Jessica Sallie Kapitanski - Create with Cork Fabric: Sew 17 Upscale Projects; Bags, Accessories & Home Decor

Publisher: Amy Marson Creative Director: Gailen Runge Acquisitions Editor: Roxane Cerda Managing Editor: Liz Aneloski Editor: Beth Baumgartel Technical Editor: Helen Frost Cover/Book Designer: April Mostek Production Coordinator: Tim Manibusan Production Editor: Jennifer Warren Illustrator: Aliza Shalit Photo Assistant: Rachel Holmes Photography by Kelly Burgoyne of C&T Publishing, Inc. Published by Stash Books, an imprint of C&T Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS To my best friend and husband, Mitch. Thank you for not only being involved but for also being interested in my endeavors and passions. Because of you, I got my business off the ground and created the career of my dreams. I love you and our life together! An eternal thank-you to my parents for teaching me how to be creative, work hard, and follow my dreams.

Without your support and confidence in my abilities, I would not have grown into the woman I am today. You both mean so much to me. I love you! A special thank-you to my brother, Jacob. Despite our five-year age gap, weve always been great friends and supported each other. Its always a good time when youre around. Thank you for seeing the potential of my business and helping me grow! I love you, Jay! To my in-laws, Val and Robert.

Youve always made me feel welcome and part of your family. Thank you for all your support and encouragement, which typically translates to heavy lifting and baby duty. You are always there for us, and I love you both. To my Nancys Notions family and all the teachers throughout my lifeyou know who you are! Thank you immensely for your words of wisdom and your confidence in me throughout the years. Thank you to my editor, Beth Baumgartel, and the wonderful team at C&T Publishing. You all brought the best out of my vision for this book and made it truly beautiful.

Thank you for your enthusiasm, attention to detail, and guidance. A huge thank-you to the fabric companies and suppliers who generously donated the gorgeous fabric and threads for this book. Your quality materials brought this book to life! Lastly, a sentimental thank-you to my loud and loving grandma. Without your love of sewing and crafting, this book would have never been possible. Youve always inspired me. introduction My love of cork fabric began the moment I felt how soft and pliable it was. introduction My love of cork fabric began the moment I felt how soft and pliable it was.

I had always thought of cork as stiff and brittle, but I soon found out how wrong I was. After sewing with cork fabric for the first time, I was hooked. My first project with cork fabric involved making purse straps. The cork made the purse very comfortable to carry and gave it a professional touch. This first project quickly led to more. I progressed to using cork for accents as well as straps, and Ive even made entire bags, home decor items, and jewelry out of cork.

Corks natural stability and texture makes it a go-to material in my fabric stash. There are numerous colors and textures to choose from, which makes cork a great fabric for all kinds of projects and for all seasons. Ive thoroughly tested and researched cork fabric so I can share the variety of benefits and sewing struggles you might encounter. I have broken needles and pushed sewing machines to their limits so you dont have to. I have learned the dos and donts so I can share them with you and so youll enjoy sewing with cork fabric every time. I wrote this book because I dont want you to be afraid of sewing with this unique material.

Each of the projects in this book includes basic techniques for sewing with cork; its my hope that as you work through the projects, your confidence will increase and youll be inspired to pursue other projects that use cork fabric. Happy sewing! ALL ABOUT CORK FABRIC Cork is used for so much more than mere bottle stoppers! It has become an invaluable component in a variety of products, such as flooring, wall coverings, yoga and sports equipment, home decor items, shoes, gift items, and even cork fabric. Cork fabric is a versatile and unique material that is used to make bags, wallets, and accents on clothing, craft projects, appliqu, embroidery, and even upholstery. It feels much like high-quality leather and vinyl because it is soft, smooth, and pliable, but its much easier to cut and sew. It is an amazing alternative to leather or vinyl because its sustainable, washable, stain-resistant, durable, antimicrobial, and hypoallergenic. Cork fabric is not hard or brittle like the traditional cork sheets from the craft store.

Youll be amazed how easy it is to work with and how forgiving it can be. This high-quality fabric is a natural product made primarily in Mediterranean countries such as Portugal, Spain, Morocco, and France. It is produced from the bark of the cork oak tree, which is harvested by experts in order to protect the tree. Once the cork is harvested from the cork oak, its stacked on concrete pallets and left to dry for a minimum of six months. After it is fully dried, the cork is boiled and steamed for sterilization, flattening, and elasticity. Heat and pressure are applied to press the cork into blocks.

The blocks are later shaved into thin sheets. These thin cork sheets are sealed with a nontoxic sealant and adhered to a fabric support backing (see Shopping for Cork and Related Materials). Because of this simple and natural production process, cork fabric retains all the qualities of raw cork! There are numerous benefits to using this eco-friendly fabric that youll learn to appreciate as you apply cork to a variety of projects for you and your home. shopping for cork and related materials There are several factors to consider when shopping for cork fabric, including quality, color, size, price, and how it will be used. QUALITY There are two main qualities of cork fabric: Touch and Touch Pro. Touch features a coagulated fabric backing made of 35% polyester and 65% cotton.

It is suitable for craft projects or items that wont have much day-to-day use. You cannot iron Touch cork fabric, and it may fade and show abrasion over time. It is an affordable option if youre trying cork for the first time or only need a small amount for a project. Touch Pro features a textile backing made of 15.5% polyester, 29.5% cotton, and 55% polyurethane. It has a higher-quality cork than Touch cork fabric and is durable and long-lasting. For all the projects in this book, I recommend using Touch Proquality cork fabric.

Your projects will have a more professional, long-lasting finish if you use good-quality cork fabric. SIZE Most cork fabric is either 27 or 54 wide and is sold by the inch, by the yard, or in specified sizes that are commonly used in sewing projects. COLOR Cork fabric is sold in a variety of colors, textures, and prints. A growing selection of cork fabric is available on my website (see Resources). Interestingly, the color of the cork fabric backing is often very different from the front. PRICE The price of cork fabric is reflected by the amount of time it takes to produce.