Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Laminated Cotton of love!

TART LAMINATED COTTON
Anna Maria Horner fabric is always a treat but I couldn't have believed that we could sell out of this pretty Lou Lou Thi, Tart laminated cotton in just one weeks time. I quickly ordered two bolts, which I received them yesterday. After cutting the pre-orders we took at Oilcloth Addict and the laminated cotton tablecloths for Modern June we have nearly emptied a 15 yard bolt in about 36 hours. So come on over and grab up, it's a hot commodity!!!

We also restocked a few more of your favorite prints. Ya'll just can't get enough of this laminated cotton and for that I say thank you very much!!! (Two new prints are coming next week!)
Forrest Hills
Dandy Strip in Green, blue and yellow
Picnic Bouquet on Gold
Tea Garden Tile in blue

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Q & A: Oilcloth vs. Laminated Cotton vs. Chalkcloth (TM)

Left to right: Three bolts of laminated cotton, two bolts of oilcloth and one bolt of Chalkcloth TM.
Inquiring minds want to know... what's the difference between oilcloth and laminated cotton? A lot and not much all. Confused? Let's break it down:


Laminated Cotton:
55"/56" wide
PVC-free
BPA-free
Lead-free
Slight sheen
Waterproof and easy to clean
Easy to sew with the right tips and tools
CPSIA compliant
Edges do not fray
Made in Korea

Laminated cotton is a high quality cotton sheeting with a thin layer of polyurethane film adhered to the right side of the fabric. It's soft and has a very nice hand to it, it drapes very nicely and it even does gathers well!

This fabric makes great baby bib, raincoats, shower curtains, tablecloths, splat mats, diaper bags and much more.


 
Oilcloth:
47"/48" wide
PVC product
Contains Phthlates
Lead-free
Really shinny!
Waterproof and easy to clean
NOT CPSIA compliant 
Fun and easy to sew 
Edges do not fray
Made in Mexico

Oilcloth is a thick layer of PVC on top of a cotton mesh. While it is very thin, it is pretty stiff stuff, it doesn't do gathers! It's very strong and durable, oilcloth tablecloths remain bright and looking brand new for years and years.

Oilcloth makes great totes,  coin purses, tablecloths, floor mats, placemats and much more.

Because oilcloth contains phthalates it is not intended for the use for baby items or for projects for kids under the age of 12. You'll want to substitute laminated cotton for those projects.


Chalkcloth:
47"/48" wide
PVC product
Phthlates-free
Lead-free
Matte finish
Is CPSIA compliant and great for kids!
Fun and easy to sew with
You can scribble on it!!
Easy to care for
Edges do not fray
Made in Mexico

Chalkcloth TM is a very fun and easy fabric to work with. It's a bit thicker than the oilcloth and less pliable. It makes great placemats, table runner, reusable gift tags and much more. See our tutorials for more ideas. While it's a bit thick for a tablecloth it's great as a table topper!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Cool Stuff: I Spy Bags

Check out what Jenn from On the Fray made with her laminated cotton. I Spy Bags!!! I think that's totally brilliant! Totally! Can you imagine how much mileage a young mom will get out of having one of these tucked away in her purse? The checkout lane of the grocery store will be a breeze now.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Q & A: Is laminated cotton a good choice for snack bags?

Q: Can you use the laminated cotton for reusable snack bags?

A: Laminated cottons are waterproof and easy to clean so it's a great choice for snack bags. According to the test results that I received from Westminster Fibers, Inc ALL of the laminated cottons that I carry have been tested and proved to be be BPA and PVC free. These are the chemicals that we don't want leaching in to our sandwiches. Which is why I don't recommend using oilcloth for projects that store food. While many people feel comfortable with knowing that the fabric is PVC and BPA-free every person has to make the decision that's right for them.

Laminated cotton has a thin layer of polyurethane on the right side of the fabric only so you will want to line your snack bags with another layer of laminated cotton. I recommend leaving the lining loose so you can slid it out and clean it thoroughly. I also recommend hand washing any laminated cotton project, as water gets trapped between the layers of laminated cotton and has a really hard time drying out properly. We now sell laminated cotton in Fat Quarters, it's the perfect size for snack bags!

My upcoming book, Sewing with Oilcloth, has a pattern for a really great snack bag and another for a sandwich wrap. Head over to Amazon and pre-order you copy today!!! (Yes, that is my first shameless plug. I am sure there will be many more to come!)

UPDATE:  I contacted Westminster Fibers, INC to see if they had run this fabric through testing to see if it was "food safe" and they haven't tested it and don't have plans to. So I can't say for sure that it is or isn't food safe.

I can say that it is PVC and BPA free. From what I have read this is good indication, but of course I am NOT a scientist and I don't even play on TV.  ; )

As with all the big questions in life we have to educate ourselves and do what's right for us and our families.

Hope this helps. I really wish I could give a concrete answer. I really do. : ) I'll keep asking the hard questions to these company and hopefully someday we'll get an answer.

Happy sewing,
Kelly

Monday, June 13, 2011

How to care for your laminated cotton.

The Sis Boom Blue Paisley laminated cotton fabric on the right side has been machine washed and line dried. 

