Tag Archives: freezer paper stencil

VW Beetle Pillow Progress!

Posted in Fabric printing, Sewing, Stuff to make by

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It ain’t done yet! This is an anticipatory photo in which I revel in possibilities without actually completing the sewing. Those same possibilities stall me: orange pom poms or green? Orange wouldn’t provide much contrast with the orange-y fabric but it would offer consistency with the VW bus pillow–also orange is available at my local fabric store. Green pom poms require a car drive into the Dreaded Land of Strip Malls. Magenta pom poms are another possibility (available locally, too). Zeke and his friend Rowan agreed that magenta would be OK. But Rowan has green hair, so can we trust him?

See what I mean by stalling?

 

 

DIY: VW Bus Pillow, Part 1

Posted in Fabric printing, Home Design, Kids, Sewing, Stuff to make by

After many pleasant minutes ogling fabric online for Zeke’s VW bus pillow, I ended up with a print I grabbed at whim at Gather Here (370 Broadway, Cambridge). The print is geometric & groovy, flower-like without actually being flowery. But I only found a wee scrap–a fat quarter! I don’t care. I’m forging on.

I considered using linen for the VW bus print, but fabric paint is tricky stuff, and I wasn’t sure how it would sit on linen’s bumpy texture. Instead, I went for Kona natural cotton and neon orange fabric paint.

Is it boastful to say that I found my VW bus stencil from a couple of years ago helpful? I printed it out and cut the freezer paper stencil following my own instructions (you are being kind and optimistic if you think I could have retained this information unaided). I will post the complete pattern for the pillow when I’m done (for future me!).

A Stencil for Your Sweetheart

Posted in Boston, Fabric printing, Holiday, Kids, Sewing, Stuff to make by

Finished these heart-stenciled drawstring bags just in time for Valentine’s Day. Whew. Tomorrow I’ll toss in some trinkets and goodies for my little sweethearts. (Later, I figure they can stash their school valentines in them.)

All the materials came from stuff around my house: stray pieces of fabric, ribbon, and some muslin. I cut a heart stencil with freezer paper and vinyl alphabet stickers to block out the letters. (For a visual, click here. For information about using freezer paper stencils on fabric, here is the complete how-to).

I improvised the drawstring bag (although I did measure to keep things relatively straight). Thank you to Kate K. for loaning me a tapestry needle–a perfect implement for threading a ribbon through a drawstring bag.

Here’s a side view–with the candy that inspired me. (By the way, Sweethearts are Made in the U.S.A, specifically by the New England Confectionary in nearby Revere, Mass. So this V Day, buy American.) Happy Heart Day, everyone!

VW Bus Printable!

Posted in Fabric printing, Stuff to make by

VW bus nuts–this one’s for you! I’ve been meaning to post this VW Bus printable for a while. I used this freezer paper stencil to make pillowcases for my son last spring. If you haven’t discovered freezer paper stencils for creating crisp, silkscreen-like images on fabric, here’s the complete how-to. For impatient, lazy sorts (like me), they offer immediate craft gratification. Craftification.

 

I think this would make a groovy T-shirt, too. Tape the stencil directly to freezer paper. Cut out the gray areas–these will become the painted areas. Along the dotted lines, trim a sliver from the freezer paper–this will create a line of color to outline the white parts of the image. Please share your results!

VW Bug Pillow

Posted in Sewing, Stuff to make by

Tell the truth: are you focusing on the VW bug pillow or are you coveting the vinyl chair held together with lime green duct tape? Sorry, but it’s a one-of-a-kind treasure that only the luckiest few can possess.

Summertime may not be optimal for freezer paper stencils–using an iron in 90-degree heat can be a wilting experience. But well worth it, of course. (Here are step-by-step instructions.) This VW bug pillow follows the VW bus pillowcases I made earlier this year in a series I’m now calling Vehicles I Have Known and Loved.

For the VW bug pillow, I used a pattern for an envelope enclosure. Beige linen in the front, groovy cotton print in the back, and orange piping.

Next up for the vehicle stencil series is the true love of my childhood . . . the 1974 mini Winnie (that’s Winnebago, for the uninitiated). Long before I grew up to own a vinyl chair, I longed for this camper.

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