The Sewing Place

Cork fabric

Catllar

Re: Cork fabric
« Reply #15 on: August 03, 2017, 16:21:10 PM »
Cork arrived today - first impression - wow! It is sooooooo thin and pliable. It is on a fabric backing and is as light as a feather ( doh, well it would be wouldn't it? ;))

They also sent me a sample of their similicuir in white, which is too white . Now I have cork fabric in all its gorgeousness I'll take time to play.

I also got a tin of clips - very pretty.
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !

b15erk

Re: Cork fabric
« Reply #16 on: August 03, 2017, 16:29:15 PM »
Very nice.... Very strokeable....

What will you make with it?

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

Catllar

Re: Cork fabric
« Reply #17 on: August 03, 2017, 20:42:42 PM »
Very nice.... Very strokeable....

What will you make with it?

Jessie

Make? Make? I'm supposed to make something with it??  Had a bag plan but also now want a wallet!
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !

Ohsewsimple

Re: Cork fabric
« Reply #18 on: August 04, 2017, 17:02:41 PM »
It seems to be popular in America for making purses etc.  Recently I saw someone with a bag made from cork she'd bought in Portugal.  She said when it gets grubby she just gives it a bit of a scrub with Fairy washing up liquid and it comes up lovely.  :o
Look forward to see what you make with it.

Catllar

Re: Cork fabric
« Reply #19 on: August 06, 2017, 12:55:01 PM »
I've cut out a part of a bag, need to get the mojo back now the initial excitement has worn off - need hardware and zips and that means a trip to Perpi (sigh) and it's too bloody hot to even contemplate sewing at the moment. it will be cooler next week for a few days , no more than 27, which seems positively chilly after yesterday when we had 37!

I saw somebody washing one as well OSS - they'd spilled coffee into it and left it for a while ( yeah right, as if?) and it came up great.
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !

sewing in oz

Re: Cork fabric
« Reply #20 on: August 08, 2017, 12:18:27 PM »
Ooh catllar that cork does look lovely with the gold flecks in it!  Thanks for experimenting on our behalf; I await your report  :drink:.  I've never worked with cork (like most everyone else here it seems!), and the only possibly useful contribution I have - apart from cheering from the sidelines - is that I seem to recall somewhere reading that it's best sewn with a teflon or roller foot?

Catllar

Re: Cork fabric
« Reply #21 on: August 08, 2017, 17:23:56 PM »
SIO, I read that as well but as I have neither......!

Ok so here is what I have learned so far. Plus side so far: Cuts and sews easily on my play pieces. Will upgrade to a thicker thread for the real thing as my usual thread looks a bit mean. Am using my old Singer and it sails through with a normal foot.  Finger presses easily and my lovely Wonder clips are great.  Try - la - la!!

Minus so far: DO NOT IRON IT!!!!  :angry: I am making a structured round bag so it needs to hold the shape so I thought I'd whack a bit of Bosal foam interfacing on. My usual way with this is to removed the seam allowance and then stick it down with the steam iron and a press cloth. Bad idea. Even going from the wrong (interfacing) side , the cork puckers  and the edges shrink  up  :o  Methinks this is due to the backing being made of some sort of nylon knit fabric and this is what shrinks back. SO I reckon use a non fusible and do it the hard way.  No photos as not clear enough to see, but you'll have to take my word for it! 

Will be in Perpi tomorrow so will try to get a zipper and I quite fancy some gold leather piping to pop into the seams. Mind you that's a bit of a long shot here! Will also need some hardware for the handles.
« Last Edit: August 12, 2017, 16:29:22 PM by Catllar »
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !

Catllar

Re: Cork fabric
« Reply #22 on: August 09, 2017, 18:14:39 PM »
Progress - not amazing , if I'm honest. :\ I did get the gold leather piping but trying to sew it between two layers of the cork each one with foam interfacing was not happy. So far 2 needles up the swanee - 1 is a 90 and the other is a leather :angry: I think the problem is the stuff is grabbing due to my lack of a teflon or roller foot. ( that is not going to happen) so I reckon I'll lose the piping , have a play without it. :\
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !

