#137 - Whitty Crafters uses for a BUNCH of header fabric!!

Good morning, friends!

Today it's time to toss around ideas for what to do with some header fabric.  Headers, for those of you who've been wondering this, are manufacturer's samplers.  A line of fabric in it's "colorway" is attached to a cardboard "header" in such a way that the fabrics cascade down so you can see them all.  Buyers use the header to select fabric their business will carry and we can use it to look at what fabrics are in a line and how they go together.

A sample of header fabric that will go to a wonderful fabric loving fan!

This "prize" will be a flat rate Priority Mail envelope filled/stuffed/packed with as many headers as I can fit inside!

So, what could one possibly DO with such a selection?  Ah.... so many things!

• Let's start with making a patchwork quilt - perhaps a "crazy quilt"?  Here is a site with how to create one!
• How about a patchwork Christmas stocking?
• Perhaps some pin cushions?
• Possibly a patchwork purse?  Some of the pieces are actually big enough to create a small bag in one whole piece!  You could use the coordinates for pockets or sew some together for the strap.
• These would be GREAT for making fabric bags for snacks and sandwiches - thinking GREEN!
• You could make items like a cell phone or glasses cases.
• Perhaps you need some small drawstring bags?  
• You could cover picture frames
• or use the fabrics in scrapbooking. 
• How about getting REALLY small and making fabric covered buttons?

Okay....hope that gets the creative juices flowing!

Have a GREAT day, friends and happy creating!
Hugs,
Carrie

Day #136 - Whitty Crafters uses for quilt labels

Good morning!

A gorgeous day here in NH - hoping everyone has a LOVELY day where ever you are!

 Today I thought we could consider what to do with quilt labels. 

This set is winter/Christmas/holiday themed. 

• The obvious starter is, to label your quilts!  With the holiday season "just around the corner" these would be perfect to go on a holiday gift quilt!  Do you label your quilts?  If not, you should!  As someone who works in a historical society, adding your name and date is VERY important!  It may seem like a little thing now, but in the future (FAR into the future) that information maybe important to someone in your family!  It might seem hard for us to imagine, but put yourself in your great-great-grandchildren's shoes!  Okay...that might be hard to consider...but you get my point!
• Use to create your Christmas cards this season!  Cut these out and either glue or stitch them onto cardstock, add a greeting and they are ready to pop in the mail!
• On the same vein - use these to create postcards.  Once again, attach to cardstock and viola!
• How about tags for your gift-giving?  Some are a bit big, but trim them and use for the "To/From" on your gifts.
• Sew a pair together, or use one and a coordinating fabric from your stash to create a pin cushion.  Cut them out, sew wrong sides together leaving a space for filling and then add your choice of "insides".  
• Collect some coordinating fabrics and create some holiday pot holders.  You could use one as a center in a Log Cabin block and build out from there or some other such design...oh...actually...you may see ME try this one!!
• Applique a design or two on a sweatshirt for the holidays!  My mom loves this sort of thing!
• Go "mixed media" with your embroidery machine and design a wall hanging!  Oh dear....may have to try THAT one, too!

As you can see, there are LOTS of directions to take this prize!  I LOVE thinking of fun ideas! 
Enjoy the day everyone!
Carrie

Day #135 - Whitty Crafters Quilt Pattern Choices!

Good morning everyone!

Looks like the clouds and rain of the last few days has moved out and a wee bit cooler and drier (a girl can hope?) weather is moving in!  Yay! 

Before heading out to work today I thought I'd toss out some of the patterns you can chose from if YOU win a pattern from my Etsy store!

 

Do you have lots of scraps?  THIS would be the perfect one!  The kit I put together for this one on eBay has 50 ,8 x10"ALL different blocks of Thimbleberries to cut up!

 

Have you played with rag quilts?  Here's a fun one!

 

I love anything that is simple and fun to work with - this one qualifies!  Coordinate, coordinate, coordinate!  Love it!

Gotta go!  Quilty hugs and creative thoughts to all!

Carrie

Send a friend!

Okay folks... we hit the 100 we needed for the blog but we are stalled at about 920 for Facebook!  If each of us brings 1 friend over, we should do it!  My thought is that most of you LOVE the headers, soooooooooooo.... invite your friends to "like" our Facebook page and be sure they say that YOU sent them (IE: "Carrie sent me") and for each new friend you send YOUR name goes into a drawing for a flat rate full of headers!

The drawing will be on the day we hit 1,000!  (Unless I am out in Missouri and don't have a computer handy...)  That also means that day is the day I will draw for ALL the goodies on the blog, as well!  Directions for that will be posted as soon as we get closer!  It will be easy peasy, I promise! 


Quilty hugs,
Carrie

Day #134 - Whitty Crafters Uses for Scrapbooking Goodies!

