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SEWING SUPPLIES: Online tips + 5 free patterns for sewing room organization

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Organizing + Storing Your Fabric

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At-YourFingertips Pincushion

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Take-Along Sewing Tote

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In-Perfect-Order Needle Book

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Bulletin Board Redux

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Stitch-andStash Labels

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© INTERWEAVE INTERWEAVE PRESS L LC Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.

Please respect the copyright by not forwarding or distributing this document

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Chaos to Creative: Organizing

+ Storing Your Fabric by Elaine Lipson ...... 3

DO YOU EVER look at your sewing space and wonder how you could possibly t more fabric and notions in it? If you are like me, you nd a way to squeeze more in! So consequently, I’m always trying to gure out a better way to organize my sewing room and create space-saving tools. The better organized I am the more ecient I am while I’m sewing. Here at Sew Daily, we love coming up with ideas for how to make your sewing experience more creative and enjoyable. So we have put together some of our best tips for creating order out of chaos with your fabric stash. Plus we have some great projects designed by Melinda Barta that you can make for your sewing room to keep you organized in style. At-Your-Fingertips Pincushion: This adorable wrist pincushion is quick to make and keeps your pins close at hand. Take-Along Tote: Whether you are working in a small space or need to be portable, this organizer tote has all the

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At-Your-Fingertips Pincushion ................. 5

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Take-Along Sewing Tote ............................. 6

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In-Perfect-Order Needle Book................. 8

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Bulletin Board Redux ................................. 10

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Stitch-and-Stash Labels ............................. 11

pockets you need to carry supplies, fabric, patterns, and notions. In-Perfect-Order Needle Book: You’ll never go searching again for your handsewing needles with this handy felt and fabric needle book. Bulletin Board Redux: Pin up your inspiration photos and sewing ideas on these easy fabric-covered corkboards that also decorate your sewing space. Stitch-and-Stash Labels: Organize your notions and tools into clear jars and make these embroidered fabric labels to keep everything in the right place. So pull out some fun fabric and get started organizing and personalizing your sewing space today! Happy Sewing,

tricia waddell

Editor-in-chief, Stitch Magazine

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Tricia Waddell Pamela Norman ILLUSTRATION Ann Sabin Swanson PHOTOGRAPHY Joe Hancock EDITOR

Contemporary sewing that celebrates the

handmade lifestyle! Find STITCH magazine, and sewing epatterns and books in our online store www.interweavestore.com

© INTERWEAVE PRESS L LC Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.


ART DIRECTOR

(unless otherwise noted) PROJECT DESIGNER

Melinda Barta

Projects and information are for inspiration and personal use only. Sew Daily and Stitch Magazine are not responsible for any liability arising from errors, omissions, or mistakes contained in this eBook, and readers should proceed cautiously, especially with respect to technical information. Interweave grants permission to photocopy any patterns published in this issue for personal use only.

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chaos to

creative

organizing + storing your fabric

Show your fabric stash who’s boss with some inspired planning. Text ELAINE LIPSON

IF YOU LOVE to sew and love fabric, you’ll acquire a substantial fabric stash in no time at all. You’ll run into a fabric store for a spool of thread and nd a couple of irresistible cottons, or stop in a consignment store and nd a beautiful vintage skirt to take apart, or discover something unique and tempting online. And it won’t be just fabric—you’ll nd a jar of Bakelite buttons at a garage sale, stock up on zippers at your local fabric store’s holiday sale, and have too-good-to-throwaway scraps from your last three projects. Eventually, you’ll need a system to organize it all so it’s neither hidden away and forgotten nor taking over your living room. Because no two sewing spaces are the same, there’s no one-size-ts-all storage cabinet or shelving to be found, but we’ve got some great ideas to help you design your own best plan.


You’ll need containers, so give some thought to your decorating style before you commit. Do you thrill to the sight of clean metal shelving and neatly labeled clear plastic bins? Are you more the Paris ea-market type, who loves to store things in vintage luggage, woven baskets, and old wooden cabinets? Or do you like contemporary cra style, with fabric tote boxes in bright colors that you’ve made yourself? Investigate shelving options, from built-in wood or wire shelves to stand-alone shelving. Or maybe your sewing room has an extra closet— remove the door and add shelves.

