The Sweeter Side of Sewing
Is it just me or have you noticed also that sewing items such as fabric and notions are being marketed more and more to look like delectable food items through clever packaging, color choices and product names? Great examples are Jelly Rolls, Layer Cakes, Turnovers and Honey Buns to name just a few. Moda Fabrics has a wonderful Bakery Display on their Web page, which is quite amusing; be sure to check it out at ModaBakeShop.com

Examples of everything from pincushions to clothing and home decor items are available and directly inspired by our love of food and drink. Traditional quilt patterns inspired by a wide range of delectably printed, sometimes nutritious, images of sweet nothings can be pieced together easily and beautifully. Children's clothing features everything from strawberries to cupcakes. We are surrounded by these images, which work their way towards our finely tuned senses of sight, smell and touch. Let's face it -- that freshly baked sugar cookie on the front of that recently completed chef's apron project looks, and, dare I say, smells, good enough to eat!

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A Road Trip!
A recent trip to The Artful Quilter, one of my favorite local stores, located in Burke, Virginia, confirmed my thoughts on the close relationship between sewing and sweets. Through clever displays and packaging ideas, owner Sheri Alcorn and her staff have managed to tweak the sweet tooth in all who come through their front door. Displaying fabric pieces in brightly colored sundae parfait cups complete with red pompom cherries on top and fabric bundles stacked on cake stands are only a couple of the impressive ideas I found during my recent visit. Serving as a perfect display is a metal tea cart filled to the brim with wonderful floral prints.

Cindy Lubi, one of the wonderful staff members at The Artful Quilter, crafted a unique cupcake pincushion using silicone cupcake pans as their base. Not stopping there, Cindy chose to display a group of them on a filigree metal cupcake display rack. Row after row of lusciously printed fabrics reminded me of an old-fashioned candy store or perhaps an ice cream parlor from years past. I made my fabric selections and after being expertly cut they were quickly tucked into a bag the color of a blue raspberry lollipop. I was on my way, that is after a quick stop for something sweet for lunch. I have included a few photos I snapped during my visit. I hope you enjoy them.

Cupcake pincushion display	Garden cart filled with Parfait Sundaes
Basket display of fabric bundles	Cake plate display
Lollipop display of bias binding

All of the above photos were taken on location at The Artful Quilter with the permission of owner, Sheri Alcorn. Visit her Web site at ArtfulQuilter.com

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The Math Behind "Bakery" Fabric Sales
A Honey Bun is an assortment of complementary fabric strips tightly wound around each other to form the bun. The strips are cut to a 1 1/2" width, and the roll contains a total of 36 strips.

Jelly Rolls are assortments of complementary fabric strips tightly wound around each other to form a roll. The strips are cut to a 2 1/2" width, and the roll contains a total of 36 strips.

A Layer Cake is an assortment of 36 complementary 10" fabric squares tied up with a pretty bow.

Turnovers are 5 7/8" pre-cut triangles of 42 complementary fabrics wrapped together accenting the triangular shape of the bundle.

Oh-Cherry-Oh! Honey Bun	Arcadia Jelly Roll
Recipe for Friendship Layer Cake	Patisserie Turnovers

If you're ready to start using these yummy fabric cuts you can visit Clotilde.com or your local fabric shop. Some shops are cutting and assembling their own unique packages so you can always find fun, new packages.

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For Those Veggie Lovers!
For those of you who are not to be swayed by your sweet tooth, the "homegrown" pincushion might be the answer. These clever patterns for carrots, radishes and beet pincushions are perfect for vegetable lovers who also love to sew. Personally, I can be swayed by both, and feel, like everything else in life, it is about balance; therefore, I intend to set my cupcake pincushion right next to my carrot pincushion.

