For those of you who love to learn from artisans you will be interested in the workshops running at Forgotten Arts in Clevedon, Auckland. You can visit their website at www.forgottenarts.co.nz

 

Calling all fabric fans!

Come grab a bargain and help support Mercy Hospice.

Auckland Fabric-a-brac

St Columba Centre, 40 Vermont St, Ponsonby

This Saturday 29th October

9am to 12.30

You will need:
• Fabric to cover the outside sell case of your bag (A)
• Inside lining (B)
• Fabric for dividers
* If you are using a fine fabric fuse with a suitable fusing to stabilise your fabric and to help stop glue seepage

Other tools required:
• Scissors
• Fabric Glue
• Strong glue for the assembly (450 or Bostick)
• Small paint brush
• Wide paint brush for the fabric glue application
• Pelmet Vilene for the dividers
• Elastic for the sewing kit

Outer Shell Cases

1. Using fabric A cut 2 pieces at 25cm x 15 cm (minimum) centring any pattern.

2. The notched edge of the shell casing is the top edge, mark a North/South, East/West. Now apply the glue to the front of the shell, smoothing out with the wide paintbrush.

3. Allow glue to become tacky. Whilst this is happening organise your fabric ready for placement

4. Place the face side of the fabric face down on the table.

5. Now place the tacky shell onto the fabric lining up your N/S W/E marks. Turn the shell over with the fabric now stuck in place and smooth out the fabric over the shell working from the centre to the outer edges. You will have to pull the fabric to get a smooth finish.

6. Carefully apply the glue to the sides and allow it to become tacky, then pull the fabric down to cover the sides. Draw the excess fabric to the corners and pinch together, you will now have a small triangle shaped fabric sticking out at the corners.

7. Apply a very small amount of glue to the fabric corner and fold the long side over the short side and allow to dry. There will be excess fabric on the outer edges leave this until the glue has dried and then it can be trimmed off at the shell edge.

Repeat for the other side.

Inner Shell Cases

1. Cut you lining fabric 25cm x 15 cm (minimum); fuse if necessary

2. Apply glue to the inside shell case and sides (wait till tacky)

3. Place lining onto the inside of the case working from the centre out, smoothing out any wrinkles. Again pinch excess fabric in the corner and glue down.

4. Allow the glue to dry before you trim the excess fabric away.

This is where you insert your dividers (see instructions below) before you glue in your outer shells, or it could get messy!

Dividers

*This is the only time you will need a sewing machine

Cut 2 pieces of fabric at 15cm x 20cm – sides
Cut 1 piece of fabric at 15cm x 18cm – centre
Cut 2 pieces of pelmet Vilene or fusible extra firm Vilene at 15cm x 20cm
Cut 1 piece of pelmet Vilene or fusible extra firm Vilene at 15cm x 18cm

1. Take the first side piece of fabric and with the face side facing you fold the fabric in half-length wise.

2. Place Vilene or fuse fusing to the now folded back side of your fabric.

3. Double stitch down the short sides

4. Snip corners, not to close to the stitching, and turn out so the face side is now facing you and press. Then turn in the raw edges and top stitch close.

5. Repeat for the second side and centre piece.

6. The side pieces now need to be folded – evenly fold into concertina creating a W shape.

7. Now take your centre divider and sandwich it into the middle of the concertina. Stitch down the edge about 6mm so you secure the centre divider, repeat on the other side.

Putting it all together

1. Working one side at a time apply your strong glue (450 or Bostick) into the short side channel and the raw edge of your divider.

2. Allow the glue to become tacky then press the edges of the dividers into the inner side of the channel, making sure your dividers are clear of the hinges.

3. Repeat on the other side.

4. You will now have a frame with the divider only

5. Apply strong glue to the inside channels and on the edges of the shell cases (allow to become tacky), then place outer shells into the channels and press firmly. You can put a gentle weight on the shell until the glue is dried.

The very talented Mary Metcalf used 5 of our recycled silk sari scrap packs, with some left over!, to make this brilliantly coloured 1m x1m square quilt. Crochet flowers and wool leaves, plus lots of close quilting and pin-tucking for texture. Mary said it was “Lovely working with the silks once I had backed them with a light iron on interfacing.”

The quilt has been accepted to the Expertise Events – Tradition with a Twist competition and will be travelling around Australia and NZ until December 2016. You will be able to see it at the Hamilton Quilt & Craft Fair in September.

Thanks Mary for sharing your photos!