Tag Archives: altered fabric

New Utility Bag

I’ve been ‘gone’ so long I hardly know what to do! So this will be short and easy. I hope. Here is a new utility bag, made from repurposed fabric, painted with the ‘squeek’ from paint rollers. Useful and sturdy.

It’s available here in my Etsy Shop.

Pink Confusion Bag

 

When I’m at a loss for inspiration, I sometimes go to my ‘starts’ and ‘maybes’ for something to continue. This is a piece of fabric that I do recall using for soaking up unused paint, with no intentional design.

Now I call it ‘confusion’ because only after it was complete did I see that it could have been a pink Peony. I stared at that blob and couldn’t see anything but a blob. Still, I felt like doing some hand stitching so for a few evenings, I poked the needle loaded with pearle cotton in and out to emphasize the lines that I did see.

Still not happy, of course, another day I felt like machine stitching so I did my ‘go to’ stitched grid. Well, at least it makes the hand stitching less vulnerable. Plus, it is now stitched to a firm stabilizer. I find the grid-stitching mindless and relaxing, maybe that’s why I do it.

I was compelled to add another line to the design. Here I am thinking……….but it’s not what I did.

After adding borders with a vintage madras plaid, I pulled out a piece of fabric that apparently I colored with the blue at the same time. I used it to make handles.

Here is the finished bag. A pouch? A little purse? Just think ‘Peony’!

One of a kind and available here in my Art2Carry Etsy Shop.

The story of an aimless creation. Many  – if not most – original creations come about this way. Some work out better. I wish I had stayed in ‘think mode’ awhile. That’s why we sit and stare into space. We creators are busier than we look, believe me.

 

 

Back on the path?

IMG_1450I think I may be finding my way back. I have wandered far from my intentions. This shows the uppermost contents of my evening project basket. I first began stitching the golden brown on the leaf……….but soon switched over to using the bright red on the gray fabric piece. I felt the need of looking at something more vivid and happy.

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Wordless Wednesday

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Back on the Path

Emerging design

Emerging design

I’ve been urged to get back on the blogging path. My screaming inner voice has been persistent but…………encouragement does help. (Thank you all!) So I have decided to change my method a bit. When I began this blog I had in mind to show a finished work and reveal the process. Since I am bogging instead of blogging I will approach from a slightly new direction, at least for now.

First of all, I can honestly say that I am a  habitual, incurable, dedicated maker. Making is what gives meaning to my hours. But I flit from this to that. There are long dry spells of  ‘in process’ without completions. So I will more frequently show you the object that has had my attention. Textile works are the focus of  ‘Sew Path’ but  some of my work in other media can be viewed in my sidebar.

Above is a photo of a textile that has not been able to make it ‘out of the chute’…it has been removed from storage and laid on my work table several times, the recipient of no activity other than fond looks while I work on something else.

Happy Accidents

Coin purse completed with key ring and clip, slice of upcycled leather on zipper pull

Coin purse completed with key ring and clip, slice of upcycled leather on zipper pull

First bag made
Fabric from 'Starts' and selected lining

Fabric from ‘Starts’ and selected lining


Sometimes improvement is only a hazy possibility. I pulled this fabric from my Starts box. (I’m not telling you how many of those I have.) Or perhaps it could be called the To Be Continued box(es!). It lay on my cutting table for weeks. I couldn’t decide how to develop it further. I liked the colorwash quality of what was no doubt a casual experiment or discarded result of another work. Perhaps I could have made something wonderful from it – or perhaps I would have ruined what was good. This is always the big decision for any creation.

One day I just felt like sewing so that is what I did. The bright red orange cotton worked perfectly as lining.

I made the handy size zipper pouch, then a key ring pouch using the remainder.

Available in my Etsy Shop.