Saturday, January 16, 2010

Spin cycle.




I am fortunate to work with one of the most talented fabric designers around today, Jennifer Paganelli of Sis Boom. She is so inspiring, and I often leave her studio dreaming about my own fabric designs and what they might look like. My Lotta Jansdotter book is the perfect introduction to printing my own yardage. I am starting with the most elementary of techniques by using rubber stamps and water proof archival ink pads. Not only has she got a great eye, but she gives lots of great hints and there are great projects to do. Lotta's Printing Studio is available in my Open Sky Shop, and don't forget that UNTIL SUNDAY JANUARY 17TH 100% OF ALL SALES MADE THROUGH OPEN SKY (FROM ANY SHOPKEEPER!) WILL GO TO HELP HAITI!
I wanted to make a salad spinner, like my mother in law, Clarita used to use. My husband and his siblings would be more than glad to run outside and spin the sack over their heads until the greens were nice and dry.
I used 2 pre washed all cotton flour sacks from the American Chair Store. They are perfect for making a salad drying sack because they are lint free.
Lotta recommends you put a bath towel on the work surface and smooth out with your hands.
Put the flour sack you want to print on right side up, smooth it out and print your design with the rubber stamps.
When the ink is dry, heat set with your iron.
Stitch the two sacks together at one side seam, right sides together.
Then I folded over the top 1'' and stitched the tube for the drawstring, leaving the ends open.
Then I stitched the other side seam, right sides together, careful NOT to stitch close the ends of the open drawstring tunnel.
Now stitch the bottom.
Turn right side out, and using a large safety pin pull ribbon or seam binding tape through the tube.
Draw shut after putting washed lettuce in the sack. Take it outside and let the kids spin it over their heads until there is no more water splattering about.
Toss in a bowl and dress!
***DON'T FORGET to check out Design2Share, Cooking with Friends, Amy Powers from Inspire Co, Tasra Dawson and all of the other fabulous and talented shopkeepers who are so generous at this time of need. ***

4 comments:

Reyna Meinhardt said...

Very cute!! Can't wait to see what else you make using this technique!

Carla Hegeman Crim said...

Awesome bag...however, I now have that song stuck in my head!!! I'm just going have to to go braid my bangs and put on heavy eyeliner or something...

Tiffani said...

I was just looking for a stamp pad that was permanent on fabric this evening. I have StazOn but that says "not recommended for fabric." Did you use something particular?

Kate D. Spain said...

Hi Nancy! How cute! Love this idea (not to mention the song, and how fitting your design is)! Your blog is full of so many great projects.

It was so nice to meet you at "Make & Mingle" a couple weeks ago. Will you be doing the Project Runway workshop? Looks like lots of fun and i think i may have to sign up! Hope to see you there, too. enjoy your weekend! ~kate