Novel Idea

Okay, so this probably isn't a novel idea for some, but I think it's brilliant. Last week, I went with my friend Stacey to a thrift store looking for scraps, remnants, anything that I could use in my projects. I found several beautiful old hankies. They are 100% cotton, lovely in color and perfect for framing my old photos since most of the women in the photos likely used hankies just like the ones I found. Here is the situation, though. Typically, I'm not too worried about cutting/altering things, but something just wouldn't allow me to begin cutting these hankies. And some are so lovely that I really would hate to use them this week and then have a better use for them in a month. These are one of a kinds, after all, so it's not like I can just run out and buy another one.

Solution? Well, I took a photo of the hankie I liked the most and decided to print it via I-photo on fabric photo paper. Let me tell you it's perfect! First, I downloaded the photo in I-photo, which allows me to alter the color, the size, the effects, etc., thus giving me a variety of options for the same "old" hankie. Then printing it on fabric photo paper allows for a choice of the fabric texture, etc. Perfect!

A photo of a hankie I bought with Stacey that I then printed on photo fabric, and it's awesome!

Then, I started thinking, "Wow, I could do the same thing with all of the other "fabrics" I've collected over the years. Of course, in scrapbooks I've placed photos of quilts made my grandmothers, uniforms worn by my dad, my great-grandpa's "skirt" that little boys wore at the turn of the century, but I hadn't thought of printing them on fabric photo paper. Now, I had the idea! Okay...for those of you who have already figured this out, let me enjoy the moment of my "new" discovery for a moment!

The photograph of my great-grandma's handmade quilt. When I print it on photo fabric it looks just like an original square of the quilt!

So, I took a photo of a block from the quilt my great-grandmother made years ago. Now, it can be the perfect backdrop for a new fabric/photo collage. It looks so real, too! In fact, when Jake got home, he was terrified that I had actually cut up the quilt and had pieces of it on the table!
Perfect solution. I can't wait to return from Colorado and print images of rocks on fabric, now, too. Wow, what amazing textures can be created.