Fabric sighting: Under the Weather bags

I just spotted these cool Commuter Bags in a couple of my Outside Oslo prints; the red one is Sticks and the gray one is Frond. Great lining colors! Find these and other accessories for cyclists here at Under the Weather, based in Ontario.

African/Dutch wax print fabrics

While browsing Etsy for artwork, I got distracted scrolling through African wax print fabrics. The fabric I put on the parlor lamps was a wax print. These textiles have a fascinating history; read more here. These were some of my favorite prints:
Above: Left; right.


Left; right.


Left; right.

Fabric sighting: store window

I stole this photo from The Needle Shop's Facebook page and shamelessly pasted it here. There's a rule that when you're excited to see your name on a store window, you have to show everyone you know and lots of people you don't.

The shop is promoting my mini home decor fabric collection, Arrow. The print is inspired by airport signage; I had travel on my mind. (I made Arrow a logo and marketing materials, too, just for fun.)

I expect there will be more Arrow sightings here in the next couple weeks since I can think of a few nifty projects people are working on— I'd love to share the before-and-afters, the tutorials, and finished products. They might inspire DIY projects of your own using your favorite fabrics. Onward and upward!

How to make a folding camp stool

Here's the guest tutorial I mentioned yesterday: a DIY folding stool made from scratch! This project uses more of my new Arrow fabric and makes a great side table, footrest, or portable seat. Here's LiEr to tell you how to make them.

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Hello! I am LiEr and I write a craft blog ikatbag that is part fabric, part cardboard and, occasionally, wood. Today, I am happy to be here sharing how to make these little wooden fold-up stools.

I made these stools in Jessica's new Arrow fabric for my three girls, in two sizes. The smaller one is for my 6-year-old and the two larger ones are for my almost-8 and almost-10-year old.



They also make good footrests for the director's chair in yesterday's post.



Though they are meant for kids, they can easily be sized up for adults, too. The dimensions in this tutorial are for the larger stool;



to make the smaller one,



follow the dimensions in the diagram below. The hardware for both stools are the same.

We'll be making the stools in two parts - the wooden frame and the fabric seat.

Continue reading »

Director's chair in Arrow

Here's a fun project using my new Arrow fabric— a director's chair upholstered by LiEr Teigland of Ikat Bag. LiEr took apart this second-hand chair, made a new seat and back rest, and put it back together again, with a twist:


The pattern is reversible and can be flipped at a moment's notice! Yes. She's smart like that. I wish I had her brain.

This chair is perfect for fabric lovers, since it can display prints nicely and the fabric can be swapped out. It's also perfect for managerial types, since you can tote it from room to room, sit in it, and direct your minions to do as you wish.


To see how LiEr executed this chair makeover, read about it here on her blog.

Then come back here tomorrow for a follow-up guest tutorial, because LiEr just couldn't leave well enough alone and had to go and invent another awesome project using Arrow.

Purchase the fabric here from The Needle Shop!

New Jessica Jones fabric: say hello to Arrow!

Today The Needle Shop has released a new print I designed for them: Arrow, available in three colorways. It's simple and graphic and geometric and cool. Let's make it the new chevron, y'all! Shop for it here.

This fabric is 7 oz. cotton home decor canvas, good for accessories and furnishings. Or you can get crazy like Rachel of The Needle Shop did and whip up a blazer. It would make a smashing shift dress, too. And that suitcase is killing me. I've begged Rachel for a tutorial, so stay tuned.

These prints will also be available in laminated canvas in two weeks. Think makeup bags, placemats, beach totes, wipeable chair seats and all sorts of goodies.






Mum made a quick reversible tote. Love it! It's Tanya Whelan's Flea Market Bag pattern, but with the strap lengthened and the body size adjusted a bit. A great bag for beginners if you want to give it a whirl.



Buy Arrow right here by the yard, or get it wholesale here if you're a fabric shop or manufacturer.

We're dreaming of printing other colorways, too. What combos would you like to see?

Stitch Savvy, a really pretty sewing book

I just got my hands on a copy of Stitch Savvy by Deborah Moebes. First, the part where I get excited because some of my Outside Oslo fabric makes an appearance, including that beautiful shot on the cover.

Some Tulip.

Some Picket.

Second, the part where I admire all the lovely projects and pick out some of my favorites:

A fun footstool slipcover.

A really cute purse. You can also sew the shirt. If you wear them together, you will laugh happily.

There are even instructions for a jacket. If I managed to sew an entire jacket, I wouldn't be able to stop beaming, either.

