Whatever . . . Whenever, Issue 5, Page 5

As luck would have it, Jenny’s pinwheel showed up just when I was working on the Digital Fabric CD and thinking about things that could be done with fabric pieces that are just 8.5"x11" - the capacity of most of our printers. I also wanted to illustrate the point that Digital Fabrics are Decorative Papers as well - just depends on what you print them on.

Remembering a template designed for a long ago project, I went searching for it - thinking it would make a great Virtual Stamp. An entire afternoon later - after a trip through the “Memory Lane” of one of the piles in the studio, I found it (the last thing in the pile, of course), dusted it off, and turned it into a computer image - a Virtual Stamp.

I started making pinwheels using it with some Digital Fabrics and fell in love with pinwheels all over again - in fact, got addicted. And it occured to me that this would make a perfect project to show you the differences in doing a project with - or without the help of your computer.

The stick and spinning operation are the same either way you do it, and we finally figured out how to make one that actually spins freely and fast - which is not the case with the well known methods taught to kids - like using a push pin to stick it to a pencil eraser.

But, we will leave that for later and concentrate on making the pinwheel itself - with and without the help of our computers.


As luck would have it, Jenny’s pinwheel showed up just when I was working on the Digital Fabric CD and thinking about things that could be done with fabric pieces that are just 8.5"x11" - the capacity of most of our printers. I also wanted to illustrate the point that Digital Fabrics are Decorative Papers as well - just depends on what you print them on. Remembering a template designed for a long ago project, I went searching for it - thinking it would make a great Virtual Stamp. An entire afternoon later - after a trip through the “Memory Lane” of one of the piles in the studio, I found it (the last thing in the pile, of course), dusted it off, and turned it into a computer image - a Virtual Stamp. I started making pinwheels using it with some Digital Fabrics and fell in love with pinwheels all over again - in fact, got addicted. And it occured to me that this would make a perfect project to show you the differences in doing a project with - or without the help of your computer. The stick and spinning operation are the same either way you do it, and we finally figured out how to make one that actually spins freely and fast - which is not the case with the well known methods taught to kids - like using a push pin to stick it to a pencil eraser. But, we will leave that for later and concentrate on making the pinwheel itself - with and without the help of our computers.


Method 1 (the non-digital method). What You Will Need: You still need your computer and printer (to print the template and the fabric). Cre8it White Magic inkjet vinyl (or Sheer Heaven - but we are going to use the opaque White Magic first). You can use regular paper if you like, but it will not stand up to the wear and tear. If not using a Digital Fabric, you need to find a fabric or decorative paper without copyright restrictions, and either scan it into your computer to print it, or you can use an inkjet copier or ”all-in-one” machine to copy it onto the White Magic. This PDF file of our Pinwheel Template. You can print a single copy to use as a template for this project. You may not give away copies or sell them. No other usage rights are granted unless you purchase the actual Virtual Stamp.
Step 1. Print or copy your Digital Fabric, real world fabric, or decorative paper onto a sheet of White Magic. Step 2. Print the Pinwheel Template PDF onto cardstock or other heavy paper. When you click on the link, a copy should download to your desktop and open in Acrobat Reader automatically. If it doesn’t open automatically, look for it where your Downloads go and open it and print it. The template should measure approximately 6 inches square. Step 3. Cut out the template as carefully as you can, and punch the eyelet holes where indicated. Step 4. Cover the back side of your fabric print with color by using a make-up sponge to pat on a smooth layer of acrylic paint or other waterproof paint to match or harmonize with your fabric. Step 5. Trace the cut template onto the back of the print. You will have to lift each corner to trace the shared cut line. Trace and punch the eyelet holes in the print using the template as a guide. If you used acrylic paint, trace with a soft pencil to avoid chipping it.