This is today's second post. But Linda just sent this photo to me and I know you will want to see it immediately. Look at this fabulous fabric!!! No color removal needed here. Love the lining paper too.

Linda says.....

"Thursday I went out to a fabulous local art supply store to look for paper to line my boxes. I found some delightful Italian papers and selected one with lemons for my first box.

I love the fabric. Here is the surprise; the fabric is just as it came off the bolt. When I saw it last year, I got a half yard because I knew that I would find something special to do with it. I would have preferred paper with a design of vines and/or plants more similar to that in the fabric; but what can I say? The colors do harmonize.

This box was my first and is a trial run for second one that will be a gift. I cannot tell you how pleased I am with it even though my critical eye says there are obvious flaws. I hope that subsequent boxes will have fewer flaws.

Thank-you so very much for teaching us how to cover boxes with fabric and line them. Many years ago, I bought some boxes because I wanted to cover them with wallpaper. I had attended a Spirit of Cross Stitch Festival in Des Moines where I took a workshop class featuring a stitched design to put on the top of a wallpaper covered box. I wanted to make more wallpaper covered boxes but the wallpaper was too heavy to work well. I reluctantly put the boxes away and gave up on the idea.
You have given the idea new life. Thank-you very much. The boxes are coming out of hiding." :-)
Hugs All Around,
Linda Nelson

Now....continue to scroll down and see Jean's Sewing box too.

Until later!

Alma

Jean wrote.....

"I just loved your tutorial on making fabric covered boxes.


Jean .....I have to say, You passed "Sewing Box 101" with flying colors! Click on Jean's name to go and visit her blog.

Until later!

Alma

It's raining here again today....it is so dark...I'm wishing for a sunny day.

I think there are still questions about the covered box. So today we will do a bit of Q & A.

Sherrill asked...

Couple of questions--is there a particular type of paper you copy your sampler onto? And is PVA equivalent to Elmer's? Thanks so much for sharing.

1. The paper used is the regular paper loaded in the copy machine at Kinko's. Kinko's or Fex-Ex Office is my favorite place. They have great copy machines and a staff that is willing to help if you need it....but they allow you to use their machines without their help too. Just right to play uninterrupted with a many-thousand dollar machine making images of my samplers.

2. The Paper Source PVA glue is not the same as Elmers. When you use it on paper and fabric you don't get the wrinkles you would get with Elmer's. It is archival and acid free. It is not water soluable when dry. It is flexible when dry. It is specially formulated to work with paper and cardboard.

Margaret said...

Thanks, Alma. I will definitely have to try this sometime. Now if you can solve the dust problem for me, I'll be home free. :D

1. Margaret....you are on your own! I love you dearly, but I'm not helping with the dust problem. I've got my own dust issues here!

Patchysails asked:

Hello, I did what you say to cover the boxes, and my first one went well, but my second attempt the fabric bubbled all along the sides of the box. So the top and bottom fit well but bubbled in the centers, do you know what I did for this to happen ?

1. There are a couple of things you might check. Are you using the right glue?

Remember when applying the glue to use a thin coat. Too much glue can make things a bit "gloppy". (Is that a word? I bet not...but you get the idea.)

Also, stretch the fabric a bit as you put it on the box. When it fits tightly there is less chance of ripples or bubbles. Run your fingers over the fabric to make sure it feels smooth and there are no air bubbles under the fabric.

Luned said...

Ooh pretty! You are so creative and inspiring and have such clever ideas. Thank you for the tutorial - you did make it look so do-able! I have now collected fabric, PVA, cross stitch finishes to photocopy (hope the local library's copier does colour) and I'm now going to search for a suitable box or two... or three!

1. I'm so glad you are going to try! It has taken me several boxes to really get the hang of it! Remember if the first one doesn't turn out exactly like you want ....try again! It's fun.

What do we put in a sewing box? Beautiful trims, that's what!

You have to check out Nifty Thrifty Dry Goods. Susan Gower goes to Quilt Market each year. Every time we see her booth Barb and I go crazy. I think it's the display of color. If you love to stitch....you love color. Floss, fabric, wool....we love to collect it all. Trims are my new downfall.

Susan came to the Sewing Expo in Kansas City last week. I offered to help her unload her car and set up her booth. You can't imagine the work she goes to taking all of these trims on the road. She's leading the Gypsy life for sure. She loads up her van and travels for weeks at a time going from show to show. Click on the shop name above and take a minute to check out her site. You will be glad you did!

Also Click on the "About Us" button on her site. Scroll down and you will see her Grandmother. Susan's Grandmother had a store, called Smith's Nifty Dry Goods. I just wish Susan's Grandmother could see her booth! She would be proud.

Until later!

Alma

Step 1 Trace the outside of the box lid on your decorative paper and cut it out. This is a color copy of an old Quaker sampler we own. I love to make color copies of our samplers. They look so real! You can see all of the stitches.

Step 2 Spread a thin coat of PVA glue on the inside of the box lid.


