And More!

I noticed that I very enthusiastically said "and more!" twice in last week's post, so I thought I'd just go ahead and start off with that! Because this post features MORE projects using printed charm squares, only these are the no-sew variety. Except for one, as you will see. For all of these projects, I started with using iron-on adhesive to bond the fabric to some sort of paper backing. 

Starting off with my favorite! What could be more wonderful than hand-printed fabric picture frames to show off pictures of your family members? Materials: hand-printed charm square, iron-on adhesive, mulberry paper backing, poster board (I used black for this), and glue. And, of course, a cute photo. I have to confess that this is not actually a picture of Frankie. But this frame made me realize I need to have her portrait taken. 

I love these little accordion books and this worked out so well with the different (but coordinated) patterns on each cover. You can fill these books with photos, doodles, souvenirs, etc. and then mail them like a multi-page greeting card, carry them around in your purse like a book, or set them on display anywhere around your house. 

Now, this idea is a work in progress. Charming fabric greeting cards.  I love the idea, but I need to work out the stitching. I think it would look better hand-stitched, don't you?

And why do these stitches look slanted? That's looking a bit strange if you ask me. If you have any idea what the problem might be, please share! I suppose it's time to make a trip to the sewing machine repair shop for a tune-up.

And here we have a very nice set of coordinating coasters. These take a bit of work. After you bond the fabric to paper (I suggest something sturdy like card stock), you need to seriously glue it on to a cut-to-size square of cork backing. Then, you iron on some iron-on vinyl (love using this stuff!). I used a matte finish vinyl for these, but the vinyl is more easily found in the gloss finish. This way you can just wipe off any spills or stains. I call these my faux tile coasters and I carry a few sets in my shop. This set did not pass quality control, I'm afraid. One of them has an odd bumpy texture. Don't you hate it when that happens?