Archive for February, 2010

If you’ve ever made a collage, then you’ve probably heard of that very popular decoupage product Mod Podge.  The matte and gloss types are very popular with mixed-media artists.  Here at Havel’s Sewing, we’ve even seen one of our very own make a very nice housewarming gift for friends using Gloss Mod Podge.

Project based on Anna Maria Horner's "Marriage Rules" in the June/July issue of Cloth Paper Scissors

But now, we’re completely taken with Fabric Mod Podge.  We’ve tried using Matte Mod Podge to stick fabric to fabric, but it turned the fabric stiffer than we’d like.  That’s why we were thrilled to find out about Fabric Mod Podge.

We’ve even found fantastic projects on the web that call specifically for Fabric Mod Podge.  And, when you need a little Mod Podge inspiration, check out the blog Mod Podge Rocks.

The best blog for Mod Podge news and projects.

Mod Podge Rocks offers a great Mod Podge Formula Guide as well as a Fabric Embellishment Tutorial.

For more projects, check out a tutorial on embellishing plain sneakers with fabric scraps by clicking here.

Learn how to embellish a t-shirt using Fabric Mod Podge by clicking here.

Do you love fabric but want to do more with it than make sewn goods?  Maybe you want to dye it or embellish it with beads or tin or wood.  Or maybe you love to place paper and fabric together in unusual ways.  Well, then, Interweave publishes the magazine that will continually inspire you!

Cloth Paper Scissors is published six times a year and offers news on techniques, projects and mixed media artists.  Check out a back issue’s Table of Contents to get a feel for what they have to offer.

Stampington & Company publishes a variety of mixed media titles, but Sew Somerset seems to be the magazine most focused on artists who combine paper and fabric in their creations.  Sew Somerset is a special yearly publication not listed under Stampington & Company’s “subscription” information.  Look for it at your local bookstore.

One fantastic tool of the trade is a flannel design wall.  Your fabric clings to flannel so you can arrange quilt blocks or other projects to determine optimal fabric arrangements.  Most quilt shops will have at least one in their classroom, but isn’t it nice to have one at home?  Or in your studio space?  If you’re thinking about installing a design wall, here are a few of our favorite types:

1. The DIY Design Wall

Wrap this with cotton flannel and nail or drill it to your wall space.

The DIY wall consists of cotton flannel purchased from your favorite fabric store, plus an insulation panel or two (depending on the size of your wall) from your local Home Depot and voila!  Here’s a handy link to a few of the most frequently asked questions about building a design wall.

2. Purchase a Design Wall

Cheryl Ann's Design Wall

Skip the DIY and purchase a portable design wall. A few different options exist, but we like the old fashioned flannel wall. Portability is handy and you can take this to guild meetings and classes. And, if you need your studio wall space for shelving, a portable design wall is probably perfect for you.

3. Create a Virtual Design Wall

Place fabric side by side in an MS Word document.

Try out this virtual design wall from Delta Patchwork at www.deltapatchwork.com. We found this tool to be very helpful in choosing coordinating fabrics and made this online store stand out from the crowd. You can replicate this tool in Microsoft Word, as well. Just right click on store fabric pics, save the pic, then Insert the photos into a Word document. This is handy when shopping among various online retailers.

Besides your usual stash of fabrics, I’m sure all you avid sewists have a stash of scraps leftover from various projects.  But what do you do with those scraps?  Leave them in a bin and forget about them?  Well, here’s a few ways to rid yourself of those scraps – and free up some storage space!

1.  Make a scrap quilt.

One of the many fantastic scrap quilt books on Amazon.com.

Several scrap quilt patterns exist, as do scrap quilt books.  You can find them on Amazon.com or at your local quilt shop.  Or, you can “wing it” and make a mystery quilt.  Who knows where your imagination will take you?

2.  Donate your scraps to charity. 

San Francisco has a terrific organization (SCRAP) in which crafters can donate unwanted craft supplies that will be used in art workshops and/or sold to raise money for art programs.

3.  Donate your scraps to quilters with limited resources (no nearby shop!) 

Our friendly local quilt shop.

My friends at the local quilt shop bring their scraps to the shop owner.  She piles bags and bags of scraps in her car and takes them to her sister’s house far far away.  Her sister lives far from any quilt or fabric shop, so she invites her friends and they have a “scrap party.”  They’re very appreciative of their quilt shop friends who are willing to part with so much fabulous fabric.

Havel’s Sewing would like to know: What do you do with your scrap fabric?

Sometimes, when you finish a project…say, a new bag or maybe a cute blouse…you notice that there’s something missing. Not a stitch or a pleat, but something decorative that makes the project POP. Here at Havel’s Sewing, we’ve found a simple solution to that elusive little problem: fabric or zipper flowers. Just whip up a flower or two, add it as a pin or a permanent fixture to your project and VOILA! Instant pretty!

Two great tutorials come to mind:

1. Martha Stewart’s Zipper Flowers

2. Sew Ritzy~Titzy’s Fabric Flower

Both make great additions to your repertoire of sewing projects.