Thursday, July 8, 2010

My Creative Space

So here's a cute little task I executed last night, in preparation for my first My Creative Space in weeks.

It's not original - there are plenty of this sort of thing out there - but I think my hippopotamus fabric is pretty unique.I love this material, it's so bright and cheerful. And who could resist all those tiny hippopotami with their mouths open? It looks like a game of hippo Pacman.

It took me a few tries to get it stretched properly through the hoops, and then I had the issue of what to do with the unfinished ends on the other side. You can't hem them, because then the material is too thick to clamp properly. And you can't leave them sticking out, because that just looks untidy.

What do you do with your loose ends?

I'm going to hop on over to Kootoyoo to see if anyone can help .... come along for the ride and see what other people are up to in their own creative spaces.

19 comments:

Margaret said...

some people put another sheet of fabric over the back or bias tape along the raw edges

Liesl said...

Those hippos look sensational. Hope you find a way to get your loose ends tied up!

CurlyPops said...

I have one that I bought (it's a textile art piece stretched into the hoop) and it has a cardboard cover at the back.

Jennie said...

That fabric looks brilliant in the hoop!

Michelle said...

Love the hoop! That fabric is sensational.

When I've framed cross stitch, I use a ladder stitch to bring the ends of the fabric together across the back. It kind of looks like a warped corset ;-)

angelina said...

i love it. embroidery hoops are great frames for all sorts..

Kylie said...

It looks great. I would stitch the back fabric together (corset style like Michelle said) and then have a backing panel of felt or padded fabric that I hand stitch around the circle. failing that, I guess if you hang it on a wall no-one will see the back anyway! ;) Good luck! K

Bianca said...

Thems some funky hippos!
I like the cardboard over the back idea -then you can pull it off if the fabric goes slack.

xB

Melissa said...

Holy moly those hippos are awesome.

Kellie Christie said...

So cute!! I love a good hippo :) Hope that someone can help you out with tidying up the other side, I have no idea.

Kerry said...

I think I'd tidy it up on the back and then glue a circle of felt over it all...maybe??

Christina Lowry said...

Super cute indeed. I love the embroidery framed fabric idea and have a heap of hoops here for that very purpose. Just need some more walls I think.

I like the corset stitch idea. Or perhaps if it is to be a permanent thing, you could cut the fabric about an inch from the hoop, fold it in half and glue it to the inner side of the wooden hoop?

:)

Chicken Willow said...

That fabric is just adorable.

Knicky Knacks said...

Love the hippos! They look terrific in the loop. Thanks for stopping by my blog - the tree is actually hand painted. I do love my welcome tree and the butterfly's have really brightened it up.

Knicky Knacks said...

Oh yeah, and glad you liked the sleeping bag idea - can't wait to see your proto-type.

michelle said...

love it. i have done some with embroidered images on them. i use double sided tape to secure the front and then anther piece over the main image to secure a piece of fabric to the back. trimming the back piece close with sharp scissors then replace the outside hoop. it's a bit fiddly but it works for me

Jana @ Weekend Vintage said...

Inspiring....I want to make one now!
Jana

Isabella Golightly said...

I have cut a piece of corrugated cardboard (light but thick) to size & plopped it in there and I always start with the edges overlocked to prevent fraying. Love the hippos, too!

Ange said...

...you could cover a sized to fit piece of cardboard with fabric, then slot it in? Pretty and secure!

...what did you do??