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    Sewing with Oilcloth
    Sewing with Oilcloth
    Sewing with Oilcloth
    Ebook279 pages1 hour

    Sewing with Oilcloth

    By Kelly McCants

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    20 fresh patterns to sew a variety of fun and functional projects with oilcloth

    Sewing with Oilcloth covers sewing with the family of specialty fabrics collectively known as oilcloth. You'll get easy-to-follow instructions, special tips and tricks needed to get the most out of these fabrics, the unique applications of each, and how to treat and care for the finished pieces.

    From home goods to accessories, from baby gear to outdoor decor, you'll find oilcloth sewing projects that unlock the potential of both traditional choices and new designer prints. You'll follow along helpful, trouble-free instructions to sew oilcloth projects like a simple tablecloth, garden apron, farmer's market tote, baby bib, and so much more.

    • Includes patterns for making 20 fun and functional projects to sew with oilcloth
    • Offers valuable instruction and a clean, appealing design
    • Features beautiful and polished full-color photographs of all projects

    Whether you're a seasoned stitcher or just starting out in the exciting world of sewing with oilcloth, this one-of-a-kind book gives you everything you need to easily get the most out of this specialty fabric.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTurner Publishing Company
    Release dateJul 26, 2011
    ISBN9781118088814
    Sewing with Oilcloth

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    • 4/5
      adult nonfiction; craft/sewing. Excellent tips for working with oilcloth, from avoiding extra holes (use binderclips!) to keeping your machine foot from sticking (try covering the bottom with masking tape). A variety of projects will inspire you to experiment; gifts for children and food-container projects include instructions for using laminated cloth rather than PVC/BPA-laden oilcloth per current safety regulations.

    Book preview

    Sewing with Oilcloth - Kelly McCants

    Introduction

    Ifirst discovered oilcloth in 2006 after an acquaintance mentioned that she was making oilcloth seat cushions (see page 42 for the seat cushion project) for the kitchen nook of her 1950s colonial. I never laid eyes on her kitchen, but just the sound of it sparked a fire that has led up to this very book. For months, I searched high and low in local fabric shops as I looked for oilcloth to no avail. Finally after an Internet search and an online buy later, I was hooked.

    At first I made market totes to sell at the Farmers Market, and then I made aprons. By the next year I was a full-fledged Oilcloth Addict, thriving on the challenge of finding new projects for the slick stuff. Nothing makes me happier than finding something new to do with oilcloth! So here, just for you, I have created 20 fresh new projects to make with oilcloth and its close cousins laminated cotton and chalk cloth.

    Oilcloth has evolved a lot over the centuries. In the Middle Ages through the Civil War, oilcloth was made with an expensive but sturdy cotton fabric that was coated in layers and layers of various oils. Oilcloth was used to cover windows, tables, roofs, and floors, as well as for making sturdy waterproof clothing. During the Industrial Revolution, factories began manufacturing a more modern and resilient oilcloth by permeating cotton mesh with vinyl. Victorian women could order ready-made oilcloth for 15 cents a yard from the Sears and Roebuck catalog. By the early 1900s the Standard Table Oilcloth Company became the largest manufacturer of oilcloth in the world, and rolls of oilcloth were displayed alongside other fabrics of the day. In the 1930s, publications such as Popular Mechanics published projects for oilcloth that included room dividers, doorstops, and shoe organizers. Later in the 1950s, women all over the U.S. headed off to their local five-and-dimes to get oilcloth for their tables, shelves, and other crafty endeavors.

    Today, most oilcloth found in the U.S. is imported from Mexico. Its bright and bold prints have existed south of the border for decades, but they are as fresh and festive for our modern homes as they were 50 years ago. Today’s oilcloth is a PVC product (meaning it contains polyvinyl chloride). It’s waterproof and sturdy so it wears long and hard.

    Oilcloth contains phthalates and is not to be used for projects intended for children under the age of 12—so for those projects I use laminated cotton. Laminated cotton is a rather new fabric to the market. It’s a friendly fabric for children’s projects and food items, and it is CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act) compliant. This thinner and more supple oilcloth is a high-quality quilt-weight cotton print that’s coated with a thin layer of polyurethane on the fabric’s right side. Along with both types of oilcloth projects, I’ve included some that require chalk cloth, which is another vinyl product you can use as a chalkboard surface.

