- Sometimes you just need a quick gift.
It might be because you're short of time or the price point
or maybe the recipient or the occasion
is just not quilt worthy.
Here are 4 fast and easy gifts with picture frames
that will take between 5 to 30 minutes to make
and which you can personalise to make them special.
The best part is you get to use up
those large hard to piece hero prints in your stash.
So stick with me and I'll show you how to do it.
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Hi, I'm Karen Brown of Just Get it Done Quilts.
I give you tips, tricks and strategies
to help you make the quilt that you want to make.
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Have you ever needed to produce a gift quickly,
either you've forgotten an occasion
or have been surprised by a special event
or maybe the situation is just not quilt worthy
or the recipient has absolutely everything.
This is part 3 of my series
on fast and easy gifts, gifts that you can personalise.
So they are gifts that people want to receive.
And today's episode on framed fabrics
is particularly fast and easy,
you can complete them in 5 to 30 minutes.
We all own gorgeous, large scale prints
which are often called hero prints.
They tend to accumulate in our stash
because they're hard to piece because of their large scale.
For today's project, they are perfect.
So dig into your stash,
and find the ones that match the occasion
then give them a good press.
If your fabric has deep creases,
spritz them with water first, then press
Next, take a look around your home for a frame to use.
These ones are from the Dollar Store.
These ones I got from Ikea
and these ones I purchased from Amazon.
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I purchased this frame from the Dollar Store
And it's the perfect size
for my Cathy Doherty magpies
that I've had in my stash for 3 years.
It's simple and the woodgrain works with my fabric
though if I had time, I could paint it if necessary.
Remove the mat from the frame and set aside.
Place the empty frame over your fabric
and decide what parts of the fabric you want in the frame
and how best to centre it.
Once you're happy, mark the corners.
Put the mat in the centre of these marks,
and then cut your fabric about one inch from the side
on all four sides.
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I put a small smear of glue on the front of the mat,
just on two sides,
and then I placed the mat
face down on the back of the fabric.
This stops the fabric from shifting in the next step.
It then goes inside the frame,
I pull on the loose edges to make it taunt
and once I'm satisfied it's all smooth,
I mitre the corners and glue down the fabric allowances.
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Secure the back and you're done.
I just love how this turned out
and I liked it so much I made a pair.
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This can also work on a large scale as well.
These Tim Holtz fabric have the detail in scale
that I can turn these into posters.
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Another easy lift is to use fabrics like photographs
which is perfect for fabrics
that have an element to highlight
like these Tula Pink raccoons.
Remove the mat from the frame and use as a template
to see what angle works best.
Then mark the four corners of the mat.
You want your fabric to be 2 inches taller,
and two inches wider than the inside opening of the mat.
So I am measuring in approximately half an inch
from the corner marks I made in cutting my fabric.
Then I put my fabric on the back of the frame,
and when it centred the way I want it I glue it down.
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I reassembled the frame and it really was that easy.
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Maybe you want to jazz up a picture frame?
Busy fabrics are a great way to add energy.
First, disassemble the frame and grab the mat.
Lay your fabric out, placed the mat on top,
cut your fabric approximately one inch larger than the mat.
I'm using archival glue here
as to avoid long-term stains on the fabric
and with a foam brush,
I'm painting on a thin layer on the mat
and placing the glue side down on the fabric,
ensure there are no creases.
Mitre the corners and glue the fabric
to the back of the mat.
To cut at the centre,
I cut at approximately 1 inch all around,
and then using my sharpest scissors,
I cut right into the corners
then fold back the fabric and glue that to the mat.
And then I'd reassemble the frame.
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If you prefer something with a little bit of texture
a shadow box may be the option for you.
I like to intentionally frame my fabrics
to give me that depth that I'm looking for.
And you can layer your fabrics,
you can put blocks on point,
and you don't even need a background,
you can put squares directly on the paper.
A shadow box has an extra frame.
So when you reassemble the pieces,
be sure to put this between the glass and the pitcher
to give space for that extra texture you added.
And truly, you can have a little bit of fun here
by combining fabric and some little knickknacks.
I'm using a map as the background for this picture,
and I've got a swatch of fabric of a Kombi van,
and I'm going to test out some shells
to see which one works best.
But because of the weight,
I'm going to have to bring out my glue gun
to tack down the shell.
I quickly put it back together
and this is a nice holiday memory.
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When personalising a gift,
look to the recipients for colour guidance,
not only what colours they like,
but what shades of the colour they prefer and the theme.
Where possible, ask.
You want to give gifts that people want to receive,
and don't forget to sign the back.
So what do you think?
Are you going to give one of these a try?
If you have any other ideas for fast and easy gifts,
please leave a comment below.
And if you want to watch the other videos in this series,
I'll leave a link to that playlist in the notes below too.
This week on "Karen's Quilt Circle", I had Valerie Goodwin.
After building a foundation in traditional quilting skills,
Valerie combined her love of lines and shapes
to develop her own style of amazing layered map quilts.
You don't want to miss it.
So I'll leave a link to that in the notes as well.
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