Creating Custom Patterns of Fabric with Stencils by Tammy Tutterow

I confess, I am totally addicted to gingham patterns. Recently I wanted to create a small decorative pillow for my living room. I really wanted a gingham pattern but couldn’t find just what I wanted. Instead (and even better) I found a perfect piece of linen fabric in just the right shade and used my Gingham 2 Step Stencil to create exactly what I wanted.

Begin by ironing your fabric. If it is a soft fabric you may want to add fusible interfacing to the back side of the fabric to give it more structure. Adding structure will keep the fabric from slipping and moving under your stencil as you work.

To stencil, simply place the desired stencil (I’m using L531 Gingham Two Step Stencil) on top of your fabric. Use a fabric ink or paint (I used Tsukineko Versa Craft Ink) to apply color through the stencil. When working on fabric, use a pouncing motion with an ink or paint dabber to apply the ink or paint. If you brush or wipe the ink onto the fabric with the dabber you may create extra lint and cause the fabric to get a fuzzy or brushed look.

If you would like to learn how to use my Two Step Stencils, check out this video: Howto Two Step Stencil (https://www.tammytutterow.com/2017/06/video-tutorial-gingham-background/)

After you have created your background, you can add additional design by layering more stencil designs over the first. On this pillow, I added small posies and greenery using my Posie Parade and Petite Greens Two Step Stencils.

To add additional texture, I cut out a word and small round posey centers from wool. I layered the word over the stenciled background in the center of my fabric and placed the circles in the center of the stenciled posies.

I added simple embroidery stitches to the center of each posey center for extra detail.

I love to include a heart on all my projects so I added a white wool heart next to the word. I embellished the heart with a few small die cut flowers and leaves. I added a tiny button to the center of each wool posey.

Even though I fused the word in place on my pillow front, I like to add stitching to the edges to give it a finished look. I used a blanket stitch to add that detail.

I love that I was able to get just the look I wanted for this pillow by using stencils and inks on my background fabric. It gave the finished pillow a truly unique look that matched perfectly with the other elements!

Products shown:

L531 Gingham Two StepStencil

L534 Petite Greens Two Step Stencil

L536 Posie Parade

Weeks Dye Works Linen, Wool, and 6 Strand Embroidery Floss

Just Another Button Company Buttons and Pins

Therm O Web HeatnBond Lite Fusible Interfacing

Therm O Web HeatnBond Lite Fusible Adhesive (for fusing wool shapes in place)

Tsukineko Versa Craft Ink

Tsukineko Ink Dabbers

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Happy Moments Journal by Tammy Tutterow

I love making little books that will let me record quick memories.  I love taking photos with my phone at random moment and using them in these little books. 

This month the StencilGirl crew is team up with Canvas Corp to feature projects from both brands.  For my project, I chose to create a fun mini album to record some of those random moments.  I wanted to keep the palette very neutral to play up the kraft cover and to look very sketchy.  The finished stencil design looks complex and detailed but is so easy to create in a few simple layers.

Dry brush Tan High Impact Paint to create a light neutral base.  The base will help future layers stand out more.  Use a heat tool to dry the paint.

Randomly mist over the cover with Ivory Baseboard Spray to add additional base coverage.  Use a dry cloth to blot any excess and then dry with a heat tool.

Lay the Large Bubbles Stencil L007 over the cover.  Use an ink blending tool with foam to dab Boardwalk Glimmer Mist randomly onto the cover through the stencil.  

Tip: Tap the foam onto your craft sheet before dabbing onto the cover to help remove excess ink.  You don't want to apply too much of the fluid ink at one time, it is better to use less in multiple layers.  Heavy applications could seep under the stencil.

Gently blot any excess ink with a dry cloth and dry with a heat tool.

Place the Large Bubbles Stencil back in place.  Use an ink blending tool with foam to dab Coconut Shell Glimmer Glaze randomly to the cover.  Apply the glaze in some of the same areas as the Boardwalk Glimmer Mist and also some areas the were not previously inked.  This will create three shades of color.  Use a heat tool to dry the cover.

Mist some of the Boardwalk Glimmer Mist onto your craft sheet.  Use a water brush to pick up some of the color.  Brush the color onto the top edges of some of the bubbles.  I focused on the bubbles in the upper left  and left side of my cover.  Use a heat tool to dry the ink.

