Thursday 24 April 2008

I heart freezer paper stencils

I've seen a lot of great freezer paper stencils around blogland (check out the Flickr pool for inspiration), and had been meaning to give it a go, but it was the video of Amanda from SouleMama demonstrating just how easy it is that finally pushed me to try it. Freezer paper is a bit tricky to get hold of in NZ, but I managed to buy some at a quilting shop. You can also pick it up on TradeMe occasionally.

There are several tutorials out there, but I pretty much followed this one from Angry Chicken. I used FasTex (Fas textile ink), which you can pick up for around $15 for 6 small pots of colour. I tried out the technique using a few basic shapes on calico squares first, thinking that I would rather mess up a calico square than a brand-new baby onesie, but I like them so much I might use them in a doll quilt. The shapes are from a free dingbats font I downloaded a while back (can't find the link just at the moment), but you could draw freehand shapes, or use outlines from books, google images, stencil sites etc.



I also stencilled some merino knit fabric, which I sewed up into a scarf for me. The fantail outline is traced from an old bird-spotting guide I found at the library. I used two layers of soft merino and it is nice and snuggly - just right for the cold weather that has arrived in the last week or so.




I'm really pleased with the results of my stencilling so far, and I can see that this could get addictive! I've already made a list in my notebook of a few other projects I could use this on - tshirts, bags, teatowels, cushions...
It's a long weekend here in New Zealand, as we commemorate ANZAC Day tomorrow. I'm away for the weekend, but I'll be back next week to draw a name for the giveaway.

9 comments:

tash* said...

very inspiring! They look great...bring on three day crafting extravaganza! Gonna give it a go :)

Anonymous said...

wow, they're awesome! I love the colours you used on your 'test' bits, and definitely think you should make something out of them!. That scarf looks deliciously warm, where did you get your merino from?

Miss Smith said...

I love that scarf, it looks so snuggly. The piwakawaka looks so cute on it. You always inspire me to try new stuff!

Josie said...

These turned out great! I have the freezer paper and the paint, now you've inspired me to give it a go!

Nikki Elisabeth said...

Amaaaaaazing! You are so inspiring Louise! I wanna do it!

Cindy Y said...

Hi Your blog is lovely! Very happy to come across it.

I have been looking at different ways to decorate clothes I make for my little ones. This sounds like a great way to go. Will make the run to get all the things the next time I get to have some 'me-time' - finding materials are the most time consuming difficult phase of crafting to me.

Mary Nanna said...

That fantail looks gorgeous! You have inspired me to go to the library and get out some native New Zealand bird books to find some bird motifs to chain stich onto my son's cot blankets. (the blankets are from the sally army , in really good nick but haven't been washed .. alarming evidence of human deritus on them (peroxide blond hair complete with regrowth, some scary looking stains.. am in the process of sanitising them but there's no doubting the preloving on these goods)

Anonymous said...

In addition my huge collection of free dingbats for decorate :)
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