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M-M-M Strawberries! Design By Lucy B. Gray Whip up this tasty little bucket tote using disposable containers from your kitchen. A built-in "bowl" in the lid holds a handful of realistic plastic strawberries. This delectable little bag is sure to turn heads and cause a few hunger pangs! Finished Size 6 x 6 x 9 inches Materials 2 (5/8-yard) lengths medium-weight cotton fabric in coordinating prints or checks, one for outer fabric and one for lining 1/2 yard polyester fleece 2 (1 x 30-inch) strips nonwoven synthetic suede for the strap 1 (5 x 7-inch) piece of the same nonwoven synthetic suede 1 (1x 30-inch) strip of paper-backed fusible web 2 x 4-inch piece buckram or stiff nonwoven interfacing Pattern tracing paper or cloth 12 plastic strawberries 1 3/4-quart cardboard ice cream carton 32-ounce plastic yogurt container 8-ounce plastic whipped topping container Covered-button kit with 4 (7/8-inch-diameter) buttons 2 magnetic snap sets Optional: 6-inch-long zipper for lining All-purpose thread to match fabrics Carpet thread (or buttonhole twist) in neutral color Glover's needle Size 14/80 sewing machine needle 1/4-inch-diameter leather punch Spray-on fabric protector Spray-on craft adhesive Quick-drying craft glue Rubber cement Transparent sticky tape 8 x 12-inch sheet sturdy cardboard 12 inches 24-gauge wire Small artist's brush Fine-tip permanent pen Sturdy craft scissors for cutting plastic containers Craft knife with #11 blade Basic sewing tools and equipment Instructions 1. Collect and thoroughly wash the ice cream, yogurt and whipped topping containers. Preshrink the cotton fabric for bag and press. 2. Refer to the photo. Trim away the cardboard "lip" at the upper edge of the ice-cream carton (A). Trim 1/8 inch from the edge of the ice-cream carton's lid (B). Cut the rim free from the plastic yogurt container (C) so 1/2 inch of plastic extends above the bottom. Cut down the plastic whipped topping container (D) so it is 3/4 inch high. 3. Using the artist's brush, paint the ice cream carton's upper inside rim with quick-drying craft glue and put the brush in a cup of water until you have time to clean it thoroughly. Place the yogurt container rim inside the carton, align the top edges, and press the rim into the glue firmly. Place strips of sticky tape over the rim's edges to hold everything securely while the glue dries. For added stability, stitch the rim to the carton using carpet thread and a glover's needle. 4. To form the "bowl" for the fruit, glue the trimmed plastic whipped topping container to the ice cream carton lid. Allow several hours for the glue to harden. 5. From the outer fabric for the bag, cut one 8 1/4 x 16 1/2-inch true-bias rectangle. From the lining fabric, cut one 6 1/4 x 14-inch true-bias rectangle. Apply craft adhesive to the lining wrong side and smooth onto a single layer of fleece, taking care not to stretch the fabric. Repeat with the outer fabric rectangle. Cut out each piece along the fabric cut edges. 6. With a permanent marker, draw lines on the fleece as shown in Figure 1. Trim away the fleece on the drawn lines and discard. (When trimmed, the fleece should measure 5 x 12 1/2 inches on the lining and 5 1/4 x 15 inches on the outer fabric.) Machine-quilt both pieces and apply spray-on fabric protector. Set the lining piece aside. Machine-baste 1/4 inch from the upper long edge of the outer fabric/fleece rectangle. Turn under and press 1/4 inch at one short edge. 7. Apply an even coat of craft adhesive to the fleece side of the piece. Align the bottom edge of the carton with the lower edge of the fleece. Beginning at the unturned short edge, roll the carton evenly across the sticky fleece to adhere the fabric panel. The pressed short edge should cover the raw edge where they meet. Apply glue to the underside of the turned edge and glue it in place. Clip the fabric that extends beyond the bottom edge of the container to form small tabs. 8. Paint the bottom of the carton with craft glue around the perimeter, making the glue circle 1/2 inch wide. Turn the fabric tabs to the underside of the carton and smooth into the glue. 9. Measure the diameter of the carton bottom and cut a synthetic suede circle to fit. Glue to the bottom of the carton to cover the fabric raw edges. 10. With craft glue, paint a 1/2-inch-wide strip along the upper edge on the inside of the plastic yogurt lip in the carton. Draw up the basting at the upper edge of the fabric on the carton so it pulls to the inside. Use your fingers to smooth the fabric in place in the glue, distributing the gathers evenly. Set the carton aside for a few hours until the glue has dried completely. 11. Glue strips of fleece to the sides of the lid to pad the junction of the yogurt container with the ice-cream lid. Cut a 10-inch-diameter circle of outer fabric. Machine-baste 1/2 inch from the outer edge, leaving thread tails. Apply fabric protector. Place the lid, "bowl" side down, in the center of the circle. 