    In my five years of selling my Modern June oilcloth wares and Oilcloth Addict yardage, I have heard some of the most amazing stories. As my customers touch and feel oilcloth, it takes them back in time. They speak of their mothers, aunts, and grandmothers. They recall family trips to Woolworth’s to get a new oilcloth for the kitchen table. One woman said that her mother went to Woolworth’s every year for a new roll of oilcloth, while another’s mom went only when her oilcloth was worn and torn. I was told by one man that he had eaten many a bad meal on oilcloth. My kids can say the same thing, as I am a designer but not a cook. For me, oilcloth is all about making memories, and to me the greatest thing in the world is living a life full of happy memories. I hope this book and its projects will help you create an even happier home, filled with exciting celebrations and all the comfort of new and old traditions using oilcloth.

    Many crafty thanks,

    Kelly

    I’d love to share your finished projects on the flickr page dedicated to Sewing with Oilcloth. For details check out modernjune.blogspot.com or oilclothaddict.blogspot.com.

    images/Imageimages/Image

    Working with new fabrics can be a fun challenge for the seasoned stitcher, and it might be a bit intimidating for the novice sewer. Whichever category you fit into I am here to encourage and guide you through the useful projects in this book. Sewing with oilcloth is no different than sewing anything else as long as you have the right tools for the job and my handy tips at your side.

    Tools

    Super H Presser Foot: This is what I call the Open Embroidery foot; it’s commonly included with the purchase of sewing machines, so you probably have it. I like to use this when I am attaching trim or edge stitching. It enables me to see exactly where I am sewing.

    images/Imageimages/Image

    Super H Presser Foot

    Roller or Nonstick Foot: Rollers or nonstick presser feet are very helpful, especially when topstitching on oilcloth. These specialty feet have rollers or a Teflon coating on their soles to glide over the sticky surface of oilcloth and laminated cotton.

    images/Image

    Roller foot

    Presser Foot Tape Tip: If you are just getting started and you don’t have a fancy roller or nonstick presser foot, don’t fret. Try applying a bit of painter’s or masking tape to the bottom of your regular feet. Cover the sole of the foot with tape, and then carefully use a craft knife to trim off any tape that isn’t touching the metal.

    Double-stick Tape: Using double-stick tape is a great trick when you’re trying to avoid pins. I love to use it when appliqueing oilcloth.

    Clear Ruler: This is one of the handiest tools for the modern sewer. A wide, clear ruler not only helps you measure; it helps you create square corners. Choose a clear ruler that has a marking for 45° angles to help you create oilcloth bias strips.

    Rotary Cutter: A rotary cutter is an indispensable tool. When you couple it with a cutting mat and a clear ruler you’re sure to get straight cuts.

    Cutting Mat: This is essential when using rotary cutters. The cutting mat protects your work surface and keeps your blades sharp.

    Pattern Weights: An alternative to pinning, commercial or handmade pattern weights can help keep your patterns situated while you trace them.

    Fabric Scissors: I use regular fabric scissors when cutting oilcloth. I do find that they dull faster than when I cut woven fabrics, so I keep another pair just for cottons.

    Marking Tools: It’s best to use a pencil when marking on the wrong side of oilcloth and laminated cotton. Pen ink can show through oilcloth in time, so never use a pen in the center of a pattern piece. The exception to the rule is when you’re tracing patterns on chalk cloth. Pencil is very hard to see on either side of the fabric’s dark surface. If you accidentally get pen on the right side of oilcloth, a bit of hair spray and a rag should save the day. Water-soluble fabric markers are perfect when marking stitch lines onto the right side of oilcloth. Be sure to test your fabric marker on a scrap and wipe it clean as quickly as possible.

    Pins: I use several different pins when working with oilcloth. I use traditional dressmaking pins for most of my projects, but occasionally I find a quilting pin to be helpful if I am going through something thick. It’s easier to push in and pull out. It might surprise you that I also find that clothespins or binder clips are indispensable when working with oilcloth; they can be helpful when cutting or when topstitching a hem. These clever gadgets keep you from getting pin holes in your projects. See the Tips section for more information on pinning.

    Tracing Paper and Wheel: Use the tracing paper and wheel with a smooth edge to transfer stitch lines and darts to your fabric. Lay the carbon side of the tracing paper on the wrong side of the fabric and then layer your pattern on top of the tracing paper. Roll the tracing wheel over the seam line on the pattern, and you have the necessary stitch lines on your fabric.

    Seam Gauge: A seam gauge is a ruler that enables you to measure fabric, but it includes a special slider that you can use to mark a desired measurement.

    Tips

    Caring for oilcloth: You can wipe oilcloth clean using a warm, soapy sponge. Machine washing is not suggested.

    Caring for laminated cotton:

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