Beyond the basics, your stash will dictate the categories you devise. For example, I have vintage linens stored together and small pieces of vintage kimono and other specialty ethnic fabrics together. I’ve also collected fruit and vegetable prints, oral prints, and ikats, and I keep each of these types together. You might have a collection of children’s prints or plaids that naturally make sense as a group.

CATEGORY, PLEASE! Once you’ve decided on your container and shelving style, you’ll need to sort your fabric. If all of your fabrics are similar in type—all cotton and linen, perhaps—you can sort by color and/or by the size of the fabric piece, with a place just for uncategorizable scraps. If you sew with a variety of fabric types, you’ll probably want to sort wools, silks, cottons, linens, rayons, eece, synthetics, and sheers.

Once your fabric is neatly organized, make a swatch journal as a portable record of your stash. As you shop for, yes, more fabric, you’ll be able to coordinate colors, avoid duplication, and remember how much you have of a given fabric.


take it with you

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J O E C O C A

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SPECIAL CASES Fabrics with nap, such as velvets, shouldn’t be folded and stacked, as creases may become permanent, or the fabric may wear or fade along the fold line. Rolling these fabrics on a tube is a good idea (use a layer of acid-free tissue). Heavy beaded fabrics, on the other hand, should be folded and stored at, so the weight of the fabric doesn’t distort the weave. It’s worth investing in special conservation boxes for garments, textiles, and fabrics that are precious to you and that you hope to pass on to the next generation. Use archival materials to keep these ne fabrics protected from light, humidity, bugs, and acidic environments, just as museums do. The Textile Museum (textilemuseum.org) oers a downloadable brochure with guidelines for caring for these treasures.

TIPS + TRICKS FROM A PROFESSIONAL STASH ORGANIZER LOIS L. HALLOCK, an active quilter, professional organizer, and engineer, is the author of Creating Your Perfect Quilting Space and Creating Your Perfect Quilting Space Studio Planner . Lois brings her sharp eye, love of fabric, and brilliant engineering skills to the challenge of keeping a stash organized, and she shares some of her best tips with us. Stitch What's your favorite way to store fabric? Lois I use an

8" x 24" (20.5 x 61 cm) ruler to wrap the fabric around, just like a bolt. Then I slide it off halfway and fold. The folded edge becomes a clean front edge when stacked on the shelf. Just as with library books on a shelf, I line up all the front edges of the folded fabrics, leaving any mismatches at the back. S Do you like to organize by color, by size of fabric piece, or by type of fabric? L I start with size. I fold larger pieces as mentioned above and cut pieces

smaller than 1 ⁄ 8 yard (11.5 cm) into scrap strips of varying widths and store them in baskets by the width of the strip. It makes it easy to find a scrap of a particular color, and it's not frayed or scrunched into a little ball! Semisolids are then divided by color. Next, I sort by type of fabric. My project boxes are the one exception to these sorting criteria. Project boxes contain the fabric I've chosen for a particular project, along with the pattern, thread, notes, photographs for inspiration, and embellishments. S Does storing fabric in plastic bins cause discoloration or other problems? L Fabric is made from a living substance and will rot if

not allowed to breathe (ed. note: this refers to natural fibers such as cotton, linen, silk, and wool). Plastic bins are fine for storing holiday decorations or toys, but I don't recommend them for fabric. Always use acid-free tissue paper to line project boxes, fat-quarter bins, and as shelf paper, to protect fabric from the acids that will leach out over time. STYLISH DIY STORAGE To make your own fabriccovered storage baskets, try this free online tutorial from jcaroline creative. Choose bright prints or solids for the outside and lining of the box and use webbing for sturdy handles. Instructions are given for two sizes, so you can make a custom assortment.

S How does an investment in fabric storage and organization help you

to be a better sewer? L When I enter a quilter's studio to start helping her organize, I first ask to see her fabric. I'm often taken to multiple rooms, closets, storage spaces, and even the garage. I find this disturbing—fabric needs to be visible and stored where it will be used. That fabulous feeling we get when we enter a fabric store comes from the fabric! That feeling should be a part of our daily experience.

jcarolinecreative.com

Visit Lois's website at clearviewdesigns.com. Acid-free tissue paper can be found at joann.com.