Catllar

Re: Cork fabric
« Reply #23 on: August 12, 2017, 16:41:47 PM »
Finished it. Not totally brilliants but not bad and it is usable. I think it would have been a lot simpler with a special foot but hey -ho that's life. Blunts needles like no tomorrow. Apart from the 2 I broke I have knackered another 2.  I'm not sure about the softness of the foam interfacing - it is quite hard to get a really crisp edge - hence why the piping would have been useful. I think it really will work best with a crisp and stiff interior finish. I tried that on the gusset and it is better.  It doesn't mind being unpicked (Only for testing purposes, you understand! ;))  Didn't fully realise that the cork does have a grain, but I will refer to that as a design opportunity if anyone notices.  Wouldn't want to wear it across body whilst wearing anything fragile as I've a feeling it might catch a bit.  I like it but I don't love it, think I prefer my cork in a bottle - or out of a bottle.  Might come back to it later and have a go at a wallet. Need more interfacing  so that means another trip to Perpi.

Technically - as it was impossible to bond the fusible to the foam I bonded it to the cotton lining instead. That seemed to work. It is possible to ease the fabric a bit but really only a tiny tiny amount, so I guess you could make piping from it provided it was cut on the bias and is only used on the gentlest of curves. Hmm.
« Last Edit: August 12, 2017, 16:44:10 PM by Catllar »
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !

elephun

Re: Cork fabric
« Reply #24 on: August 12, 2017, 21:44:06 PM »
Your bag turned out great! Thanks for experimenting on behalf of all of us, too!

Catllar

Re: Cork fabric
« Reply #25 on: August 12, 2017, 23:32:34 PM »
Ta! It's worth a go. Must go to bed now - just got back from very booze evening with lots of dancing - village street party - hic. Speak tomorrow when sober. :S
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !

SkoutSews

Re: Cork fabric
« Reply #26 on: August 13, 2017, 10:28:03 AM »
I like the cork bag.  The round shape suits the fabric - perhaps it's because it's cork-shaped (end-on!)?  It sounds like it wasn't easy to work with, full marks for perseverance.  Also it will be unique.  Cork fabric, who knew?  Not me!

How's the head this morning?  ;)

Ohsewsimple

Re: Cork fabric
« Reply #27 on: August 13, 2017, 13:01:15 PM »
Turned out pretty well.  A real learning curve by the sounds of it. Instead of a Teflon foot could you have used tissue paper? 

Catllar

Re: Cork fabric
« Reply #28 on: August 13, 2017, 15:43:38 PM »
Head's fine thanks Skout! Gotta really have a skinful to get a hangover!

I could've used tissue paper OSS, in fact I did on one bit that was really playing hard  to get, but what with trying to insert the round bits into the gusset bit and fighting with the bag stiffener  which had a strange attraction to the presser foot lever and kept pinging up the presser foot, I just didn't have enough hands, in spite of the Wonder Clips.

Re the fusing problems - someone on another forum said if I'd had the iron at 300F ( I don't think that's very hot in C and certainly not enough to produce steam) then I wouldn't have had a problem - well that's quite probable but then the glue wouldn't have worked either. It's not the cork that reacts- it's the backing fabric that melts and curls up.

I used the bag this morning and it was fine, strap just long enough, and it is roomy enough for specs case, wallet, phone, bunch of keys and a few other essentials  - the stuff that always falls to the bottom.
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !

b15erk

Re: Cork fabric
« Reply #29 on: August 15, 2017, 09:32:53 AM »
Sorry Cat, I'm having visions of it cracking when you bend it - like cork does.  How does it work?  Is there some sort of backing on it? I feel thick asking....  >:)

Jessie

Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.