Results tagged “cotton prints” from Fabric.com Blog
I 'm so glad to be back from maternity leave after having my second child, a girl named Emily. I was going stir-crazy and longed to get my hands on some craft supplies again. Many hours were spent holding a sleeping baby, who would awake as soon as she suspected I would place her in a crib, so those hours were spent on Pinterest pinning ideas to make later. In those hours I rediscovered the Pom-Pom. Their fluffy, round goodness made my heart jump every time I saw them in another project. With Christmas rapidly approaching, I really wanted to incorporate pom poms into my holiday decorations. I decided on a pom pom garland because in my excitement I had already create a handful of pom poms in several colors and I had run out of wreath forms.
I got to work shifting through my studio looking for half finished skeins in colors to complete the rainbow garland I envisioned. In the end I had my color scheme but it was created with both wool and cotton. After I had made all the pom poms I would need I fell in love with the blending of the 2 fibers (wool and cotton) and loved the different texture it gave my garland. I used only worsted weight yarns and my medium Clover Pom pom maker. This made pom poms approximately 2 ½ inches wide. I wound them with extra yarn until I almost could not close my maker to create extra fluffy pom poms. I also trimmed some pom pom more than others because I loved the haphazard and impish look of a freshly made pom pom but I wanted a clean look to my garland so I did not leave all my pom poms with the "Beatles' haircut".
In the end I made 16 pom poms to make a 6 ft garland. DO NOT CLIP the tie used to secure your pop pom; you will use it later. Using a bulky weight yarn (this will prevent the pom poms from sliding up and down and unifies the garland. Knot on end about 4 inches from the cut end (you can opt for a loop instead) measure 72 inches and mark to make another big knot later then clip the yarn 4 inches after. Thread the unknotted end onto a tapestry needle and begin threading your pom poms. Insert the needle perpendicular to the pom pom tie (the one we discussed earlier- see picture below). Slide your pom pom on and repeat for all remaining pom poms. It is easier to line up your pom poms before threading to determine the order. Once you are done, slide all your pom poms down to give yourself room to tie the end knot. And you are done! For an extra fluffy garland you can double the pom poms or use our extra large pom pom maker. You can opt for nontraditional colors like turquoise, coral, orange and bright green. If you prefer a color themed tree, try making an extra long garland to create an ombre effect on your tree. Start with the darkest shade of pom pom for your color scheme on the bottom and work your way up to the lightest shade pom pom at the top.
My pom poms were made using Lion Brand Cotton Ease and Lion Brand Wool Ease. The Garland was strung with Lion Brand Wool Ease Chunky in Tinsel.
A quick tip: Wind the Pom pom maker with both ends of the skein. You will make your pom pom twice as quick!
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Liberty of London- Just say it out loud. It just sounds like great fabric. Saying that words bring pictures of English countryside, blooming flowers, tea heavy in the air and double-decker buses. Saying the name "Liberty of London" makes me want to sew. And sew I have. I was given 2 yards of Liberty of London Lawn Pepper Green (one of our MANY gorgeous prints from Liberty of London) as soon as it arrived in our shop and told to make something great but try to keep the project small and fun. Well, that was no problem given that it is spring, almost summer. I decided on 2 projects to show the variety of Liberty. These prints are perfect for wee people as well as adults and it is perfect for warm weather.
My first project was the trickiest because I wanted a sleeveless shirt but nothing with too much detail to compete with the print of the fabric. I sorted through the Fabric.com pattern catalog but didn't find anything I loved! Well, I became sidetracked with a personal project of making new PJs for myself and found the pattern that was perfect for the Liberty of London. It is HotPatterns Cupid Cami (And it's a free pattern download!). Originally designed as a PJ top, I didn't see why with a fabric substitution it would not make the most wonderful summer top. I love being right. With some Hanky Weight Linen as my bias tape, this cami took approx 1 yard of Liberty of London (you are safe with just ordering 1 yd) and about 2-3 hours to complete (having had to make the bias tape). I did have to add darts of 4 in. long by 1 in. wide at the bust but that was my only modification. This top is easy to make and can be easily modified for a longer length; it hit right at my hips. The ties at the top are so much fun and make me feel like a kid again. I do recommend that when you sew the front to the back that you start at the bottom when matching up the sides. If you start at the top, it will not match up once you get to the bottom. Once you sew the seam, it will all work out.
My second project also took approx 1 yd and came from Heather Ross Weekend Sewing. I have made the Flower Girl before and know it runs a little small so I made the size 4 for my 2 yr old; I want her to have it for several summers. This print really brought out something in this pattern that the other dress did not have. The Liberty of London print sort of 'fits' this pattern like no other fabric. The Flower Girl dress also went to together super quick, 2 hours or so. I cut my skirt length to 20 in. to make it longer like in the book photograph. The other modifications were to topstitch the gathers in place once I had pressed the bodice seam towards the skirt and I made the straps a bit wider at 1.5 in. I think even a bit wider than that would still look great. You could even get away with some flat piping where the bodice and skirt meet. You could not ask for a better combination of dress and print for little girls.
The flow and drape of the Liberty of London Lawn is light and delicate with an airiness that will be most welcome come the balmy days of summer. The print reminds me of my childhood, of picnics and climbing trees. You can't beat the soft hand or bright colors; this is a fabric that needs to be in your closet.
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