I just got a fabric bargain that can't wait for the Crafts Forum!!

[Sparkly]

(Wanted to post this to the Crafts Forum but I see it's not up yet and I can't wait!)

An antiques shop we frequent had tons of bolts of upholstery fabric (with 90 more coming, I'm told!). All had at least several yards of fabric left, and I got five for $15!! How could I resist?

Now I need to think of things to make out of 'em or Stinky will make fun of me. Definitely pillows, but I don't know how to make nice borders; those cylindrical bolster things for beds would be nice, but do I need a formed pillow or pattern for that? (And, can these kinds of fabrics be washed?)

Definitely have to make a new cover for my piano bench. (A student threw up on the old one.) Got some white to make a floor staff, although it's going to be a pretty fancy-schmancy floor staff (for kids to step on).

I'll post a picture after the camera charges, and hope to get your ideas!!

:woohoo:

[Longhorn]

1. How fun!

I'm an impatient person and when I'm in the mood to do a project, I want to start it NOW, not after a trip into town for materials and supplies. So I think it's great to build up a stash of materials and supplies so that you can work on a project whenever the mood strikes. :)

When I get these wraps for my daughter's wedding finished, I'm going to start doing a little yarn shopping! And I might just take my sewing machine in for a check-up -- after two weddings this spring, there just MIGHT be a grandbaby or two in the future. ;)

[Sparkly]

2. Here are pics of the fabric -- any ideas?

(The pink ones are more pink, not brown.)

What sort of wraps are you making? (Wraps to eat, or to wear?) When are the weddings? :hi:

[Longhorn]

9. I have twins who are 25 -- one is getting married next month

and the other in April. The February wedding will be outdoors in Austin (assuming it's not raining) and the bride and two bridesmaids (her sisters) are wearing strapless dresses. Even my dress is an off-the-shoulder gown. I thought it would be fun to crochet some wraps with eyelash yarn (fake fur.) The bride loves purple (she's wearing purple boots under her gown!) and wanted hers in purple at first but we had trouble finding just what we wanted. So I'm making her a stole in white and I'll edge it in purple and see if she likes it -- if not, I can pull the purple off. Her sisters' dresses are dark purple cocktail length so they'll wear black shoes and black wraps.



The bride wants the pattern with the ribbon. That's not her exact dress but it's similar. We found a lovely sheer lilac ribbon with satin edging. We'll see when it's done but I think both purple trim and lilac edging will be too much -- either get a purple ribbon to match the purple edging or leave the edging off. The bridesmaids will have the other pattern -- a long, curly wrap and we found some glossy black "boa" yarn that will look good.

I'm wearing a dress very similar to this dress in lavender (and mine was only $50!) and I'm making this shrug:



It's a non-religious ceremony at a gazebo outside the restaurant where we'll hold the reception so it's not an extremely formal wedding but the groom and my husband will be in tuxes and our Marine son, who will be home on leave from Japan, will wear his dress blues.

As far as your fabrics go, they're gorgeous! I can certainly see them used for pillows or bolsters. I have four dogs who think the couches belong to them so I could see hemming up the edges and using any of the machine washable fabrics as covers to tuck in over the cushions. You could also use them for window coverings such as shades or valances. I once made some Roman shades -- it was easier than one might think!

I'll look forward to seeing what you decide and hearing about your projects!

[Morgana LaFey]

12. Oh, I LOVE Your shrug -- is the pattern online somewhere? nt

[Longhorn]

14. Yes, I got it here:

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/ccw-bolero.html

Scroll down for the free pattern. :hi:

[Morgana LaFey]

16. Thanks!!

Now I just need to learn to crochet. :D Not quite true, but I'm much more a knitter.

[Morgana LaFey]

13. You got all that for $15???? WOw.

They're beautiful. I'm jealous.

BTW -- do we get our own Crafts forum for sure?? Hope so.

[Longhorn]

15. I haven't heard back from Skinner or EarlG yet

but we'll be sure to PM and make announcements in many of the groups when we get it. :)

[eleny]

3. They're probably not washable fabrics

I don't think many upholstery fabrics are good in the washing machine. Sometimes it says so on the end of the bolt. You could always test out a scrap of each in a mesh bag.

The fabrics are gorgeous! You could redo some dining chair covers with those if the colors are right. I've even used heavy fabrics like that to make bookmarks. Put two small rectangles together and machine sew all over with pretty thread up and down and diagonally. Then use pinking shears to cut the edges.

You don't really need a pattern for easy bolster pillows. You might want to get some plain white cotton or use up what you have around and make a casing. Cut a rectangle with a pocket at the top and bottom to insert a string. Then sew up the long edge leaving the top and bottom free to insert that string. Turn inside out, fill it with batting and then pull the string tight and make a knot with a bow (so you can open it again).

Then make the outer pillow with the new upholstery fabric. You can probably do it the same way but use a stronger more decorative chord for the pocket. Insert your pillow and that's it. No need for the piping or a zipper.

[Sparkly]

8. Yeah, I'll test...

Actually, now that I think of it, I washed the piano bench cover that the student threw up on, and it just looks gnarly now. That was upholstery fabric too, so you're probably right that they need drycleaning.

[tammywammy]

4. That is such a good find! :)

Eleny's instructions for bolster pillows is pretty good.

I made a large bolster for my bed: I cut a large rectangle of fabric. I put in a zipper while I closed it up. I also put cording along the side with the zipper, and around each end. Then I cut circles to fit the end and sewed them in place. Well I may have done the ends before sewing up the zipper part.

Anywho, it's pretty easy. And I agree with the above poster, I wouldn't put that fabric in the washing machine.

[Sparkly]

7. Thanks

Did you make the cording from your fabric? Either way, how do you stitch the pieces together and make the cording look right? :hi:

[tammywammy]

17. Yeah, I used the same fabric to make cording

Buy some of the cording at a fabric store or even Hobby Lobby. Then I took strips of my fabric, about 1-1/2" wide, and however long, and put the cording in the middle, fold it over and then sew a straight stitch next to the cording.

Then to sew in your cording, place it between two pieces of fabric (the right sides facing each other, with the cord towards the inside.

(It'll be a bump with the cord, and then about 1/2-3/4" of a fabric tab for your cording.) You want the tab at the edge. And then sew the three pieces together.

I'll see if I can get some pictures, it'll make more sense with pictures. :)

[eleny]

5. Here's some bolster instructions with pictures

http://sewing.about.com/library/sewnews/qa/aaqa0901a.htm

It uses a pillow form. In that case, no need for the inner casing!

[Sparkly]

6. Thanks!!

That looks nice and easy! I do have batting; I'll look for a pillowform tomorrow. :hi:

[eleny]

10. If you have batting, you won't need the pillowform

Unless you want to make a lot of pillows. I've got one of each and the batting one is squishier. But I like it for under my neck when I read in bed. Either way, those pillows should look smashing. The fabrics are so pretty. Looks like the stripe matches the solid next to it. How cool is that?!

Good luck!

[knitter4democracy]

11. For cleaning, try this:

Get a gentle woolwash (Kookaburra Wool Wash is my fave--has tea tree oil in it to kill everything and some lanolin to keep things soft). Fill your washer with cool water and some of the woolwash. Gently lay the fabric in the water, and then let it soak with the lid up (don't agitate it). Turn the dial to spin (not rinse--just the spin part) to spin out the water, and fill the washer again to rinse. Spin all the water out, and then hang the fabric to dry.

If it's really old, some of the colors may change (would with drycleaning, too), as dyes aren't super stable over many years, especially certain colors. Still, they'll be clean without any bugs in them.