Good morning, friends!
Phew... got a bit waylaid with things around here, but I think I am back on track!

This morning I would like to consider ideas for using the scrapbooking goodies I have up for offer to my fans and followers in the upcoming drawing.

First, here they are:

This is a selection of Jolee's by You with a garden theme - unless you want to call the white pieces at the bottom boats, which would change the whole concept! 

Here's some thoughts...

• First, of course, would be accents to a scrapbooking page - say, something to your garden?  Some gorgeous, enlarged flowers tucked in the white "beds"?  Accent them with the little floral treats that are included?  Ones like these?  Trimmed and tucked in?

• Another easy peasy would be turning them into a card, actually, several cards with the number of goodies included!  OH.... wait!  How about 4-6 of them, all with a garden theme and then wrapped up together and given as a gift!!  Ha!!  

If you like that idea, here are some quotes you could use that I found at Wishafriend.com.

The earth laughs in flowers. - E. E. Cummings

Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul. - The Koran

With a few flowers in my garden, half a dozen pictures and some books, I live without envy. - Lope de Vega

Nobody sees a flower - really - it is so small it takes time - we haven't time - and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time. - Georgia O'Keeffe

Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful, they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul. - Luther Burbank

• How about adding them as decoration to a decoupage project?  Most of the flowers would be flat enough - a dot of glue and a bit of ModPodge!
• I used some of the tiny ones as accents on my project back a few months ago - you can see them sewed on on the bottom left.  It's not something you could wash, but it does make a sweet decoration!

• Glue as trim to a bulletin board, either on the border or to the cork.  Same thing on a small white board!
• Decorate the outside of a flower pot.
• Trim a picture frame.

Lot's of options!  Anyone else?

Have a great day, all!
Quilty hugs,
Carrie

Day #133 - "How-To" Using chalk cloth to make bunting/banners

Good morning!

I promised yesterday that I would give a How-To for making the chalk cloth banners mentioned yesterday.  Here you go:

To make the bunting/banners you need the following (quantity = how many you want to make!)

4" square blocks of chalkcloth (you can acually make them any size you want!) 

*** special note: DO NOT GET THE CHALKCLOTH NEAR THE IRON!!! (unless you like melted plastic!)

5" squares of backing fabric (whatever size you make the chalkcloth blocks, make these 1" bigger)
5" squares of iron on interfacing (follow sizing of backing fabric)
scrapbooking grommets & grommet tools OR just a hole punch!
ribbon to string them on

1. Cut out the 5" squares of fabric and interfacing.

2. Iron them together, wrong side of fabric to correct side of the interfacing (shiny side, on the Pellon I am using...oh...and I would realize that because...I tried to do the opposite?????) **Also, try to make them as accurate as possible! My iron smells pretty nasty when it goes on the sticky side of the Pellon!

3. Cut out 4" squares of chalkcloth.

4. Lay the chalkcloth in the center of the backed fabric (right side up) and fold the top and bottom sides into create the border. Clip them with binder clips.

5. Fold the sides in and crease. Then open them and clip at right angle to the square (see picture). Fold the top and bottom sides in and trim it off at an angle to create mitered corner.

6. Sew with a zigzag stitch.

7. To be able to string them, you can either just punch holes with a hole punch (they would be a bit big...perhaps just poke with an awl?) or what I did was to use my "Making Memories" scrapbooking tools and pop some of those colored grommets I have so many of! 

8. Run a ribbon through (I taped the end of the ribbon, like a shoelace, to make lacing easier, then just trimmed it off.)

9. To "fix" your chalkcloth, rub with chalk and wipe off. It's then "ready to use."

Have a great day!
Carrie

Day #132- "Whitty Crafter" ideas for Chalk cloth

Good morning!
We are about to REALLY hit some summer here today and tomorrow - high 90's!  Stay cool friends!

I thought we could chat this morning about chalk cloth.  Have you ever seen it?  It's GREAT!

I buy it by the yard and use it in all sorts of ways!  You can buy it from Amazon.com and Fabric.com (advantage = other fabric available and on sale... free shipping on orders over $35 right now) or you can win some from me!  :o)

Chalk cloth is sometimes referred to as "oil cloth" but this literally works with chalk and wipes off!

Some uses are:

• My favorite: activity placemats for children!  
• I found several reusable tag ideas while surfing the net, some to buy and some to make yourself.
• as a part of a portfolio/journal/car activity packet
• use when creating a bulletin board/chalkboard type message center as you can cut it to whatever shape you'd like!
• a whole blog dedicated to working with oil cloth!  WOW!  That would cover it!  
• How about the reusable banner blocks I am making in the picture above?   Come by tomorrow for a "how to"!! 

So stay cool, friends!
Chat tomorrow,
Carrie

PS.  We are rather stuck at 920ish FB fans.... we'd LOVE for you to "suggest" us to your friends!