Everything Etsy's Moda May Fabric Giveaway

Hello, my name is Claudia and I am a Fabric-aholic. I love, love, love fabric. If I had a whole afternoon where I could do anything I wanted, I would probably spend it wandering around fabric shops. I have a somewhat insane fabric stash...

This is just my quilting cottons {blush} ... I have about 5 more of these big storage bins stashed in closets around the house with flannels, fleece, fancy fabrics ... I know, I have a problem, but I just love fabric. I love the possibilities it represents, the creativity, the potential. I have more fabric than I will probably ever use (realistically), but in my mind each piece is destined for greatness.

Even though I may not *need* more fabric, I always want more :) So I am entering into the weekly fabric giveaway being hosted by Everything Etsy this week and sponsored by the Fat Quarter Shop. They have such an amazing selection - it is crazy! I am not usually an online fabric buyer because I like to touch fabric before I buy it, but I am not going to turn down the chance for a $75 gift certificate either! Wish me luck!!

Dressing a Stylish Poodle

I hate throwing away fabric. I can't shake the feeling that fabric has potential, no matter how small. So, as a result I have bags full of bits and pieces of the fabrics I have used in my projects over the years.  I am convinced that one day I am going to come up with a great idea that will use them all.  This is actually one of the things that drew me to quilting in the first place. I love the look of patchwork quilts AND I would have something to do with all my scraps! But, patchwork quilts take a lot of time to piece together and there are several items ahead of that on my current project to do list. So, I am always excited when I find new ideas for ways to use my scraps.

The other day I came across this wonderful tutorial by Carrie at This Mama Makes Stuff on making Fabric Scrap Paper Dolls. She even provides a .pdf of 6 different adorable paper dolls to use as templates (which is fantastic because I can't draw a stick figure to save my life).  Even though the tutorial recommends this activity for kids 6 and up, I thought Miss M could handle it (she is a very mature 4.5 year old :) ) and I couldn't wait to try it out with her. So, today we gathered some of the scraps from the bag hanging on my sewing table, some glue and scissors and got to work.

We managed to make some room for our project on the always crowded playroom table. The dinosaurs and hairy spider looked on curiously as Miss M got her first lesson in using mama's fabric scissors (and learning that we don't cut anything but fabric with those scissors).

We had a couple of near misses, but nobody lost a finger in the process, which is always a good thing.

Once the "stylish" poodle was all dressed in her skirt, shirt, shoes & hat, Miss M decided she needed some tights.

Then, she assured me that "she's not bleeding, she just has a red face".

When she was all done, we added the Stylish Poodle to our Art Gallery. Miss M LOVED this project. She went on to do 3 more dolls after the poodle.

I am not sure what my favorite part of the whole experience was - listening to her make up stories about the people she was creating and why they were wearing the "clothes" she was picking out for them, or watching her create and develop her technique with each doll. By the last one (which I forgot to photograph) she had figured out how to cut out pants, a scarf and mittens. We worked on the first two together, and then I moved over to my sewing table to work on a few things while she kept working on her dolls.  I like giving her time to work things out on her own and seeing what she comes up with. It also makes me really look forward to working on more craft projects with her and teaching her how to sew.

Once something new is ready to replace the Stylish Poodle (the name Miss M gave her creation) on the art wall, I am going to put it away for that day when Miss M designs and makes her first dress.  Then, I can pull the poodle out and show her her very first design project.

How to Make Fabric Origami "Paper"

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I am a reforming pack rat. I used to save everything - cards, movie ticket stubs, receipts for just about everything ... but having moved as much as I did in the last 10 years I had to change my ways and start letting go of stuff. Even though we are settled into our cute little house now and plan on being here for quite a while, I am continuing to fight my pack rat tendencies to keep clutter to a minimum. But, there is one area that is resisting all reformation efforts - fabric.

I am a fabric-a-holic. I love fabric - the colors, the textures, the endless possibilities. I have boxes and boxes of fabric stashed around the house.  While I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing with usable lengths of fabric, my real problem is with scraps.  I am a compulsive scrap hoarder. I just can't seem to make myself throw them away. I hardly ever use them. I end up with garbage bags full of little fabric scraps "just in case" I need them someday. This wouldn't be much of a problem if I were a quilter, but I am not. So I came up with something else to do with my collection of scraps - making origami "paper" out of fabric scraps.

What you will need:

• Fabric scraps (I find that 100% cotton quilting-type fabrics works best. I tend to stick to pieces that are at least 8"x8")
• Medium weight fusible interfacing
• Iron & ironing board
• Pressing cloth (a thin, old t-shirt works great)
• Rotary cutter & mat or scissors & a ruler

How to do it:

I usually start off by squaring off my scrap piece to about 9"x9", then I iron it flat.

Next I cut the interfacing to an 8"x8" square. I suggest using medium weight because heavyweight can make folding pretty difficult and lightweight doesn't hold the creases well. Following the manufacturer's instructions, iron the interfacing onto the back (or wrong side) of your fabric. (Tip: Use a pressing cloth to protect your iron from any glue residue that might seep out.  This will save you lots of time with Goo Gone down the road, trust me...)

Now, I cut down the fabric to an 8"x8" square using my rotary cutter & mat, but you can easily do this with a ruler & scissors too. (Cutting after putting the interfacing on minimizes fraying)

And there you go - Fabric Origami paper. Need some origami instructions or inspiration? Origami Club is one of my favorite sites. They have easy to follow instructions in either diagram or animation format. They also rank items by degrees of difficulty.

Playing with fabric origami is fun, but it does have some limitations. Fabric is thicker than paper, so some of the more complex pieces with lots of folds are difficult to make because the fabric is just too thick and the folds won't stay in place. I like using this with my older daughter because the things we make are a bit sturdier than their paper cousins, so they can stand up to toddler play a little bit better.

A shameless plug for my Etsy shop here - I have some of my fabric origami cranes listed and one of my Crane Dreamcatcher mobiles listed as well. So check them out if you have a chance and if you have any feedback, please let me know.