I have another fabric stamping project for you today. I love the stamps from Sin City Stamps! Just looking at the images inspires me to create!
I wanted to end the year with a project that looks forward to next year, so I made a fabric book that I can add pages to during 2014. I think I am going to use this book to save samples of laces and trims that I love, but you could use it any way you want, with fabric or paper pages.
This book started with a lovely placemat and a piece of hand dyed gauze. I love the way the color of the gauze peeks through the placemat. I folded the placemat in half, then doubled the gauze and trimmed it to fit. I sewed the two pieces together with a straight stitch.
The focal piece is a beautiful image from Sin City Stamps' Wing-It set.
For stamping on fabric, you want a tightly woven fabric like the muslin I used. This piece was tea dyed in advance. I put my stamp on an acrylic block. It helps to put a piece of craft foam under the fabric when you stamp. I used Chalk Ink in dark brown, but you can use other inks. India ink works well on fabric, too. I heat set the ink with my iron after it dried.
Once the image was stamped and set, I pinned the muslin to a piece of cotton batting. This gives it a soft feel and strength to hold the stitching and beads.
I didn’t like working with the pins in the way, so I basted the two pieces together with a running stitch by hand. I backstitched around the image with embroidery floss. Then I added seed beads, one at a time, stitching through each twice with all purpose thread. Next I added some metallic thread to the angel’s wings.
I cut a piece of muslin the same size as the one I’d stamped and stitched on, pinned them together with right sides facing, sewed around the edge, cut a slit in the unstamped piece, trimmed the corners, turned it right side out and pressed it. Then I pinned it in place on the placemat/gauze piece and stitched them together with a straight stitch on a sewing machine. Finally, I sewed on a clock charm with a little seed bead.
Here's what the inside looks like:
For now, I added a piece of hand dyed seam binding as a closure. After I add the pages, I’ll decide what kind of closure the book needs. My plan is to sew in fabric pages throughout the year with samples of laces and trims that I love and don't want to part with. I’m hoping that saving some samples will spur me on to actually use some of my stash!
Be sure to stop by Sin City Stamps and see all the new products. You will be amazed!
Starshine Wishes,
Karen
