I know its not quite Christmas morning...but if I wait to post, what good would this quick and easy gift bag idea do you later...because if you're like me, I'm now scrambling to get presents together and could use a couple of quick ideas...because how is it that Christmas is just a week away?!
I recently had to say goodbye to two of my flannel pajama bottoms...one torn all the way down the backside (had them over 10 years - guess they don't make them like they used to!) and the other had the elastic give out in the waist. But rather than toss them out, of course I thought of making something with them...
A simple bag was my idea...since the bottom of each pajama leg is already hemmed, there's only one seam needed to sew...I cut off each leg for a small sized bag...
tip here...notice the ribbon tied onto my scissors handle...since I have several pairs of Fiskers scissors and they all look alike...I tied a ribbon on the pair that I save for only cutting fabric so that they are always sharp when needed...the other two pairs I use to cut whatever...and that may mean paper, cardboard, wire or even tree branches...
After sewing the cut seam, I trimmed the edge with my pinking shears...this will keep raveling to a minimum; turn the bag right side out and iron the seam flat. For a little bit of luxe, I tacked a length of silk ribbon onto the side seam...this ribbon will be the tie that keeps the bag closed.
A button hides the place where I tacked on the ribbon...
and provides a spot for hanging a gift tag...
We don't do a big Christmas here...pretty low key...so a small gift, wrapped inside of one of these bags will be perfect...a low key setting also means plenty of rustic not too much luxe (it is morning after all)...
The rustic is the simple setting...including a view of my back garden that is very rustic looking at this time of year...a tablecloth made from a canvas painter's dropcloth; blue ticking napkins and my workhorse ironstone dishes lay the groundwork.
the luxe comes from a few shimmering vintage ornaments...
Forced bulbs in vintage canning jars tied up with twine get a bit of luxe with a shiny metal bell...
the handmade wreath crafted from birch tree limbs blown down in a recent winter storm adds another layer of rustic...the metal rim from a deconstructed lamp shade provided support for the branches as I molded the wreath...a few more metal bells hanging from a length of twine is another touch of luxe...
Simple and sincere...that's what Christmas morning should be...
joining Funky Junk Interiors Party Junk...always a good time...
It all started back in November...creating recycled gift items for my holiday shows...
I was using the Spoonflower fabric samples of my photographic collages, making them into sachets...
I also had some transfers of my artwork that my friend Kate of Full Circle Studio had printed for me on her commercial press...using this one in making a pillow...
That little bit of sewing re-ignited my desire to sew...and prompted me to make an artist smock with my vintage mattress ticking, using one of the Spoonflower samples as a pocket on the smock..
So now I was hooked...what else could I create using these samples...but there was a problem...I was running out of samples...then I had my eureka moment! I had purchased a large stack of transfer paper at a garage sale during the summer...
Once I found the stack of transfer paper, I sewed up another artist smock, again with my photographic collage printed on fabric for the pocket...this smock is the test model for artist Jody Cain of Latitude Studios...wanting a test run on how they wear in the real world...
At this point, I was firing on all pistons...couldn't I print onto fabric and use the fabric in different ways...cover design for my recycled journals came to mind...here's how I did it...
These were the two types of transfers in the stack I bought...after working with both, I liked the results from the HP paper better...it seemed to be a smoother print
There's an explicit instruction sheet included in each packet...I arranged my images in Photoshop on 8-1/2" x 11" document - the same size as the transfer sheets...I wanted to make use of every inch of paper...and most important...DON'T FORGET TO FLIP YOUR IMAGES HORIZONTALLY! This is especially important if you have writing on your image...always wise to perform a test run on blank paper before printing on the transfer sheet...though I only paid a couple of bucks for my stack at the garage sale, I am assuming that this paper is not cheap...don't let any scraps go to waste! Here's what my printed transfer sheet looked like...
Once you've trimmed the images and heated up your iron (with no steam or water in it!) you are ready to go...I decided to use a lightweight muslin as my fabric...I pre-washed the fabric and then tore it into pieces to correspond to the size of the image...
I purposely wanted the frayed edges...
An aside...I have several pairs of Fiskars scissors...the pair with the ribbon tied on is my fabric scissors...used only for fabric...never paper...the ribbon is a quick visual reminder for me which scissors is which...
In transferring the image to the fabric, you need a flat, firm surface...I used a scrap of birch plywood which was very smooth and even...placed on my work table, I knew that I could press down heavily...don't do this on your ironing board - its not strong enough!
Once you are done ironing (again - follow the instruction sheet on time needed) you just peel off the paper...and voilà !
The image of the daisy was placed off to one side of the muslin...in the open space I stamped the word grow...
The acorn image was sewn onto a cover of a mini journal...
while the daisy transfer was used in the creation of a recycled garden journal cover...