(click on How-tos, then Storage Baskets)



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EMBELLISH

5If desired, embellish the pincushion with

At-Your-Fingertips Pincushion Ever start sewing away and can’t find a place to put those pesky pins because your pincushion is nowhere in sight? Keep those pins close at hand by wearing your pincushion on your wrist. FABRIC (for 1 pincushion)

— 7" x 3½" (18 x 9 cm) piece of patterned cotton fabric — 10" x 1" (25.5 x 2.5 cm) piece of patterned cotton fabric (matching or contrasting) for ribbon backing — 10" x 1" (25.5 x 2.5 cm) piece of mediumweight fusible web OTHER SUPPLIES

— Sewing thread in color to match fabric — Strong cotton thread for basting — Fiberll (about a handful) — Cotton embroidery thread in color to contrast fabric — 3 two-hole 10–16mm ( 3 ⁄ 8" – 5 ⁄ 8") buttons — 10" (25.5 cm) of 5 ⁄ 8" (1.5 cm) wide synthetic velvet ribbon — Sewing thread in color to match ribbon — 1 set of 12mm snaps — Sizes 3 and 10 embroidery needles — Terry-cloth towel — Lighter


FINISHED SIZE

2" (5 cm) wide x 1" (2.5 cm) tall MAKE PINCUSHION

1Fold the 7" x 3½" (18 x 9 cm) piece of fabric

in half widthwise, right sides together, so the short ends meet. Using the sewing thread that matches the fabric, sew along the raw edges opposite the fold using a ½" (1.3 cm) seam allowance to form a tube. 2 Leaving a 5" (12.5 cm) tail, use the size 10

embroidery needle and 12" (30.5 cm) of strong cotton sewing thread to baste (around the top of the tube, 1" (2.5 cm) from the top edge. Remove the needle, pull the ends of the thread to gather the fabric, and tie several tight square knots with the tail and working threads. 3 Turn the tube right side out and ll with

berll. Repeat basting instructions as in Step 2, but just before gathering the fabric and tying the knots, use your forenger to push the raw edge down inside the tube. 4 Pass the size 3 embroidery needle and 24"

(61 cm) of embroidery thread up through one hole of 1 button and down through the other hole; tie the tail and working threads together. Center the button over the gathered circle of fabric on the bottom of the pincushion. Stitch straight up through the pincushion, pass up through one hole of the second button (centered on top of the pincushion), down through the other hole, and through the pincushion, exiting through one hole of the rst button. Continue stitching the buttons together, passing through the center of the pincushion and pulling tight to cause the pincushion to pucker.


running or backstitches. Tie a knot on one end of a 24" (61 cm) length of embroidery thread and thread the size 10 needle on the other side. Pass the needle through the bottom of the pincushion so that the knot is hidden under the button. Stitch as desired. The white/gray/red pincushion was embellished with lines of running stitch; the white/green/black pincushion was embellished with loopy lines of backstitch. When tying off, be sure to hide the knots under a button. MAKE STRAP

6Use the iron to adhere the fusible web to the

center back of the 10" x 1" (25.5 x 2.5 cm) piece of fabric, according to manufacturer’s directions. Before removing the backing paper, cut the fabric in half lengthwise so it measures 10" x ½" (25.5 x 1.3 cm). Remove the web’s backing paper. Lay the ribbon facedown on the terry-cloth towel on the ironing board, then lay the fabric down on top of the ribbon with the fusible web sandwiched in between. Use the iron to fuse the fabric to the back of the ribbon. 7Use the sewing thread that matches the rib-

bon and the size 10 needle to stitch the snaps to the ends of the strap, placing them so that the ribbon will t snugly around your wrist (make sure that one side of the snap is stitched to the top side of the ribbon, and the other side of the snap is stitched to the underside). Stitch the remaining button to the top side of the ribbon, concealing the stitches created when attaching the snap (stitched to the underside). Trim the ribbon ends at an angle and lightly melt with the lighter to prevent fraying. 8 Center the strap over the button on the back

of the pincushion and slip-stitch it in place, stitching lines across the ribbon on both sides of the button. Make several passes to secure the strap. FOR EXPLANATIONS OF TERMS + TECHNIQUES USED CLICK HERE FOR OUR SEWING BASICS ONLINE

