It’s easy to sew through and you can machine wash and tumble dry with no bunching. And with just one craft pack you can make a whole lunch bag, several pot holders, or two of the below handy, dandy Christmas Casserole Carriers featured in Christmas with Possibilities by Lynda Milligan and Nancy Smith. To get your Insul-Fleece experience underway (as well as get you started on your holiday crafting nice and early this year), read on for the Casserole Carrier project.

This Casserole Cozy fits an 8" x 8" dish

Holly Casserole Carrier

by Lynda Milligan and Nancy Smith

Materials and Yardage

Yardage is based on fabric that is at least 42″ wide.

Prewash fabric and Insul-Fleece so carrier will fit after laundering.

• Fabric: 1 1/8 yards
• Insul-Fleece: 1 square 15″ x 15″
• Heavy cardboard: 1 square  7¼” x 7¼”, 4 pieces 2″ x 7¼”

Cutting Fabric

• Base: 1 square 15″ x 15″ and 1 square 14″ x 14″
• Center Pocket: 1 piece 9″ x 9½”
• Side pockets: 4 pieces 6″ x 9″
• Ties: 8 pieces 1½” x 12″

Directions

Use 1/4˝ seam allowance unless otherwise noted.

1. Layer in order and pin: Insul-Fleece square, 15˝ × 15˝ fabric square right side up, and 14˝ × 14˝ fabric square right side down, and centered.

2. Stitch around the smaller square with a 3⁄8 ˝ seam allowance, leaving 4˝ open on one side for turning. Trim the large square even with the small square. Clip the corners, and turn through the opening so the Insul-Fleece is sandwiched between the fabric layers. Press. Pin the opening closed, and topstitch very close to the entire outside edge of the carrier.

3. Lightly mark a diagonal 2˝ grid on the outside of the carrier, and machine quilt on the lines.

4. Mark the fold lines on the inside of the carrier 21⁄2˝ from each side.

5. To hem one 9˝ side of the center pocket piece: Press 1⁄2 ˝ to the wrong side, then press 1⁄2 ˝ to the wrong side again. Stitch close to the fold. The pocket should measure 81⁄2˝ high by 9˝ wide.

6. Place the pocket wrong side down on the inside of the carrier, matching the hemmed edge with one marked fold line. Tuck under and pin 3 raw edges to meet the marked fold lines on the carrier. Press the pocket. Stitch the pinned edges very close to the folds.

7. Press the ties in half lengthwise, wrong sides together. Unfold. Press the long raw edges in to meet the pressed line. Fold in one end, then refold along the center line. Stitch across the end and along the double-folded edge.

8. Press the side pockets in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, to 3˝ × 9˝. Place one side pocket on the side of the carrier with the fold next to the edge of the center pocket. Tuck under and pin the 3 raw edges to meet the marked fold lines and on the outside edge of the carrier. Press the pocket. Repeat for the other 3 side pockets.

9. Tuck the raw end of a tie under the corner of the side pocket at each corner of the carrier. Pin in place. Stitch the pinned edges of the pockets, catching the ties in the stitching.

10. Trim the cardboard pieces slightly, if necessary, to fit the pockets. Slide the cardboard into the pockets. Fold up the sides of carrier, and tie each corner in a bow.

Related posts:

1. Super-Simple Costume Project: Halloween Super Hero
2. Quick and easy journal cover
3. Sewing Snack Bags and Sandwich Wraps

This stylish calling card case created by Creative Troupe member Diane Knoblauch makes a thoughtful and one-of-a-kind gift. Diane layered Lutradur^® over silk for a delicate and artistic look, but because of Lutradur’s strong fabric-like quality, it is sure to hold up as it slides in and out of pockets.

Lutradur Calling Card Case

designed by Diane Knoblauch

Materials

• Lutradur^® Mixed Media Sheets
• silk fabric
• Acrylic paint, such as Liquitex^®
• Spray gold mist
• Heat tool (optional)

Instructions:

1. Cut Lutradur and silk fabric to desired shape and size.
2. Paint Lutradur with acrylic paint.
3. Overspray with gold mist, allow to dry.
4. Sew or quilt the Lutradur to the silk using desired stitch style.
5. Using heat tool, carefully heat/melt textual holes into the Lutradur.
6. Sew button hole.
7. Fold over and sew around all edges using a satin stitch.
8. Sew button on.

The perfect companion gift to this Lutradur card case is Calling Cards – Connect with Style. But by simply altering the dimensions and color it could be tailored to other needs, such as a business card holder, or gift card holder. Read on for project instructions.

