Diane has the latest from the Crafty Crew:
"What a great way to use up otherwise fairly unusable fabric pieces. Lovely rag wreaths from last Saturday made by Crafty Crew I wonder if any of my customers could pick out their frock or curtains?"
It was great to be let loose on Diane's extensive collection of leftover material from her alterations business, helpfully sorted into colour themed bags and boxes so we were assured of good results and/or could match to our own desired colour scheme. Michelle bought along some material she inherited from her MIL to make a poignant memory wreath.
We had the choice of two wreath sizes of 8 or 10 inches and were surprised at how many rag strips were needed to ensure good coverage. Along the way we found the following top tips:
Pick out around three different materials as a minimum, though more can be used, especially if using smaller pieces of leftover material
A plain colour sets off the patterned materials nicely
Avoid particularly thick or stiff materials e.g. curtains
Strips of 1.5-2 inches by 6-8 inches are needed, with a minimum of around 70 for the smaller wreath
Use a rotary cutter + mat or sharp dressmaker's scissors to cut the selected materials into strips
Any thinner leftover pieces of the right length (or thereabouts) can be used to fill out the wreath further - waste not, want not!
There are two different ways of tying on each strip - either make a loop and pull through (which gives a flatter, more even result) or tying on with a knot gives a more random effect. Longer strips make it easier for the looped method
Care is needed with netting to ensure the hoop can't be seen through the material - make sure it's really close to the other knots and use sparingly. It's probably best used with the knotted technique
We enjoyed showing off our completed hoops when we got home - on Michelle's study door and Jenny's shed door.
Despite using oodles of material, Diane was surprised we'd hardly made a dent in her supply! We agreed there is plenty of scope for more activities to come and we particularly like the look of many of the ideas listed here: https://www.scatteredthoughtsofacraftymom.com/scrap-fabric-projects
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