So you've fallen hard for all the new laminated cottons, who could blame you? Now you're imagining all the baby bibs, barons and splat mats that your going to make for the next baby shower. Your saving your favorite print for a new dining room tablecloth and a coordinating apron to keep you clean and dry while you doing the dishes! I hear ya, I am right there with you.

So, let's talk about cleaning up all those pretty projects. The manufacturer says that the laminated cottons are machine washable in cold water and that you can tumble dry on low. For the most part, I agree with those care instructions.

I have washed and dried laminated cotton a few times to see how it holds up. The laminate's have washed up nicely but I prefer to line dry my projects to lesson wrinkling. I have found that the texture of the laminated cotton changes a bit with washing but other than that it's a great way to clean up smaller projects like baby bibs or changing mats. Let's face it NO ONE wants to hand wash either one of those messy things.

But when it comes to the larger projects like tablecloths I suggest that you just wipe then down with a damp cloth and a gentle spray. I haven't and wouldn't machine wash one of my tablecloths. The twisting action of the washer, even on the hand wash cycle is just too twisty for large items. Machine washing them would cause them to wrinkle. I'm happy to report that my very first laminated cotton has been happily wiped down with a damp cloth for over 3 years.

UPDATE: I forgot to mention a few thing about storage. You'll want to keep your big projects rolled between uses and you'll want to hang the smaller ones up. Folding will result in those pesky wrinkles.

Tricky Bench Tutorial

A few months ago I whipped up a little something to help brighten up a corner of our dining room.
As you can clearly see our yard sale bench as seen better days. The upholstery weight remnant just didn't hold up to the chalk dust that our Chalkcloth (TM) board generates, so it was oilcloth to the rescue.
 I armed myself with a 1/2 yard of red apple oilcloth, a pair of scissors and a staple gun to quickly give the bench a facelift.
 As you can see my bench has a series of convex and concave curves so it was a little tricky getting oilcloth to behave.
 I needed to make slits at the concave curves so the oilcloth would give in and spread apart.
Then I created little pinch pleats on the convex curves.
 A series for pleats and folds keep the corners clean. Once you have one side of the corner fold it up and staple it into place.
Fold up the second half of the corner and keep it in place with a few more staples, I had to give them a whack with hammer to get them all the way in. 
 I was screwing the seat back onto the bench in less than 10 minutes! That's my kind of do-over, quick and easy!
Now when there's a ton of chalk dust on the bench after a long day of homeschooling, I just grab a wet dishcloth and whip it down and it's as good as new! Check out how to make a chalk cloth board out of a reclaimed piece of plywood we had laying around.

Happy Stapling,
Kelly!

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Scraps for Chalkcltoh Tags

I've been redoing the Modern June/Oilcloth Addict studio for about a month now and today I conquered a large box of scraps. I've divided them into SCRAP PACKS, all 6 flat rate envelopes each contains 1 1/2 pounds of oilcloth scrape and a role of Chalkcloth (TM) that measures 7" x 20" or an equal amount of chalk cloth pieces. Each envelope is $10.00 including shipping, so that's $5.00 for the scraps and $5.00 for the shipping. (US only)

The shapes and sizes vary within each of the packages, this photo gives you a good idea what to expect.

  Each package is filled with a variety of print so you can make tons of our reusable Chalkcloth (TM) tags.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Color Check: Angle Wings

This morning Dana asked me to describe the spicy red color in the Angle Wing laminated cotton from Ty Pennington's Impressions fabric collection. Color description can be so subjective so I decide it was best to raid my kitchen to help convey the color. I found that the Angle Wings is very close to an early season tomato and fresh ground paprika.
When it comes to investing in an large amount of fabric trusting the monitor for colors can be a bit risky. I am more than happy to help ya'll out, we sell swatches for laminated cottons and for oilcloth. I am always happy to show you color combos and do a color check for you any time, just drop me a line at Kelly@modernjune.com and I'll hook you up.

Happy Stitching,
Kelly

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Great Idea: Beach Comber Bag



Here's another great tutorial that would be great made out of laminated cotton. Christina from Two Little Hooligans, made a fun little beach comber bags that are great for corralling all of your pool and beach bottles. I'll be making a couple of these for our family vacay in September!

Cristina's tutorial uses 2-3 fat quarters, so I thought it was a great time to make a listing for laminated cotton fat quarters, because sometimes you only need a little bit to get the job done!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Show and Tell: Tablecloth trick gets center stage

How darn cute is this kitchen?! You may remember it from Elyse's oilcloth covered kitchen tablecloth from our first Show and Tell features. Well now you can see her practically pretty table and more of her lovely home in this months Fresh Cottage magazine. I can't wait to hit Barnes and Noble today to pick up my copy.  

She transformed her table with the red polka dot oilcloth in about 15 minutes with nothing more than a pair of scissor and a staple gun. Actually, she just uses blue painters tape. What really surprised me is that she feeds two boys at this table and painters tape kept the oilcloth in place for about a year. Totally cool!
Elyse is a "stay-at-home mom, writer, communications consultant, tinkerer, blogger and online shop owner." Check out the Tinkered Treasured blog and shop.
Elyse's done it again, this time she's got a bit bolder with the dots on red print. The sign intertwined on the fence says it all! LOVE!