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| My cookies finally have a fabric plate to sit on... |
A specialty channel runs a mini marathon of one of my favourite shows on Monday afternoons. Because I can't just sit and watch TV during the day, I've turned that block of four hours into creative time as I "hang around" the TV.
And because I don't have TV up in my sewing room, it's not an option to be full-time sewing during those hours.
Therefore, I focus on small little projects that can be done quickly, with minimal sewing time. (I'll often plan and cut fabric for more substantial projects if I have nothing quick and easy on the go.) My fabric fortune cookies was one of those projects.
In fact, that very project led to this one. After I made the fortune cookies, it was obvious that they needed a snazzy handmade plate to showcase them.
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| Bottom of plate (before quilting and finishing)... |
But did you think that with all of the sewing projects online, someone would have made a fabric plate? When I googled "make a fabric plate", a bunch of mod podged plate projects came up. No, I don't want to cover a plate with fabric...
That's when I decided that I'd have to improvise one. As is typical these days, the final steps came together in the middle of the night, during a "why can't I sleep" moment.
Not that it was a mind bender. There are — as you likely know — all sorts of projects for fabric bowls. Shallow bowl = plate.
The first projects I considered were paper pieced items, with a pentagon or hexi centre... but I couldn't convince myself to cut meticulously identical small pieces of fabric.
Ultimately, it was an assortment of microwave bowl cozy projects that inspired me. I would use the idea of sewing darts into the corners to create the shape. I'd just have to round off the corners to avoid a square plate.
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| My version of a fabric plate... |
That's when I decided to use a wavy edged floral template. On a previous Quick Craft Monday, I had added a popup paper flower to a Mother's Day card. I used the same flower making technique of fold a square piece of paper into a triangle several times to come up with a template.
The fabric here is one of my Eclectic Elements fat quarters, called Game Pieces.
Two days later, I made a second plate with a couple of my Spoonflower swatches. (Remember my Paisley Project? It still tickles me that something that I drew has become actual fabric.) This side is Paisley Doodle (Patterned).
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| Fabric plate in my Paisley Doodle (Patterned) Spoonflower fabric... |
The reverse side is Paisley Doodle (Rolling Black & White). Did I tell you that the plate is reversible?
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| Fabric plate in my Paisley Doodle (Rolling Black & White) Spoonflower fabric... |
It's another project to add to my fabric swatch challenge.
I will likely follow up with a tutorial — any interest? — but for you hackers out there, here's a quick rundown on my method.
Create the paper template. Then make a quilt sandwich with fabric and some fusible fleece and sew all four layers together, around the paper template. (Since I decided to sew it all the way around, I snipped a small hole into the centre of one side to facilitate turning it right side out.)
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| Maybe you'll want to put real cookies on this plate? |
Next, sew four equally spaced darts. After turning and pressing, top stitch and quilt as desired.
The hole in the middle was covered with a circular "patch" of matching fabric (interfaced). I satin stitched around this one here.
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| Cover the hole! |
If you're wondering about size, my template was made from an 8" (about 20cm) square of paper; the finished plate is about 7.75" across.
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| How about sewing notions? |
Now my fortune cookies have a fabric "home" plate. (One wouldn't think that it matters, but displaying them in a bowl or a basket did not do them justice.)
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| With only five cookies, a plate makes a better display than a bowl... |
And I got to feel accomplished once again on a QCM (Quick Craft Monday). Other recent projects that were QCMs include my fabric recipe card box, magic pouch, and selvage purse charm.
Don't underestimate the power of small projects that you can start and finish in an afternoon. They're a sure way of giving your creative mojo a boost.
Cool fabric plates!!! Small projects are all I have time for at the moment - and not very often. Definitely the only way to keep the mojo going.
ReplyDeleteA tutorial would be greatly appreciated. I am definitely not much of a hacker!
ReplyDelete