Categotry Archives: object

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rainbow fabric bowls

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I whipped up these bowls the other night after seeing this post and I love them! They were fun to make and are satisfying to hold in your hands. They’re sturdy enough to hold things but flexible too, a wonderful combination.

fabric bowls

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One of my favorite parts about this is that I was able to use up most of my scraps, including long strips left over from a rag rug project I took on a few years ago. I used rope I found at Big Lots that was $.50 for 20 feet. Jason’s bowl (with the goodies in it) used one 20′ length of rope. I’m excited about making more and seeing how big I can go, but first I need more fabric scraps!

Another thing I think is awesome is how the thread color changes the tone of the bowl. I used yellow thread for the first two bowls but used a pink bobbin for the last, and it completely changes the attitude of the bowl. The other side of the pink bowl is sewn with yellow thread and the bowl can be turned inside out, making it a very adaptable object!

I love the things Jason keeps in his bowl: a fancy key to our New Orleans apartment, a king cake baby, a necklace from Lorraine’s wedding, and a peppermint!

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goings on

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After seeing Crazy Heart with Jason this afternoon I headed down Lincoln Blvd to Lincoln Fabrics, which is a wonderful slightly grungy warehouse filled with some gorgeous fabrics. There are cute cotton prints, jerseys in many different weights and colors, some fabulous vinyls, and so much more. I haven’t yet devised a project to use some of their awesome woven elastics, but Crazy Heart has given me an idea about how to use this beautiful ribbon. It will be a fun and challenging project that I’ll get a lot of use from.

floral woven ribbon

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When I was in Innsbruck I went to a folk art museum and saw some ribbon on a mini loom, and since then I’ve been eager to learn how to weave. No progress on that front yet, but this ribbon reminds me of that goal. Plus the colors and style will go perfectly with some vintage fabric I got a few months ago at the new Goodwill on Jefferson Davis in NOLA.

I’ve been working on lots of little projects since I’ve been in LA. I’ve got some bigger ones to post soon, but before I spend a few more hours on the interweb I’ve got to cross some things off my to-do list. Tonight’s main goal is to sew additional buttonholes and buttons onto a vintage men’s shirt that I tailored to my ladiness a couple years ago. But just to show that I keep busy, here’s something I did the other night.

octojar

I found a funny illustration of an octopus in the New Yorker and decided to put it on the lid of an empty pickle jar. I glued it on, slit the sides for a smooth fit, and coated the whole thing in tacky glue. I’m not sure what I’m going to put in the jar yet, but I’m sure it will be just the right thing.

Now it’s onto the buttonholes! And then the reverse applique…

to be continued

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embroidered hamsa

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In October I noticed that my trusty old purse was falling apart. It was linen with a tree embroidered on it, and I wound up selling a replica to a friend. Oh well, out with the old and in with the new!

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I thought about sewing another tree, but instead I went with a hamsa. I’ve always been fond of hand designs, because they are full of positive connotations to me. First, I use my hands in all the wonderful things I like to make. I also like an open hand as a representation of sincerity and honesty. Also it is a Jewish and Muslim symbol of fertility. When I was in Barcelona in April 2009 I bought a little silver hamsa pendant that always draws comments.

This was originally white linen. I painted the hand silhouette a light yellow and then color the rest of the fabric with a pthalo blue. I like using paint to dye fabric sometimes because it doesn’t bleed. It took me a few hours to add in all the embroidered details. The purse is lined with a blue floral scrap and has one inside pocket.  I’ve had that single brass button for years and I feel like this is the perfect use for it. All of the sewing was done by hand.

I’m really happy with the design and colors, and so far the bag has held up wonderfully.

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