This is the first page of my new fabric journal. I’ve been making lots of fabric journals, but they’ve all been blank ones to sell. I recently started my first art journal, following the online lessons of Terri Sproul. I thought it was about time to start my first fabric journal, too.
Traditionally, “stamped” embroidery involves mass-produced, machine-stamped or iron-on images made with ink intended to be washed away or completely covered with stitching. In recent years, some stitchers have stamped their own images using fabric ink that fades or washes away. For my stitchery, I used permanent ink and stitched in a way that features my stamped image instead of obscuring it.
Here’s the journal I decided to use, along with a pretty piece of hand dyed cheesecloth. The cover is made from upholstery fabric.
Here’s the inside.
Each page is made from a piece of folded tea dyed muslin. This way you can sew through the page and not have your stitches show on the other side.
I stamped my image onto tea dyed muslin. I usually stamp an image multiple times, so I can choose the one I like the best, or make several projects. I chose this image from the Sin City Stamps Dressforms set. This is a great set with more than a dozen images. I used ColorBox Chalk Ink in Rouge and heat set it with my iron after it dried. For more information about stamping on fabric, see my post here.
I pinned the muslin to a thin piece of batting. I like this for embroidery. It gives more body to the piece, and some texture to the image. The tighter you pull the thread, the more tufting you get.
When I’m trying to choose colors, I like to lay out a bunch of options and see how they look together.
I chose my colors and started stitching. I outlined the corset with three strands of floss, then stitched the inner lines with one strand. I did the outlines with two strands. I used backstitching, but you could try some fancy stitches. I added tiny beads for the fasteners.
When I was finished stitching, I trimmed the whole piece with a rotary cutter and then used scissors to trim the batting away from the edges so it wouldn’t show.
I made a little ruffle from a strip of the hand dyed cheesecloth and sewed it on. I inserted a piece of crinoline into the center of the journal page to give support.
Then I decided not to sew my stitched piece into the journal until I decide what’s going to be on the other side of the page. But I planned the layout:
I was definitely in a monochromatic mood while I was working on this piece, but you can use this process with any stamp and any color combination! I hope you will create your own rubber stamp stitchery. As always, let me know if you have any questions!
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I tore a strip of canvas to use as the base for my cuff. I cut two pieces, each 9 inches long. Fabric cuffs are like other bulky bracelets in that you have to allow extra wearing ease, so I gave myself enough fabric to turn under 1/2 inch on each side and still have an 8 inch cuff.
I cut a piece of tea dyed muslin a little larger than the image I wanted to use and laid it on a piece of craft foam. I stamped my image with ColorBox Chalk Ink in Rouge and heatset it with my iron. For more tips on stamping on fabric, check out this post.
I sewed the stamped muslin onto one of the canvas strips with a zigzag stitch.
I cut a piece of hand dyed seam binding and put Fray Check on the ends. When it was dry, I turned under the edges of the stitched canvas strip and pinned the seam binding in place to make a loop closure. Then I stitched across the seam binding with a straight stitch.
I tore a strip of hand dyed cheesecloth a little wider than my canvas strips. I wanted to gather it, so I sewed down the middle of the strip by hand with a long running stitch. I pulled the thread firmly, bunching up the cheesecloth, then pulled the cheesecloth out to fit my canvas strips, and knotted the thread.
I pinned the layers together, sewed the ends with a straight stitch and then sewed the long sides with a zigzag stitch. Then I sewed on my button.
And my cuff was finished!
As always, please let me know if you have any questions.
I made a needle case featuring a new dressform stamp from Sin City Stamps!
I sew a lot, and I’ve been having more and more trouble getting my hand sewing needles in and out of the manufacturers’ packages. I’ve been thinking about making a needle case for a while now, but when I saw the new Antiques & Dressforms rubber stamp plate from Sin City Stamps, I knew it was time!
This plate has three different dressforms, corset lacing, a candelabra, a chandelier, a typewriter keyboard, a jumble of old fashioned keys, a strip of lace, the D for the Roman numerals set and several phrases.
The purpose of the needle case is to give you a place to park your needles, so they are protected and you know where they are. I have needles everywhere, stuck into little pieces of fabric. This is a bad idea if you have little ones or inquisitive kitties in your house.
The needle case is basically just a rectangle folded over like a book. You can add a closure if you want to keep little hands away from your needles. You want to choose a fabric that won’t harm your needles and that will keep your needles in place. So I would avoid burlap and satin, in general, for the inside. Otherwise, it’s pretty open. You can use as many layers as you like and any embellishments you like.
