Texture Trials

Hello again.
This week was filled with trial balloons bags. Back in March I attended the Quilt and Sewing Expo in Cleveland where I bought materials to make some interesting bags that have two unique aspects - a novel closure and a fascinating texture surface. 

The top of the bag snaps pulls open when you pull on the little triangle tabs and snaps shut when you let them go...MAGIC! Some of you will probably have already seen this and are not going to be so fascinated with how this is done. I'm not telling yet!
But here is how all the fun lumpy texture was created. I had forgotten all about buying this until I was digging around in the drawer full of battings and interfacings and found it in the bottom.

This wild fabric was a fat quarter acquired at least two years ago and it also was drifting into oblivion before its geometrical pattern shouted out to me that it would work really great for stitching a bunch of lines without having to actually draw them. The directions are to place a light batting between the fabric and the texture magic product. They suggest drawing your lines on the product but I just stitch on my conveniently printed fabric. I really like the way it came out. Both sides look exactly the same.

The pattern is from Stitchin' Sisters (www.stitchinsis.com) and not my favorite type to work with. It is  an instruction sheet with way more words than pictures. I'm very visual but prefer stills to videos. I have made many bags but never one with a closure using this:

The green strip at the top of the bag is hiding one of these pieces of metal ruler. You put them in with the inside curve (numbers) facing inward. Kids will love this.

I usually manage to mess up the first time I do something and here are this projects mistakes:

The tabs on both sides slipped out of the topstitching. This could be fixed IF I had seen it before I sewed up the French seams on each side (aarrgghh).

So let's try another one.

This time I used two images from THE GRAPHICS FAIRY on a plain white cotton because I wanted the quilting to show up as the design. I have used this shadow effect before and it is fun to do. I used a Frixion pen to plan out the stitching pattern.

This is the stitched fabric before the steam iron shrinks it up AND erases the Frixion pen marks.

And finally my third attempt. I again stitched on the white Texture Magic because this fabric made my eyes cross. It turned the chevron print into a basket weave.

None of these was without mistakes. This third one, however, was saved by catching the errors in time for a correction.

QUESTION: When you are creating, are you able to get it right the first...second...third attempt?



A Kitchen with a French Accent



This photo captured in the market of Aix-en-Provence in southern France is a favorite of mine, as was the trip that provided it.



It has become a major feature in my kitchen.

Enlarged onto a 24" x 36" canvas (thanks to Uprinting.com)

it hangs above a small desk.

Because the wall is quite large and plain it still seemed to be a bit "lost" and  I decided it needed some friends. So I went looking for plates as the solution.

My first choice was Quimper but my budget said "NO!"

 

I found these four in a catalog from Jefferson's Monticello.   Odd that they were in a catalog pertaining to Colonial times but the description said they were of the type Thomas Jefferson "would have encountered on his trip to France"! OKAY! That's good enough for me because the were the right size, color and price and I try to 

not think about the MADE IN CHINA stamped on the back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did not stop the Quimper Quest however. One day while browsing our nearby Medina Antques Mall, I spied two plates at a fabulous price and latched onto them. They now live in my corner cabinet with some others found mostly on Ebay. This may become another blog topic someday.

 

A trip to the Country Living Fair in Columbus, OH in September turned up this cute little rooster who sits on top of the cabinet. (SHHH! He's made in the Philippines)



This week some new touches were added when I acquired some great Moda toweling that I wanted to display and not actually get all wet and dirty. They were changed into pillows.

The beehive and the grains image are from the wonderful GRAPHICS FAIRY and the Boulangerie one was a graphics download from Etsy. The Grain sack pillow is made from Osnaburg fabric which I love but I have ordered more of this toweling because I love it so much. Watch for some in my Etsy shop THIMBLEFINGERS.



The Paris Bathroom

When we had this house built 11 years ago, it was the first time I had a home with a guest bathroom. It is the usual tiny space but I wanted it to be fun. I could be more creative in this small room without hubby being concerned that it was "too much".

And TOO MUCH was just what I was aiming for.  I wanted to see just how much trip acquired and just Paris inspired could be tastefully crammed into a small room. It will not be considered complete until stuff reaches the ceiling.

The first to grace the wall was this collage (the bottom one) that I made from scaps of memorabilia from my very first trip to Paris in 1989. The collage on the top was an ebay purchase. If it was today, I would have made my own.

The poster and the metal tray were also ebay acquired. If I had only known in 1989, I would have bought more stuff then, but I had no idea we would ever consider a new house at that time.

The arrangement on this wall is probably my least favorite. It lacks the personal attachment but it has "the look".

 

The newest additions are my proudest because I created them with the help of the fabulous images from The Graphics Fairy. The fan image is transferred to Osnaburg fabric stretched on a wooden embroidery hoop and hung with a ribbon.

Numerous Frenchy labels and a postcard image adorn the potty lid cover made of simple unbleached muslin.  Yes, it washes quite nicely!

 

Graphics Fairy images were added to three decorative hand towels I found for $2 each in an antique shop. Even the tissue box has Graphics Fairy images on all four sides. They were added after I painted the box with Annie Sloan chalk paint.  The little tip plate says "Merci" and has some old European coins in it.  I really need to find some old French francs.

Here is a wider view showing the little impressionist painting (just above the towels) actually purchased in Paris near Sacre Coeur pictured in the print above it. There is a repeat of 3 more plates on the other side of the collages just out of view. The ones in the racks are Paris scenes and two others are "fashion plates".
Someday I want to get brave enough to do some sort of paint technique below the balloon border.

 

 

The "Good Old Days"

"Everything old is new again", they say so here I am waxing nostalgic over the stuff we lived with in the fifties and the younger generation is rediscovering mid-century modern!

The lovely lady in the picture is decorating with decals. I found this on a sheet of old decals I bought at a flea market (see previous post). I sure miss those metal cabinets!  Wouldn't these look spiffy on your stainless steel fridge?

 

I have whipped up some aprons to wear while "decaling".



Thanks Graphics Fairy

I know this is a dangerous way to hang up aprons but it was only until I could take a photo.  I really need a model. Oh, and unless you can zoom in you will miss the words printed above the fan on the pocket. It says,  Can't stand the heat? I don't know if the younger crowd will get the reference.



Dealing with Doo-dads

Sewing and crafting makes for a general mess because I need all kinds of stuff around to inspire and fulfill my projects.  The lucky thing is that I have a room of my own to do all this in.  In a normal home this room was meant as a dining room, but we have a perfectly wonderful large open area in our kitchen much more suitable and formal dining is not our thing.

The room is great but what do you do with all the fabric, ribbon, lace, paint, glue, buttons, etc. that need a place?

I took the dresser from my daughter's vacated room and moved it downstairs and somehow thought that it would be sufficient. Think again!
It filled up in no time.

Then I found a little shabby $10 baby dresser at a garage sale. Sturdy but ugly.  I got out my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in duck egg which I still have a LOT of after painting a jelly cupboard and quickly spiffed it up. But the best part are the Omni Gel transfer method I learned here .

 

I used the lovely oval ornate frame from the Graphics Fairy and added my own text to create this and others with equally silly names.  I didn't want to have to be specific about what went in each one!

 

Next came the knobs.  The original wood were a real mess and I needed a fairly large coverage for some damage I didn't want to spend time on.  I found these at Hobby Lobby.

 

BUT, I am not really happy with the look so this is still a work in progress. 

 

 I want to find some pretty glass knobs.  What do you think? If you have a suggestion, please leave a comment. Maybe rubbing a little color on them would help.  They are already not solidly white. Please leave a comment if you have a suggestion.