Sewing
Pottery
BY MACHINE
Barbara Warholic
Sewing Pottery by Machine
© 2011 by Barbara Warholic
Martingale®
19021 120th Ave. NE, Suite 102
Bothell, WA 98011-9511 USA
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eBook Edition: 2015
No part of this product may be reproduced in any form, unless otherwise stated, in which case reproduction is limited to the use of the purchaser. The written instructions, photographs, designs, projects, and patterns are intended for the personal, noncommercial use of the retail purchaser and are under federal copyright laws; they are not to be reproduced by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, including informational storage or retrieval systems, for commercial use. Permission is granted to photocopy patterns for the personal use of the retail purchaser. Attention teachers: Martingale encourages you to use this book for teaching, subject to the restrictions stated above.
The information in this book is presented in good faith, but no warranty is given nor results guaranteed. Since Martingale has no control over choice of materials or procedures, the company assumes no responsibility for the use of this information.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
eISBN: 978-1-60468-741-5
Original Source ISBN: 978-1-60468-029-4
Special thanks to Vicki and Matt Howe of Redmond, Washington, for generously allowing us to photograph in their home.
Dedication
To Ted, Lynne, Laura, and Stu. Thank you for all your love and support!
To my late parents, Donald and Jean Vickers. Thanks for giving me those creative genes!
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank Susan Breier for her book, It’s a Wrap (Martingale & Company, 2006). I read her book and made some of her projects. With my pottery background and some creativity, I was able to expand on her technique and make my own coiled-cording technique come to life. We’re in about the same age group, so I thought, “If Susan can write a book, why can’t I?” She was my inspiration.
I’d also like to thank everyone at Martingale & Company for seeing there was something to my idea and for helping me write the best book I could. Many, many thanks to you all!
Contents
Introduction
Tools and Supplies
Let’s Start Sewing
Two Basic Coiling Methods
Easy Direct-Lift Project
Easy Gradual-Lift Project
Let’s Sew a Pot
Easy Three-Piece Pot
Pot with Handles and Lid
Pitcher
Not Your Grandma’s Teapot
Embellishments
Idea Gallery
Glossary
Resources
About the Author
Introduction
ALL MY LIFE I’ve had the urge to create things. When I was a child, my mother had lots of creative tools around to experiment with, and like many households of my generation, we had a sewing machine. I sewed my first garment in the fifth grade, and I’ve been sewing ever since. Thus began my love of sewing.
About 10 years ago, after moving to North Carolina, I was introduced to pottery. (North Carolina has a rich pottery history.) I fell in love with the look and feel of pottery! And knowing that potters formed the pottery with clay from the earth made it all the more exciting. I took lessons to learn the wheel and hand-building techniques. Both techniques greatly interested me, but since I had neither a kiln, nor the space for a studio, I put pottery on hold.
One day I was in my local quilt shop, and I discovered the book It’s a Wrap by Susan Breier (Martingale & Company, 2006). The book taught a sewing technique that used clothesline and fabric strips to make bowls, baskets, and purses. I thought this looked very interesting, so I decided to give it a try.
Almost immediately it occurred to me how similar Susan’s sewing technique was to making pottery, making a coil (coiling is a hand-building technique) and forming it into a vessel. After trying several projects in the book, it occurred to me that if I placed two shapes, one on top of the other, I could make an enclosed form—like a piece of pottery. The first time I tried putting two different shapes together was a huge “Aha!” moment for me. Knowing that I could make something on my sewing machine that resembled pottery was great. This was the best of both worlds, combining my two loves—pottery and sewing. This is how Sewing Pottery by Machine came to be. I blended my love of sewing with my love of pottery!
You can make pots with your sewing machine! In the pages that follow, you’ll find an exciting new twist on Susan’s coiled-cording technique. I’ve taken the basic principles of her idea and made them my own. If you’ve tried other coiling techniques before and liked them, I hope you’ll find that Sewing Pottery by Machine will take you to another level. With a few basic sewing tools and a little practice, you’ll be wowing your friends and family with your stunning pieces.
Most of the tools you’ll need for my projects are in your sewing room already. All you need is a sewing machine, fabric, cording, thread, and a few other basic supplies. And you can make a really nice pot with a half-yard of fabric and 50’ of cording/clothesline.
I’ll guide you, from fabric selection to completion of your project, with clear instructions and lots of pictures. I hope you’ll find inspiration for your own designs in nature or in things you have around your house. Your head will be spinning with new, creative ideas.
For the projects in this book, the sewing technique is a coiled-cording method. Each pot is made using cording and strips of fabric. The goal is for the finished piece to look like one continuous coil and have a shape similar to a piece of pottery. You’ll want people to look at your piece and wonder how you made it using a sewing machine! I’ve seen open-top baskets made with a similar coiling technique, but projects in this book are unique because you’ll be making enclosed forms.