Place the Large Bubbles Stencil in place again.  Use a graphite pencil to outline a few random bubbles.  You can outline them completely or just along the left edge.

Smudge over the pencil lines with your finger to help blend and soften them.

Place the Large Bubbles Stencil in place again.  Place the Doodle It Tornado Bloom Stencil on top of the Large Bubbles Stencil.  Use an ink blending tool with foam to apply Tan High Impact Paint to the cover through the two layers of stencils.

The bubbles stencil will act like a mask allowing you to add the doodled design to only the bubbles on the cover.  Dry the paint with a heat tool.

Place the Large Bubbles Stencil in place again.  Place the Mini Dots Stencil on top of the Large Bubbles Stencil.  Use an ink blending tool with foam to apply Coconut Shell Glimmer Glaze to the cover through the two layers of stencils. Use a heat tool to dry the glaze.

Fold a one yard piece of Red Ticking from Canvas Corp Products in half.  Sew along the raw edge of the fabric to create a long tie for the journal.  Layer the ticking tie with a scrap of yellow burlap.  Adhere both to the center of the front and back covers of the journal.

Add machine stitching along the edges of the covers to secure the tie in place.

Tear a journaling card down to about 1" x 2".  Use an ink blending tool to add Gathered Twigs Distress Ink to the edges of the card and journal cover.

Add a hand written title to the piece of journal card.  Layer the journal card with a small die cut heart.  Adhere both the cover over the journal tie.

I simply love how the different layers of stenciling combine to create such depth. There are so many variations to the colors, all from using only 4 colors!  I love how applying the different layers randomly make them flow in and out of each other.

I always start with the cover on a book like this.  It helps me to set the tone and style of the inside.  I can not wait to dive in and finish it inside!

Tammy
www.tammytutterow.com

Supplies:

Stencils:
L007 Large Bubbles Stencil
S267 Doodle It Tornado Bloom Stencil
L113 Mini Dots Stencil

Canvas Corp:
Naturally Aged Paint System- Peeled Paint (Tattered Angels)
5x7 Naked Starter Journal (7gypsies)
Canvas Fringe, Ticking Fringe Red (Canvas Corp)
12x12 Burlap Sheet, Wheat
7gypsies Moments Cards: Du Day

Other:
Gathered Twigs Distress Ink (Ranger Ink)
Ink Blending Tool with foam (Ranger Ink)
Distress Paint Brush (Ranger Ink)
Craft Heat Tool  (Ranger Ink)
wool felt die cut (die Tammy Tutterow/Spellbinders)
graphite pencil
water brush
sewing machine

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Stencil Quilting by Tammy Tutterow

I am addicted to collecting.  I love just about anything and everything that is vintage.  I especially love vintage sewing things like buttons, trims, and lace.  Not long ago I realized that it was a shame to keep these treasures hidden away in boxes and drawers.  I gave myself "permission" to use them in projects.  One of the ways I like to use them is by creating what I call "spool books".

I create long strips of quilted fabric cut to fit a large vintage wooden spool.  I wrap the quilted fabric around the center of the spool.  I like to embellish them with different collections and themes.  By using the vintage items on projects like this I can use and enjoy them without altering or changing them.

The spool book I am sharing today features my collection of vintage pressed plastic buttons, vintage trims, and a few pieces of vintage velvet millinery leaves. If you don't have a spool, you can also make a small quilted fabric collection quilt to hang or display on a table.  It would also make a wonderful book or journal cover too!

To create a spool book or collection quilt, cut one piece of cotton batting and two pieces of cotton muslin all to the same width and length.  The size will vary depending on your spool, journal, or display needs.

Sew along the top and bottom edge of the three layers together to keep them all together.  Normally I add tons of random sewing lines all over the piece to create a quilted look.  For this piece, I wanted a more artistic crazy quilt look to my sewing lines.  The Rafters (L046) stencil by MaryBeth Shaw provided the perfect framework.

There are different ways you could transfer the design, I chose to use Distress Ink.  Distress Ink reacts to water so it is fun to use on fabric because you can mist it with water to soften its look.  To transfer the stencil design, lay the stencil on the fabric.  Use an ink blending tool to tap ink onto the fabric through the stencil.

