Sunday Stash: curtain weight fabric

For a project I've had in mind for a while now, I needed some heavyweight cotton so I decided to use curtain fabric. Friday my very kind next door neighbour put a packet against the door (instead of having it left somewhere on the road!)

Inside was this fantastic fabric I got from Terry's Fabric, who specialise in curtain fabric. You can use curtain fabric for other projects too, of course! I fell in love with this Beach Hut fabric and it's perfect for my project. Here's a detail:

And because I needed different textures, I also decided to get this laminated Bunting fabric. Wouldn't it be great for a party tablecloth too? 

Linking up my new stash to Sunday Stash at Finding Fifth!

Girl's pinafore (apron?) - Suzy Ultman's laminated Little Kukla

I've finished my first girl's pinafore using Suzy Ultman's laminated (or slicker) fabric called Little Kukla and I'm surprised how well it turned out. It's the right size for a 3 to 5 year old and very useful for messy cooks or growing artists! Just wipe over to clean!

Can somebody please explain to me the difference between pinafore and apron. I grew up in the UK and my Grandma and Mum taught me that a pinafore is the garment with the bit that covers your chest too. An apron is the garment that just covers you from the waist down. Now I searched for photos of aprons in Google and a load of pinafores appeared. Did I misunderstand this difference? Can anybody explain this to me?

This fabric is really jolly and fun too. As I wrote in a previous post, I love Suzy Ultman's fabric and in particular Little Kukla. I have this fabric in laminated and not.

Now I'm working on some key rings made from the same material to sell to raise money at Ella's school "End of Year Concert". They're looking good too, it must be the fabric that makes everything look good! I'll have some photos soon...

More Mug Rugs

Here are some more laminated Mug Rugs, this time made using Michael Miller's Khaki

Vintage Ironwork laminated fabric, with a more geometric trim.

The back is made using a linen mix fabric and it actually goes very well with the tone of the laminated fabric. the contrast in texture between the two kinds of material is also very interesting. 

The Power of the Mug Rug

Mug Rugs are everywhere! They come in all shapes and sizes, all colours and made with as many different techniques as you can think of. Thanks to their size, they're quick to make (not like some quilts!) and you can use a technique that on a bigger scale might look boring or too kitsch. And, let's admit it, small scales are soooo cute! Oh, I was forgetting, they're actually useful too!

And now Mug Rugs are starting to invade Italy! At the moment they are considered more as a sampler than what they are really for, but this is all rapidly changing. When we'll have solved the name problem that is. It's a bit long to call them "piccole tovagliette per tazza" (little tablecloths for mugs) and it's definitely not as catchy as MUG RUG, is it? Soon we will decide to adopt the English term and everybody will immediately know what you're talking about.

In the meantime I would like to give my own little contribution to the Mug Rug cause and this is it:

a Mug Rug made using laminated material (Michael Miller's laminated Pink Belle Rose) means no tea stains to remove, you just wipe it over. At the worst you get the crumbs from all those biscuits you're eating stuck in the trim, but a good shake will see to that! With the same fabric look at the different effects!

Here's a photo of the reverse side in case you're wondering. My colleague Emanuela kindly lent me her mug, it just looked so right! Thanks and... enjoy your tea (or coffee!).