My first ever blog interview: Melinda Cornish

I "met" Melinda Cornish through Margaret's Dress Up project. While posting her March dress, Melinda said she planned to tackle a dress made from newspapers. I was intrigued and began following her blog to see if she could carry off this incredible project. Well, she did!! Isn't this a beauty? And it fits right in with Earth Month, in which I feature something recycled, reused, or re-purposed until Earth Day, which celebrates its big Four Oh this year.


Melinda has several photos of this dress on her blog, and she graciously allowed me to post this one from her post. She has another post detailing when she began the project.

Since this is Earth Month, and everything I do this month should reflect eco-friendly posts, I asked Melinda about the dress she made. She graciously agreed to answer my questions. Here goes my first ever blog interview:


E: How many newspapers did you use?

M: I used two newspapers and then opened them up and looked for pages that weren't ads...I used classifieds, regular pages and weddings /anniversaries...If you click on the picture (in the blog post) and make it bigger you might be able to see some of these...


E: Would you explain the process you went through to turn the newspaper into material?

M: As far as how it was put together, I laid down a light cotton print that I knew I would never use and that had been given to me and then I soaked it down with water..then I laid the newspaper down single layer and went over it with a very watered down mod podge....then I took my hands and made sure it was melded with the cotton underneath...The last step was using inks for color...I chose blue, green and yellow because I was hungry for Spring! I let this new newspaper fabric dry and then I started sewing it together...It is stiff, but it still irons and sews and if I needed to shape it, I just spritzed it with water..... It does all end up being one layer as the paper is melded into the fabric.....

(photo used with permission by Melinda)

E: During the assembly process, did you use a pattern or dress form?

M: I didn't use a dress form or a pattern...I took my sister's measurements and sketched it out and then started cutting and sewing....I gave myself permission to fail because I wasn't sure it would even turn out to resemble a dress as I am not a garment maker by any means...I think sewing aprons helped.........


E: How long did it take you to make this masterpiece?

M: The dress took me about 7 hours total to make....Once I figured out the basic construction, it went together pretty quickly...The embellishment was my favorite part and I have to say, it came out just like the picture in my mind.

E: Where did you get your inspiration for making this beauty?

M: I was inspired by Project Runway, one of my very favorite shows...My favorite challenges are when they use unusual materials! I always wonder " Could I make that"?


E: Is there anything you would like to add about the project?

M: I love to recycle and give things a new use and I knew I wanted to make a wearable dress...My sister is actually going to wear it and looks forward to it....My next dress is going to be made out of a used Air Force parachute....I already have the picture in my head.....

Thanks so much for asking me to do this...I always like to share how I do the things I make so questions are welcome............Melinda


E: Actually, it is I who have you to thank for such a great interview.


As you can see, Melinda is a gal after my own heart. Her love of recycling and re-purposing materials fits in perfectly with Earth Month on my blog.

Melinda is no stranger to fabric. Her small art quilts are whimsical and full of color. They will bring a smile to your face. Her more traditional quilts are also gorgeous. But fabric is not the only thing Melinda has on her blog. She never fails to entertain with her swap entries and lovely photos. Melinda lives in Utah in the US and also shares pictures of her surroundings and daily life. It is with great pleasure, I feature Melinda's Fabric Fancies as my blog of the day. And when you visit her blog today, please let her know that you enjoyed the interview.