Monthly Archives: May 2013

Stamped

Versatile Geometric Designs

Here is the fabric collection by Ellen Luckett Baker in Atlanta, who is the fabric designer, author of the blog The Long Thread, and has written several sewing books. Baker says, “The Stamped collection was inspired by my love of simple, block-printed fabric. Although I use a digital process, I wanted to echo the feel of handmade designs.” The secret of its popularity lies in its simple but versatile design for any sewing creation. Baker continues “I hope that quilters will begin using linen blend fabrics in their projects more often. The weight of this fabric is perfect for apparel, bags, and quilts.” Following is the each story of Stamped collection, quoting Baker’s own words.

scallops JG41500-500

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This geometric designed fabric is “perhaps the most useful of the collection, blending well with all the other designs for use as trim, quilt binding, or lining fabric. It also stands well on its own.”
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Gathered “Cashe coeur” Bag

Finished Measurement : 45cm(W) x 46cm(L), Handle 55cm(L)

This bag is designed to look like a Kimono’s front. By gathering the material, you can make a round-formed bag to accommodate a lot of your stuff. It will be your own special bag with your favorite Tyrolean trim, lace, or ribbon. The tip to make it more three-dimensional is to gather the fabric at each side and then seam them at the bottom part.

Materials
• Fabric 110cm(W) x 100cm(L)
• Interfacing 100cm(W) x 65cm(L)
• Double-folded bias tape 11mm(W) x 100cm(L)
• Tyrolean Trim 1.7cm(W) x 360cm(L)


Fabric shown for this sample :
KOKKA nunokawa (Frog) f-102 d/#2

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INSTRUCTIONS

Preparation

• After cutting fabric, iron on the interfacing to each right side yoke, wrong side yoke, and binding strips (A).
• Face right sides of binding strips (A) with each other, place binding stripes lengthwise and seam together.

Stitch it up

Step 1. Sewing the bag’s body and yokes
• Sew running stitches 0.5cm from the edge and pull carefully the thread to gather.
• Sandwich the main panel between the right side yoke and wrong side yoke, and then sew with a machine.
• Flip over both yokes then press flat. Sew stitches 0.2cm seam on the right side yoke.

Step 2. Binding
• Fold each binding strip in half to mark the center, and fold outer edges in to meet the center crease.
• Face the binding strip (B) and right side yoke with each other, and then sew with a machine.
• Flip over the binding strip (B). Place the Tyrolean trim in the center of the binding strip. Apply with edge-stitches with a machine.
• Sew the binding strip (A) on the main panels in the same ways as shown in the diagram.

Step 3. Overlapping the front edges
• Overlap the front edges. Sew with a machine to the meet the end point along the bottom of the bag.

Step 4. Gathering
• Sew running stitch between gathering end points, and then pull the threads to gather to 45cm.

Step 5. Sewing around the bag’s body
• Turn out the bag’s body. With right sides together, sew stitches 1cm seam along the body.

Step 6. Bias binding
• Bind the seam allowance with bias tape.

Step 7. Finishing

Click here for Sewing Instructions (PDF format / A4 size)

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nunokara

Inspired by Fairy Tales

KOKKA has produced a number of unique and beautiful printed fabrics. Among them, the fabric inspired by “Little Red Riding Hood” has been always a favorite. Complying with the popularity, KOKKA design team proudly created a new fabric line named nunokara, which features “well-known fairy tales”. nunokara is a little more mature and with a Nordic taste.
Here are nunokara fabrics from the story of “Thumbelina”.

Along with its theme, the feature of nunokara is 100% organic fabric. While most of KOKKA products are made in Japan, nunokara fabrics are printed in a textile mill in Korea certified by Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). There is no GOTS certified mills in Japan yet. It is the KOKKA’s first product from Korea with green aspirations for “Eco friendly, Comfortable, and Sustainable”.

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This is the scene that a tiny girl, Thumbelina, who was born from a flower. Thumbelina’s character is less represented in the geometrically deformed flower pattern. Simply using this fabric, your tote bag can be still attractive!

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Inspiration file 02
​Playing with colorful felt mobile

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Kuniko Kitamuki is an artist of felt crafts who makes small accessories such as Matryoshka, the small Russian shaped dolls. The felt mobile shown in the picture is the one Kitamuki created to display at her exhibition. It is a spectacular mobile and is adorned with strikingly beautiful and multicolored felts. It would be nice to have such a mobile in a child’s room.

While the needle felting is now more popular, the sheet felt is the ideal material to work with and is so versatile.

Walking in a local fabric store, you may see 1.5cm diameter felt circles. These are perfect to create display items.

This mobile was made up with felt circles, by sewed together on a sewing machine. The cord between felts is just by continuing running the machine. Upper and bobbin threads tangle each other, and then it can be like a cord. The pieces of cotton, which are made by cutting out and then interface right and wrong sides with each other, can become decorative accents among felt pieces.

You can enjoy the color variation, which is the felt’s distinctive feature, by coordinating in similar colors, tones or gradations.

This felt creation hung over small windows would be like a café curtain. It could be also become a mobile by hanging from the ceiling. That is a fun play!

Brilliant and radiant colors can revitalize you as if vitaminswork as boosters for your mind and body. Don’t you want such an item in your room?

echino
fabric collection 2013

echino ~ Fascinated by vivid colors

The first featured article in this series is “echino”, the fabric line by textile designer Etsuko Furuya. Since echino came on the textile scene in 2003, Furuya has released a new collection each year. Many of her fabrics are made up of multiple layers of vivid colors which fashioned the name “echino color”. That is the biggest charm of echino! The vibrant and catchy fabrics are great for any projects: clothes, bags or even home décor such as curtains and cushions. echino fabrics are beloved in Japan as well as all over the world.

The theme for the 2013 echino collection is “capture the color”. “I designed the 2013 collection with colorful images that would jump out at you. I wanted to approach the project from the colors. The insect, bird, animal motifs in this collection are background characters as the color design is the main attraction.” Furuya says.

For any textile projects, Furuya develops her idea of coloration with consciousness of how to present interesting angle, a little playful unnaturalness, and mysteriousness. The new collection features multicolored motifs, not by tone coloring. A variety of colors create a different picture even with the same design. That is why echino fascinates you. It shows that the textile has infinite possibilities.

acacia JG95800-800

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This is a scene of animals gathering, while curiously coming and going, around acacia in echino color. It seems as if the animals are magnetized by the brilliant colors of trees. You would love to make fabric panels or small animal-shaped pillow, after cutting out your favorite scenes or animal motifs.

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