CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA

Anastasia's Fabric Stash

Waste not, want not. That’s what my great-aunt Penelope Periwinkle used to say, and now that I’m counting every penny, I realize how right she was. But even before pauperdom walloped me upside the head, I always saved all the fabric scraps from my sewing projects. If you’ve ever had to buy an 1/8 of a yd. of fabric because you needed one 3” x 12” strip, you know how right I am. I keep all my scraps of fabric in a plastic storage bin, and it’s amazing how often I find myself rooting through that bin to find exactly what I need. However, sometimes the storage bin gets to overflowing. When that happens, I have lots of project ideas stored away for using up some of that overflow. Here are a few I’ll share with you today.

*Make sachet bags to drape over your clothes hangers or place in dresser drawers.

*Create drawstring gift bags for odd-shaped or any-size presents. You will be giving the recipient two gifts in one because afterwards the gift bag can be used to hold jewelry, lingerie, toiletries, or just about anything else. Decorate the bags with smaller scraps of fabric and scraps of ribbon and lace.

*Make a crazy quilt fabric-covered picture frame. Embellish the frame with ribbon, lace, buttons, and beads.

*Cut out small simple shapes, such as hearts. Sew two together and stuff for ornaments or gift package decorations. Glue them to pin backs or barrettes for soft-sculpture jewelry.

*Glue or fuse fabric to heavy paper and use as appliqués for hand-made greeting cards and gift tags.

*Cut fabrics of different textures, patterns, and colors into 3”, 4”, or 5” squares. Sew six squares of the same size together to form a cube, then stuff. These make wonderful, tactile soft blocks for babies and toddlers.

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA-- EVEN MORE SEWING TIPS

Today I’m back with even more sewing tips.

*Apply fusible batting to the wrong side of fabric for stuffed animals or dolls before sewing the pieces together. This will give a smoother finish to your project when you stuff it.

*To avoid skipped stitches when machine sewing fake fur that has a shiny finish on the wrong side, trace over the seam line with chalk or a bar of white, unscented soap.

*When sewing Velcro to fabric, place wax paper on top of the Velcro and under the fabric to prevent skipped stitches. When you’re finished stitching, simply tear away the wax paper.

*Use a Post-It Note to hold your place when following complicate sewing directions from a pattern or book so you won’t accidentally skip an important step.

*Ballpoint pen ink can be removed from fabric by spraying the area with hair spray before hand or machine washing it.

*To get a smoother, cleaner edge when using pinking shears, place a piece of paper underneath the fabric and cut through the paper and fabric at the same time.

*To puff quilt batting and remove the wrinkles, unroll it and let it lie flat for a week before using it.

*Stuffed animals and pillows can be dusted by placing them in the dryer on the air only cycle for about fifteen minutes.

*For a quick way to finish the edges of appliqué pieces, sew each piece, right sides together, to a piece of interfacing. Make a slash in the center of the interfacing, turn the piece right-side out, and press.

*When attaching safety eyes to stuffed animals and dolls, apply clear nail polish to the placement spot and allow to dry before poking a hole through the fabric. This will strengthen the fabric, keeping it from tearing or stretching when poked.

Have a tip I haven’t mentioned? We’d love to have you post it. Remember to post a comment to be entered into the drawing for a book from this week's Book Club Friday guest author.

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--MORE IDEAS FOR FABRIC SCRAPS

Today I have more ideas for things to do with those small scraps of fabric left over from other projects.

*Sew miniature quilts to use as pin cushions or hot pads. Use sawdust to fill the pin cushions and potpourri for aromatic hot pads.

*If you’re making children’s clothing, use the leftover fabric to make matching outfits for the child’s dolls or stuffed animals. Patterns are available at fabric stores.

*Make a first book for an infant. Using fusible web, fuse 9” x 12” fabric rectangles together. Trim the edges with pinking shears. Layer the pages. Machine stitch down the center of the pages to form the book. Fuse simple shapes such as hearts, stars, trees, and apples to each page.

*For a great rainy day activity, cut fabric scraps into squares and rectangles with pinking shears. Let your children “decoupage” the shapes to empty cardboard juice boxes, cigar boxes, or oatmeal containers using tacky glue. After the glue dries, apply a coat of brush-on sealer. These make wonderful “I did it all by myself” gifts for family and friends.

*Begin a memory quilt for each of your children or grandchildren. Save a 6” square of fabric from each special outfit, Halloween costume, play costume, dance recital outfit, etc. Using fabric writer paints, markers, or embroidery floss, write or stitch on each square to identify the event and date. Sew the squares into a quilt to present to the child upon graduation or as a wedding present.

Have I missed any great ideas? Let’s hear from you. Tell us how you use up your scraps of fabric. Post a comment to enter the drawing for a free book from our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA-- MORE SEWING TIPS

Today I’m bringing you more sewing tips.

*Have you ever wished you had a cutting table like the ones in the fabric stores -- the kind with a “V” down the center for inserting your scissors to make a straight cut? If you have a kitchen or dining room table that has leaves, you have such a table! Simply open the table slightly, lay your fabric even with the edge of the table, and cut along the gap.


*Keep organized by storing scraps of fabric, ribbon, lace, and notions in individual see-through plastic storage containers. Finding a 6” piece of pink ribbon for a bow is much easier when its’ not hiding amidst zippers and bias tape.



*When buying fabric, ask to have the cardboard bolt if you’ve bought the end of the fabric. Wrap your fabrics around these bolts to store them stacked on a shelf.

*Keep spools of thread and bobbins of matching colors together by threading them through a chenille stem and twisting the ends together.

*Save those slivers of soap from the shower. They’re great for marking dark fabrics. Remove the marking by rubbing with a used dryer sheet.

*If you have a favorite tissue paper pattern you know you’ll be using many times, use fusible web to fuse the pieces to unbleached muslin for a long-lasting pattern.

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--DON’T THROW AWAY THOSE SCRAPS OF FABRICS!

Waste not, want not. That’s what my great-aunt Penelope Periwinkle used to say, and now that I’m counting every penny, I realize how right she was. But even before pauperdom walloped me upside the head, I always saved all the fabric scraps from my sewing projects. If you’ve ever had to buy an 1/8 of a yd. of fabric because you needed one 3” x 12” strip, you know how right I am. I keep all my scraps of fabric in a plastic storage bin, and it’s amazing how often I find myself rooting through that bin to find exactly what I need. However, sometimes the storage bin gets to overflowing. When that happens, I have lots of project ideas stored away for using up some of that overflow. Here are a few I’ll share with you today.

*Make sachet bags to drape over your clothes hangers or place in dresser drawers.

*Create drawstring gift bags for odd-shaped or any-size presents. You will be giving the recipient two gifts in one because afterwards the gift bag can be used to hold jewelry, lingerie, toiletries, or just about anything else. Decorate the bags with smaller scraps of fabric and scraps of ribbon and lace.

*Make a crazy quilt fabric-covered picture frame. Embellish the frame with ribbon, lace, buttons, and beads.

*Cut out small simple shapes, such as hearts. Sew two together and stuff for ornaments or gift package decorations. Glue them to pin backs or barrettes for soft-sculpture jewelry.

*Glue or fuse fabric to heavy paper and use as appliqués for hand-made greeting cards and gift tags.

*Cut fabrics of different textures, patterns, and colors into 3”, 4”, or 5” squares. Sew six squares of the sme size together to form a cube, then stuff. These make wonderful, tactile soft blocks for babies and toddlers.

More ideas to come in the future. For now, why not tell us how you use up your scraps of fabric. Post a comment to be entered in the drawing for a special crafty giveaway from our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP