Fit to Frame

March 26, 2016

I have a bit of a problem when it comes to beautiful fabrics. I love them so much that I have turned into a bit of a textile hoarder: scraps from sewing projects, samples, even pretty satin ribbons that wrapped a present – I keep it all. I can't walk by a fabric store without stopping in and perusing the selection. This usually results in a purchase, whether I have a specific plan for said purchase or not. My 20+ year career in the fashion and home textiles business has not helped. Not a week goes by that I do not come home with an “orphan”–  a roll of fabric that was a misprint, a discontinued color or quality. I can't bear to see any of it thrown out. I keep fabrics in closets, under my bed, rolled up behind the front door and my DIY book Scraps was the direct result of this collecting and hoarding.

Fortunately, there are many ways to put a treasured fabric stash to good use, and simply framing a favorite pattern is a really quick project that will give you a lot of bang for your buck! Opt for a gallery-wall style assortment of coordinating colors, or stretch a pattern with large repeat over a painter's canvas.

 

Left image via Typepad, middle image Crystal Vision in Capri, right image via Lia Griffith

 

Artfully rendered black-and-white prints practically beg to be translated into wall art. All you need is a staple gun and a few canvasses of varying size. Hang a large horizontal rectangular framed fabric on the wall right above the bed in lieu of a traditional headboard; an affordable DIY that will instantly upgrade your bedroom's décor.