Bowled Over!

I’ve been having the best time with Susan Brier’s book, It’s A Wrap. My copy is pretty well beat up, a sure sign that it’s a great book.

What a concept! You take cotton clothesline and wrap strips of fabric around it, then zigzag them on the machine. They are so cool! People go nuts over them, and once you get the hang of it, they’re easy to make.

Susan’s instructions are terrific and the photographs are spectacular. Plus, you can use your scraps. I put together some teals, greens, oranges, and yellows for my first set.

I started small, and then went smaller. The bowl on the right is holding my 6″ Omnigrid little ruler, so you know it might be big enough to hold about an apple and a half. The one on the left is smaller still. I was holding back, trying not to use up all my clothesline so I could save room for my third attempt at fabric bowlery.

I’m always forgetting where I plop my keys when I come into the house. I wanted to throw them on the bench, but they slid off the cushion and I was a fraid of scratching up the wood part, so this fabric bowl was perfect. I would like to say that the amorphous shape was intentional, but alas, I running before I leanred to walk. (Story of my life.)

This last project from my first package of clothesline was constructed in two parts, a cylinder coiled and stitched around the free arm of my Bernina, and a coaster made to fit its bottom perfectly (I am so impressed with myself). The coaster was hand stitched on.

I have not had more than an hour to do the stitching, but I have had gobs of time in the car on the way to and from seeing Jennie to wrap about 500 yards of clotheline.

I even invented a PowerWrapper which cuts the wrapping time in half. And I discovered I much prefer using bias strips instead of straight cuts. Both work, but I am nothing if not opinionated.

Do you live near Flint, Michigan? Want to make some fabric bowls? Come on over and play. I’m offering a workshop October 4th in my @Home Classroom. If the commutes too long, buy the book! I’ll throw in my special instructions for slicing bias strips 8 layers at once with your rotary cutter for free and I’ll also include my instructions for making your own PowerWrapper. Click here to order.

For anyone who already has Susan’s book and wants my two pages of instructions for cutting bias strips and making a PowerWrapper, mail $2.00 to me and I’ll email them to you. Include your email address or my foolproof system won’t work. ~~Ami :)

Bias and PowerWrapper Instructions
Mallery Press
4206 Sheraton Drive
Flint, MI 48532

PS: For anyone with a Bernina, Alice Luchini says she uses her #60c foot for perfectly aligned zigzagging.

 

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