I had a three-layer rectangle already assembled, and I decided to use that. It was supposed to be a jar cozy, but one of the seams became crooked somehow, so it didn’t look right on the jar. I loved the fabric in it, though, so it was hanging out in my studio waiting to be used for something else.
You could make your needle case with one layer, but this works really well because there are several layers to grip the needles in place. If you want to make a really simple one-layer needle case, I recommend using a piece of wool or cotton batting.
I used one of the dressform images from the Antiques and Dressforms plate for the cover of my needle case. I stamped the image and the word “Needles” onto a piece of teadyed muslin. It helps to put a piece of craft foam under the fabric. I used Chalk Ink and heatset it with my iron after it dried.
I added some lace trim. First, I pinned it in place:
Then I stitched it down with my sewing machine.
Then I pinned the muslin piece in place onto the outside of my rectangle:
I attached the muslin piece to the rectangle with four mother of pearl buttons and some hand dyed embroidery floss. You can attach it any way you want. If my rectangle hadn’t already been assembled, I probably would have stitched the muslin down to the top layer before sewing together the rectangle pieces. That way the stitching wouldn’t show.
The finished needle case measures about 5.5 by 6.25 inches when closed (5.5 by 12.5 inches when open):
I hope you will try your hand at making a needle case! Please let me know if you have any questions!
I have a fun and easy home dec project for you! I wanted to embellish some ivory and pink burlap pillows I made for spring, and Sakura’s Crystal Lacquer and Terri Sproul Shimmer Mixers were the perfect choice!
This is a great time to try this project, because Terri Sproul Shimmer Mixers are on sale for the month of March! Just enter coupon code Shimmer03 for a 20% discount!
I made these beautiful shimmery flowers with die cut canvas. I used the Tattered Florals die by Tim Holtz. The canvas frays a little, but I decided to go with a slightly tattered look, rather than stiffening the fabric as I usually do (for more on diecutting fabric,
visit my tutotial here. Here is what the canvas petals look like:
Then I mixed some Crystal Lacquer with Terri Sproul Shimmer Rose Shimmer Mixers Powder in a disposable cup and stirred it together with a popsicle stick. I painted the flowers with my Crystal Lacquer mixture using a small, inexpensive paint brush. As they dried, they curled up, which gave them some added dimension.
Then I just stacked up the layers I wanted and sewed them to my pillows! I used a button to anchor the stitches. I recommend button thread for this, as it is much stronger than regular sewing thread. I also sometimes use several strands of embroidery floss, which comes in more colors than button thread. You could also use glue. I made my pillows, but you could use purchased pillows. If you decide to make your own, please check out my Tips for Sewing with Burlap.
The Crystal Lacquer gave the flowers texture but wasn’t so stiff that I couldn’t sew through it. And the Shimmer Mixer gives them the prettiest glimmer!
I also made some brooches by sewing the flower layers together and then sewing on a pinback. You could use these flowers for many other projects, too!
I am having so much fun creating with Sakura Hobby Craft products! I hope you'll visit their website and try some of their products, too!
This is my first post for Sakura Hobby Craft, and I am so happy and honored to be a part of the Sakura Design Team! You can read about my first adventure with Sakura’s Crystal Lacquer here.
I love Crystal Lacquer! It has so many possibilities! And Sakura’s Terri Sproul Shimmer Mixers are beautiful! I really recommend getting a set, because when you see all the colors in front of you, your mind will be filled with creative ideas. And I have good news! If you use the coupon code "Shimmer03" now through March 31st, you will receive a 20% discount on the Shimmer Mixers!
I have been designing angel wings for my handcrafted tabletop fabric mannequins. When I received my wonderful goodie box from Sakura Hobby Craft, I was inspired to make some wings for my mini mannequins, too.
I’ve been making fabric wings, but I thought it would be great to make translucent wings with Crystal Lacquer and Shimmer Mixers. The wings from the Sizzix Angel Wings die are just about the right size for my mini mannequin, so I decided to make a template using the die, rather than drawing a whole new pattern.
I used plastic presentation covers that I bought at a thrift store. They are available at office supply stores. You can also use stencil or template plastic from a craft store. I wanted it to be thick enough that I could pour Crystal Lacquer into it. If you don’t have an angel wing die, you can draw one and cut it out with a craft knife. And you can use this technique for any shape you want to make!
