Embrace your inspiration...Inspiration Cafe by Heather

Thanks for visiting the Inspiration Cafe this week.  It's Heather (your sewing guide), back for my turn to show you what I've got percolating this week. 

One of my favorite things about sewing, is being inspired by something and then making it my own.  My family room is sorely in need of...I wouldn't say redecorating so much as I would say...decorating.  On one wall, we have...a big screen TV.  That's it.  It needs something...almost anything to give it some excitement.

This is what I decided would give the room a little...flair.  Go ahead and read what you see here out loud.  It took The Mister a few seconds to get it...so don't worry...just say it.

The Mustache craze that's going around the interwebs right now is my favorite.  So, I  have made it my own.  This project that I'm making isn't just for an experienced sewer or quilter, I am using a technique that any beginner can use with ease. Just ask my Sister.  You just need a special tool...it's called fusible interfacing, and it's a miracle product.  You are able to fake applique...and for somebody who actually does applique the traditional way, whenever I use fusible web, I think...Dang, I should only use this.  Please make sure you don't buy heavy fusible web unless that is what you want...which it probably never is  Buy the light weight version.  What's great about this is you can make personalized shirts for you or your kids.  You can make adorable blankets even more adorable.  What about holiday projects...fuhgedaboutit.

Okay, so let's get started.  The first thing I did...was decide how big my wall hanging was going to be.  I happened to have some tissue paper that was 24 X 20 inches and thought...that'll do.  So I roughly positioned my phrase...knew approximately how I wanted to look, and went from there.

Now, you need to get your words just right. For me, I used my printer and found a font that I liked and made it HUGE (by the way, if you are going to use words, you need to trace them onto the fusible web mirror image).  The easy way I do this is print or write out your words and then turn the paper over and trace them onto the reverse side of the paper.  Voila.  Mirror Image.  And this mirror image is what you then trace onto the fusible web paper...and when you cut it out, it'll be right side.  Magic.

Now that you've got it traced onto your fusible web, you iron it onto the backside of your fabric.  I cannot emphasize that enough.  I don't know how many times I have wasted fabric and had to re-do my fusible interfacing because I ironed it onto the front side of the fabric.  Your fabric's pretty...I know...but look at it later.

Now cut out the words or the image.  They'll have a protective layer of paper on the back side.  Do not remove this paper until you are ready to iron it onto whatever you are ironing it on.

I removed the paper and then ironed my words onto white fabric.  I knew that the wall hanging I was going to ultimately put this on had many different fabrics in the background and so I wanted to be able to read the phrase easily.  So, it's black on white (I also had my white fabric on fusible web so it would be easy to attach to the background).  Take it from me, this comes from experience; if you try and put words onto printed fabric, it can be tricky to read.  That's the reason for the white fabric.  I then cut my images out and left a thin, white border.

Time to iron it onto your background fabric.  I'd say that my inspiration for this was shades of gray...but that just sounds naughty now. 

I pieced together many different 2.5" squares to use as my background.  You can do this...or you can just use a single piece of fabric that you really like.  So, to place your iron-on transfers, remove the paper backing and you will see your image now has a layer of adhesive on the back.  Just place it where you want it, iron over it, following the directions and it will stay there...more or less...definitely with some stitching.  Do not put your iron on the adhesive side...it'll make a mess of your iron...personal experience again.

This is where I made a mistake that I do not want you to make.  You are going to have to sew your iron on transfer down around the edges...otherwise it will peel off your final product.  No good.  You can just use a zig-zag stitch or blanket stitch to outline.  My mistake was...I sewed over the white fabric with the fusible web paper still attached.  I had to then carefully pick the paper out of the stitches before I could iron it on the wall hanging...it worked out okay, but I wouldn't recommend it.  In the future I would say iron the cut out image onto it's final resting place as you want it to appear and then sew it down.  Match your fabric and your outline thread.  You don't really want the thread to show up.

I threw on a black border because I want it to look like it's framed.  Make sure to measure accurately.  If you find your top and bottom edges aren't exactly the same, then meet in the middle.  So if the top is 20 1/4" and the bottom is 20"...then cut your border strip to 20 1/8" and you shouldn't end up with a pucker.

Thanks for checking us out here at Inspiration Cafe, please come back next week to see what Danni's up to.

Happy Reading!

Heather