Long-time friend of CRAFT, Ellen Baker of The Long Thread, has a new fabric collection for Moda Fabrics called Quilt Blocks.
Inspired by traditional quilt designs, there are nine prints in the collection in three different colorways: shade, marine and spectrum.
The prints are delightful, charming and bold, and perfect for summer sewing projects. Today, she’s sharing a simple project for making a cute fabric pendant.
Fabric Pendant
by Ellen Baker
I’ve been loving all the fabric and embroidered jewelry that I see these days, so I decided to make my own using a bit of my new fabric collection for Moda, Quilt Blocks. The collection is inspired by the patterns of quilts, but with a modern twist. This simple necklace is easy and can truly be made in half an hour. You can find the pendant frames in various shops on Etsy by searching around. I got mine for four dollars, then used a chain that I had on hand. This would also be great with cross stitch or with a kid’s stitched design.
Materials:
Pendant frame
Fabric scrap
Embroidery thread or pearl cotton
Embroidery needle
Scissors
Tape
Chain necklace
Directions:
Step 1: STITCH. Cut a 5″ square of fabric and choose the location you want to embroider by positioning the frame around until you find a good spot. Embroider whatever you’d like on the fabric. I used the chain stitch (here’s a good video tutorial if you are unfamiliar with the stitch).
Step 2: FRAME. Place the frame onto the fabric and cut around, about 1/2″ from the frame. The pendant frame should come with three parts. One is the frame, one is the flat backing, and the third piece is a slightly convex piece of metal that your fabric will wrap around. Now, if you love your piece and want it to last forever, you can use a glue gun to secure the fabric to the center piece, but I used tape so that I can change it out when I’m ready to make something new.
Step 3: FOLD OVER. Wrap the fabric around the convex piece and place it into the frame, pulling the fabric taut. Tape on the back, securing the edges. Place the flat back piece on top and bend down the metal prongs to hold it in place.
Step 4: HANG. I ditched the jump rings and hooks that came with the pendant and attached the chain necklace directly to the pendant, but you’ll need a chain necklace with chain loops large enough to fit into the hooks. First, you will need to take your chain necklace and cut it in half; a pair of scissors will do the trick. Then, take one loop from each side of the necklace and attach it to the pendant loops. You may need to bend the loops open, and can probably do this by hand, but you may use a small pair of needle-nose pliers if necessary. Bend the loops back in place and you’re all done!
About the Author:
Ellen Luckett Baker is author of The Long Thread, where she writes about her adventures with sewing, crafting, and kids. Her book 1, 2, 3 Sew was recently published by Chronicle Books and her debut fabric collection, Quilt Blocks, is available now. Ellen lives in Atlanta with her husband, two daughters, and a growing number of pets.
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