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Take-Along SewingTote Whether toting your sewing supplies to class or craft night, you’ll fit all of your necessities in this stylish large-pocketed sewing bag. Mix boldly patterned fabrics together for an inspired look. FABRIC

—Two 18" (45.5 cm) long x 18" (45.5 cm) wide pieces of patterned cotton fabric for body of bag (Fabric A) —Two 34" (86.5 cm) long x 3" (7.5 cm) wide pieces of patterned cotton fabric for straps (Fabric A) —Two 18" x 18" (45.5 x 45.5 cm) pieces of patterned cotton fabric for small pockets (Fabric B) —Two 23" (58.5 cm) long x 18" (45.5) wide pieces of patterned cotton fabric for large pockets (Fabric B) —Two 14" (35.5 cm) long x 18" (45.5 cm) wide pieces of contrasting cotton fabric for lining —Two 34" (86.5 cm) long x 2½" (6.5 cm) wide pieces of medium-weight fusible interfacing for straps OTHER SUPPLIES

—Contrasting sewing thread —12" (30.5 cm) of embroidery thread, any color —Size 3 embroidery needle —Fabric pencil —Long knitting needle, any size —Rotary cutter and self-healing cutting mat —Acrylic ruler FINISHED SIZE

Body of bag: 17" (43 cm) wide x 13" (33 cm) long; Length with straps: 26¼" (66.5 cm)

FOR EXPLANATIONS OF TERMS + TECHNIQUES USED CLICK HERE FOR OUR SEWING BASICS ONLINE



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MAKE POCKETS

1 Fold one 23" x 18" (45.5 x 58.5 cm) piece of

Fabric B in half widthwise with wrong sides facing and press the fold. Sew ½" (1.3 cm) from the end of the fold (this fold will be the top edge of the pockets). Repeat entire step three times using the remaining pieces of Fabric B.

2Lay one 18" x 18" (45.5 x 45.5 cm) piece of

Fabric A right side up on your worktable. Lay 1 large piece of Fabric B, then 1 small piece of Fabric B, on top of Fabric A. Align the layers so that the 18" (45.5 cm) raw edges of the folded fabrics align with the bottom edge of Fabric A. Pin the layers. Mark vertical lines using the marking pencil over all layers at 2½", 6½", 11½", and 15½" (6.5, 16.5, 29, and 39.5 cm) from the left edge. Sew through all layers along the marked li nes to create pockets (figure 1). Repeat stitching so each line has two passes of stitc hing less than 1 ⁄ 8" (3 mm) apart. Remove pins. Repeat entire step with the remaining pieces of fabric.

figure 1

figure 2

MAKE BODY OF BAG

3With right sides together and using a ½"

(1.3 cm) seam allowance, join the sides and bottom edges of the 2 layered fabrics created in Step 2. Cut one 2"x 2" (5 x 5 cm) square out of the bottom left corner of the layers. Repeat in the bottom right corner (figure 2). Open the body of the bag and refold so that the bottom seam is in line with one side seam at the left corner (the raw edges created by the square that was just removed will be aligned). Sew along the raw edges using a ½" (1.3 cm) seam allowance to form the bottom corner of the bag (figure 3). Repeat at opposite corner.

figure 3

4Turn the bag right side out. Fold the top

¾" (2 cm) of the bag toward the inside of the body (wrong sides together), press, and sew ½" (1.3 cm) from the fold. MAKE LINING

5 Repeat Step 3 using the 2 pieces of lining

fabric (instead of the fabrics layered in Step 2). Insert the lining into the body of the bag so that wrong sides are together. Fold the top 3½" (9 cm) of the body toward the inside of the bag, over the lining (the top edge of the lining will be nestled in the fold). Pin the lining to the body in several places. Sew around the top edge of the bag ½" (1.3 cm) from the folded edge, then sew another line 2" (5 cm) from the folded edge (1½" [4 c m] from the rst stitched line). MAKE STRAPS

