Victoria Bryant: August 2011 Archives

Wonder what to bring someone when attending a housewarming party or visiting for dinner? Digging through lots of dinnerware to find something that you don't mind if it is not returned? Solve that problem by making a fabric plate or bowl.

For this project you will need decoupage material (I used modge podge), fabric, clear glass plates, a sponge brush and scissors. 

Fabric Plates:
I advise using a clear plate. This allows the fabric to show through the plate for everyone to see what fabric you utilized and design that you made. Start by cutting the fabric. For my eight inch plates, I used about an 1/8 yard of fabric. I cut the fabric into squares (or circles through a die-cut machine that my mom owns). 

Cover the plate with decoupage. Put down a strip of fabric and then decoupage on top of that. Continue process until your plate is complete. You should have overhang. When your plate dries about 24 hours later, you will cut off those pieces with an old pair of scissors (do not use your fancy cutting scissors since the fabric will have decoupage glue on it).

I did some patterns on the plate - watermelon on one, jack-o-lantern on another for Halloween. I also took a piece of panel and used decoupage to showcase a kid dressed up for Halloween. This is a simple craft project and could be used for kids as well (Christmas plates, handprint on fabric and then decoupaged to plate for grandparents). 

You cannot wash this! It must be wiped clean. If you put this in the dishwasher, not only will the plate be ruined but you might also be purchasing a new dishwasher which means less money for fabric and other crafty supplies.

Decoupage sticks to everything! Be careful not to decoupage on the rug or directly on your table. Even after 24 hours, the plates are sticking  together. I will probably end up paint on top of the fabric to create a less sticky finish.

 As I was reaching the finishing steps of my shower curtain, I was looking forward to using the easy, no-tool grommets. I was fantasizing about sitting on the couch and just snapping those grommets together. Fortunately when I am working with a product I have not used before, I always test it on some scrap fabric which is the same density I will have on the finished product. This will give me a good feel for the product. So I sewed two scraps together and followed the directions on the back of the package. Included in the package is a great template to use on your fabric so you can space your grommets correctly.  Following the directions, I drew a circle on the fabric back with a pencil. So far so good. Then you cut the circle out with a pair of scissors and fit the raised side of the grommet through the circular hole from the right side of the fabric. Then you take the grommet with the prongs and press onto the first grommet. Sounds simple, doesn't it? Well, my grommet would not snap together, I couldn't even snap them together without the fabric. What the heck is going on? I am a patient person, but how much can a tired sewer endure. After an hour I was still trying to snap this grommet together. I tried a different set, still didn't work! I was thinking well maybe I need to do buttonholes after all! Can I hot glue these together?? I was desperate at this stage. Wait a minute I say to myself. Get a grip, other people are doing this. What am I doing wrong? I started to research the internet and yes, there is a trick to this. I heartily recommend you look at this video. Click here to view.

First of I was using my fingers to press the grommet sets together. Wrong. You should use the palm or heel of your hand to press the grommets together against a hard surface. Also when you draw your template on the fabric, you should zig zag around the circle to stabilize the fabric. This is a great help. Also while these grommets are washable, you cannot dry them in the dryer. You may want to remove them before washing. There is a notch in the grommet where you can insert the tip of a flat edge of a screwdriver and separate the grommet set. Once I mastered these 2 steps, these grommets went together like a dream.  I love the product and heartily endorse it and would use it again.

Your child is off to college! Of course, your child wants to have a fashionable unique room that will stand out from the crowd. She will be the cool kid on this dorm floor. We chose to use fabrics from Valeri Wells Wrenly collection. Kristl's duvet cover is a stand out and Tara has made a cool rug. Now I am going to show you how to make a basic shower curtain.

Supplies:

All purpose thread

Sewing machine

Iron

Rotary cutter and mat

Pins

Seam gauge

54'' wide decorator fabric

Grommets, 1 9/16'' (2 pkgs)

Transparent Ruler (6'' x 24'')

Purchased shower curtain liner

Instructions:

1. Measure the shower opening from where the rod hangs down to bottom. Measure the width of the opening. I always measure twice. This shower measures 68'' W x 72''.

2. Since I am using 54'' wide fabric, I will need to use two panels. My fabric has a repeat so I will need extra fabric to match the repeat. The finished length is 72''. I will need at least 4 1/2'' for the header and 3 1/2'' for the hem. I will need  72'' + 18'' ( to match repeat)=90''. 90 divided by 36''= 2 1/2 yds per panel. 2 ½ x 2= 5 yards.