I once had a friend comment that I must have been born in the 1930's...I'm never throwing anything away...and can always find a use for a stray piece of string or a lone button...as if I lived through the Depression...
I have an similar attachment to clothing...never throwing anything away, wearing shirts and jeans until they are threadbare...especially pieces that are worn from wear but so soft and comfortable...so familiar...
Unconsciously I must see myself as a bohemian artist, with these tattered threads as the appropriate attire...
I love my blue woven shirt but even I confess that its past its prime...I'm holding on to it in the likelihood that I'm struck with inspiration to turn it into...into...
still waiting for that inspiration!
Recently I dug up an old t-shirt that I bought on my 1993 trip to Italy with my sister...outside of the Vatican, from a street vendor. After the first washing, it shrank two sizes smaller, but I loved the graphic...
finding it again, I was inspired...
I decided that I would display the front of the t-shirt on a canvas frame...an 11" x 14" frame was the perfect size to capture the graphic in its entirety...stretched it evenly over the canvas, stapled the edges to the back and it was done...but it was lacking something...
A simple wooden frame was the answer...but the stain color was too light...easy to rectify...
I used Polyshades by Minwax...black satin...it has the stain color and polyurethane in one. For simple projects like this, where there won't be a lot of wear and tear (as opposed to a table or chair - in that instance I would use a stain, followed by several coats of poly for protection), this is a great solution...makes for ease of application...I even used the portion of the t-shirt that I cut off for the rags to apply the stain. And though I'm usually one to plunge right into a project, even I use disposable gloves at times...for anything that needs mineral spirits or paint thinner for clean-up, I use gloves to save my hands the torment of harsh chemicals.
One coat didn't seem sufficient, so I applied a second coat a day later...
And easily popped in the canvas when the frame was thoroughly dry...
An old world master in a contemporary setting...
A piece of art...and a great memory...all in one...
linking up to Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Nite Special...trash to treasure projects...I think this fits right in...
