Buzzings from a quilter who bumbles her way through life!

Monday, March 12, 2012

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..... 
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12 comments:

  1. How fun! You now have me looking at kitchen tools and other things in an entirely new way. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. This is really a cute idea! I have to hurry up and retire because I just stay inspired! And you know we need more time to play!

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  3. Oh Linda... that is just sooo clever. It looks fantastic as a flower centre...just perfect actually! :)

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  4. Wow! cool and creative! Thanks for posting.

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  5. This is the coolest thing I have seen all weekend! Thanks for sharing!

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  6. Is there no end to your creativity!!!! This is amazing, Linda, I love it and your tote bag is GORGEOUS!!!

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  7. What an awesome idea Linda! And perfect for the flower's center, too! Thanks for sharing this creative tutorial with us...

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  8. Great idea! Thanks for making this tutorial, I love this!

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  9. That is SO awesome. Thank you for the great idea. Now I need to figure out what I can use it on.

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  10. what a neat idea thanks for sharing

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  11. Thanks so much for the little tutorial, I am going to try this.

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  12. That's such a fab idea, thanks for sharing

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