And for those whose curiosity has been piqued...garden journals and artist smocks with my unique photographic collages will be available at my booth at the Vintage Market at Swan Trail's Farm, March 28, outside of Snohomish, WA...get all the details here...
And speaking of one thing leading to another...
I haven't forgotten about my blog...it's just that I've become very enamored of Instagram...so visual, so inspiring, so quick and easy to share photos...it has become consuming...but in a good way...check it out...you'll see...
Just before christmas, I visited an old friend...of the metal persuasion...
my mint green cast iron Singer sewing machine...
I really hadn't seriously sewn in quite a while...part of the reason due to the fact that my sewing table was piled high with stuff...unfinished projects, garage sale finds, leftover materials, etc, etc, etc...
I had a few projects in mind...so after spending a couple of days of clearing off the table completely, I was ready to go...
I love to sew...I have sewn since I was a young girl...my mother was a seamstress and my grandfather a tailor...there is a certain calmness that I feel from the rhythm of the stitching, the hiss of the steam iron, the satisfaction of creating a functional item...
So it probably comes as no surprise that sewing paraphernalia is one of the things I collect...
The past week I participated in a monthly "contest" on Instagram called 7vignettes...sponsored by Jen of Interior Addicts, it is a daily photo prompt that occurs the first seven days of each month, with the objective to photograph whatever your interpretation of the word prompt is for that day.
I had dabbled in past month's competitions but really hadn't given it my all...this time I thought I would commit to all seven days...and with sewing on the brain, I thought I would give a creative thread to all of my vignettes centered around sewing...the quest for items began...and I was quite surprised by some of the treasures that I unearthed...
Day 1 - the theme was sparkle
nothing more sparkly than rhinestone buttons,
coupled with the sheen of metal and the shimmer of pearl...
Day 2 - the theme was yellow
I had no shortage of yellow measuring tapes on hand...
Day 3 - the theme was blue
the gigantic scissors that the Southern Man's daughter brought back for me when she was in Turkey was an instantaneous choice for blue...along with my vintage mattress ticking that I am hording...
Day 4 - the theme was green
colored dressmaker's pins on white linen...simple but classic
Day 5 - the theme was pink
I adore silk thread...especially when its wound around old wooden spools...
I was quite surprised that I had so many spools of pink thread since its not a color I use...
Day 6 - the theme was rainbow
there's something very nostalgic about rickrack...had to supplement with seam binding for the orange and the violet...but the mnemonic of ROY G BIV stuck in my head all day...
Day 7 - the theme was black and white
digging deep into one of my metal storage baskets I found a treasure trove of notions I had totally forgotten...
this compilation features many of them...which I will keep out so I can incorporate them into a future project...
Having now cleared a space and become reacquainted with my old friend, we will be back together creating...
linking up with kim klassen's Friday Finds...where my find is what was hiding in my own studio...
I just had to re-discover it for myself...
and by the way...I'm having way too much creative fun on Instagram...you should join in...
and follow me...find me as fourcornersdesign...
As the calendar turns over to September, it is inevitable that summer is winding down...it has been a glorious summer, weather-wise, here in the Pacific NW...not too hot, not too cold...just right.
Here at our place, Its been a season of changes...and commitments...travelling the miles and then staying put...enjoying the sun, but knowing the rain will come.
On this Labor Day, I hope you take a moment to savor the last bits of summer...
put up your feet...and wind down a bit before fall makes its official arrival...
these three attributes sum up my art...and my home...and really, me...
I like the subtle...the simple...
I've been working on a new series of collages...where its more about the tones and the textures...
with just a hint of color...
Likewise, me and my home and studio are about tones and textures...nothing jumping out at you or screaming "look at me!" They say that if you look around a person's home, you often get a good idea of what clothing they wear...people have a tendency to gravitate to the same colors time and again...
So it should be no surprise that I wear lots of natural colors...white, tan, gray, black...
and that its usually all natural - cotton, wool, linen...
ahhh... linen...how much do I love linen...the nubby texture, the nuance of color, the casual wrinkled look...
When I heard about Rough Linen...well...it was meant to be...
Thanks to Kim Klassen, I visited their site...all linen...bedsheets, tablecloths, napkins...and a pinafore...
Back in the 8th grade, I made a floral denim apron...and wore it over my jeans with a t-shirt...I don't remember where the inspiration for this came from...most likely Seventeen Magazine...it was the early 1970's...we thought we were being hippy...
Seeing this pinafore brought all those memories back...plus it was in my favorite fabric...in my favorite (non)color - natural...as soon as the Southern Man saw it, he said "you gotta get it - its Amy clothes..."
It arrived...I love it...wearing it as I work in the studio...the pockets hold my tools and my ever-present rag towel...and since it wraps around you, there's no constricting ties...
one less thing to hassle about...slip it on...and I can get back to creating...
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