DIY fabric scrap bracelets

Are there any hidden gems in your scrap heap? Share your secret treasures with the world, wear your passion round your wrist and make these awesome fabric scrap bracelets today!

Click here for the fabulous tutorial by Saved By Love Creations. 

Is your scrap collection losing its charm? Then pop on over to your local Fabric & Textile Warehouse and raid our stores. We sell scrap by weight – great for those needing to supplement their collection.

If you’re looking for something more give us a call (0861 322 839 | 0861 FAB TEX). You can also check out our ONLINE CATALOGUE for a sneak peak at what you can find at your local store.

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Adding fabric touch-ups to doorknobs.

Looking to create a seamless décor experience? What about highlighting your colour scheme by extending your favourite fabrics to more than just the curtains or upholstery? With just a little bit of effort and a splodge or two of glue, you can cover your “knobs” with fabric. Click here for more of the “how to” from Olivia Kanaley, of A Field Journal. 

Whether you’re in to vibrant patterns, or subtle pastels, you’re sure to find the fabric of your dreams at your local Fabric and Textile Warehouse. Give us a call on our GOLDEN NUMBER (0861 322 839 | 0861 FAB TEX) to find out more about what’s in stock and on special or take a sneak peek at our ONLINE CATALOGOUE when you click here. Hey, while you’re at it why not send us a FRIEND REQUEST on Facebook and FOLLOW US on Twitter. You can also FIND US on Pinterest. 

The healing arts: DIY fabric and ribbon band-aids

Took a tumble? Celebrate your misadventure and learn from your mistake with these creative DIY fabric and ribbon band-aids from The Pink Couch, a little place filled with art, photos, recipes and inspiration.

You’ll need:

Glue dots
Fabric adhesive band-aids
Ribbon or fabric scraps

Instructions:

Unwrap the band-aids from package and place 3 glue dots on the top of the band-aid.

Add a small piece of fabric or ribbon on top. Trim the excess fabric off from around the edges of the band-aid and let the healing begin.

Scrap-heap not up to scratch? Not to worry, we offer great deals on scraps sold by weight. Just give us a call on our GOLDEN NUMBER (0861 322 839 | 0861 FAB TEX) to find out more.

Here’s an idea for now, later or whenever… click here and take a gander at our online catalogue. It’s choc-a-block with fab fabrics. And while you’re at it, why not send us a FRIEND REQUEST on Facebook and FOLLOW US on Twitter. You can also FIND US on Pinterest.

A lazy girl’s quilt

So, who’s the lazy girl? Well, that would be Disney of Ruffles & Stuff, a great little blog for crafts and inspiration. Her lazy girl quilt is perfect for those looking for a short cut to quilted perfection. Check it out here. 

Interested in something a little more difficult? Check out our collection of quilting books and patterns. Perfect for everyone from beginners to experts. We’ve also got a host of quilting cottons and batting available. Give us a call on our Golden Number (0861 322 839 | 0861 FAB TEX) for more info.

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Stake your claim with DIY cake flags

Even if you did buy the cake from Woolies, you can still leave your guests in awe of your mad skills with these adorable little flags. 

Click here to view the tutorial on Poppytalk, a fab little blog filled with inspiration and DIY guides. 

This tutorial is a great way to demolish that fabric scrap heap. If yours is, however, looking and little thread bare come on in. We offer great deals on off-cuts sold by weight. Call us on our GOLDEN NUMBER 0861 322 839 | 0861 FAB TEX to find out more about our latest deals. You can also send us a FRIEND REQUEST on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and stay up to date with the latest news and specials.

Cover it up with sequins – DIY elbow patches

Looking for a classy way to spruce up an old cardigan or tired shirt? Then, you’re going to just love this quick how-to from a pair and a spare, the ultimate blogging experience for any DIY diva. 

You’ll need:

• a jersey or long sleeved top of some king
• sequin fabric
• scissors
• a needle and thread
• craft paper and a pen

Instructions:

Using your hand as a guide, draw an oblong shape on the paper.

Cut the paper out and pin it to the back of the sequins.

Cut the shape out.

Do a second one the same.

Pin the patches in place, and then try on the sweater to make sure they are located in the right place. Then lightly stitch them on, using a longer stitch on the inside of the sweater and a shorter one on the front so that the stitches are less noticeable.

Stitch the other patch on, making sure to stitch in the right place so they look symmetrical.

And there you have it.

Come on in and peruse our fabric selection. We have a host of sequined fabrics for you to choose from. You can also give us a call on our Golden Number (0861 322 839 | 0861 FAB TEX) and we’ll help you find what you need. While you are at it send us a FRIEND REQUEST on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and stay up to date with the latest news and specials.

DIY Quilt Block: Shattered Chevrons

This Shattered Chevrons Quilt Block is an excellent way to use up any left overs you have hanging around in your scrap pile. This tutorial, which comes to you from the amazing Anne of Play Crafts blog, makes a 32 cm² (12.5″ x 12.5″) unfinished block. All seams are 0.635 cm (1/4″).