I haven't studied the book enough to evaluate the instructions, but I love the visual style of it. All the fabrics Deborah uses are terrific, and the photos look clear and helpful. You can peek inside and get a copy at Amazon.

Fabric sighting on a book cover

I don't know anything about this soon-to-be-released sewing book, other than that it has one of my fabrics on the cover. A fun surprise! Thank you to whoever sent me the link to this at Amazon, and apologies that I can't remember who it was or find your note at the moment. If you guys didn't send me things, I'd never see where my stuff ends up. I appreciate it!

Fabric origami business card holder

I thought it would be fun to try making the origami card case in the last post using fabric. I starched a piece of quilt-weight fabric and folded it into a case, then added some decorative stitching. For how to make your own, read on!

To make fabric stiff and crisp like paper, I used Stiffen Stuff purchased at Michael's.

After saturating fabric with the liquid, microwave it for 30 - 45 seconds to dry and stiffen it. If it's a bit wrinkled in the microwave, no problem. Just iron it flat, and you end up with a crisp sheet of fabric that stands up by itself. (Also see this post about using Stiffen Stuff.)

To fold the business card case or gift card holder, follow the steps here. Use an iron to press each crease into the fabric. When the fabric cools, the folds will be fixed in place.

Leave the finished case as is, or add some decorative top-stitching. To do that, unfold the case to the octagon stage and stitch along the diagonal corners on the right side of the fabric.

Stiffened fabric will now behave more like paper, so I found it's better to pull the loose threads to the back side and tie them off, rather than backstitching which makes extra puncture holes.

Flip the octagon over and fold the left and right flaps inward, exposing the square that forms the front and back outer panels of the case. Stitch around both panels. If it's hard to see where the folds are, lightly stick on some masking tape to make a guide for sewing.

Remove the tape and fold the case back up, giving it a final press with the iron again if needed.

The finished case has some exposed raw edges of fabric, but the starch glues the woven threads together and keeps them from fraying.

Fabric sighting on a chair makeover

Check out Beth's awesome Danish Craigslist chair, newly reupholstered in my Sticks print. A perfect combo! See the before and after at After the Dust Clears.

Outside Oslo sightings on Etsy

Sometimes I like to peek at Etsy.com and see what people are making with my fabrics. It cheers me up when I'm bored or procrastinating— it's like eating a piece of chocolate cake, only with zero calories. Here are some fun goodies I've turned up, clockwise: Pillow, pouch, dress, tote, pillow, clutch, bench, lamp shade, stool.

Or if you can sew, you can get the fabric right here and whip up your own stuff.

Outside Oslo is available laminated!

Ooo, shiny. My entire home dec line for The Needle Shop now comes in a laminated version. Look at these makeup bags made by Rachel Epperson, the shop's owner. And how about this plump little boxy pouch?

This stuff is perfect for wipeable placemats, seat covers, play mats, and designer Slip 'N Slides. If you need a Christmas present for a sewist, consider a laminated fat quarter bundle and a copy of Sewing With Oilcloth.

Where can you get your hands on some yardage or goods made from Outside Oslo? Some options for you:

Online in Rachel's new Outside Oslo shop — Get fabric (both laminated and regular), as well as products made from the stuff. Totes, pillows, coin purses, placemats, and more. Any of the products can be made in the fabric of your choice.

At the Chicago Renegade Holiday Fair this weekend — Ms. Epperson will man a booth full of fabric and products so you can stock up on Christmas presents. I'm planning to hang around for a bit on Saturday and drool on her merchandise. Stop by and say hi!

At The Needle Shop store — Chicagoans, get hip fabrics, patterns, and sewing notions here. Or visit the online shop.

Fabric sighting in Woman's World

A How About Orange operative emailed me a scan of a recent page in Woman's World magazine. There's my Fireworks fabric lounging on a sofa. Thanks, Amy! I've also heard of a Calliope sighting in HGTV's Sarah 101. It's like playing Where's Waldo, but with fabric.

The dining room chairs get a makeover

The seats on our dining room chairs were peppered with stains and spills, having been sat upon by many humans consuming food. And this area of the house was clearly lacking orange, so I covered the seats with the Wildflower print from my Outside Oslo line.


These chairs are the Roger model from IKEA. Removing the seats was just a matter of flipping the chairs upside down and removing two screws underneath. The seats pop right off.

I layered the new fabric right over the old stuff and stapled it to the wooden underside of the seat with a staple gun. It doesn't matter how ugly it looks, because I have yet to meet a dinner guest who examines the underside of her chair. I placed the covered seat on the chair frame and put the screws back into the same holes. A quick and easy makeover.