Related posts:

1. Butterfly Wall Hanging Project with Ultra-Light Lutradur
2. Technique Tuesday with Lisa Fulmer
3. Lutradur® home decor: Vases

This shawl carries a dreamy, romantic sentiment, making it the perfect accessory for an afternoon wedding or a cool night on the town. Creative Troupe member Lynn Corona used TAP™ Transfer Artist Paper to embellish her shawl with sweet vintage-inspired imagery, and employed her creativity to add the choicest flair in all the right places. The final result is ultra-feminine and very pretty.

Wistful Afternoon Shawl

Designed by Lynn Corona

Materials:

• TAP™ Transfer Artist Paper
• Image (this image was color washed and texturized with brushstrokes in Photoshop)
• Shawl or large scarf (light color recommended) that is made of heat tolerant fabric
• 3/4″ sheer organza ribbon in gold metallic
• pearls and/or sequins
• Fabric glue (designer used Aleenes’s Fabric Fusion Glue)
• Soft fabric paint in pearl rose and olive green (designer used Duncan’s)
• Small cosmetic sponges
• Fine tip scissors

Instructions:

1. Wash shawl or scarf to remove sizing, dry and iron flat.
2. Inkjet print image on the TAP™ Transfer Artist Paper per manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Trim away edges, and any extra white background up to the edge of the image. Cut away any straight edges to soften the image.
4. Locate the center of the shawl and the area where you desire to place the design and iron the design in place (see manufacturer’s instructions).
5. Using the cosmetic sponges,  dip into paint and apply, highlighting the edges of the picture and shawl. Allow to set.
6. Accent the picture with sequins and pearls as desired using fabric glue. Allow to set.
7. Cut approximately 10 qty  10″ strips of the 3/4″ organza ribbon. Make each strip into a small bow.
8. Using fabric glue, evenly space half of the fabric bows along the two bottom edges of the shawl.
9. Using fabric glue, add sequins or other embellishments between each bow.

Related posts:

1. Princess TAP™ T-shirt Project by Lesley Riley
2. Layered Portrait TAP™ Project by Lesley Riley
3. Thank You Card TAP™ Project by Lesley Riley

old candlestick

The Jewel

Elevated Felt Pincusion!

Supplies

• 12” tall candlestick – (mine was about 4.5” diameter for pillar candles)
• One men’s large sweater – felted. (You may need additional felted yardage to give you the pincushion size that you are after)
• 2 – 2.5oz roving – color doesn’t matter as it will be covered up
• Large felting needle
• Paper for tracing pattern
• Decorative pins (mine came from the scrapbook store)
• Carpet/button thread
• Tapestry needle
• Decorative ribbons

Instructions

1. With roving and a felting needle, create a half ball shape a little wider than the diameter of the candlestick. Include a little felted roving around the edge of the half ball so it sits evenly on the top of the candlestick. Set on top of candlestick, glue on if desired.
2. Cut sweater apart at the seams. I cut an 18/19 inch circle (the largest I could get) from the back, a 16 -17” circle form the front, a 15 – 16” circle form one of the sleeves and a 14 – 15” circle from the other sleeve.
3. Layer the three smaller circles of sweater evenly on top of candlestick ending with the larger size.
4. With your tapestry needle and double thickness of carpet thread sew a running stitch around the circle about 2 inches away from the cut edge. Note – as the sweater was felted, I didn’t have to worry about any raveling of stitches. If you wish, you can add a decorative edge stitch or lace at this time.
5. Place largest sweater circle on top of candle stick and gather carpet thread. Cinch it tight then tie off.
6. Add decorative ribbon to cover gathering stitches, tie bow.

NOTE: for more information on how to needle felt, check out C&T books A Touch of Felt and Fast, Fun and Easy^® Needle Felting, both by Lynne Farris.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

Next month’s junk: vintage skirt hem marker

What will Sue make out of that?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Junk to Jewel is a series where, once a month, C&T author and editorial team member Sue Astroth chronicles her upcycling adventures with thrift store finds.

Related posts:

1. Junk to Jewel: Pile of Old Sweaters to Felted Friendship Ribbons
2. Junk to Jewel: Tennis Racket Frame to Oversize Pincushion
3. Junk to Jewel: Messenger Bag to Reusable Gift Wrap

The beauty of this Monarch Butterfly Collage wall-hanging created by Creative Troupe Member Heidi Rand is the combination of silk and Ultra-Light Lutradur^® and how they convey the rugged delicateness of the subject itself. If you haven’t worked with Lutradur this project is sure to please. Pick an image, Find some scraps of gauzy or silk fabric, and have fun with this new product!

