Sarah Ramberg - Crafting with Flannel: A Beginners Guide to Making Gifts, Accessories & Home Décor

Copyright 2021 by Sarah Ramberg

Photography 2021 by Sarah Ramberg unless otherwise noted

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Daniel Brount

Cover photos by Sarah Ramberg

Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-5617-5

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-5618-2

Printed in China

For my sweet Jonnieyouve put the art in partner throughout this little dream of mine. Thank you for being my true north, my home, and the absolute best cat daddy ever.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Flannel is the kind of fabric whose reputation precedes it, but the truth of the matter is that flannel has more reputations than you may think. From a stereotypical image of a lumberjack working timber in the North Woods; to a 1990s musician shredding a guitar on stage; to a giggling toddler in fuzzy footed pajamas; to a trendy hipster brewing a latte in a quiet coffee shopthey are all wearing flannel! As it turns out, flannel has more facets than previously thought.

I fell in love with flannel as a teenager, and that love continued when I started a blog about upcycling craft projects. Ive upcycled many, many things over the years, but Ive revisited my favorite fabric repeatedly for multiple projects. Most of my flannel projects started as shirts that I sourced at thrift stores and yard sales, but sewists and crafters alike know that flannel shirts are just the beginning. Fabric and sewing shops often boast bolts and bolts of wonderfully cozy flannel fabrics in every color and design you can imagine. Sure, there are plenty of plaids to choose from, but thats just scratching the surface. Typically, as the weather gets colder, youll find all sorts of flannel fabric designsfrom cutesy to abstract to eclectic and quirky.

Heres the thing about flannel, though. Ive created projects using other fabrics and none of them have ever elicited the same reaction as flannel projects did. Whether I created home projects or unique accessories, it was always the flannel crafts that resonated so strongly. Thats when I realized that flannel wasnt just a fabricit was a trend movement and a lifestyle. Working with flannel not only feels cozy and welcoming, it is cozy and welcoming.

Now, if you love crafting but know little to nothing about sewing, fear not, because there is an abundance of ways to create with flannel fabric that never touch a needle and thread. Flannel is versatile, easy to work with, and lends itself to unexpected uses. As long as you are interested in crafting with flannel, there are plenty of projects you can make.

GETTING STARTED

Before jumping into the projects and tutorials in this book, lets take a moment to talk flannel fabrics, crafting supplies, and other tips I want to share.

NEW FABRIC

When someone thinks of flannel fabric, their mind typically goes straight to a flannel shirt, but even a flannel shirt has to start somewhere, right? And that somewhere is a bolt of fresh flannel fabric, just like any other fabric you might purchase at a sewing or quilting shop.

Most fabric stores carry a variety of flannel fabrics, with larger selections in the fall and winter months. I use two different styles of flannel fabric for the projects in this book: Single-sided flannel (which tends to be thinner and lighter weight) and double-sided apparel flannel (which is reversible and more substantial in weight).

The thinner, single-sided flannel is often used by sewists to make pajamas and/or childrens clothing. It comes is a variety of non-plaid prints featuring any number of things: animals, coffee mugs, vintage campers, etc. Because the print only appears on one side of the flannel, its best used for projects that cannot be turned over or are not visible from the back (such as a lined bag or a picture frame).

The double-sided fabric, while more substantial than the single-sided style, is still soft and wonderfully pliable. It comes in all sorts of wonderful plaid and tartan designs, and lends itself to reversible projects and uses (such as blankets and scarves). When you think of flannel in a rustic sense, this is probably the fabric that youre thinking of.

FLANNEL SHIRTS

Working with fabric from flannel shirts is one of my most favorite things to do! From the thrill of the hunt for the perfect shirt to reimagining shirt parts in new ways, its a fun way to repurpose clothing. Whether you shop for them at yard sales, thrift stores, or your own closet, there is no shortage of flannel shirts for crafters like you and me. If you make a beeline for the mens section when shopping for flannel shirts, chances are youll find an excellent supply there, but dont forgo the womens and childrens sections while shopping, either. Some of the projects in my book use different shirt sizes for specific reasons. And youll likely find lighter, brighter shirt colors once you exit the mens section.

TIP

When shopping for new flannel fabric, make sure you check out the remnants bin! Many of my projects in this book use small amounts of fabric, and purchasing a remnant is a great way to save money and be less wasteful.

One thing you may run into while shopping for secondhand flannel shirts are the damaged ones. Sometimes theres a tear or hole, or perhaps a splatter of paint on the sleeve. Either way, these flawed shirts are destined for craft projects. Not only are flannel shirts made from reversible fabric (so the inside will be perfectly fine), but you can cut around the blemishes for smaller projects. Damaged shirts often end up on clearance racks, too, so its a win-win for crafters like you and me.

Flannel shirts arent the only source of flannel in department stores or thrift shops, either. I like to check the nightwear racks, too, as flannel pajamas and robes are commonly found. If you can find flannel sheets in the linens section, then youll have truly hit the fabric jackpot.