fabric

Customize Your Kitchen Towels!

March 31, 2013 by Wendy Cohen 2 Comments

Have you ever wanted to use some of your adorable quilt fabric in your kitchen, but didn’t know how? Maybe not! But, if you do, I have a simple and cute way to use it!

First, track down some nice and absorbent kitchen towels that are cost effective. I usually grab this four pack of towels at Target for $3.99.

I then take two strips of fabric (3″, 4″ or 5″) that are about 1.5″ longer than the width of the kitchen towel. The strips of fabric can be as wide or shallow as you would like. I then sew the strips together and press the seam.

Then, you fold each edge in and press in place. You will want to measure up the fabric strip to your towel at this time to make sure that the fabric is just slightly smaller than the towel.

Then, fold in and press the rest of the fabric so that it looks like this. You will have each edge folder over and pressed in so that you have no raw edges. The edges are usually pressed in about 1/2″ to 3/4″.

Place the fabric section onto your kitchen towel and place exactly where you would like. Start at one corner and using the blanket stitch sew around the entire section of fabric.

I do not pin anything usually. Be careful as the dish towel is a bit stretchy so just make sure you keep everything aligned as you sew. Of course, you could pin it.

You will also notice that I even blanket stitched across the seem where the two fabrics are attached. It adds a nice touch.

Here are all four completed towels ready to go.

Side view of the towels.

These towels were a gift for my mom so I wrapped tied them up with some cute red ric rac.

And, placed them in this cute bag.

I have a few sets of kitchen towels available in my Etsy Shop. You can find them here and here.

Enjoy your week….follow me on facebook – see the link in my sidebar >>>>>>>>>>>>>

Filed Under: color, craft, create, etsy, home decor, sewing Tagged With: Baking, chili pepper, chili pepper dish towels, chili pepper towels, Cooking, dish towels, fabric, kitchen towels, quilt, quilted dish towels, quilted kitchen towels. custom kitchen towels, quilting, sewing

2 Comments

Fabric or Material? An Afternoon…..Crafting / Sewing with a 6 Year Old!

July 6, 2012 by Wendy Cohen 1 Comment

I had the pleasure of spending yesterday afternoon with my six year old niece. It is always a fun time to see the creativity that just pours out of that little thing. So full of ideas and boundless energy. She is always saying, “after this, we can do….”

As usual, she came with a bag full of goodies to keep her occupied (just in case Auntie Wendy needs a break ! And, as usual, we never opened the bag! I had apparently stored up enough energy for this afternoon. We set out on a trek to make some coasters first. This was a project that I had been wanting to try for a while. First, you need a few supplies:

- Mod Podge (classic, shiny, etc)

- Foam Brushes

- 4″ White Tile

- Fabric or Paper

- Small Felt Circles

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First, you add the small felt circles to the bottom of each tile. This is to protect the coasters from scratching the surface of your table that you are trying to protect from water!

So, this is the part where I got so into what I was doing that I didn’t take any photos. Or, I was thinking about the Mod Podge that was going to eventually end up on my sewing table! That is what the cutting mat is for, right. Here are the quick instructions:

- Cut pieces of fabric or paper slightly smaller than the size of the tile (about 4″)

- Apply a light later of mod podge to the tile with the foam brush.

- Place the fabric or paper on the tile and press it on flat (use a brayer if you have one)

- Apply a layer of mod podge over the fabric / paper so that it is completely covered including the ends.

- Let dry and then apply another layer.

- Once dry, bring outside and spray with a clear acrylic sealer.

- Tie up in sets of 4 or 6 in a pretty bow.

Owl Coasters

The one thing I did try was to use a decorative napkin for one of the coasters rather than fabric. It did NOT work…the napkin was too thin and crinkled when the mod podge was applied. I know that you can also use heavier scrapbook paper and that should work well.

Damask Coasters

However, fabric was the choice of the day because I seem to have a lot of it. Brooklin even has her own bag of fabric that I keep in the closet just for her. Here she is with all 20 of her coasters wrapped up in bows ready for delivery. She is always so funny…on the way home, she wants to drop off the gifts to everyone she knows.

What is next you ask???? We couldn’t possibly only do one project! Oh wait…first there was a pit stop so that I could paint glitter fingers and toes. That was a success. Now onto her first quilt. She picked out all the fabric…yes, it is fabric. To her, there is a difference between fabric and material. I asked…I promise. I cut the squares, she laid them out and we sewed them together. My fingers on the machine and her foot on the peddle. And, I didn’t lose a finger! The funny part was that she kept thinking we were done with each step, but we finished the whole thing. She determined this one is for her sister Crosby….

Brooklin’s First Quilt

Not bad for a first quilt made out of fabric….I am hoping that there are many more to come.

Filed Under: craft, create, inspiration, quilt, sewing Tagged With: coasters, fabric, material, mod podge, quilt, tile

1 Comment

Blooming Jasmine Inspired Quilt

May 1, 2012 by Wendy Cohen 4 Comments

In the month of March, the jasmine in my backyard was in full bloom….remember?

I took this image and the amazing smell and selected some fabric that I thought would be just right to match the inspiration. I loved this fabric by Bonnie and Camille….

It’s funny, I selected the fabric without a photo of the jasmine in hand. When I got home, I realized that my mind doesn’t quite remember color as well as I thought. My fabric selections were more on the peachy side and less on the violet or fuchsia side that it seems the jasmine actually appeared. Lesson…take a photo with you. This is where the old me would delete the post because my inspiration and the fabric color doesn’t match. It’s the perfectionist in me…but, alas, does it really matter? I was inspired, purchased fabric and created. I did know that I wanted a quilt that was simple and did incorporate a white background which was the one color I did get accurate! So, I dug through the books I already had and came up with this pattern from the Fig Tree Quilt Book.

The actual pattern I used.

I can’t remember the last time I did a quilt with blocks this big. It was pretty fun and super easy to piece together. You can see my handwriting in the book below. I have the hardest time keeping straight the corresponding colors when I am creating a quilt that has a different color scheme than the one in the book or pattern. So, to keep myself from messing it up, I have to write in the actual colors I am using. Just me?

Here are some pics of the quilt in progress…all pieced in one day.

Piecing the top….the one thing about big blocks is that you really notice if your seams are not lined up. Pin … pin…pin….it is the best thing to keep those seams lined up.

A close up of one of the blocks.

Here’s a pic of the quilt top finished….from two angles.

The fabric that appears to be yellow in the photos is actually a very light green dot fabric. I have selected a brushed cotton large green and white dot for the back of the quilt. I am hoping to put the quilt together later this week and start the quilting over the weekend.

So much for a quilt that actually looks like the jasmine photo or at least the colors…either way, it inspired me and got me sewing. And, blogging about it on a week night. I have considered adding some flower appliqué, but I am still not sure. We shall see ….