Design Team: Debi Tullier Week 11

Debi Tullier's Recycled Pin Cushion

It's Tuesday! and that means, it time to see a sewing project from the amazing Debi Tullier! Today, she will show us how to create a sweet gift for the sewing experts in your life!

Here is her how-to:

I am like a lot of other people a saver of stuff that looks like it would be good to use for something else. I just love the Blue Bunny Ice Cream containers they look like they are made to recycle!! So for one of my holiday “commit to handmade gifts” projects I decided to make a sewing basket complete with pin cushion!

The first thing that I did was to make a chip board insert to be the base for the padded top. I purchased the fiberfill that I used to stuff the top at a JoAnn’s Store. I also purchased the fabric there as well. This is a non sewing machine sewing project.

My supply list:

Green Cardstock – JoAnn
assorted quilting weight fabrics – Hancock Fabrics and JoAnn
mesh metallic fabric – JoAnn
holiday braid trim – JoAnn
Peachy Keen Large Critter stamps –Peachy Keen Stamps
inkadinkado Acrylic stamp block
My favorite adhesive in the world!! 3L Adhesive! I used two types the permanent double sided tape and the 3-d Squares!
ColorBox wheel inks – Michael’s
Heat-n-Bond – Walmart
Gesso – Michael’s
Paint brush – Michael’s
Crayola glitter pens – Hobby Lobby
Applique Pressing Sheet – JoAnn
Iron –mine…tee hee
Ribbon and eyelets – JoAnn

These containers are great for putting stuff into. I use them in my craft room (sewing.) I coated the outside of the container with Basics Gesso that I bought at Michael’s. I also bought my big brush there as well. I applied the Gesso so the product image would not been seen through the fabric I picked for the project.

Next step was to make the design I needed to cut out my fabric. I used inkscape and drew my shape and then imported into my eCraft eCraftshop Pro Software. I copied and pasted the image so that it would be evenly spaced so I would not waste any fabric. My files will be available soon!

I next prepared the fabric. I cut it to 12 x 12 inches and starched it. Then I ironed Heat-n-Bond regular weight to it. Since I was not going to sew I used the heavier weigh. I then placed it on a plastic cutting mat ( I can use the full 12 inch length with the use of the sheet) and used painter’s tape to hold it.

Machine Settings are:

No tabs
Pressure of 3.5
cap on cutter
used plastic chopping sheet for fabric stabilizer

This cut very nicely on the machine. I love the wonderfully smooth way it cuts fabric. I cut two sheets one of the patterned fabric and one solid. you can see it just about jumps off of the chopping sheet.

Once I removed the sheet from the machine I peeled the paper off of the back and started weaving the strips together.

It was challenging to weave the strips in the same order..

After weaving I heat set the bonding material so that the fabric would then be one piece and not fall apart.

After pressing I think it looks really good!

Once pressed, I cut it to fit the container and used the 3L Adhesive Crafty Power tape to apply the fabric. It was very easy to attached the fabric to the container with it.

I next put the fiberfill on the top and covered it with the matching solid fabric.

I also used the 3L Adhesive tape for the trim to adhere to the container’s lid. My next step was to design a cut decoration for my gift.

I used the snowflake in Sure Cuts a Lot and then I also made a backing for it with my eCraft. Since I only used cardstock for this embellishment, I cut it on the eCraft. I love the Peachy Keen Stamps and my Snowflake Princess is so cute. She has a metallic mesh background and then a beautiful decorated snow border with bling. I used Colorbox ink to add depth to her face and to the green collar she sits on. I also used eyelets to attach her ribbon to my item.

I can’t wait till she meet her new owner very soon! Happy Holidays! Wait for another gifting idea next week!

What an amazing project! Thank you, Debi!

To see more of Debi's genius, visit her blog here:
http://fabric-ecraft.blogspot.com/

November 29, 2011