Tangled Thread

June 25th, 2008

summer fun with flip-flops

Flip-flops are a perennial summer favorite - but can be a little, well… dull sometimes.
How about using fabric yo-yos to decorate them?
Or if you’re really in the mood to be adventurous - how about making your own?
image: Stock.xchg
Tags: flip-flops, free-patterns, How To, ideas, links, summer craftsShare This

By Chloe -- 0 comments

June 20th, 2008

how-to of the day - 3-D pins or brooches from fabric motifs

Okay, so do you have everything I asked you for yesterday?
Good - let’s get sewing :-)
To begin, we need to interface the back of the fabric with a heavy-weight interfacing.  I find it’s easiest to cut a square of fabric out with the motif in the center, rather than trying to fussy cut the fabric.

 Interface […]

By Chloe -- 9 comments

June 19th, 2008

3-D pins or brooches from fabric motifs

I’ve got this fabric sitting on my studio table right now:

I’m planning on sewing a hobo tote with it - but I was looking at the butterflies and got a brainstorm.
What if I made a 3-D pin or brooch from one of the butterflies that I could wear, or pin to the bag?  It would […]

By Chloe -- 1 comment

June 16th, 2008

inspiring links for free totebag patterns

I love seeing more and more people carrying fabric totebags!  It seems just in the past few months that the number of people carrying them has just exploded…
Now, I don’t like carrying plain, old boring totebags - I like stripes, or multi-colored stars - or fish… something bright and cheerful :-)
It seems like there are […]

By Chloe -- 1 comment

June 12th, 2008

Free pattern for a nursing cover

Angela, from b5media’s Breastfeeding 123 just emailed me about a fantastic free pattern that she found.  It’s to make your own nursing cover - and she’s posted a great tutorial on her blog.
Go check it out!
Tags: free-patterns, How To, links, sew your own nursing cover, sewing, tutorialsShare This

By Chloe -- 0 comments

June 11th, 2008

Easy Father’s Day gifts - stamped t-shirts

 Are you looking for an easy project to do with your kids for Father’s Day?
How about making a hand-stamped t-shirt for Dad?
You’ll need non-toxic fabric or acrylic paints (if using acrylic paint, I’d recommend mixing it with a fabric/textile medium), a t-shirt and permanent or paint markers.
Place a piece of cardboard inside the shirt.  This […]

By Chloe -- 12 comments

June 5th, 2008

how-to of the day - stamped scrapbook ribbons

I was browsing through my favorite craft store the other day and made a trip down the scrap booking aisle (you can find some great fiber art supplies there!).  I happened to notice a package of cotton fabric, cut into strips and then stamped - from a trendy new designer.
I then looked at the price […]

By Chloe -- 9 comments

May 29th, 2008

how-to of the day - making silk paper - all the links

I thought it would be a good idea to post all the links for the silk paper how-to… after all, we’ve gone from this:

 To this:

In a few weeks!

Step one: making the silk paper.
Step two: adding layers of paint.
Step three: making cartoons to help visualize the completed work.
Step four: painting the canvas background.
Step five: embroidering the […]

By Chloe -- 8 comments

May 28th, 2008

how-to of the day - making silk paper - gallery mounting the fabric

I’m down to the last few steps for creating & mounting the silk paper. In the last post, I had shown some options for different quilting stitches that I was thinking about using on the background fabric. I’ve decided that going with the simple green stitching was the best option.
I’ve sewn the […]

By Chloe -- 0 comments

May 27th, 2008

how-to of the day - flower transfers

You’ve got lovely flowers growing in your garden - like these pansies perhaps?

And you want to make something that captures their beauty.  How about using the flowers themselves?
Flower transfer or flower pounding, allow you to use the natural pigments in the flower to transfer directly onto paper or fabric.
I’ve taken a flower and laid it […]

By Chloe -- 2 comments