Step 3 Center the paper circle and press in place. Smooth to remove any wrinkles. It will extend up the box sides a tiny bit. Make sure those areas are smooth also. Measure the inside rim of the lid. Mine measured about 3/4" so I cut the strip about 5/8".


Step 4 Glue the strip in place. If you have to cut more than one strip, butt the paper strips together.


Step 5 The finished box lid. I wish I would have centered the verse better....but life continues to move at a very fast pace....(in other words..."This will do just fine.")

Step 6 The bottom of the covered box is done exactly like the lid. Trace the box bottom on the fabric and cut it out adding a 1/4" fold-over allowance. Spread the glue on the box bottom and glue the fabric in place.



Step 7 Glue the fold-over allowance down.


Step 8 Measure the box side and add 5/8" to the measurement. Mine measured 3" so I cut a strip of fabric 3 5/8".



Step 9 Fold over 1/4" of the fabric along the long edge for a finished edge. Iron the fold to crease. Spread a thin layer of glue along the side. Align the finished edge along the bottom of the side. Glue the strip in place. It helps to do a small area at a time. Stretch the strip along the side and smooth in place.

Step 10 Glue and fold the raw edge over. Apply more glue and press the finished edge down.

Step 11 Glue the raw edge of the fabric strip on the inside of the box. Draw the box bottom on your decorative paper and cut it out. Glue it in place exactly as you did for the box lid.

Step 12 Measure the sides. Mine measured about 2 3/4" so I cut my strip about 2 5/8". Cut the strip and glue in place.

If you have to cut more than one strip, butt the paper strips together.

Step 13 Wipe the excess glue away with a damp paper towel. Finally! We are done!!!!

It really doesn't take too much time to complete this project. I know you will want one of these! Great way to wrap gifts too. Don't worry if your work isn't perfect. Each one will be unique and different. Hey.....they are made by hand and that's what we love.

The lid fits very tightly....you might have to pull it out a bit to stretch it.

Send pictures! I would love to see how you finish yours. Now you can have a beautiful place to store your special sewing supplies!

Until later dear friends,

Alma

The blue fabric turned out better than I thought it would. Actually, I really like it. The fabric on the left is the one that was color removed and overdyed with tan dye. It looks faded and old....You could tell your friends..."Look what I found it in my grandmother's attic!"


The black fabric on the right is the one that was color removed and overdyed. I think I'm going to cover the box with this print. It just looks like it should be on an "old" sewing box.

Step 1 Trace the outline of the box lid on the reverse side of your fabric.

Step 2 Cut out the circle adding a 1/4" fold-over allowance.

Step 3 Use a sponge brush and cover the entire area of the box lid with a light coat of PVA glue.



Step 4 Center the fabric circle on the box lid and stretch and smooth the fabric in place.


Step 5 Since the centering part of step 4 is really hard to do....trim around the edge to get rid of some of the excess. I can never get mine centered just right. Plus the fabric stretches a bit as you try to pull and smooth out the fabric.

Step 6 Spread glue around the edge of the lid and press the fabric excess in place.


Step 7 Measure the rim size. Add 5/8" to the measured size. My rim measures almost 1". So I cut a strip a hair over 1 1/2".



Step 8 Fold over 1/4" of the fabric along the long edge for a finished edge. Iron the fold to crease.



Step 9 Spread a thin layer of glue along the rim.


Step 10 Align the finished edge along the top of the rim. Glue the strip in place. It helps to do a small area at a time. Stretch the strip along the rim and smooth in place.


Step 11 Glue and fold the raw edge over. Apply more glue and press the finished edge down.


Step 12 Wipe the excess glue away with a damp paper towel. Press the fabric strip along the rim edge to make sure you it is glued down securely.



Step 13 Glue the raw edge of the fabric strip on the inside of the box lid.


I am going to line the inside of the box with a color copy of a vintage sampler. For those of you who have stitched a reproduction sampler....here is the perfect place to use a color copy of your stitching. You will need a couple of images of your work....2 - 11" x 17" pages will give you enough paper to finish this project. If you would like to use old book pages or decorative paper this will work great too.

It's almost 6:00pm here...so I have to close for now. My husband and I are going out to dinner....don't want to miss that! No cooking tonight!!!!!!

Until tomorrow!

Alma

It's been rainy, cool and cloudy here for most of the summer. This summer has felt like more of a Portland or Seattle summer than one from Kansas. When the sun peeked out today, I welcomed it with open arms. The leaves are vibrant colors this year. A splash of beauty.

I thought I would begin to show you how I cover a paper mache box with fabric.There are several ways to do this....so it's not my way or the highway. If you have another method that is easier....let me know. I'm always glad to learn something new!


I picked out this blue print from our new fabric line Old Primrose Inn to cover this round box. Vintage things are always my favorite, so I thought I would distress the fabric a bit to give it an aged look. I am using 1/2 yd. of fabric.

