| Vintage fabrics reincarnated |
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| Written by Flora Roberts & Christina Strutt, 2004 | |
Two recently published books show just how attractive old fabrics can be, transforming a quilt or craft item made predominantly from modern textiles into something with a delightful period feel. In Vintage-Style Quilts Flora Roberts shows how the use of colour is instrumental in creating clever patchwork designs while in Vintage Crafts Christina Strutt capitalises on the cosiness and sense of history provided by the soft, romantic fabrics and colours.Rediscovering the fabrics and styles of times past has become popular with today's young designers. What better way to keep memories alive than by incorporating pieces of a much-loved dress or tablecloth into a new project? You will be inspired to have a rummage in your attic! Cabbages & Roses - Vintage Crafts is a "celebration of the handmade", says Christina Strutt who has brought together 30 practical and pretty projects. These simple items include a pincushion, socks, teddy bear, duvet cover, curtains and laundry bags. We have chosen the storage boxes which, as well as being useful, are decorative enough to give as presents. Storage boxes These pretty fabric-covered boxes are the perfect way to house papers, stationery and desk items, and to conceal all your bits and pieces of clutter. Arranged on shelves, they make a stylish and elegant display in their own right and are a simple alternative to cupboards and filing cabinets.Fabric is easier to use than paper, as it is pliable and fits into corners more neatly than stiff paper. It needs to be thick enough to disguise the original box, but not so thick as to make a lumpy finish. Materials Sturdy box with lid Patterned fabric Spray adhesive or fabric glue 40cm (16in) of 6mm (1⁄4 in) ribbon Decorative patterned paper (optional) 1: Lay your box on the fabric to work out how much you need. Cut two pieces of fabric - one to cover the outside of the box and one to cover the inside. Allowing 1cm (1⁄2 inch) overlap all around on both pieces. 2: Fold the hems over and press top to make a crease. Unfold. Fold the corner over at 45 degrees and crease. Unfold. Cut diagonally across the corner where the creases meet. Working in a well-ventilated area, apply glue to the outside of the box. Press the fabric on firmly, smoothing out any wrinkles. Repeat for the inside of the boxTake an 20cm (8in) length of ribbon and fold it in half. At the point where the ribbon is folded, glue it firmly to the centre of the inside of the lid and the other to the centre of the outside of the lid. 3: Take a second length of ribbon and glue it to the middle of the front of the box in the same way. If the inside of the box is not as neat as you would like, cut out pieces of decorative paper to the correct size and glue them in place. Designer Flora Roberts is a recent graduate from the Royal College of Art and in her book Vintage-Style Quilts, she has combined vintage and contemporary fabrics to create throws, quilts, cushions and bags. She says: "Get the overall colour combinations right and you can happily mix floral prints with candy-coloured stripes or snippets of embroidery with bold, solid colours." Button quilt This quilt was inspired by abstract painters such as Paul Klee who used simple squares of different colours to create harmonious compositions and moods. The squares of vintage rose-patterned fabric and lavender shirting dictated the colours used in the rest of the quilt.Shirting is hardwearing fabric: as men's shirts tend to wear only at the collar and cuffs, reusing this fine, soft weave is both economical and stylish. The buttons on each corner, which provide tiny highlights of colour, also hold the fabric layers together and so the structure of the quilt becomes an integral part of its design. Although the buttons are brightly coloured, they are all relatively dark in tone; the dark edging of the quilt provides a visual link to the buttons and helps to hold the whole piece together visually. NB: Because of the buttons, this quilt is not suitable for a baby. Materials 120 x 15cm (6in) squares in assorted colours, some patterned, some solid 132x158cm (54x56in) batting 137x163cm (56x67in) backing fabric 99 small buttons in assorted colours Matching sewing thread The finished quilt measures 132x158cm (54x65in)  1: Lay out the squares in 12 rows of ten squares each on a large, flat surface and move them around until you're happy with the arrangement. Make sure that the patterned fabrics are evenly distributed and that you don't get two squares of the same solid colour next to one another. Stitch the squares together in rows, taking 1cm (1⁄2in) seams. Press the seams open.
 2: Stitch the 12 rows together in the same way, again taking a 1cm (1⁄2in) seam allowance and taking care to align the seams from one row to the next. Press the seams open.
3: Lay the backing fabric right side down on a large, flat surface and smooth out any wrinkles. Centre the batting on top, and lace the pieced quilt top, right side up, on top of the batting. Working from the centre of the quilt outward, pin or baste the layers of the quilt together to prevent them from slipping. Again working from the centre outward and stitching through all three layers, stitch a small button at each corner of each square.  4: At each corner, fold the backing fabric inward to make a right angle, pressing the fabric with your fingers to make a crease.5: Fold the backing fabric over the batting and the quilt top and fold under 1cm (1⁄2in) so that you get a neat border all the way around. Pin in place. 6: Slipstitch the backing to the quilt top, removing the pins as you go and mitring the corners for a neat, crisp finish. |