Note:  For this project all seams are pressed to the side rather than open. It lends a bit more stability and honestly it’s a lot of seams so it’s easier. It will still, however, work if you choose to press them open.

You will need:

• 5-20 different fabrics, depending on how complicated you want the block to be
• Four 6.35 cm x 32 cm (2.25″ x 12.5″) strips of background fabric for the border

Instructions:

Anne was asked to create a block containing the following colours: purple, aqua, and lime green. She therefore generally chose 6 or 7 fabrics for each colour.

Once the fabrics are chosen, sort them into piles based on what you want your chevron strips to look like. In this tutorial there are 1-2 of each color in each strip. Anne found that 5 fabrics per strip worked best, and therefore made four different strips.
Take one stack of five fabrics, and decide which order they’re going to be in. Cut strips from each fabric. The top and bottom fabric should be cut at about 10 cm (4″) wide, while the three inner fabrics should be cut anywhere between 2.5 and 5 cm (1-2″ respectively).

Once the fabrics are cut, line the up using the 45 degree mark on your cutting board.

Sew the strips together, keeping the layout you found from lining up to the 45 degree mark on the mat.

Once all the strips are sewn together, press your seams.

Line up the bottom of the fabric with the 45 degree mark on your ruler, and trim off the corners along the left side if you’re a lefty or flip and trim along the right side if you’re right handed.
Now comes the magic of Seminole piecing.

Cut 4.5 cm (1 3/4″) strips from your newly trimmed edge. Cut two strips.

Next, pick another stack of fabrics and repeat the process.

For the last two stacks, you need to get the diagonals going in the opposite direction, which means lining up against the opposite 45 degree mark on the mat. Flipping the strips does not change the direction of the diagonal.
Repeat the same steps as above.

Trim and cut the strips from the side that was lined up along the 45 degree line.

Take your last stack and repeat the process, using the 45 degree line on the right side of the mat.

Now you should have two sets of strips with a diagonal going up and to the right, and two that go down and to the right.

Design a layout for your block by alternating strips going in each direction. This is what creates the chevron shape.
Remember that you can flip each individual strip to add variety. You have a lot of wiggle room, so the strips don’t need to line up at either end. The less they line up, the more chaotic the end result will be.

Sew the strips together once you are happy with your layout.
The strips are cut on the bias so they are pretty stretchy. Be careful to not stretch them too much while sewing.

Trim the block to 25 cm (10″) square. This doesn't have to be very precise. If you like the longer tails on each strip then don't trim them too much.

Now just add the border.
It's best to do the top and bottom borders first because they help to hold the block’s shape. Anne used a 5.7 cm (2.25″) border, and trimmed down. If you have trimmed aggressively, you will want to cut larger border pieces.

Add the side borders, trim to 32 x 32 cm (12.5″ x 12.5″) and you are done!

Used up all your scraps on our other scrap-happy projects? Not to worry, we offer GREAT DEALS on off-cuts sold by weight! Just give us a call on our Golden Number: 0861 322 839 | 0861 FAB TEX for what’s in stock and on special.  You can also send us a FRIEND REQUEST on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and stay up to date with the latest news and specials.

Taking time to create a patchwork headboard

In this wonderful tutorial from Erin at Taking Time to Create you’ll discover just how easy it is to make this wonderful patchwork headboard.

You will need:

2 sheets of 19mm plywood
Table saw, circular saw or jigsaw or you can have everything cut to size in store (see measurements below)
High density foam 
Batting
Spray adhesive
1 m of fabric in various colours and patterns
Scissors 
Staple gun and 8mm staples
Duct tape
Drill/Driver and assorted bits
35mm wood screws
2 Keyhole hangers

Cutting List*

1 piece 1000mm x 1500mm plywood (19mm thick)

40 pieces 200mm x 200mm plywood (19mm thick)

*These measurements were made for a double bed and will need to be modified for a bed of any other size.

Instructions:

• Cut the foam and batting into 40 pieces 200 x 200mm.
• Cut the fabric into 40 pieces 300 x 300mm
• Starting with a single piece of 200 x 200mm plywood, attach a piece foam to the plywood using spray adhesive.

Cover the foam with a piece of batting and place, batting side down, in the centre of a piece of fabric.

Pull the fabric over the edge of the wood and staple in the middle of each side.  The key here is to ensure that the fabric is pulled tightly enough so that you get a smooth even finish, but not so tightly that you stretch or damage the fabric.  

                       

Pull the fabric up tight - but not too tight - and staple to cloth both corners on one side of the wood. Fold the corners neatly for nice, sharp corners. Repeat for all remaining corners.

                     

Repeat steps 1 – 6 for the reaming 39 blocks.

                     

Arrange the 40 blocks in a patchwork pattern you like and then flip them over so that the plywood faces up, but your pattern is still maintained. It would probably be worthwhile to double check that the surface you are working on is clean before flipping your pieces fabric side down.

Line up the pieces carefully along the wood edges and tape them together. 

Place your large piece of plywood over the patchwork pieces and screw them together so that you get a screw in each patchwork piece.

