Sunday, May 31, 2009

Alabama Stitch Book

Have you ever heard of the Alabama Stitch Book? I found it at my local library last year and checked it out so many times that they ask me to purchase one...
well, not really (the purchase part) but I HAVE checked it out over and over and over...I just need to buy it I guess!
I love the book, I love Natalie Chanin's story and her awesome clothing designs.
I've done reverse applique in quilting before and love the textured look of it.
I love that you can take scraps of fabric, sew them together, cut out a few well placed holes and you get a totally new "look"...but I've never combined the quilting technique with regular cotton jersey (I always used cotton quilting fabric), button thread and a stencil pattern...
I'm always looking for projects that travel well...and I've found a new one!
I took one of the patterns (or I should say directions- I took the directions) from the book and gave it a run as a "travel project" and it worked wonderfully!
So, I am hooked on the technique now!
You should go out, get this awesome book, read Natalie Chanin's story and learn a few things about our friend cotton.
After that, you'll be as hooked as I am with the Alabama Chanin's approach to design and the Making of Clothing.
Here's what you're looking for - right here...
This is what I made - a reverse applique book cover.
I've added some random beading (see Mary Stori? I'm beginning to put them on Everything?!). Oh, and I'm not finished with the beading - I'm planning on adding the "fade beading" to every reverse applique opening on the front of the cover.
And here is the front cover-
And here is the back. My initial idea was to make a tee shirt but I decided to just do the book cover (journal cover actually!) instead. Wouldn't this color combination be a great Clemson Tiger fan gift?

OK- there you have it. My weekend fiber fix. That's what I did.

What about you?

5 comments:

Anita Heady Fiber Arts, LLC said...

Thanks for the book review. the book cover is lovely.

Julie Bagamary said...

Thanks - I just put a hold on that book from our library.

Unknown said...

your fiber piece looks so cool! I have seen this book mentioned on other blogs in the past but, now you've got me really interested.

Martha Lever said...

Hey Carol! Thanks so much!!! I hope you will enjoy the class. Are you going to teach anything at Random ARts this summer? I wish you would just teach a basic stitching 101 class---stitching cloth to paper etc to make books a la my hero from afar DJ! Let me know and I will plan to be there--and of course to! see baby Marc

julie king said...

i love the look of this! of course, my fave color is orange! i've never heard of alabama stitch but i am intrigued by it.

visiting you for the first time from martha's blog. enjoying my visit!