12. Draw up the basting to gather the fabric up and over the sides of the lid. Adjust for a snug fit and tie off the threads. Using neutral carpet thread and a glover's needle, tack the fabric to the bowl. When you flip the lid over there will be a "bowl" in the top of the lid. 13. Trace the templates onto pattern tracing paper and cut out. Use snap flap pattern to cut four snap flaps from the synthetic suede. Cut two from the buckram or heavy nonwoven interfacing and trim 1/4 inch away all around. Remove the wire shank from two of the covered-button tops so that after being covered, the buttons can be glued in place. Cover the two buttons with outer-fabric scraps following the kit directions. Install the ball half of the magnetic snap on two of the suede flaps. Glue the buckram pieces over the wrong side of the snaps. Trim 1/4 inch from the straight edge of the two remaining suede flaps and glue a covered button to the right side of each flap. With wrong sides together and curved edges aligned, glue the button flaps to the magnetic-snap flaps and set aside. 14. Cut a 5-inch-diameter circle from sturdy cardboard. Trim the circle as needed so it fits easily inside the lid. Spray the cardboard circle with craft adhesive and cover it with fleece; trim the excess fleece even with the circle edge. 15. Cut a circle of lining fabric 1 1/2 inches larger in diameter than the fleece-covered circle. Apply fabric protector. Apply craft adhesive to one side of the fleece and center it on the wrong side of the lining circle. Clip the outer edge of the fabric circle and turn the raw edges to the underside of the cardboard. Glue in place. Glue the completed lining circle into the lid. Using rubber cement, glue the button flaps to the inside of the lid opposite each other. Use a few hand stitches to anchor the flaps to the fabric in the lid for added durability. Note From the Designer: I used fabric recycled from designer shirts for the lining and outer fabric, and salvaged their labels and stitched them to the lining circle before assembling it and gluing it in the lid. I also added my own label. Fun! 16. Place the lid on the carton and mark the positioning for the socket halves of the magnetic snaps. Use the perforated disk from the snap set to mark the position for the vertical slits. Cut the slits with a craft knife, and insert the female snap halves. Cut two 1 x 2-inch pieces of plastic from the dairy-whip container; make corresponding slits for the snap prongs and position inside under the fabric edge. Apply the snaps. 17. To make the bag strap, fuse the two suede strips together with the strip of fusible web. Use a press cloth to protect the suede. Trim the ends using the strap end pattern piece and punch a hole in each end with the leather punch. Using the size 14 sewing machine needle, edgestitch around the strap. Use an edgestitching foot to help keep the stitching equidistant from the edges. 18. Place the lid on the carton and fasten the magnetic snap halves together. Mark with pins where the straps go, placing them opposite each other between the snap flaps. Cover the other two buttons with outer-fabric scraps, following kit directions. To anchor each strap end, punch two holes in the carton with the glover's needle. Thread a 6-inch length of 24-gauge wire through one carton hole from the inside to the outside, then through the strap hole, the shank of the button and back through the strap hole and into the carton. 19. Cut two 1 x 2-inch pieces of container plastic and poke two holes in each of the centers. Thread the wire ends through the holes in the plastic pieces, and twist them tightly together. Press the wire flat and cover with sticky tape. Paint all four plastic pieces with craft glue and press the gathered outer fabric into it. 20. Turn under and press 1/4 inch along the upper edge and one short edge of the quilted lining panel. Make shallow snips along the bottom edge so the lining will curve smoothly around the carton's inside lower edge. Spray the fleece side with craft adhesive and place the lining right side out inside the carton. Smooth the lining in place and glue the short turned edge in place over the short raw edge inside the carton. Glue the turned upper edge of the lining in place. 21. Cut a 5-inch cardboard circle, and trim it to fit easily into the bottom of the carton. Cover the circle with fleece and then the lining fabric as you did for the inside of the lid. Paint the inside bottom of the carton with craft glue, and press the bottom circle firmly into the glue. 22. Glue the strawberries in the bowl on the lid, and allow a full day for the glue to harden. Recycle It! Food is sold in cardboard containers that are lightweight but engineered to withstand great stress, and that makes them terrific for handbag infrastructures. Cylinders of different sizes, half-gallon tubs and rectangular boxes all have great design possibilities. Use the methods shown in this project to reinforce the containers and create lids that fit snugly. Copyright © January 2006 Sew-Easy Designer Bags. All Rights Reserved. Click here for a printer-friendly version.

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