I hope you’ll enjoy looking through my “Idea Gallery” (page 55) and that you’ll find inspiration in the pieces I’ve made. Sewing Pottery by Machine is a unique idea, and I hope you’ll enjoy your new sewing experience as much as I do. Whether you have some sewing skills, or you’ve been sewing forever, you’ll be turning out stunning pieces of art in no time. Now let’s start sewing pottery!
Tools and Supplies
WHEN I TRY a new art or craft project, the last thing I want to do is go out and buy a lot of supplies and tools that I may not use again. What’s nice about this sewing method is that most of the tools and supplies you’ll need are probably in your sewing room already. There are only a few items you may have to purchase.
Before you start a project, gather all of your tools together. Having your tools at hand will make your sewing experience a more pleasant one. We want this to be fun!
What You’ll Need
You’ll need the tools listed below to make the projects in this book. The Nexcare 3M Durable Cloth Tape is for joining pieces of cording. (This tape is a strong cloth tape for general-purpose bandaging and is available in most drug stores.) You’ll use the seam ripper to remove starter coils (which I’ll explain on page 17) and to fix mistakes.
Sewing machine
Fabric
Cording/clothesline
Thread
Fabric glue, clear glue, or seam sealant
Rotary cutter, 24"-long clear ruler, and cutting mat
1" x 6" or 1" x 12" ruler
Straight pins
Hand sewing needles
Fabric scissors
Seam ripper
Nexcare 3M Durable Cloth Tape, 1" wide
Your Sewing Machine<
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You can use any type of sewing machine for my coiled-cording method. I use a Kenmore portable sewing machine that has a straight stitch, a zigzag stitch, and a few decorative stitches. That’s it! Nothing fancy!
When you start a project, make sure that your sewing area is neat and that your sewing machine is clean and lint free, especially around the feed dogs and bobbin case. Always clean these two areas before you start a new project. I keep a 1"-wide paintbrush in my sewing box. A paintbrush works great for removing lint.
Start with a new needle. I use a denim/jeans needle, size 80/12 or 90/14. You’ll be sewing through the cording, so you need a sturdy needle. It’s a good idea to have several extra needles on hand. If you find that you’re breaking needles, try loosening the tension on your machine. Or it may be that your cording is too thick or stiff.
If your sewing machine doesn’t have a light, place a lamp nearby. It’s very important that you’re able to clearly see the presser-foot area on your machine.
Fabrics
Choosing your fabric can be one of the most fun aspects of your sewing project. If you’re a veteran sewer, you know that there is nothing more exciting than going to the fabric store.
Choose fairly lightweight fabrics. I prefer tightly woven 100% cotton fabrics, because they don’t fray. However, you can also use polyester-cotton blends. The fabrics suitable for quilting are fabulous for making pots. The colors are rich, and there are so many patterns to choose from. I gravitate toward earth tones, but the choice is up to you.
Low- and medium-contrast prints work well in coil-wrapped projects.
High-contrast, graphic prints don’t work well for coil-wrapped projects.
Look at the fabric as an overall color theme. If you buy a print with a particular graphic, you’ll find that the cute little design has totally disappeared after you’ve cut fabric strips, wrapped the cording, and made the pot.
Beautiful Japanese silk screen before cutting strips
After cutting strips and sewing fabric-wrapped coils, the beautiful pattern was lost, although this fabric still made an interesting pot.
You’ll want to choose a fabric that doesn’t fray. Check the fabric on the bolt to see if it’s fraying. If it is, keep looking. Also, choose a fabric that’s similar in color on the front and back. Often fabrics are printed on white; this will leave a white edge on your strips as you’re sewing, which can be unattractive.
HELPFUL HINT
When you go to your fabric shop, take an 8"-long piece of cording along. You can audition a fabric by rolling a corner of the fabric onto the cording. Now fold the cording in half. This will give you an idea of how the fabric will look once it’s sewn. You may be greatly surprised by the results of a fabric you thought wouldn’t work!
My absolute favorite fabrics to use are batiks. They come in wonderful, earthy colors, colors that you find in nature and in pottery. They have perpetual movement in their shading, and they’re very similar in color on the front and back. I’ve found that fraying is usually not a problem either because they have a high thread count. Batiks produce fabulous results!
Batik pot
Don’t be afraid to mix colors and textures or to try narrow-striped fabrics. The variation will make your piece more visually interesting.
Mix solid and patterned fabrics for a wonderful contrast.
When I buy fabric, I buy yardage from the bolt so I can cut strips across the width of the fabric. You can certainly use fat quarters, but it’s much easier and faster to cut and wrap long fabric strips instead of short ones.