I use Rit Color Remover. It's a powder that comes in a small box. You can find it with the laundry products in your local grocery store. Wet the fabric first and then fill the sink with about 1" of warm to almost hot water. Add 1/3 of the package of Rit Color Remover to the water. Stir to mix the powder in the water. Don't worry about the exactness of all of this....it's just a fun science experiment. Great way to play with some of the fabric in your stash that you no longer like as much as you did before. It might turn out to be your favorite print!


Add your wet fabric. Make sure the solution covers the fabric.


Several factors will make this process quicker. More powder and hotter water. By using less powder and cooler water you will have more time to choose when the fabric is ready.

My first time doing this process I boiled water, used a full package of color remover and then added the fabric. The color was removed from the fabric in about 2 seconds. To make matters worse, I couldn't get the fabric out of the boiling water quickly enough. Learned my lesson with that one! Now I use hot water from the sink and less powder.

The color of the fabric begins to take on a yellow or orange cast. When I think the fabric is ready I pull it out of the water and then begin the rinsing process. As the rinse water hits the fabric sometimes the color seems to return to the print. This means you have to dip the print into the color remover for a bit more time.


The fabric in front is the original print. The one in the back is the print after the color removal process. The process removed the soft blue and now the print looks green. The print motifs are a stronger yellow, which is ok....but the overall look is not the vintage look I wanted. Honestly, I think I like the original print the best....so back to my fabric stash to select another print.


This black print is one of my favorites from our Aunt Lucie's Cottage line.

I added a bit more powder to the solution and repeated the process with the black print. Here it is after color removal. Rinse the prints out to remove the solution.

Then add a bit of Rit tan dye to soften the look. Usually I do this process in my sink. But I just stuffed the fabric in my dye jar.

Leave the fabric in for about 5 minutes and removed it to check the color. If it looks ok, pull it out and rinse...if not put it back into the dye bath for a bit longer. I repeated the process with the blue print too. Even though it wasn't my favorite....sometimes I'm surprised after the fabric is overdyed with tan dye.


Here they are.....drying on the line.
I'm off to work on another project while the fabric dries!
"See" you tomorrow dear friends!

Alma

Here is the link for the correction. http://www.dashdist.com/blackbird.html

Click on the link and it should take you to our web-site. Scroll down on the "home" page to the last entry for Recent Updates. Click on the link and it will open the pdf for you to print.

I will give instructions for covering a paper mache box with fabric. It's lots of fun and very easy. Look for them soon!


Until later!

Alma

I'm going to post a link on the blog site for you to download the correction to Joyeux Noel. Look for it tonight. (I have to get my husband's help to upload it to my web-site.) The e-mail resolution isn't working well. Some of the e-mails I sent out were returned. To make sure you all are able to get the correction sheet I think this will be the best way.

Until later!

Alma

I'm almost embarrassed to tell you what I did today. It seems so trivial .....but I have to admit I really enjoyed myself. (I'm going to tell you but you have to swear not to tell another soul!)

The weather was lovely. I took some of my white rick rack and cotton tape and over dyed them with tan Rit dye. They are hanging on my string clothesline to dry.


Then I got my favorite glue (PVA glue from Paper Source), a sponge brush, sanding paper, chip board (a heavy cardboard), and a piece of decorative paper. I used a piece of music paper.


I cut the chip board about 2 1/2" x 1 3/4" with my rotary cutter. You have to press the blade firmly to cut through this thick cardboard. I spread the glue on the chip board with my sponge brush and glued the musical paper in place. The picture above shows the back side of the chipboard. You can tell from this photo that the musical paper was not cut exactly.



Use the sand "paper" to sand the edges until the excess paper comes away and is flush with the chip board edge. This sand paper is really some kind of netted material my husband purchased. The regular sand paper is my favorite...but this works well too.


After the edges are sanded away I wrap my trim around the card. Now it's ready for my sewing box. This trim is one I purchased at quilt market. It is cotton cording for candle wicks.

I couldn't resist purchasing it. I thought it would be a great finish to some of my pincushions. Who knew candle wicking could be so attractive to me at market? It was one of my favorite finds.


Here is a trim card I made several years ago. It's a color copy of a picture of my husband when he was eight. I have him "all wrapped up!" It's one of my favorites.


This was some wrapping paper that I couldn't throw away. It had to have another use. Now it's holding my rick rack.


I love old bird prints. This is a reduced color copy of one of my favorites. The perfect backdrop for my daisy trim.

Now you know I'm loosing it don't you? I just can't help it. When I get done the trims look so sweet in my sewing box....the problem is they look so great I don't want to use them.

A couple of notes.

September and October Stockings will be released the second week of November. We are running behind....(and I'm busy with my trim cards!)

We will not have a fall quilt book. The pattern Wild Pomegranate is it until spring....we will then have a spring book published by the Kansas City Star. The quilt from the beach will be in the spring book.

Loose Feathers will be released in November too.

There is an error in Joyeux Noel. E-mail me and I will send the missing pattern to you. I uploaded one of Niki's strawberries twice. I'm really sorry...but have a pdf to correct it. I know you will want to make her cute berries!

Until later dear friends.

Alma