I made two templates:
Then I turned one over to make a mirror image. I wanted a way to attach the wings to the mannequin. The mannequin is made from muslin, so sewing the wings on seemed appropriate. I wanted to embed the buttons into the wings. I placed the templates onto some plastic wrap on a tray. I taped the templates to the plastic wrap with masking tape to keep them from shifting. I put a little bit of Crystal Lacquer onto the back of each button so they would stay in place while I added the rest of the Crystal Lacquer. I made sure it wasn’t too close to the edge, because that would make the structure too weak.
Next I mixed Shimmer Rose Jewel Effects Shimmer Powder into some Crystal Lacquer in a disposable container. I used a plastic spoon to spoon the pink Crystal Lacquer into my template. I was being pretty careful, but it ran over the side. This turned out not to be a problem.
I mixed more Crystal Lacquer than I thought I would need, because I didn’t want to take the chance that I would have to mix more and the color wouldn’t be the same. I had way too much lacquer mixed up, so I got two more buttons and filled the other wings. There was still some left, so I painted it onto some canvas flower diecuts, some shipping tags and some metal diecuts. I think it’s a good idea to have some extra substrates ready when you mix the Shimmer Mixers into the Crystal Lacquer, so you don’t waste anything.
I let the wings set up. I was able to gauge their hardness by touching the part that spilled over the edge. When it was no longer tacky on top, I turned the templates over. The Crystal Lacquer that had been touching the plastic wrap wasn’t dry. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of setting one of the templates down on the tray without plastic wrap, and it stuck. I let the wings dry some more before I did anything else with them. When they were no longer sticky, I cut the templates and the excess Crystal Lacquer away with small, sharp scissors.
The Crystal Lacquer goes through stages while it hardens. First, it’s liquid and will disperse itself smoothly in a mold. Then it starts to set up. At this point, it will stick to whatever you touch it with and it won’t be smooth if you disturb it. Then it’s no longer really tacky but is still flexible, so that you may be able to touch it lightly, but it may stretch out if you handle it. There’s a point where you can touch it with your fingers but it will still stick to other things (like my tray). Then it really sets up but is still pliable and you can work with it. That’s the stage at which I cut the templates away. Then it hardens more.
Basically, I had to watch it until it got to the point where I could cut it without messing it up. I didn’t want to wait until it was completely hardened, because I was afraid if it got too brittle I wouldn’t get a nice cut.
The timing is easier than it sounds, because it really dried gradually.
Crystal Lacquer is also an adhesive, so it wants to stick to things. But a little bit of Lacquer that dripped onto a piece of the plastic popped off easily after it was really hardened, so if I hadn’t let the Crystal Lacquer run over the edge, I may have been able to simply remove the wings from the template. But I wanted to cut the excess off while it was still flexible.
My next Crystal Lacquer experiment will involve piping a line of Crystal Lacquer around the inside of the template, to act as a dam and hold the Lacquer in. Then I will see if the piece can just pop out. That way, the templates could be reused. I might also try a thicker template.
Once I had my wings cut out, I decided I still liked the ones that had the flaw. I poured a little bit of Crystal Lacquer into the holes in the wing. I think I could have skipped that step, but it seemed to safer to patch the holes. I decided to camouflage the flaws with the little flower diecuts I’d painted with the Crystal Lacquer. I sewed a glass flower bead into the center of each diecut, then adhered each one to the wings with plain Crystal Lacquer.
The buttons worked perfectly. I usually use button thread or several strands of embroidery floss to attach buttons to projects. I decided to use three strands of embroidery floss that I had hand dyed. I threaded the floss into a needle, and basically sewed each button in place, then tied three knots on each button.
Here is the finished project:
And here is a closeup of one wing:
If you don’t want to mold your own wings but you still want to get the shimmery look, you can paint the Crystal Lacquer mixture onto another surface. This is the same mixture I used for the molded wings, painted onto canvas:
I hope you will try this technique. And I hope you will get some of Sakura’s Terri Sproul Mixers and be inspired!
Please let me know if you have any questions about this project!
Here's what's on my cutting table today - hand stamped, hand dyed seam binding. You can see how I dye my seam binding by reading my tutorial here. You can also purchase my hand dyed seam binding from my Etsy shop. I have a magnetic stamp with individual letters that lets me spell out whatever words I want. I'm working on some springtime hearts, and I decided to use the words "Faith," "Hope," and "Love." I like to use Colorbox Chalk Ink; it goes on nicely and I can heat set it with my iron.
I should be able to share the finished hearts with you soon. Some are going to Briar Patch Marketplace in Scottsdale and Chandler, and some are going to the Starshine Salon (space 74) at Merchant Square in Chandler.