6Center 1 piece of interfacing, fusible side

down, on the back of 1 long strip of Fabric A and fuse according to manufacturer’s directions. Fold the strip in half lengthwise with


right sides together. Sew, using a ½" (1.3 cm) seam allowance, to form a tube. 7Use 16" (40.5 cm) of embroidery thread

and the needle to take a few stitches near one corner of the tube; remove the needle and tie the working and tail threads around the base of the knitting needle. Pass the knitting needle through the tube to turn it inside out. Cut the embroidery thread and press the tube so the seam runs down the middle. Sew down the length of the tube, ¼" (6 mm) from one folded edge. Repeat along the other folded edge. Repeat both stitched lines, stitching less than 1 ⁄ 8" (3 mm) away, inside the previous lines.


8Repeat Steps 6 and 7 for second strap.

Fold each end of one strap over, so both raw edges are on the same side facing away from the seam, and sew down ¼" (6 mm) from the fold. Fold and stitch the second strap in the same manner. Pin the straps in place inside the bag so that the raw edges of the folds just stitched face the bag (t he straps here were centered between the seam lines of the 4" [10 cm] wide pockets located on either side of the center pockets). Sew in place in a free-form manner using several passes of relatively straight lines. 9Sew around the bag ¼" (6 mm) from the

top edge.

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In-Perfect-Order NeedleBook FABRIC

—4 pieces of 4½" (11.5 cm) long x 1½" (3.8 cm) wide light-colored cotton fabric —10 pieces of 5" (12.5 cm) long x 4½" (11.5 cm) wide patterned cotton fabric —6 pieces of 4½" x 5" (11.5 x 12.5 cm) felt —4 pieces of 4½" x 1½" (11.5 x 4 cm) fusible web —8 pieces of 4½" x 5" (11.5 x 12.5 cm) fusible web OTHER SUPPLIES

—2–3 sets of clear alphabet stamps with ½" (1.3 cm) letters —Clear stamping block (to use with clear letter stamps) —Dye-based ink pad in dark color —Size 8 pearl cotton embroidery thread —Rotary cutter and self-healing cutting mat —Acrylic ruler —Awl —Size 26 chenille needle FINISHED SIZE

3½" (9cm) wide x 4" (10cm) tall NOTE

What is the difference between a quilting, an embroidery, and a tapestry needle? Can’t recall? Don’t despair. This great needle book has labeled pages to keep you totally organized, and your needles safely tucked away.

Look for wool felt that hasn’t been blended with synthetic materials—the lanolin in pure wool will prevent your needles from rusting. MAKE LABELS

1 Use the letter stamps and stamping block

to spell the word needles. Stamp one piece of the light-colored fabric to create a label. Note: Make sure the letters are close enough so that the words are no longer than 4" (10 cm). If you do not have three full sets of letters and nd that you are a letter or two short when creating the stamp, you’ll need to stamp the word in FOR EXPLANATIONS OF TERMS + TECHNIQUES USED CLICK HERE FOR OUR SEWING BASICS ONLINE



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two steps: For example, I only had two sets of stamps, but the word needles contains three E’s. So I rst stamped “needl_s” (leaving space for the missing E), removed all the letters but one E, and nally stamped the missing E in place. 2Center one 4½" x 1½" (11.5 cm x 2.5 cm)

strip of fusible web on the back of the label made in Step 1 and fuse according to manufacturer’s directions; do not remove the paper backing. Trim to ¾" (2 cm) long x 4" (10 cm) wide. 3Repeat Steps 1 and 2 three times for 3 more

labels using the words embroidery, tapestry, and quilting. Set all labels aside. MAKE BOOK