(Keep in mind, Distress Ink will wash out of fabric so it is not suitable for a project that you intend to launder.)

The ink will create a nice outline of the stencil design.  Repeat the process again as needed to fill the full length of the fabric strip.  This stencil design makes it easy to use end to end with no break in the pattern.

Machine stitch along the solid lines from the stencil design.  This pattern looks like it would be too intricate to sew but it is actually quite easy.  It is all straight lines!  The inked areas will be all "contained" between the sewn lines, almost like a pieced quilt!

Mist the fabric with water if you want to soften the ink to create a more aged or tea dyed look.  The more water you use the more bleed and movement you will get in the ink. 

Use a heat tool to dry the fabric.

When the fabric is dry, you can add trips to the end of your fabric strip if desired.

To add more interest to the "quilt blocks", you can add more stenciling.  To do this, place the stencil on the fabric strip again, matching up the solid lines of the stencil with the sewing lines.

Place a second stencil (shown L318 Wall of Words) on top of the first.  Use an ink blending tool to randomly apply assorted colors of ink onto the fabric through both stencils. 

The first stencil will act like a mask keeping your stitching lines clean.

You can continue adding more random stenciling to create the looks of random fabric patterns.  (Stencil shown M086 Techno Insiders Circle).

You can also add stenciled images without masking the stitching.  In this case, I added a favorite feather stencil (M075 Imaginary Bird Feather) to be a part of the "collection" theme.  

This stencil is a favorite because it comes in two parts, the stencil and a mask.  To create this feather, I inked the top part of the feather with the stencil in place in the mask.  I then used just the mask to ink the lower part of the feather.

I love the way the stenciling in the squares mimics a pieced quilt!

The final step is to embellish.  I used the different "quilt squares" as guides for placing different elements.  I finished the first third of my strip by filling it with vintage buttons, lace trims, and velvet millinery leaves.  I used the same thread to attach all the buttons and to "tie" the leaves to the fabric.  I used mini safety pins to attach the lace trims.

As I find more buttons or trims that fit the theme I will be able to come back and add them to open squares on the strip.  I love a project that allows you to come back and add to it again and again.

Tammy 

http://tammytutterow.com

Supplies:

L046 Rafters

L318 Wall of Words

S087 Waves 6

M075 Imaginary Bird Feather

M086 Techno Insiders Circle

cotton muslin

cotton batting

sewing machine with thread

Ranger Distress Ink (assorted colors)

Ranger Ink Blending Tool

Ranger Heat It Craft Tool

water mister

assorted embellishments

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January 2017 Throwback Thursday with the StencilGirl Creative Team

Every Day To Do ~ Cindy Spearman Gilstrap 

I used the Spinners stencil and the Mini Shapes stencil on my art journal spread.

About Face ~ Tina Walker

Want to see how Tina used several of Pam Carriker's Face Map stencils to create this piece?  Head over to her A Dog's Life blog.

Sewn, Stenciled, Hand Lettered Card ~ Tammy Hall Tutterow

Back in November I shared a tutorial for an art journal page I created using the L304 Shattered Stencil.  I created the art for the page on a piece of cardstock larger than my journal.  After cutting the piece down to fit in my book, I had a fairly large strip of the art left over.  I have been saving it for just the right inspiration.  This week I decided that using it on a card for a friend was the perfect use.

To change up the art a little, I added some straight sewing lines between the rays of color.  I did a bit of fussy cutting to remove the white background.  I adhered it to an A2 sized card.  I added machine stitching around the front of the card to tie into the stitching on the rays.

I used hand lettering to add a sentiment and tie into the doodled style on the original piece of art.  I think it gave it a fun and personal touch, perfect for a dear friend.

I Shall Go Art Journal Spread ~ Carol Baxter

I used people clipped from magazines I was about to toss in the recycle bin to make this spread in my large Canva art journal. Loose black thread tethers the balloons.

Mary Beth Shaw’s Chain Mail Large stencil layered underneath the whole spread was perfect to bind the characters together. Layered partially over of two of the characters in paint and pen, it sets the other free. If she really goes…

Go ahead, pull a stencil from your stash that you have not used in a while. Take a long look. What will you create?