Cording
The cording I prefer is 3⁄16" utility cording (3⁄16" refers to the diameter of the cording). This cording is commonly known as clothesline. Most brands of utility cording are great to use with the coiled-cording method, as long as they’re soft and pliable. Don’t use plastic-coated poly or nylon—they won’t work!
I’ve tried several different kinds of cording. You may want to try a few different brands to find the one that suits you best.
Utility cording
It’s increasingly hard to find clothesline in the housewares department of a store. You may have to look in the rope-and-chain section of the hardware department in your local home-improvement store or discount store. If you have a hard time finding clothesline locally, you can search for it online (see “Resources” on page 62). I don’t recommend upholstery cording, as it’s too limp and very costly.
For the projects in this book, the cording is listed in feet in the materials list. Cording usually comes in 50' or 100' packages. I’ve rounded up the required amount to ensure that you’ll have more than enough cording to complete the project.
Thread
You’ll want to choose thread that matches your fabric. The thread and fabric should blend together. Transparent thread is ideal for fabrics that have many colors in them. Transparent thread, or monofilament, comes in clear or smoky colors. Choose the one that is appropriate for the project you’re working on. You can also try variegated thread if your fabric is multicolored.
You can brighten up a pot by using a thread that’s slightly darker than the fabric. Or use a thread that’s lighter than the fabric to tone down your piece. You might be tempted to try a contrasting color of thread. I don’t recommend this unless you have a very steady hand, because all of your stitches will show. If you make any mistakes, they’ll be glaring! Believe me—I’ve tried it—it’s a waste of time and materials.
I’ve found that a project using ½ yard of fabric will take approximately 300 to 500 yards of thread. I like to buy large spools of thread so I don’t run out in the middle of a project.
Fabric Glue
I use a drop of fabric glue, clear glue, or seam sealant to tack down the tail end of the fabric strip once I’ve finished off a top or bottom element. The glue will hold the tail end in place and keep the cut edge from fraying.
Basic Tools
You’ll need rotary-cutting tools (rotary cutter, 24"-long clear ruler, and cutting mat), fabric scissors, ruler, hand sewing needles, and a seam ripper. These are all basic tools that you probably have in your sewing room already.
Durable Cloth Tape
I’ve tried several different ways to connect two pieces of cording. I’ve tried hand sewing them together; I’ve tried stitching them together with a zigzag stitch. These techniques worked okay, but often the two pieces of cording would pull apart when I applied tension and wrapped them with a fabric strip.
I was in the first-aid section of the drug store one day when I saw Nexcare 3M Durable Cloth Tape. The wrapper said “heavy duty and strong adhesive.” I thought this might work as a way to connect two pieces of cording. I gave it a try, and it worked perfectly. A 1½"-long strip will hold two pieces of cording together. Because of the strong adhesive, it won’t pull apart as you apply tension to the cording. And because it’s cloth, it sews easily and doesn’t add too much bulk to the connection area.
Two pieces of cording connected by Nexcare 3M Durable Cloth Tape
Let’s Start Sewing
ON THE PAGES that follow, you’ll find a complete explanation, with photos and illustrations, of the coiled-cording technique. Then I’ll guide you through each project from start to finish with helpful hints along the way, including suggested embellishments that will really finish off your pieces. I hope you’ll discover an exciting new craft. After you’ve sewn the first few easy projects, you’ll have the skills to put different shapes together. Your head will be spinning with new ideas and possibilities!
You’re on your way to making fun projects like this. Let’s get started!
Cutting Fabric Strips
Although you can use scissors, a rotary cutter is a faster and easier way to cut ¾"-wide strips of fabric. To cut fabric strips from the full width of the fabric, fold the two selvages of the fabric together and adjust the fabric so it hangs straight. Fold the fabric again, folded edge to selvage edge, so you have four layers of fabric. Place the fabric on
a cutting mat. If your fabric has a selvage edge that doesn’t match the rest of the fabric, cut it off before you start cutting strips. Place a folded edge along any horizontal line on the mat; then position the ruler on top of the fabric, aligning a line on the ruler with the folded edge. (I place the ruler on the fabric side rather than the mat side and use the lines on the mat to cut the strips.) Using a rotary cutter, cut along the long edge of the ruler to trim off the end of the fabric, making a straight edge. Then cut the fabric into strips that measure ¾" wide by the width of fabric.
If you’re using scissors to cut your fabric strips, don’t be too concerned about precision. As long as the strips are about ¾" wide, it won’t matter if the edges are a little wavy.
You should be able to cut 10 strips from ¼ yard of fabric, 20 strips from ½ yard, and so forth. I’ve tried different widths of strips but have found that ¾" wide works the best. I usually cut half of the fabric into strips, and then cut the rest of the strips a few at a time. It’s nice to have some of the fabric not cut into strips, in case you’re inspired to make an embellishment of some kind using the same fabric.
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