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Craft Tip of the Week
Storing Cotton Fabric
Whether you are a quilter, seamstress or occasional crafter your fabric needs tender loving care to prevent fiber damage. Fabric can fade if exposed to fluorescent lights and ultraviolet radiation from sunlight. Folded fabric can begin to weaken along the creases or develop permanent creases that will not iron out. Acid is damaging to plant-derived fabrics such as cotton and linen.
If you ask 10 quilters, seamstresses or crafters how to store fabric, you will probably get 10 different answers. Some of them might be:
In a dresser drawer
In pizza boxes
In Pendaflex files
On a bookshelf
In shoe boxes
In cardboard boxes
While these all sound like great ideas, personally, I wouldn't use any of those methods, mostly due to acid release. The best way to store large piece of fabric is wrapped in muslin or in a white, cotton pillowcase. Of course those methods are not see-through. To solve that problem I either cut a swatch and stitch it to the outside or scan the fabric and pin the scan to the outside of the bag. Acid free boxes are a great way to store small pieces of fabric, but you will want to make sure the boxes are actually acid free and not just lined with acid free paper. You can also roll fabric in acid free tissue paper which prevents creasing while protecting the fabric.
We've also put together these handy fabric tags that you can print off (there is 12 to a sheet), and pin to your fabric when you buy it, so you know when a piece of fabric has a purpose already, and what that purpose is.
If you ask 10 quilters, seamstresses or crafters how to store fabric, you will probably get 10 different answers. Some of them might be:
In a dresser drawer
In pizza boxes
In Pendaflex files
On a bookshelf
In shoe boxes
In cardboard boxes
While these all sound like great ideas, personally, I wouldn't use any of those methods, mostly due to acid release. The best way to store large piece of fabric is wrapped in muslin or in a white, cotton pillowcase. Of course those methods are not see-through. To solve that problem I either cut a swatch and stitch it to the outside or scan the fabric and pin the scan to the outside of the bag. Acid free boxes are a great way to store small pieces of fabric, but you will want to make sure the boxes are actually acid free and not just lined with acid free paper. You can also roll fabric in acid free tissue paper which prevents creasing while protecting the fabric.
We've also put together these handy fabric tags that you can print off (there is 12 to a sheet), and pin to your fabric when you buy it, so you know when a piece of fabric has a purpose already, and what that purpose is.
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Meet this week's Featured CrafterDiana Lucchi
Diana has dabbled in many crafts over the years including macrame, woodworking and leather crafting. Sewing, crocheting, cross stitch, needlepoint and photography...as well as her precious puppies and wonderful hubby...take up so much of her time, that Diana wishes she could be cloned so that she could experiment with glass etching and needle felting.
Click here for a peek into Diana's world.Click Here for more information on becoming or recommending someone for a Featured Crafter.
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Enter to Win!Our blog readers are entitled to enter to win special free giveaway prizes. How would you like to be a winner?
Check out our active giveaways...
In recognition of October Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the prize for this contest is a fun pink mouse pad and coaster set with drama queen monkeys wearing tiaras and screaming 'I want!', 'Must Have'.
The prize for this contest is one Warm and Safe Crib Size Batting from the Warm Company for your next baby quilt. This batting is eco-friendly, naturally fire retardant, non-toxic, non-allergic, chemical free, produced in a green facility from trees that are plantation grown. In other words, Safe for Baby and Safe for the Environment. Oh, and it will not bunch or beard, and does not contain glue or resins...making quilting a dream.
Are you a winner? Last week's prize winners were Sharon Elliott, who won the Breast Cancer Awareness Embroidered Tote Bag and birdhousebooks who won the 250 Personalized Stickers from UPrinting. Check out all our winners and information on purchasing giveaway items you didn't win on our winner page here.We launch a new giveaway every Sunday, and may toss in on extra one here and there for fun. Don't miss out, enter today!
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We're Now on Facebook!
See wall posts as soon as new Projects, Featured Crafters and Giveaways are posted. Have a say in our product offerings. Get enganged with the crafting community. Have fun!
Check out our Facebook page at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lathrop-CA/Captive-Illusions/76927673438
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lathrop-CA/Captive-Illusions/76927673438
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Countdown to Christmas
It's coming, and will be here sooner than you think. Are you ready?
We hope you enjoyed your newsletter, and learned a little something too!
Happy Crafting,
De'Anna and Cathy
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