Create With Cork Fabric – Book Review

I have been wanting to make some of the projects in this book since I first bought it in September of 2019. Every time I pulled the book out to make something, I ended up putting it back. Why? Perhaps it’s because cork can be pretty expensive and I was afraid of messing up. I’m not quite sure. All I know is that I have wanted to make that Shopping Tote since I saw it on the front cover! I am so happy that I decided to review this book and that I was able to make not only the tote but three of the many projects included.

The book is called “Create with Cork Fabric“ and it is by Jessica Sallie Kapitanski. Some of you may know her by her website and company name, Sallie Tomato. There are 17 projects in this book, along with templates and tutorials and they are divided into three categories: Bags, Home Decor and Accessories.

The first chapter of the book is all about cork. You are introduced to the characteristics of cork as well as the process of harvesting the cork. I was aware of some of the information in the book, but there was quite a bit of information that was totally new to me. The author goes on to talk about the various properties of cork such as the fact that it is water and stain resistant and 100% sustainable and vegan. She discusses the different types of cork and the sewing tools, interfacing and notions that are helpful when working with cork fabric.

Bags

The first project chapter is all about bags and that is right up my alley! There are 7 different bags that can be made using cork or cork combined with woven fabrics such as canvas and quilting cottons. These are a cross-body, a wristlet, a change purse, a backpack, a bucket bag, a shopping tote and a basket/bin. I chose to make the Shopping Tote. I made it using teal and natural cork fabric and a coordinating home decorator fabric. This bag is big with a nice deep cork bottom which did give me a little bit of a struggle, but was so worth it!

Home Decor

The second project chapter is all about home decor. There is a cute woven basket, a cork wreath, a wall hanging, a banner and a set of reversible placemats. I really liked the idea of the placemats, but I didn’t want to use up that much cork, so I opted to make a set of 4 coasters/mug rugs instead. I used the same concept used for the placemats, but just made them with 6″ x 6″ squares of off-white cork with home decorator fabric on the reverse side and batting in between. The fact that these are reversible and look great with either side up is a definite plus. They will look great in my screen porch and will go perfectly with my patio set.

Accessories

The last project chapter features five accessories with tutorials. These are a tassel, a belt, a necklace, a boxy pouch, and a some floral embellishments for a jean jacket makeover. My project choice was the Boxy Pouch – no surprise there! The name of this project is the “Easy Boxy Pouch” and there isn’t a better description than that. I literally made this pouch in 45 minutes from start to finish, including cutting out the pieces. It is unlined and unfinished but because it is cork, it will not fray. It’s not a huge pouch but because of the shape, it can certainly hold a lot. My daughters have already told me they “need” this pouch!

There are a couple of projects that I still would like to make. The backpack, the wristlet, and the wall hanging are really beautiful and useful projects. I definitely will be finding the time for at least one of those in the very near future. I hope you enjoyed this review and I hope it has inspired you to…

Make Something Beautiful Today!

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If you liked this review, you might be interested in this one too…

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