does anyone know how I can make flannel cakes?

rosekitten

pva glue is fine for sticking fabric
have used it myself in the past

mary43

Thanks rosie.............thats yet another project to add to my ever growing list.........................lol
Just hope I get it all done:j

princesspoppypop

mary43 wrote: »

Got 'cold feet' yesterday sorting out curtains for charity bag ! It was full up and I was left with some odd pieces of material that I'd bought ........well, just because I liked them...............lol
Thought of covering a shoe box with them. Would PVA glue be the right sort to use or is there something else I should try ?

mary43 PVA glue is ok to use but can be quite fiddly and could make the material ripple a bit unless it is pulled really tightly.

Good luck with your project

mary43

Is there another option in case I get in a pickle with it ? Seems a shame not to use the material for something and unless I handsew them into something they'll just sit in the drawer -much to OH's disgust..............lol

princesspoppypop

aww... what type of material is it??

Im making a patchwork quilt with some of my old material bits.. then Im going to make some gingham heart pomanders... Im always copying things when I see them in little shops in the country.

Ill have a think and see what other method you could use for covering the shoe box...

Ive got an old washing powder tablet box which im covering with various backing papers and then going to decorate with ribbon and embellishments and Im using in to store recipe cards in...

Im trying to recycle as many cartons as possible.. its my own little challenge.

mary43

You are a busy person poppy................how do you find the time ? I have all these ideas then don't organise myself enough to do them. Had a hat box sitting here waiting to have images stuck all over it in a sort of random fashion...............got the images, got the glue......just not done it...........lol

Back to the fabric.............it's cotton (I think), I think they;re offcuts from curtains someone's made. Never been washed so still 'as new' -quite stiffish. Would I be better to wash them and make them a bit softer before I do anything -might make them easier to work with maybe ?

Oh I nearly bought three plain cream tea towels this morning -felt sure something could be done with them.........resisted in the end. Bet you'd have had an idea.

(I'm off to see my Mum tomorrow morning and back Friday night so if you answer and I don't reply you''l know I'm not ignoring you..........lol)

princesspoppypop

Im taking a break from work at the moment... I dont know how Im going to manage being back at work in two weeks time, how do I fit in, crafts, housework, cookery, planning my vegetable patch in the garden, looking after everyone as well as trying to set up my own bridal makeup business.. I do love to be busy tho...

I think I know the type of material you mean, my Mum is an interior designer and used to give me loads of sample books that she no longer needed and these had that stiff thicker material for making curtains in them.

I tried patchworking but found it quite hard to do with the material as it was too stiff.... so covered seat pads and a foot stool with it instead.

It could well soften if you wash it tho....

With the hat box I would use backing paper as a base and stick the images at angles all over it and maybe glaze it once done..to keep the images in place and last a lot longer.

The tea towels... well... just a daft one here but I used a tea towel to make a chicken and hung it from the handle rail on the oven door... my other half thought it was hilarious.:rotfl:

You could make cushions with the tea towels and maybe a small heart pomander filled with dried lavender- attach ribbon to the pomander and attach this to the cushion, this would look lovely to dress a bed.

You could cut the tea towels up and make mini cushions tie them with brown parcel string like you would a parcel/ gift and then add a slice of dried orange and a cinnamon stick for decoration.. would make lovely gifts...

You could do the Orange slices yourself... slice up some medium sized oranges... arrange on a baking tray and bake in the oven on a very low heat to dry them out

Hope this helps :j

mary43

Well I didn't buy the tea towels in the end but if they're still in the charity shop when I get back from mums I might well have to have them.

My chair that I sit on for the computer (totally wrong sort -high back wooden dining chair really) could do with the seat cover replacing so that'll use a bit of material but I think I'd rather use my beige/terracotta chenille type stuff for that,. It's not 'tablecloth' chenille its a lot harder wearing by the look of it and think it was offcuts from someones three piece suite covering.

I did cover a box a few years back with images of old adverts randomly placed, overlapping here and there, then I wiped it over with dark oak wood dye to give an 'age' look then varnished it. The whole lot cost me just over £1 and its a tallish box with a lid that stands with a vase of dried flowers on.
I used to do so many things once upon a time. Don;t know how I got out of it. Maybe it was when Mum was taken ill four years ago.........I couldn't motivate myself to do anything then and I'm trying to get back into it all.
It's not easy as Mums still very poorly -don't know how I'll find her when I go down. At the moment she's been opening her eyes but talking a lot of nonsense that doesn't make any sense.............to be honest I'll be glad to get back -oh that sounds awful I know but it does get me down.
Oh listen to me babbling on..................must mention this site..........think I mentioned it when someone was asking about card making
www.craftsbycarolyn.co.uk She has a section on decorating anything from cd cases, tins, notebooks, all sorts. Worth a look sometime. I always like to see what other people can do.

Wouldnt mind having a go with the oranges..........often wondered how thats done. I've bought decorations done with them but never had a go. Might be something I could do as a pressie for someone. Thanks

princesspoppypop

When I make my dried Orange bits the house smells really Christmassy. Last year I made Orange pomanders but I did them really early on and instead of putting them in the oven I dried them out in the airing cupboard but be warned it takes months. I used baby oranges and decorated them with cloves.

I know its hards to motivate yourself when life takes a turn... when my Nana was ill , it was so hard for my Mum and her sisters.. I used to visit her in hospital and do her a manicure cos she loved her nails to be nice. She used to tell all the nurses that her grandaughter had been in to do her nails and was really proud. Bless her!

I love the idea of the "aged look" Im making my sister a travel book and Im wanting to age the cover slightly, Im using handmade paper and I was going to soak this in some coffee to get an old look but I may glaze the cover instead now.

I hope your trip to your Mums goes well, sit and tell her about all your projects, sometimes tho just being there for someone means everything.

Hurry back to MSE soon tho...cos you will be missed:A

mary43

Thanks poppy.

About the ageing look...........my son went to art college and always swore that coffee, good and strong, was the best thing to use but I belong to a card making group and when I started they were kind enough to send me some bits and pieces to get me going. One lady sent me a piece of music from a magazine (new) and she'd tore it round the edges and sponged it with tea........well think she said she used the tea bags. It had a lovely effect. Haven't tried it myself yet though. When I've bought reproduction adverts and framed them for home I've done them with wood dye and made it blotchy here and there so it looked like rust marks........well supposed to anyway. But someone else I knew put french polish on (the sort you get in the bottle from DIY shops) and he put endless layers on so it looked really dark and old.
I think whatever you use it pays to glaze it to protect it. What you''re doing sounds like a good idea.
Oh............I could do something like that with a Memory Box I was going to do to put my Dad's personal bits and pieces in.

I shall miss everyone while I''m away. I used to love going to see Mum but over this past year she's deteriated and the last three times I've been she hasn't even opened her eyes. Still we'll see how she is when I get there. At least I'm staying with my friend while I'm there so that'll give me a much needed lift