Monarch Butterfly Collage Wall-Hanging Project

Designed by Heidi Rand

Materials:

• Ultra-light Lutradur^® – letter size
• Liquitex^® Matte Medium
• Foam paintbrush
• Ink jet printer
• Fabric – gauzy, silky
• Sewing machine
• Copy paper
• Tape
• heat tool

Instructions:

1. Apply 2 coats of Liquitex Matte Medium with a foam brush to one side of the Ultra-light Lutradur. Allow to dry thoroughly between coats.
2. Tape coated Lutradur to copy paper for a backing to get it through printer.
3. Print your chosen image onto Lutradur using ink jet printer. Remove tape and paper backing.
4. Using a heat tool, curl and melt edges of the Lutradur. Hold heat tool a few inches from the edge of the Lutradur.  Melting will occur quickly, so move tool in slowly to avoid over-melting. Do this in well-ventilated area, or use protective mask.
5. Cut your fabric backing to desired size larger than Lutadur.
6. Free motion stitch around the design or at random, stitching Lutradur to the fabric backing.
7. Stitch around fabric backing, to prevent fraying.
8. To hang: Cut fabric tabs for hanging apparatus, loop over and stitch to top of fabric backing. Cut or break twig to size, place through loops to hang. Experiment with hanging in window to emphasize translucence of Lutradur.
9. If darker image is desired, paint back of Lutradur with white Liquitex acrylic paint before applying matte medium or use lighter fabric backing.

For more information about the C&T Publishing Creative Troupe, click here.

Related posts:

1. Mixed Media Ultra-Light Lutradur® Greeting Cards
2. Outdoors In: Ultra-Light Lutradur Lamp Shade Project
3. Lutradur Calling Card Case

This “Outdoors In” lamp shade created by Creative Troupe member Kathleen Brown really takes advantage of the whimsical translucency of new Ultra-Light Lutradur^®.

If you get the chance to enjoy a lazy day this summer season, keep your eyes peeled for leaves, flowers, and other gifts from mother nature that you can bring from “outdoors in” and incorporate into your own easy lamp shade. This project not only puts a very seasonal touch on your home decor, but also preserves the warm memories of that very special, lazy summer day for years to come. Read on for project instructions.

“Outdoors In” Lamp Shade

Designed by Kathleen Brown

Materials:

• Ultra-Light Lutradur (enough to wrap around lamp shade)



• Plain lamp shade purchased from your local craft store
• Enough decorative trim to fit around upper and lower edges of lamp Shade
• 20 jump rings
• 10 charms or beads
• Glue
• Pressed leaves or other 2-dimensional found  natural objects
• Scrap paper to make pattern of lamp shade
• Large needle
• Pliers

Instructions:

1. Create lamp shade pattern by laying lamp shade on its side at the lower left hand corner of the scrap paper. Roll lam pshade along paper and trace both upper and lower edges with a pencil. Cut out pattern.
2. Cut piece of Ultra-Light Lutradur to size of pattern.
3. Position and glue leaves or other found objects on to lamp shade.
4. Place a line of glue along the seam line of the lamp shade. Attach one short edge of Ultra-Light Lutradur, then wrap it around and glue it into place so that one end is butting up against or slightly overlapping the other end.
5. Cut decorative trim to lengths of upper and lower shade edges and glue in to place.
6. Poke 10 holes in lamp shade’s lower edge with a large needle, spacing them out from one another as desired. Thread a jump ring through each hole.
7. Attach each of the remaining 10 jump rings to a bead or charm. Using pliers, secure a beaded jump rings to each of the jump rings on shade.

Related posts:

1. Butterfly Wall Hanging Project with Ultra-Light Lutradur
2. Mixed Media Ultra-Light Lutradur® Greeting Cards
3. Wistful Afternoon Shawl TAP Project

I met Lois Jarvis at Spring Quilt Market a few months ago and she told me how she likes dyeing things with rust. I was intrigued, as I had never heard of rust dyeing before and she invited me to visit her website that’s dedicated to surface design and dyeing with rust and promised I could learn all about it there. Later she sent me this rust image transfer technique project to share with all of you and I have to say I can’t wait to try this technique!

So whenever I’m walking my dog around our neighborhood, I’m keeping my eyes peeled for abandoned rusty objects. If you get past the fact that you are walking around in public with a very obvious piece of junk, I think the jewel of rust-dyed fabric may be in store for you!

