint dried, it was time to create an original project using the fabric. Campers could use other fabrics to make their project, but their fabric had to be the main fabric. Everyone made something different and it was very hard to choose a winner!

Apple Printed Fabric

 During Sewing Club we had fun creating our own fabric designs!  First, we watched this awesome Marimekko video of yards and yards of fabric being printed and talked about design on fabric.

Excited for fall, we decided to print our fabric with apples.  We also read a book about Johnny Appleseed and tasted a variety of apples.  Yum!

After all this inspiration, we were ready to design our fabric!

 The apples were cut into different shapes like halves, rounds, and quarters.

 Some kids used the apples like a paintbrush and made a picture...

 ...while others made a pattern.

 We used acrylic paint in the classic apple colors of red, yellow, and green.

 Yes, it got really, really messy!  So glad we used foam plates for the paint, and covered the table with a plastic tablecloth.  The paints got mixed and the apples were a mess, but everyone was happy.

The next week, we sewed with our one-of-a-kind apple fabric!  The kids were so excited to use their very own fabric to create a project.

 Everyone needs an apple bag!

This was my first time to print fabric with kids and I can't wait to try it again!

Story Telling: Blog Party + Tutorial

 Yay!  So happy to be part of Carrie Bloomston's fabric release blog party.  As soon as I got a peek at Story, her new fabric line, I got all excited and was inspired to tell my own.

While Story can be used to create amazing quilts and bags, it is also fabric that appeals to kids in a BIG way.  It invites creativity and play.  It's the perfect kid-friendly fabric.

When the package of fabric arrived, my kids got excited too.  What was this wonderful fabric with colorful images and words?  And could they play with it?  Yes, yes!  Phoebe was taken by the images and immediately began to write her own fabric story appliquéing images and writing a silly love story that only a ten-year-old can tell.

I had fun playing with it too.  I stitched up this cute My Very Own Skirt from Sewing School.  A sweet house pocket and dog stuffie was a must!

I also couldn't resist making a Quiet Play mat where images and words from the fabric can be used to tell stories again and again.  This project is from Sewing School 2.  You can make one too.  I'll show you how.

First, make a mat using a felt square backed with cute fabric.  I stitched a house pocket onto the felt square and added a loop of elastic at one end.  (detailed directions for this are in Sewing School 2.)

To make the felt-backed images, use Ultra Heat'n Bond.  I like to iron a large section of fabric onto the Heat'n Bond and then iron the whole thing onto another felt square.  If you've never used Heat'n Bond before, it's easy, just follow the package directions.

Now you can cut out the images and they will kinda-sorta stick to the felt mat.  You can move them all around and have a never-ending tale.

When you are finished playing, the pieces fit neatly into the pocket.

Time to go?  Roll up the mat and hit the road.  It's perfect for kids on the move!

Big thanks to Carrie for letting me be a part of her Story Party.  I know that when you get your hands on this fabric, you will have fun creating too.  Don't forget to share with the kids in your life - you'll be amazed by their stories!

Stop by Such Designs and enter to win a fat quarter bundle and a copy of her awesome book The Little Spark which I raved about here.  You should also stop by these other crafty sights for more Story fun.

April 13th Tia Curtis, Brooke Sellmann, Jill McNamara

April 14th Shea Henderson, Giuseppe Ribaudo, Jenny Kelly, John Q. Adams

April 15th Verena Ehrhardt, Karen LePage, Rachel Gander, Sally Keller, Cristy Fincher

April 16th Jules Goldin, Amie Petronis Plumley, Bonnie Bobman,

April 17th Daniar Listyasari, Kerry Green, Ramona Burke, Kerry Goulder, Erica Sage

* Official Story photos by Jill McNamara photography.

Batting as Fabric

This winter I have discovered a new fabric - batting!  Traditionally used in the middle of quilts, it also is perfect when stitching up winter crafts.  I used low-loft batting because that's what I have on hand, but I would think a thicker batting would give you better coverage.

Do you spy the batting above as the Santa beard and mustache?

It's pretty easy to work with and you can cut it just like regular fabric.  I also discovered that plastic needles slide right through it making it ideal for my upcoming Toddler Sewing Club project, The Mitten.  (More on that to come!)

The trick to sewing with batting, is that it can tear and be stretchy, so you have to think about how you can use it.   Like, I wouldn't make a batting purse and fill it with heavy things.

