Fabric origami business card holder

I thought it would be fun to try making the origami card case in the last post using fabric. I starched a piece of quilt-weight fabric and folded it into a case, then added some decorative stitching. For how to make your own, read on!

To make fabric stiff and crisp like paper, I used Stiffen Stuff purchased at Michael's.

After saturating fabric with the liquid, microwave it for 30 - 45 seconds to dry and stiffen it. If it's a bit wrinkled in the microwave, no problem. Just iron it flat, and you end up with a crisp sheet of fabric that stands up by itself. (Also see this post about using Stiffen Stuff.)

To fold the business card case or gift card holder, follow the steps here. Use an iron to press each crease into the fabric. When the fabric cools, the folds will be fixed in place.

Leave the finished case as is, or add some decorative top-stitching. To do that, unfold the case to the octagon stage and stitch along the diagonal corners on the right side of the fabric.

Stiffened fabric will now behave more like paper, so I found it's better to pull the loose threads to the back side and tie them off, rather than backstitching which makes extra puncture holes.

Flip the octagon over and fold the left and right flaps inward, exposing the square that forms the front and back outer panels of the case. Stitch around both panels. If it's hard to see where the folds are, lightly stick on some masking tape to make a guide for sewing.

Remove the tape and fold the case back up, giving it a final press with the iron again if needed.

The finished case has some exposed raw edges of fabric, but the starch glues the woven threads together and keeps them from fraying.

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Fabric sighting on a chair makeover

Check out Beth's awesome Danish Craigslist chair, newly reupholstered in my Sticks print. A perfect combo! See the before and after at After the Dust Clears.

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Outside Oslo sightings on Etsy

Sometimes I like to peek at Etsy.com and see what people are making with my fabrics. It cheers me up when I'm bored or procrastinating—like eating a piece of chocolate cake, only with zero calories. Here are some fun goodies I've turned up, clockwise: Pillow, pouch, dress, tote, pillow, clutch, bench, lamp shade, stool.

Or if you can sew, you can get the fabric right here and whip up your own stuff.

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Outside Oslo is available laminated!

Ooo, shiny. My entire home dec line for The Needle Shop now comes in a laminated version. Look at these makeup bags made by Rachel Epperson, the shop's owner. And how about this plump little boxy pouch?

This stuff is perfect for wipeable placemats, seat covers, play mats, and designer Slip 'N Slides. If you need a Christmas present for a sewist, consider a laminated fat quarter bundle and a copy of Sewing With Oilcloth.

Where can you get your hands on some yardage or goods made from Outside Oslo? Some options for you:

Online in Rachel's new Outside Oslo shop — Get fabric (both laminated and regular), as well as products made from the stuff. Totes, pillows, coin purses, placemats, and more. Any of the products can be made in the fabric of your choice.

At the Chicago Renegade Holiday Fair this weekend — Ms. Epperson will man a booth full of fabric and products so you can stock up on Christmas presents. I'm planning to hang around for a bit on Saturday and drool on her merchandise. Stop by and say hi!

At The Needle Shop store — Chicagoans, get hip fabrics, patterns, and sewing notions here. Or visit the online shop.

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Fabric sighting in Woman's World

A How About Orange operative emailed me a scan of a recent page in Woman's World magazine. There's my Fireworks fabric lounging on a sofa. Thanks, Amy! I've also heard of a Calliope sighting in HGTV's Sarah 101. It's like playing Where's Waldo, but with fabric.

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The dining room chairs get a makeover

The seats on our dining room chairs were peppered with stains and spills, having been sat upon by many humans consuming food. And this area of the house was clearly lacking orange, so I covered the seats with the Wildflower print from my Outside Oslo line.


These chairs are the Roger model from IKEA. Removing the seats was just a matter of flipping the chairs upside down and removing two screws underneath. The seats pop right off.

I layered the new fabric right over the old stuff and stapled it to the wooden underside of the seat with a staple gun. It doesn't matter how ugly it looks, because I have yet to meet a dinner guest who examines the underside of her chair. I placed the covered seat on the chair frame and put the screws back into the same holes. A quick and easy makeover.

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A bit of weekend sewing

Here's another little purse—same model as this one—made with some Outside Oslo scraps. My favorite part is the turquoise zipper, which you can't see very well in this picture.

These are just garden variety pillows. They have zippers, too, if that earns me any extra points? Maybe? (Real sewers just rolled their eyes, but I don't care. I'm comfortable with sewing mediocrity.) Speaking of real sewers, my mum is making me something else. Can't wait!

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Mum sewed me a travel bag!

Look what arrived in the mail yesterday! I'd begged my mom to sew me an Amy Butler Weekender Travel Bag made from the gray Tulip print in my new fabric line. I wanted the bag quite badly, but there was no way I was going to attempt that job myself. I'd read it's a doozy, and Mum concurred. But of course she did a flawless job. Look at that perfectly matched pattern on the front pocket. Oh my goodness. I'm in love.

The lining is the yellow Skiff print. She added three extra inches to the handles to make sure it would fit easily over the shoulder, which is perfect for me.

Now I just need to go somewhere.

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