Check out Lois’ art gallery for examples of the beauty of rust dyeing.

Supplies

• Rusty item with interesting image
• Salt
• Water in spray bottle
• Piece of cotton cloth

Procedure

Select an item that has a good buildup of iron oxide on it. Study the photo below to help you get an idea of what you should be looking for. These items have interesting images to transfer to fabric, but only the corn-stick muffin pan has enough naturally occurring iron oxide built up on it to make a successful transfer.

The picture below shows the iron trivet I am going to use in this demonstration to make an image transfer. You can see it has much more iron oxide built up on it than it did when the upper photo was taken. The more orange you see, the stronger the image transfer will be.

Cover the item with the piece of cloth.

Wet the piece of cloth by spraying water on it. The rust has to actually touch the cloth to make the image transfer. The water weights the cloth down so it will touch the rust item you have selected. If your item has a good buildup of rust and you pour water onto the cloth, your image will start to transfer. Note that if you are not happy with the placement and wish to move the cloth, you might end up with a shadow transfer.

You can see from the results below that the image you transfer will not be an exact print but rather an impression of the original object. Sprinkle salt on the wet cloth. Spray water over the salt to start it  dissolving. I am home all day and can keep my pieces hydrated. If you have to go to work you can put them in a plastic bag. Don’t wrap the bag tightly around you rust dyeing. Rust, salt and water need oxygen to make their chemical reactions.

Here is what the cloth still on the trivet looked like when I decided it was done. Rust dyeing is based on heat. It was hot and humid the day I did this. It took 24 hours. You can decide it is done sooner if you just can’t wait any longer to see your image.

The image is transferred to the cloth. The picture below is the side of the fabric that was against the trivet.

The picture below is the side that was not against the trivet.

The first time you transfer an image from any rusty item be prepared to be disappointed. Iron objects often acquire an adherent, stable rust layer from past exposure to high levels of moisture that slows down the corrosion of the underlying metal. Please do not let that initial disappointment discourage you. The next one will be a stronger image, and the next one even stronger. Soon you will have that particular rusty item work for you and you will be thinking up ways to combine it with other images to create wonderful unique designs on fabrics.

POST PRODUCTION NOTES

Line-dry each piece of fabric and save them up until there is enough to run a small load in the washing machine. Wash the dyed fabric in a washing machine with a capful of Synthrapol before using it. Synthrapol is a detergent that holds excess dye molecules in suspension in the washing water so they cannot attach themselves on the white areas of your fabric.

Iron and enjoy using this fabric!

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Learn about rust dyeing
Visit the rust dyeing blog

Related posts:

1. Thank You Card TAP™ Project by Lesley Riley
2. Happy TAP-pers!
3. Quilting Tips: Washing Fabric

Greeting Card designed by Sonja Lee Austin using Ultra-Light Lutradur

Creative Troupe member Sonja Lee-Austin created these elegant greeting cards by collaging pieces of new Ultra-Light Lutradur^® and paper after running them through her inkjet printer. Similar to our Lutradur^® Mixed Media Sheets (which is a mix of regular and heavyweight), Ultra-Light Lutradur can be sewn, heat tooled, painted, glued, inkjet printed, and more. Sonja has shared her technique for creating these fresh, seasonal cards with us, and we share it will you at the end of this blog post!

Click on each of the three images below to enlarge and get a good look at each card’s unique design.

Creative Trouper Kathleen Brown also put a lovely Ultra-Light Lutradur touch on greeting cards. This butterfly card she designed is so light, airy, and undeniably pretty, it’s so perfect for a mid-summer “thinking of you” surprise greeting sent to a loved one by mail.

Butterfly greeting card designed by Kathleen Brown using Ultra-Light Lutradur

Flower appliqué greeting card made by Kathleen Brown using Ultra-Light Lutradur

Ultra-Light Lutradur really brings warmth and cheeriness to the flower appliqué card Kathleen designed. The texture of the Lutradur seems to make it more than a paper card, though admittedly less than a hug.

You’ll get inspired by the other fancy things the Troupers have made using Ultra-Light Lutradur when you visit this Flickr gallery.