It's perfect for stitching up a sweet little snowman!

I'm sure we'll have fun finding more uses for batting this winter sewing season.  Do you have some ideas?!

Pillowcase for a Raffle

I am so pleased to be a part of Katie Jean's pillowcase raffle! Her cute fabric store is stitching up pillowcases to support our troops overseas.  With her fun raffle, they will raise shipping costs. 

There is mine in the top right hand corner.

Here is is after I made it.  Poor lighting, but you get the idea.  I decided to play around with the Secret Message Pillow project in Sewing School 2 and added a pocket on one side.  To make the pillowcase, I used the tutorial here, but didn't add the skinny piece.  The fabric is a cute nautical-theme that I think I found at Hancock's. 

Pocket close-up.  Of course, I added a Sewing School pin and secret message for the new owner!

This was a fun project, think we might make them in Sewing School camp this summer!

Fun With Felt

 Felt is the perfect material for young sewers - it doesn't fray, is available in a rainbow of colors, and sews together easily.

 This little rain cloud makes a gray day seem like fun.

 Felt face board.  The possibilities with this one are endless!

 Square head.

 Name bunting.

 Detail of the letter L.

So Soft Pillow from Sewing School covered in foam stickers. A felt buying tip - we like to purchase our felt by the yard and then cut them into chunks.

Locker Chalkboard

 This variation of the Locker Pocket was big hit in Sewing Club.  Instead of making the big photo frame pocket, a piece of chalk cloth was added.  Perfect for jotting down quick notes between classes!

 Here's the basic layout.  A square of chalk cloth at the top with a few little pockets on the bottom.  A small pocket is needed for holding a piece of chalk.  A medium sized pocket is good for other little items or an eraser.  Ribbon cut 12 inches makes a perfect hanger.

The best eraser is a scrap of felt.  We made ours by attaching a rectangle of felt to a piece of craft thread.  It works like a charm and is there when you need it.  Some decided to put a scrap of felt in a pocket.

 This project has so many variations - no two look alike.  I love the heart owl on the one above.

About using chalk cloth:  While chalk cloth is a ton of fun, young sewers may have trouble sewing it onto the felt because it's quite thick.  These examples are from my Advanced Sewing group of 3rd and 4th graders who had fun using the sewing machines.  While you can buy chalk cloth at a variety of fabric stores, we got ours at Oilcloth Addict, which had awesome customer service and has a great selection.

Crafty Chloe Fabric

You must pop over to Hancock's to snatch up some of the wonderful Crafty Chloe fabric designed by Heather Ross.  I nearly flipped when I saw it and stocked up for both myself and Sewing Club.  It's nice to buy designer fabric at a price that I can afford for kid sewing.  I can't wait to read the book and then see what the kids create with it.  Phoebe is working on a dog pillow as I type!

Quilt for Twins

A dear friend is having boy-girl twins soon and I thought a little quilt was in order.  The design is modeled after the quilt project in our new machine sewing book.  It's super fun and simple to whip up in a day.  Yes, easy enough for a child to make!

Picking out the fabric was the best part, of course!  I had a lot of help from Phoebe and Frankie not to mention the lovely Susan at Sew Memphis.  My inspiration fabric was Little Lisette's popsicle fabric.

I wanted the quilt to be gender neutral and kiddy, but not too baby.  I think we were successful.  Now, to wait for the babies....

Sew Memphis

Hip Hip Hooray!  Memphis finally has a great fabric store!  Sew Memphis is open for business and I couldn't wait.  It's so much fun to actually see and touch the wonderful fabrics I can only view online.  New Amy Butler, Birch Fabrics, Lotta Jansdotter and much, much more!   I came home with a stack of fun fat quarters for a school project.

Plus, there is a big stack of Sewing School on the book shelves!  Yea!  Phoebe was excited and immediately started reading some of her favorite projects.

Besides selling fabric, there are lots of great classes for adults and kids.  Andria and I will be teaching on June 2 for kids - we'll be making the "Your Little Friend" from Sewing School.  We have plans for more fun classes too.

Sew Memphis is a collaboration between 2 friends, Mary Allison Cates and Susan Schwartz who are so creative and excited to share their passion for fabric and sewing for others.  I am so happy to get to know them and be a part of Sew Memphis.

If you live in Memphis, you must go!  The opening party is this Friday at 6:30.  The address is 688 Cox in mid-town.  Hope to see you there!