I’ve been working with burlap for a while now, and it’s not like working with other fabrics. It’s scratchy and it’s messy, and it will dull your scissors and needles quickly. But I like the look it gives. Burlap is usually fairly loosely woven, so it helps to back it with something like muslin for stability. And if you are going to stuff your item with fiberfill, the muslin is definitely necessary to keep the fiberfill from escaping.
A word of warning – If your burlap is really loosely woven, any stress on the seams will cause it to literally come apart. So if you are making something like pillows, I recommend finding burlap with a fairly tight weave. Also, because burlap wants to come apart, it’s sometimes best not to cut out your pattern piece, but to trace it onto a rectangle of burlap, and sew your seam before you cut. If you are backing the burlap, you can make a “sandwich” with the layers. If you are making an item with burlap on the front and back and you want to back both sides with muslin, you lay out the rectangles in this order: (top) muslin, burlap, burlap, muslin (bottom). It’s just a variation of “right sides together.” Then you trace your pattern piece onto to the top piece of muslin, which, by the way, is much easier than tracing onto burlap. Then pin the layers together before sewing. When I turn it right side out, I make sure that one layer of muslin goes with each layer of burlap. The burlap mannequins in this picture were made with a sandwich of muslin, burlap, muslin, muslin or muslin, burlap, canvas:
Tracing onto burlap
By the way, if I am tracing onto burlap, I use a Sharpie marker, making sure there is a seam allowance, so that I can cut off the black marks when I trim. When I am tracing onto muslin, I use a really fine Sharpie or a Pigma Micron marker. If I am making something that will be washed, I only use a marker if I am sure I am eventually going to cut off all marks. Even though they are called permanent, it’s not worth the risk that the ink will run later.
Cutting burlap
You can cut burlap with scissors, but I don’t recommend using your finest sewing scissors. I’ve had good luck with Fiskars Easy-Action scissors, which I actually use for most fabric. And you can cut muslin with a rotary cutter. Just be prepared to change the blade more often than usual.
When I cut out rectangles for the burlap “sandwich,” I almost always use a rotary cutter. When I make rectangular pillows, I use a rotary cutter to cut out the burlap and the muslin pieces, and then I pin the layers together and stitch:
When I make these hearts, I only have burlap on the front, so I cut out rectangles of burlap and muslin and layer them like this: (top) muslin, burlap, muslin (bottom). Then I trace my heart on the top layer of muslin. When I turn it right side out, I make sure one layer of muslin goes with the burlap:
Keeping it together
When my burlap is really trying to come apart, I use a zigzag stitch along the edge. When I make pillows, I usually only zigzag along the opening I leave for turning. For the table runners, I will zigzag all the raw edges.
Prewashing burlap
I have used burlap mostly for items that won’t be washed, so I haven’t needed to prewash it. When I make an item that will eventually be washed, I prewash the fabric, mostly to preshrink it. I don’t want my customers to have any unpleasant surprises later. I recently decided to make some burlap table runners, so that called for prewashing. I knew it wouldn’t be pretty.
I had a piece of natural burlap that was a little too loose for mannequins, so I decided to use that. It was also crooked; the fibers did not run straight. I cut the yardage into smaller pieces, thinking they would be easier to handle. Each piece was a little more than twice the width I wanted for each runner. I cut the pieces nice and straight. But I got a surprise. The fibers straightened out in the washing process, so that they ran straight and my edges ended up crooked. That was good news in general for working with burlap, but bad news for my poor pieces, because after trimming the edges, I did not end up with the width I had planned on.
I decided to leave the next long piece whole. It was pretty straight to begin with, and it came out just fine. I am washing the burlap on the delicate cycle and hang-drying it, which is exactly what I will recommend to my customers. It does wrinkle in the process, and it is hard to iron out the wrinkles, but it helps if you press it while it is still damp. And I recommend cleaning your iron after you press burlap, because some types have a finish that clings to your iron and ruins your next project. It also tends to leave debris on the ironing board, which I remove with a lint roller or a couple of lengths of packing tape. I use a wet paper towel to remove the debris from my cutting board and from the washer.
How about you?
I hope these tips will help you if you've been wanting to work with burlap but weren't sure what to expect. I would love to hear from you if you have tips for working with burlap, or if you have any questions about my post!
All text and photos copyright Karen Lackey, 2011-2016, unless otherwise noted. You may link to text but please do not copy it. If you use my photos, please give credit and link back to the original post. Thanks!
Sin City Stamps provides free and discounted rubber stamps to its Design Team members.