Collaged Ultra-Light Lutradur^® Greeting Card

Designed by Sonja Lee-Austin

Materials:

• Ultra-Light Lutradur^®
• Liquitex^® Matte Gel Medium (or other inkjet pre-coat)
• Blank note cards
• Steam-a-Seam 2 (SAS2)
• letter size printing paper
• Tape

Tools:

• Inkjet printer
• Paint brush
• Scissors
• Teflon pressing sheet
• Iron

Instructions:

1. Prepare surface of  a 5″ x 7″ piece of Ultra-Light Lutradur by painting on a coat of Liquitex Matte Gel Medium. Allow to dry.
2. Tape one narrow edge of Ultra-Light Lutradur on to the middle of a sheet of letter-size computer printing paper with the pre-coated side up.
3. Print a high contrast 8.5″ x 11″ image onto the Lutradur/paper by feeding the tape side of the sheet into the printer first. Peel the printed Lutradur off the sheet of paper and discard the used tape.
4. Cut Steam-a-Seam 2 slightly smaller than the front of the card (ex. 3″x5″ for a 4″x5″ card).
5. Peel off both of the Steam-a-Seam backing papers and place the Steam-a-Seam in the center of the card’s front side.
6. Cut up the printed Lutradur and the sheet of letter-sized printed paper into various size small rectangles. Create a composition on the SAS2 (which is sticky so pieces will temporarily stay in place) slightly overlapping each piece. Experiment with adding alternative fancy papers or webbings to the design.
7. Once SAS2 is fully covered with pieces of printed Ultra-Light Lutradur and paper, place the pressing sheet on top and apply heat with the iron on a steam setting. If the card curls up, flip it over and iron it again from the back side.

Optional:

Add sparkle with foil, or glitz sprays, such as Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist.

Related posts:

1. Outdoors In: Ultra-Light Lutradur Lamp Shade Project
2. Butterfly Wall Hanging Project with Ultra-Light Lutradur
3. Thank You Card TAP™ Project by Lesley Riley

Materials

• 2 fat quarters of complimentary fabric
• 18” x 22” piece of fast2fuse fusible interfacing
• Thread to match
• Sewing machine
• Hot glue gun
• Ribbons, charms or other embellishments
• Template paper or die cut machine with two sizes of heart dies – mine were 41/2” and 2 3/4” h
• Pearle cotton
• Tapestry needle

Instructions

1. Iron and fuse the fabric to each side of the fast2fuseWith heart template, or die cut machine, cut out two large hearts and two small ones.
2. Satin stitch around each heart.  Tie off threads to the wrong side and trim away excess.
3. Lay two of the large hearts together, wrong sides together.  Using a straight stitch, sew hearts together just on the inside of your satin stitching.  Make sure to leave a large enough opening at the top to include your gift card.
4. With pearle cotton and tapestry needle add a loop so you can hang ornament on a tree or package.
5. Glue two small hearts to front and back of ornament.
6. Embellish front with ribbons and charms.

You could use about any shape you like—ovals, circles, squares—to create unique ornaments. Some other options are party favors, place cards, thank you note holders, a valentines…With a little fancy cutting, you could even make them into ornament frames and add pictures of family and friends.

I’d love to see what you come up with.

Related posts:

1. Over-the-Top Top Hat Halloween Project
2. Super-Simple Costume Project: Halloween Super Hero
3. Quick no-sew fast2fuse coasters

This tote bag project makes the perfect summer gift for mom or a gal pal. It demonstrates the technique of printing an image onto a sheet of TAP™ Transfer Artist Paper then enhancing the printed image with oil pastels before transferring the image on to the base in the project (in this case a very clean, white tote bag).

Garden Tote

By Lesley Riley

Materials:

• TAP™ Transfer Artist Paper
• Iron
• Plain tote bag from craft store (white or light colors work best)
• Portfolio oil pastels (available at Staples in the children’s section)
• Optional: basket photo (see below)
• Low-tack tape
• 2 sheets of clean copy or parchment paper

Instructions:

1. Print or draw a basket onto a sheet of TAP. To maximize drawing area, place basket on one of the long sides of TAP. If using a photo and photo-editing software, erase areas of the basket for leaves & flowers (See sample).

2. Draw and/or color leaves and flowers directly onto the sheet of TAP.

3. Iron out any fold lines or wrinkles on the tote bag.

4. Insert 1 sheet of copy paper inside the tote.

5. Position prepared TAP face down on tote and tape in place. Note: Oil pastels will smear if moved when in contact with tote.

6. Cover TAP with clean sheet of paper and iron until transfer is complete.

Related posts:

1. Thank You Card TAP™ Project by Lesley Riley
2. Princess TAP™ T-shirt Project by Lesley Riley
3. Layered Portrait TAP™ Project by Lesley Riley