4Use one 5" x 4½" (12.5 x 11.5 cm) piece of

fusible web to fuse 2 pieces of patterned fabric with wrong sides together. Trim to 3½" (9 cm) long x 4" (10 cm) wide. Repeat entire step once more (these will become the front and back pages of the book). 5 With the rotary cutter and ruler, cut 1½"

x 1½" (3.8 x 3.8 cm) square holes out of the center of the remaining pieces of fusible web (not having fusible web in the center of the pages prevents your needles from gumming up). *Use 1 piece of fusible web to fuse 1 piece of patterned fabric to 1 piece of felt with wrong sides together. Trim to 3½" (9 cm) long x 4" (10 cm) wide. Repeat from * ve times for a total of 6 pages. 6Fuse the “needles” label to the right edge of

HOWTOBINDABOOK Use this simple bookbinding stitch to securely and professionally nish your needle book. This stitch is basic to bookmakers and those who make journals. To begin, thread a size 20 tapestry needle with 6 to 8 strands of embroidery oss. Come up from the back at 1 and leave a 3-inch (7.6 cm) tail. Loop over the top of the book and come up at 2. Go around the spine and come up at 2 again. Insert the needle at 3, go around the spine, and insert at 3 again. Come up at 4, go around the spine, and come up at 4 again. Insert the needle at 5, go around the spine, and insert at 5 again. Come up at 6, go around the spine, and come up at 6 again. Insert the needle at 7, go around the spine, and insert at 7 again. Bring up around the end and insert at 7. Work back to the top with running stitches: Bring the needle up at 6, insert at 5, bring up at 4, insert at 3, bring up at 2, insert at 1, go around the spine and insert at 1 again. Knot the working thread with the starting tail twice and hide the threads in the pages of the book.

1

2

3

4

5

6

one of the pages created in Step 2, aligning the 4" (10 cm) sides (this is the front of the book). Repeat entire step three times to fuse the 3 remaining labels to 3 of the pages created in Step 3. 7Use the awl to make seven holes along the

left edge of each page; the holes will be evenly spaced ½" (1.3 cm) apart and ½" (1.3 cm) from each edge of the page. Stack the pages with the cover on top and so that each labeled page is followed by a page without a label. Following the sidebar at left, bind the edges of the book with the embroidery thread and chenille needle, stitching through the holes created by the awl.

7




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figure 1

thread that matches the fabrics and a 3 ⁄ 8" (1 cm) seam allowance, piece the fabrics as desired with right sides together until you achieve a square that is at least 16" x 16" (40.5 x 40.5 cm). Press all seams to one side and, if desired, topstitch ¼" (6 mm) from the seams in contrasting thread for a decorative look. If needed, trim uneven sides so the square is 16" x 16" (40.5 x 40.5 cm) and press. 2Lay 1 pieced fabric square facedown on

work surface, center 1 piece of felt, then 1 corkboard on the back. Place 11" (28 cm) strips of double-sided craft tape on a ll four sides of the corkboard, positioning the strips so they are ¼" (6 mm) from, and parallel to, the sides, and centered side to side. Tig htly pull the sides of the fabric around all layers to the back and press into the tape. 3To miter the corners, pinch the fabric where

BulletinBoardRedux Looking for a unique alternative to your tired old corkboard? These fabric-wrapped corkboard squares are the freshest place for posting fabric swatches and inspirational photos. FABRIC (for 4 covered corkboards)

—1 yd (91.5 cm) total of assorted cotton patterned fabrics

—4 pieces of 11" x 11" (28 x 28 cm) mat board —Acid-free double-sided ½" (1.3 cm) wide craft tape —Acid-free white craft glue —Thick double-stick mounting tape (for mounting boards on wall)

two sides meet at one corner (you will be holding a small triangle). Use 18" (45.5 cm) of thread that matches the fabric and the sewing needle to handstitch the sides together at the base of the fold (figure 1). Repeat entire step on the three remaining corners. 4Glue the mat board to the back of the

—Rotary cutter and self-healing mat

corkboard so it covers the raw edges, tucking in the tips of the mitered corners. Allow to dry.

—Acrylic ruler

5Repeat Steps 1–4 three times for a total of

—Handsewing needle

4 covered corkboards.

