Well it's the end of a busy week!
I don't know about you, but I'm pooped! But I'm pleased to say we've had some gorgeous, sunny days here in N.I. this week, and there's a lovely Autumn feel to the air!
As always, the things I've been working on this week I can't show you yet (soon I promise!), so I'm going to give you a wee tute on how to use up every last wee bit of fabric shavings, you know those bits that end up all over your cutting mat after trimming blocks and hsts?
We'll here's a cool way to turn them into a new type of fabric.
As far as I know this product doesn't have an official name - I learnt it at college and it wasn't called anything then, but if you know the official name of this craft, please let me know.
1. Save up your fabric shavings & wee bits of offcuts that are too small to be useful (you can also cut up wee bits of fluffy wool, ribbon, sparkly threads etc.).
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| Bigger pieces will need to be snipped down smaller. |
2. Take a piece of plain sheeting/calico and lay a load of shavings on top. You can colour code your savings as I have done here, or have a multi-coloured mess! Make sure it's thick enough to cover the backing fabric, but not too thick to sew over.
3. Lay a piece of water soluble fabric over the top and pin/sew round the edges. This stuff is really cool - you can get different brands in a craft shop or online. I've used Avalon Water Soluble Embroidery Fabric by Madeira.
4. Now sew, sew, sew over the top of the w.s.fabric, either by free motion quilting or straight & wavy lines all over. Try not to leave any big gaps where the shavings can later escape from.
5. When you have stitched this to within an inch of its life, take the pins out and under a luke warm tap or in a sink/basin, allow the w.s.fabric to melt away (it goes a bit slimy as it melts off so rinse it well).
6. Give your new piece of fabric a good squeeze to get the water out and then allow it to dry on the radiator.
7. When dry, draw your desired shapes on the back and cut out. If you want to, sew more stitching on top to highlight details, for example veins in leaves, or sew on beads, sequins etc.
8. You can now use your fabric shapes to embellish/decorate cards, cushions, make letters or Christmas decorations etc. etc. The possibilities are endless!
Another way to use this wonderful water soluble fabric is to roughly sketch a shape on to it & then put it into an embroidery hoop. Repeated sewing and shading with thread will close all the gaps, so that when you take the fabric off the hoop and dissolve the w.s.fabric you are left with a completely embroidered shape.
How great is that! Thanks for the tute... love the leaves idea :)
ReplyDeleteGreat tutorial - I've always wanted to try water soluable fabric but never come across any. I remember I have a how to make jewellery book somewhere and that has a great section on jewellery made using water soluable fabric. Another thing to add to my shopping list!
ReplyDeleteAny sewing machine shop will have it in conjunction with their embroidery machines.
DeleteCool tips - thanks J!
ReplyDeleteOh Judith, you're so cool! I wondered what the stuff was for, and now I know! Will definitely grab some next time I come across it.. :)
ReplyDeleteBrilliant tute Judith, I'm definitely going to have a go - I've been saving the fabric shavings!
ReplyDeleteVery cool, Judith! Thanks for the post :)
ReplyDeleteSo clever - Benta and I saw stuff similar to this at Parham, and it was really expensive!
ReplyDeleteWow! That is really cool...thanks!
ReplyDeleteAnd I was having so much fun throwing out the tiny bits! Thanks for the tutorial!
ReplyDeleteI have seen what they call made material but it is bigger scraps than this. Maybe this might go by the same name. I have loads of these scraps, so may have to purchase some of this water soluble stuff and have a go myself.
ReplyDeleteThis is excellent!!! now i have a purpose for all those fabric shavings i collect!! Funnily enough i have been making little quilted leaves too! xx
ReplyDeleteHave done this sort of thing before, it is indeed great fun, bit like adult playschool.
ReplyDeleteI love those leaves! Thanks for the tutorial. I'll just add it to the list of things I need to do. ;-)
ReplyDeleteOoh love this tute!! Great idea, must get some of that water soluble stuff!
ReplyDeleteThis is genius. Love it!
ReplyDeleteGreat tutorial - I've not used it but have a friend who makes the most amazing brooches using the soluble fabric and her very clever all singing and dancing sewing machine that does wonderful embroidery and she doesn't rinse all of it out so it remains slightly stiff and holds it's shape - I don't think she uses a backing fabric so maybe that's why. I love the possibilities - the one just using thread would look great as the surf on a seaside quilt! Thanks for a wonderful tutorial and for sharing your ideas!
ReplyDeleteOh, that is fab, thanks for the tutorial!
