I’m always on the hunt for new ideas…fresh inspiration…a creative spark. And I often don’t know where it will come from or what it will entail. So I was surprised when I saw an idea for using fabric scraps that piqued my interest. If you’ve been following along for any length of time, you know that I have been finding no shortage of ways to use up the overabundance of fabric that I accumulated over the years. Now I’m the first to admit that I can be a fabric hog but I came to realize that enough was probably more than enough!
The purging began a couple of years ago with pulling together coordinated fabric bundles with enticing ribbons and notions…I shared my obsession with others and in the process lightened the load but not nearly enough. Then the pandemic came…and since I was staying home and had oodles of time (and fabric) I decided to make Artist Tote Bags, using the materials I had and not buying any additional supplies. I made over 100 bags…I did need to purchase more thread and a bit more of cotton webbing for the handles but I was amazed at the quantity! Since I couldn’t bear to throw anything away, I had quite a bit of scraps that were too small to make a tote bag…so I began to sew up small pouches that one could use to store art or sewing supplies, making it easy to take along for inspiration on the go. The fabric hoard was diminishing…but now I had even smaller scraps that I could not toss.
Inspiration struck while I was thumbing through an old issue of Cloth Paper Scissors (ah, remember that cool mag!) There was an article on Inspiration Blocks…scraps of fabrics, sewn and quilted together, often in a strip, as a starting off point for a larger project. I loved the idea of the strip…laying down scraps without a lot of hesitation and sewing it up.
I went for it - just dug into my scraps…though I did do some color coordination…I did want the result to be somewhat pleasing and artistic…
As I pulled out scraps, it was a cathartic experience…the scraps above held a bounty of memories…the floral linen was from a dress I made in high school (yes, I have fabric I’ve been holding onto for 50 years!) The cotton plaid was from a shirt I bought in college at the local thrift store (I loved that shirt). The heart was from a cotton t-shirt that I took with me to Wyoming one summer when I was leading backpacking trips…and a nest of mice made a home in my pack and chewed up my one wool sweater and two t-shirts…though I rescued the heart! And the sea green canvas at the top is a remnant from the two slipcovers I had made for the Drexel Heritage club chairs I picked up for $10 when we moved to Everett…the chairs, solid as can be, were originally upholstered in a pink tapestry - not quite my style…and those chairs are still looking great after 20+ years.
After I laid down every scrap, I used a bit of stitch witchery (fusible fabric tape) in a few spots, just so it wouldn’t fall apart while I was sewing my long strip. I sewed a rectangle pattern the length of the strip, securing all the scraps in the process and giving a bit of a quilted look.
After it was “quilted”, I thought it needed a little something extra…so I added a word of inspiration with iron-on transfer paper. Unearthing a supply of clip-on curtain rings was the final touch; providing a clip and a hook to display the strip wherever I wanted.
Strip Fabric Collages hanging out on my studio shelves
It’s been addicting to see what colors and patterns I can pull together in a 3” strip of fabric so I’ve been sewing up a storm…maybe there’s a workshop idea here? I’ll keep you posted.
And to let you know…My Mother’s Day Sale is in its last days over at my Etsy shop…50% off all original art…a great gift for mom…or for you! Sale ends May 4th.