6Use the double-stick mounting tape (often

OTHER SUPPLIES

—Sewing thread in color to match fabric —Sewing thread in colors to contrast fabric (optional) —4 pieces of 12" x 12" (30.5 x 30.5 cm) white felt


—4 pieces of 12" x 12" (30.5 x 30.5 cm) corkboard

FINISHED SIZE

12" x 12" (30.5 x 30.5 cm) each

squares of tape come with the pack of corkboards) to mount the boards on the wall.

MAKE BULLETIN BOARDS

1 Cut fabrics into squares and rectangles

that range from about 4½" x 6" (11.5 x 15 cm) to 11" x 16" (28 x 40.5 cm). Using



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COUCHING Working from right to le, use one thread, known as the couching or working thread, to tack down one or more laid threads, known as the couched threads. Bring the working thread up at 1 and insert at 2, over the laid threads to tack them down; repeat by inserting the needle at 3. This stitch may also be worked from le to right, and the spacing between the couching threads may vary for dierent design eects. 2 3

Stitch-and-StashLabels Add a clean, organized touch to your sewing supply jars with a great set of embroidered labels. What a clever way to use up small scraps of fabric from your stash! FABRIC (for 4 labels)

—18" (45.5 cm) long x 44" (112 cm) wide piece of patterned cotton fabric —7" (18 cm) long x 22" (56 cm) wide piece of medium-weight fusible interfacing OTHER SUPPLIES

—Assorted glass jars —Sewing thread in color to match fabric —Cotton embroidery thread —6" (15 cm) diameter embroidery hoop —Sizes 3 and 8 embroidery needles —Terrically Tacky acid-free double-sided ½" (1.3 cm) wide craft tape —Rotary cutter and self-healing mat (Optional) —Acrylic ruler —Pressing cloth


MAKE LABELS 1Cut the interfacing lengthwise into 4 strips

that are as wide as you want the labels to be (¾"–1¼" [2–4.5 cm] widths were used here). Cut the fabric widthwise to get strips that are 18" (45.5 cm) long and six times the width of the strips of interfacing. 2Place the piece of fabric facedown on the ironing board. Center the matching piece of interfacing, fusible side down, over the back of the cloth so that the long sides are parallel. Fuse the layers using a damp pressing cloth and iron, according to manufacturer’s directions. 3Use a pencil to lightly write the word of your choice in the center of the fabric (the bottom of the letters should be parallel with the long sides of the fabric). 4Mount the fabric face up in the embroidery hoop. Separate the strands of a 24" (61 cm) length of embroidery thread. You are now going to embroider over the word drawn in Step 3 by couching the embroidery thread in the following manner: Using 4 strands of the embroidery thread and the size 3 embroidery needle, begin at the edge of the rst letter drawn in Step 3. Bring the needle through the fabric from the back to the front to anchor the thread and then remove the needle. Using the 2 remaining strands of embroidery thread held together


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and the size 8 needle, couch the thread to the surface along the line of the letter, curving when necessary and securing the shape with the placement of your couching stitches. When you reach the end of a line, use the size 8 embroidery needle to bring the 4 strands of the embroidery thread back through the fabric and then up at the next anchoring edge or letter (some letters such as a “P" will require the 4 strands being couched to be anchored through the fabric at several points, while letters such as an “S" will only require the strands to be anchored at either edge of the letter). 5Remove the fabric from the embroidery hoop

and press. Trim the fabric lengthwise into a strip that is three times the width of the interfacing with the interfacing section centered on the strip. Fold the fabric along the long edges of the interfacing toward the center, with wrong sides together, and press. 6Trim the strip so that it is 1½" (3.8 cm) longer than the circumference of the jar you want to cover. Use 2 strips of double-sided tape to adhere the long sides of the fabric strip around the jar (the two ends of the strip will overlap), folding under the exposed edge of the strip to hide the unnished edge (use short strips of tape to hold the end in place, if needed). 7Use the size 8 needle and sewing thread to slip-stitch the folded edge to the body of the fabric strip, hiding the thread knots in the fold as best as possible. 8 Repeat Steps 2–7 for the desired number of labels. FOR EXPLANATIONS OF TERMS + TECHNIQUES USED CLICK HERE FOR OUR SEWING BASICS ONLINE

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