ReplyDeleteSooooooooo (or should I say sew?) glad I stumbled across your blog! thank you for posting a picture of the water soluble stuff. I haven`t used this stuff since school and wanted to have a go again.. I paint and draw mainly, but love textile/fibre arts and dabble in that a bit, especially since my mum gave me her sewing machine when I moved back to N. I. As for quilting, I can`t even make a cushion! Haven`t got the patience with a sewing machine for that! Do you sell locally? From your namesake, Judith (Logan-Farias.)
ReplyDeleteDef want to give this a go! Thanks for a great tutorial!
ReplyDeleteThat's such a clever, effective and useful way of using up every last scrap! Is the soluble stuff environmentally friendly by any chance?
ReplyDeleteTeresa x
Just popped over from Susan's (Canadian Abroad) blog and love this idea - so cool!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this great idea. Found it on Pinterest and we have tried it for ourselves. We have posted about it here
ReplyDeletehttp://buttonsandpaint.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/tips-tools-techniques-making-fabric_4.html
and have credited back to you xxxx
I haven't done this with my sewing machine but have done something very similar with my Embellisher. Use plain cheap net to trap the small pieces of scraps on top of thin calico and off i go.
ReplyDeleteLove making new fabrics with my Embellisher, thanks for your tutorial showing how to get newfabric using a sewing machine.
Get two completely different looks from basically the same technique :-)
Very interesting, thanks for the tutorial. Inspired!
ReplyDeleteЭТА ТЕХНИКА НАЗЫВАЕТСЯ "ПЭЧВОРК" по английски "PATSHWORK" (для автора)
ReplyDeleteGreat tutorial, thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThis is good, and helps the imagination run wild. It can be done with polyester organdie or another sheet of soluble underneath. And seeing it used as cards, I wonder if saving all green scraps or all red scraps for holly leaves to tie or stitch on a card at Christmas. Thank you for the tutorial.
ReplyDeleteIf you put a piece of tulle directly over the fabric snippets, before you put the water soluble stabilizer on top, you will get something like you see here:
ReplyDeletehttp://magentafreckle.weebly.com/mixed-media.html (close up view).
The tulleholds everything down, and you are free to do decorative free motion quilting on top. Those at the link are sand dollars, and include some loose roving that you can always throw in, along with threads. Lovely inspiration and thanks.
Thank you very much for this tutorial!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteOh noooo! I am trying to get rid off my stash, and then you come up with this wonderful idea! :) Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteVery good! I like the idea of making our own original pieces for cards/scrapbooking/whatever. I don´t have soluble fabric but I think will try with a non-permanent spray (the kind used to help when quilting, that later is washed away). Thanks for the idea :)
ReplyDeleteHow did it go?
DeleteLove this! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteCool tutorial. Years ago at a sewing workshop we did the same thing including threads, but topped it with tulle. I like yours better. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteCool tutorial. Years ago at a sewing workshop we did the same thing including threads, but topped it with tulle. I like yours better. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI also like your tutorial! You've done it well! http://www.mobilenanny.org Wish you lot's of inspiration!
ReplyDeleteThis is similar to how iHanna makes paper cloth using tissue paper http://www.ihanna.nu/blog/2010/02/how-to-make-paper-cloth-a-tutorial/
ReplyDeletelooks like fun - going to try it - great tutorial!
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure the name of this type of quilting craft is called, "Snippets." Years ago, I saw an entire quilt made of Snippets. Thanks for the tutorial!
ReplyDeleteAwesome tutorial. Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteThe knitted items are very beautiful, i almost believed that they were a collection of Photoshop until i saw the whole page. You have done an amazing job, this shows how skillful and creative you are. This page is highly inspirational, in terms of job creation and blogging. MDF Floating Shelf How great that post is.
ReplyDeleteWhow! Thank for sharing this brilliand idea ! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat project, I have made scarves using to layers of WS stabiliser and yarn, but I never thought of trying it this way.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
I love this! A combination of using what would otherwise be "trash" and making something nature-inspired it just brilliant. Thank you very much for sharing this.
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ReplyDeleteI have achieved similar effects by covering the scraps in either netting or organza and heavily stitching through. Usually make a piece about A4 size and transport it to the sewing machine carefully so as not to dislodge the pieces. I have also added very small pieces of coloured foil. Then cut the result into different shapes including leaves.
ReplyDeleteI am going to try this thank you for a wonderful way to use quilt scraps.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea.
ReplyDeleteWow I love this!!!!
ReplyDeletePlease can I ask you what did you study at college? What was the course called?
Thanks🙂
Eager to try these ideas. I think it might be a good way to practice free-motion quilting.
ReplyDeleteOh how inspiring, love the idea, can't wait to try it. Thank you
ReplyDeleteJudith how do I change my email address please?
ReplyDelete