Thread and needle can be taken to paper

Dear Sandi: I know your company sells handmade and printed papers. Recently, a friend said that she was going to try sewing on paper. Do you know if this can be done, and if so, what type of paper do I need to use? —Ruth Marie, Salem

Hi Ruth Marie: Yes, you absolutely can sew on paper. The good news is you have almost an unlimited world of choices. The bad news is, it is paper, and you always have to keep that in mind when you are planning a project.

Both handmade paper and printed papers will work, but they all have different characteristics.

Handmade papers

Whether you're looking for handmade paper, furniture, fabric or accessories, you will find it at loose ends. If it is unusual, organic and fabulous, then loose ends is the place. Showroom hours are 8 am to 5 pm weekdays and the first Saturday of each month 10 am - 3pm at 2065 Madrona Ave. SE, Salem, or visit us online at www.looseends.com Questions? Give us a call at (503) 390-2348.

Handmade paper is going to be the most diverse in how it reacts to this treatment. Many of these papers have extremely long plant fibers in their pulp makeup, and consequently, they are very strong and tough.

Other handmade papers have short fibers or have been made with a pulp slush where the fibers have been pulverized first. These papers are going to have much less tensile strength, and though you still can sew on them, the finished item will be more fragile than those made with long fiber papers.

To tell how strong a handmade paper is going to be can be difficult, but generally, if a handmade paper tears easily, it probably has short or pulverized fibers. The handmade papers with long fibers are quite difficult to tear, and as you do, you will come to long, tough, stringy spots (long plant fibers) that you may have to cut with scissors. However, that being said, one of our strongest handmade papers (Eurorap) has no long visible fibers, yet this excellent paper is so tough that we have had people sew clothing out of it, although it can’t be washed.

Commercial papers

Surprisingly, some commercially printed papers also can be used in sewing projects.

You probably will want a softer paper, one that is printed on recycled kraft — that strong wrapping paper that’s usually brown and doesn’t have a high-gloss surface. The glossed papers tend to be too brittle for this treatment.

We also have had excellent results in sewing with what essentially is a lightweight giftwrap paper. The trick to working with these papers is to distress them before you start working with them. Do this by lightly misting the paper with water, then wrinkling and wadding it. The more you distress, the softer and more pliable the paper becomes.

Add a backing

Regardless of what type of paper you are using, back the paper with an iron-on interfacing to give it added strength.

These are available in fabric and craft stores, and you simply iron it onto the back side of your paper. Add it either to the whole piece before cutting or individually after you’ve cut the pieces.

What to make

So, what can you make with a sewing machine and paper? Just about anything! You probably will want to choose projects that will not receive much use, but even with that caveat, you still can make clothing, pillows, window treatments, quilts, purses, artwork, etc. All of these items can be sewn out of paper; they just won’t be able to stand up to any hard use.

Years ago, we made a vest out of our Zebra, Wild Things paper for Art, my husband, to wear at trade shows.

This particular paper is one that we print on recycled kraft. He only wore it at the shows, but that vest traveled around the country for three or four years, made a guest appearance on “The Christopher Lowell Show” and now hangs on the wall in my studio.

Sandi Reinke is an author, frequent television guest and lead designer for loose ends (www.loosends.com), a Salem-based interior décor, garden, and casual lifestyle company. To ask Reinke a decorating question, e-mail info@looseends.com or mail her at the showroom address, 2065 Madrona Ave. SE, Salem, OR 97302. Phone: 503-390-2348.

An artist friend of ours, using the strong Eurorap handmade paper, created an entire outfit — skirt, vest and cape — for a three-day show she was teaching at.

I have seen usable curtains made from handmade paper, sewing long panels of different colors together. Again, this would work quite well as long as they were primarily decorative and you did not have to open and close the curtains frequently.

The same goes for throw pillows. We have made many different types of paper pillows, and some of the ones that we made more than 10 years ago still are intact, but again, these are strictly for decor and not for daily use.

Also, keep in mind that the sewing can be part of the decorative process. Unusual top stitching, colored threads, etc., can be allowed to show, adding to the overall design of your project. Don’t limit your idea of sewing to just your sewing machine either. Hand stitching can offer another whole realm of decorative possibilities.
May 13, 2005