More About Photographs on Fabric

Scrapbooking With Fabric

The interest in both scrapbooking and quilting is now at an all-time high and many quilters are also scrapbookers and vice versa. We have digital cameras, scanners and computers, and there are many products available for making high-quality photographs on fabric. Be sure to follow the manufacturers’ instructions for all of the following products.

Fabric sheets (8½" x 11") for printing with an inkjet printer (See my post on January 21 for more information)

Fabric treated with Bubble Jet Set™: This is a liquid used to treat fabric so you can print directly from your computer using an inkjet printer. When using this product, use cotton fabric with a high thread count (200 threads per inch). Cut the fabric so it measures 8½" x 11".

Photo transfer papers: These are available at some photocopy shops or office supply stores. Sometimes the store will transfer your scrapbook page layout or pictures to a special transfer paper and then you can iron the transfer on fabric. Check to make sure that these papers can be used with a household iron as some transfer papers must be used only with a heat press. Always ask for a mirror image of your photographs when using any transfer paper.

Be sure to look at these pages on my web site for more patterns and information
Memory Quilts and Pop-Out Picture Quilts

These patterns have instructions for using pictures that have been transferred or printed on fabric as well as using actual photographs in special picture pockets, so you can change the pictures whenever you wish. So dig out those carefully stored photographs and use them in a special memory quilt that everyone can enjoy!

Family Album Pattern #309

Photographs on Fabric

Printing photographs on fabric has never been easier! Many of my patterns feature this technique and I will be giving you more information about it in the next few days.


If you can print from your computer on a piece of paper, then you can print on fabric. Specially treated fabric is available in many quilt shops. The fabric comes in a variety of sizes, but 8 1/2" x 11" seems to be the most common, and, of course, is the same size as a piece of letter paper.


My favourite product is made by the Electric Quilt Company. It is called EQ Printables and comes in 3 different weights. I use the Cotton Satin most of the time because of its high thread count.


Be sure to look at the EQ web site for more information and also check this blog as well. I will be giving you lots of hints for printing on fabric in the next few weeks!


Here is a picture of a photo quilt I just made for a friend who travelled to South Africa with me in November. More information about this quilt will be coming soon too.

Daily Photograph

My photo challenge this year is to put a different picture on my Blog everyday. These will be pictures taken the day on which they are posted. I have also created a link right below my daily photograph that will take you to all the pictures I have posted. I am still working on this link, trying to make all the pictures the same size, not too small, not too large etc and would appreciate any suggestions you have.

Today I ventured out for a walk - the temperature was -17 C ( 2 degrees F) - and couldn't resist taking this picture of the snow shovel hanging in the tree. At least it won't get lost!

New Computer

The new computer arrived yesterday. I am now wireless, networked and have a fancy 19" LCD monitor and a router with flashing blue lights! There are just a few more settings to get organized and I should be ready to go. The operative words, of course, are "should be". There always seem to be a few little glitches when changing computers, but so far, everything is looking good.

New Fabrics for Spring

I am starting to work on my new pattern designs for the International Spring Quilt Market to be held in May in Portland, Oregon (sneak previews coming up soon!). In looking over the new spring fabrics, I noticed how many stripes and dots there are. I have put pictures of some of the new fabrics I will be using on this post. The striped fabrics are especially effective when used for bindings and borders.

Botanical Pop by Windham Fabrics

Strawberry Lemonade by Moda

Seems Like Old Times by Northcott

Bubbles and Blooms by Northcott

The newest Fabric Trends magazine has also featured black and white fabrics in the whole issue of the magazine. I was happy to see that, because I started a black and white quilt last November and haven't got back to it yet. Now I am inspired to finish that one as well. My black and white quilt will combine piecing and embroidery (sneak preview of that one coming soon too!).

So much fabric - so little time!

Lynne Edwards MBE

I have just learned that my friend, Lynne Edwards, from England has been awarded the prestigious MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire). This award will be presented to her by Queen Elizabeth in July of this year. Lynne's MBE is under the Arts and Culture section and she is listed as "quiltmaker".

I first met Lynne when we taught together at Quilt Canada (our National Canadian Conference) in Toronto and I have met with her several times since then at the International Quilt Market in Houston. She is a delightful person and a wonderful teacher. Lynne has written several books which have been published in England and has been teaching internationally for many years.

Congratulations, Lynne. This is indeed a well-deserved honour!

More pictures from South Africa!

These quilts were being sold by street vendors outside the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. The workmanship was not of the best quality, but they did portray some traditional African lifestyles. We saw many of these quilts on our travels, so they must have all come from a central distributor.

Happy New Year Everyone!

I have added some pictures from my recent trip to South Africa. Everywhere we went, we saw street vendors selling fabric. The fabric is not of good quality, but the designs were intriguing, and of course I bought some. The fabric was sold in 2 metre lengths which they called tablecloths. Now all I have to do is make something from all the fabric I acquired!

Notice the folded fabric being carried on their heads, while they hold up one piece to be seen.