Who’s ready for another dose of Scribblinspiration (get it?)?! Last time, we looked at some jellyfish to get the creativity flowing. Now for a change of pace, let’s try something a little more open-ended to prove inspiration can truly come from anything! Even something as simple as a pattern or type of fabric. Try brocade for example.

 

Brocade is a kind of fabric that dates back as far as the Early Middle Ages. It’s woven on a shuttle and is generally made with silk and gold or silver thread (it doesn’t technically have to have gold or silver, but it often does). What’s fun about brocade is it doesn’t always look the same as it’s managed to make its way around the world.  You can trace it all the way back to Byzantium and it was originally worn only by nobility, but many parts of the world put their spin on it, from China and Japan to Greece, France, and Italy.

Today, brocade is used for upholstery and drapes, formal clothing and costumes. Let your imagination run and see what this pattern inspires for you. Maybe the gorgeous flourishes take you somewhere abstract. Perhaps it brings to mind royalty from another time or a lavish ball with everyone dressed in their finest. Maybe all the silver and gold or rich jewel tones get you going—remember, even just the color scheme can serve as inspiration. I see flowers in many of the designs and that makes me thing of a fabulous garden. Since it’s a fabric, maybe it makes you want design your own costumes or modern outfits or even rooms inspired by brocade. For those of you crafty sewers out there, feel free to take the inspiration literally and try using brocade or something similar like damask or brocatelle to actually create something.

 

See? There really are a lot of possibilities, even with something as simple as fabric. Give your imagination the royal treatment and see what happens!

Hi Scribblers!

I was thinking about how to decorate this season when I remembered a fun fabric wreath I made when I was a Girl Scout! I had so much fun making the craft and I was so happy when I brought it home and saw the delight on my mother’s face. Do you like to make your own decorations? Do your kids like crafts? Try this Fabric Wreath and add some color and inspiration to your decorating!

This wreath is fun to make and easy too!

To make this craft you will need:

- A Straw Wreath

- Colorful Fabric

- Pinking Shears

-Ribbon for  a bow

-An awl (or thin screw driver or retractable pen)

 

 

To start, gather your supplies. Keep in mind, it is best not take off the plastic wrap from the wreath. The plastic will help keep the fabric squares in place.

Cut 3″ x 3″ squares of fabric using the pinking shears. You will need to use a generous amount of fabric – approximately 4-5 fat quarters.

Once you have cut your fabric into squares, use the awl to push the fabric into the wreath. To this, place the fabric print/color side up, place the awl in the center of the fabric and gently push the fabric about a 1/4″ into the wreath.

Continue repeating this step placing the sqaures fairly close together. You can decide base on your own taste how tight or loose you would like the wreath to appear by increasing or decreasing the space between fabric squares. You will only need to cover the front of the wreath, and a little around the edges so as not to show the straw.

Once your wreath is covered in the fabric squares, create a decorative bow and a loop to hang your wreath using your favorite colors of matching ribbon.

Hang up your wreath and enjoy!

You can purchase these supplies and save 10% at ScribbleShop.com by using promo code: SHOP1211