Today, I’m gonna talk about faux fur fabric. A few months back, I decided to spruce up my living room with a more cozy vibe, and what better way to do that than with some soft, luxurious-feeling fabrics? So, I went down the rabbit hole of faux fur.
First off, I hit up a bunch of fabric stores. Man, there are so many types of faux fur! Short ones, long ones, different colors, and textures. I felt like a kid in a candy store. Ended up grabbing a few different samples to see how they looked back home.
After laying them out on my couch and chairs, I went with this beautiful, long-haired, off-white faux fur. It just screamed “curl up with a book and a cup of tea” to me. I bought a few yards of it – not exactly cheap, but cheaper than real fur, and no animals were harmed, so, win-win.
Now, cutting this stuff was a bit of a challenge. I wanted to make a throw blanket and a couple of pillowcases. I used a brand new blade on my rotary cutter, and that helped a lot. Made a bit of a mess with the fur flying around, but nothing the vacuum couldn’t handle.
Sewing was interesting. You really gotta take it slow. I used a walking foot on my sewing machine, and that was a lifesaver. It helped feed the thick fabric through evenly. Oh, and I used a longer stitch length than usual, about 3.5mm, which seemed to work well.
- First step: cutting the fabric.
- Second step: sewing the pieces together.
- Third step: dealing with the seams.
For the seams, I trimmed the fur down in the seam allowance to reduce bulk. And let me tell you, brushing out the trapped fur in the seams afterward is oddly satisfying. It’s like grooming a pet, but less work.
The throw blanket turned out amazing. It’s so soft and cozy, everyone in the house fights over it. The pillowcases, too – they added such a nice touch to the room. I felt pretty darn proud of myself for pulling it off.
But then came the real test – washing. I was a bit nervous, not gonna lie. I didn’t want to ruin them. I ended up washing them on a gentle cycle with cold water and a mild detergent. Didn’t throw them in the dryer, though. Instead, I laid them flat to air dry, and then gave them a good brush once they were dry to fluff up the fur again.
Here’s what I learned:
- Patience is key when sewing with faux fur.
- A walking foot is your best friend.
- Regular maintenance, like brushing, keeps it looking great.
All in all, working with faux fur was a fun experience. It’s a bit more work than your average fabric, but the results are so worth it. My living room has never felt cozier, and I’ve got some unique pieces that I made myself. If you’re thinking about diving into a faux fur project, I say go for it! Just be prepared for a bit of an adventure.
