book: Oil cloth Inspirations
Oil Cloth Inspirations
Before I picked up this book, I only had a vague understanding of what oilcloth was – that it was some kind of water resistant fabric, but really had no idea what it could be used for. Sophie Bester, in her book Oilcloth Inspirations, shares her passion for oilcloth with lots of projects and tips for working with this tricky fabric.
I would never have imagined using oilcloth or other laminated fabrics for embellishing clogs, gumboots, or raincoats. Other projects include upholstery type ideas such as covering a chair, a picnic cushion or a child’s foam sofa chair, and there are quite a few bags from totes to children’s sleepover bags. In addition to some fairly obvious applications and basic designs such as for tablecloths, Sophie Bester does show some inspiring ways to use this fabric, such as making motifs for applique, creating three dimensional effects with oilcloth flowers and ruffles and using clear laminate to sandwich decorative items.
A useful section on working with oilcloth and laminated fabrics, includes advice on sewing, gluing, ironing and cleaning. I am excited about starting some of these oilcloth projects for my fingerprinty, smeary kid friendly household.
About the reviewer: Kate is a busy mother of four, and has far too many craft projects on the go at any one time. These could include, but are not limited to, crochet, sewing, dyeing, paper making, spinning, felting and bookbinding. Kate has challenges in the areas of finishing things, saying no and craft supplies storage. She also has a very very patient and tolerant husband.