On the back of the complete board, drill to attach 2 keyhole hangers for mounting your new patchwork headboard onto the wall. If you prefer not to mount the headboard onto the wall, attach two legs to the base of the complete board. These legs should be slightly lower than the total height of your mattress and base.

Thinking of using scraps for this and other patchwork projects? We offer great deals on off cuts sold by weight. Give us a call on our Golden Number 0861 322 839 | 0861 FAB TEX to find out more.

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Curtain customisation

Need to improve the view, but a little strapped for cash? Here are a few quick and easy ways to revitalise your existing curtains.

Get swept off your feet with a romantic sheer overlay. 

Add your favourite fabric as a trim to the top or bottom of the curtain. 

Create a theme with fabric scraps, markers or paint. 

Get creative with buttons, ribbons and sequins. 

The Fabric and Textile Warehouse haberdashery is full of little bits and bobs to help you create a one-of-a-kind window treatment. We also offer great deals on off-cuts sold by weight. Give us a call on our Golden Number (0861 322 839 | 0861 FAB TEX) to find out more about what’s in store for you. 

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All covered up – how to create fabric buttons

This quick little project from Home-Dzine shows just how easy it is to make fabric covered buttons.

You will need:

Scrap of fabric*
Button with shank
Scissors
Thread
Fine needle
Ruler
Ballpoint pen
*You will only need a very small piece of fabric. If you are matching an existing project, try to find a wide seam where you can cut off a piece.

Instructions:

1.  With the button on the fabric and upside down, trace around the button to get the circumference of the piece of fabric needed to cover the button. Put the button aside and cut the circle.

2.      Using the needle and thread, stitch a running stitch along the edge of the fabric circle. Make sure to leave a tail of thread long enough to make a couple knots.

3.      Place the button upside down right in the middle of the stitched round piece of fabric. Pull both ends of thread until the fabric snuggles the button. Make a couple knots making sure the fabric is tight around the shank of the button. 

There should not be any fabric or thread blocking the button's shank so you can sew your button to your projects. 

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Getting your panels in a twist!

The Aussie blog Shocking Hocking offered up a twisted tutorial that we thought was too good not to share.

You will need:

·                     heavy duty interfacing (1 piece, 17.8cm x 30.5cm)

·                     ruler

·                     pencil

·                     main fabric

·                     colourful scraps of fabric for the twists at least 3.8cm wide and 12.7cm

NOTE: Starch your fabric - it helps when cutting and piecing

Instructions:

1.       Cut your main fabric into the following pieces:

·         5 pieces, 3.8cm x 12.7cm

·         4 pieces, 3.2cm x 12.7cm  (the spacers)

·         1 piece, 12.7cm x 8.9cm (this will be trimmed later)

·         1 piece, 12.7cm x 16.5cm (this will be trimmed later)

·         2 pieces, 6.4cm x 30.5cm (these will be trimmed later)

2.       Mark up the interfacing with your pencil and ruler:

·         Measure in 3.8cm from each long side and draw a line

·         Measure in 7.6cm from one short side and draw a line

·         From the  7.6cm line, measure and mark a further 4 lines, 2cm apart

·         Set aside for later

3.       Sew your twists:

·         Using all the fabric pieces sized  3.8cm x 12.7cm, sew each of the scrap pieces to a main Fabric piece down one long side and with a 0.6cm seam

·         Press open the seams (this makes it easier to get a good edge), then finger press the twists closed along the seam line, wrong sides together and press again

·         Trim the twists so they are 2.5cm wide and 12.7cm long

4.       Piece the panel:

·         Lay the 12.7cm x 8.9cm on top of the interfacing, right side uppermost and centred between the top and bottom lines, carefully matching the 7.6cm line and edge stitch to hold

·         Lay your first twist along this line, carefully matching the long raw edges and edge stitch to hold

·         Lay one 3.2cm x 12.7cm spacer on top of the twist, matching raw edges and sew through all thicknesses with a 0.6cm seam where you just edge stitched

·         Turn main fabric over to the right and press (the long edge of the folded out spacer should be aligned with the next 2cm line drawn on the interfacing)

·         Edge stitch the raw edge

·         Continue adding the twists in this manner until you have stitched down the last one. 

·         You will not have any spacers left, but that's ok, because now you'll use the 12.7cm x 16.5cm piece to complete the width of the panel

5.       Create the twist:

·         From the back of the piece, sew along one of the 3.8cm lines to hold your twists in place

·         Fold the other end of each twist to the opposite side and pin to hold

·         Stay stitch along the 3.8cm line at the bottom to hold

6.       Complete the panel:

·         Sew the remaining main fabric pieces (30.5cm x 5.1cm) to the top and bottom of the panel and press open

·         Trim the panel and use as you please.

Get everything you need for this project and more at your local Fabric and Textile Warehouse. We also offer great deals on offcuts sold by weight. Give us a call on our Golden Number (0861 322 839 | 0861 FAB TEX) and we’ll let you know what’s in stock and on special. You can also ‘friend us’ on Facebook and ‘follow us’ on Twitter.