Potato Masher Texturing - Tutorial

I'll just bet most of you would never have considered this lowly potato masher a quilting tool, but it can be!

 This loopy texture was achieved using the potato masher above.
Now, it doesn't really have to be a potato masher. It can be a cake rack, a wire basket, anything that is heat resistant and that has holes that cloth can be poked through. 
You also need either iron-on interfacing, or some type of iron-on material that can reinforce your fabric.

 Place the RIGHT side of the fabric down over the holes of whatever you are using. Use a chop stick, bamboo skewer, crochet hook, or anything narrow enough to push the fabric through the holes. Try to keep them as even as possible, but don't obsess over it. Start in the middle and work your way out.

When you have your area finished, you are ready to reinforce the back.

 If you are using iron-on interfacing (where only one side will adhere to the fabric), simply cut out enough to cover the area you have textured. If using a material that will adhere on both sides, first iron it to a piece of fabric, peel off the backing, and be prepared to iron it to the textured area. 

 Place your iron-on on the back of the potato masher and iron it on!
Gently remove your textured piece.

Here is a sample on a baking rack. I think this was easier to use than the potato masher because the spaces between the holes are only the width of a wire. The fabric "loops" didn't tend to crawl out when I did the holes next to them. 
I chose to sew between the loops when I finished to be sure they stayed in place. You can do this by hand or machine. 
 Have fun and look around the house and garage with an eye for a "texturizer"! Don't have a potato masher? Your baking rack doesn't have a grid? How about hardware cloth, chicken wire, the back of a patio chair or top of a patio table, ..........

 I used my textured cloth as a center for the flower on this tote bag. This can be a lot of fun, so keep your eyes open and, until next time.....