Purrrrrrrrrrr. The shots looked dark in Photoshop and I tried to differentiate between shades. I get here and it works well, I can see the panels that were foggy before with detail. This is the second of the run and it will be called The Motley Harlequin. I have to give this one its insides soon and photo it with the first in the garden. This one is soft with no reinforcement for the form. To me this one feels extremely feminine with its delicate florals throughout the diamond patterning. I'm happy. Hopefully the new owner will be as well.
I got in the studio a little late today, but I couldn't tell because I met all my goals with time to spare. Four hours in, I got the pockets cut, seamed, quilted and the final cut for construction. I'm ready for tomorrow and it looks like the body will be double stitched and reinforced for support. I'm anxious to see a finished piece and looking forward to learning from each and using that knowledge to complete the run. What I like the most so far is that the bags are very tactile--almost begging to be touched and handled. Each different piece of fabric has its own quality, but when set in tandem with another, the contrast can be striking. The motifs, after quilting, even popped more off the fabric that before. The three dimensional quality is phenomenal. I'll be back in a few days to post the preliminary shots of the bag. Return for the finale! Two more flats of quilted color under my belt and I am gleeful about finishing the last panel tomorrow. Some shots you can see the quilted detail better than others. For instance, in the third and four shot, its a task to pick out the thread line, but in the last shot you can really get a sense of the design and its flow. I had a breakthrough last night and began drawing in my mind a cactus design I play with in my sketches. I decided to let it construct itself with one continuous line and the last design was born. I'm proud of it and will use it again as an all over motif on blankets. With these upcoming weeks I'll be uploading a few more items onto Etsy. Namely a few more purses, table runners and wall hanging. Be sure to take a look, you may find something worth your time and money.
Tired and a little punch drunk. I think I'll have a spot of tea and a cookie or two before bed. I noticed two nights ago I was missing a key part of the purse project I just started, so I was off to JoAnn's to remedy that. I was about to freak if it wasn't in the budget. Still for the time and planning put into this, I'll reap the rewards with the first sale. All this talk about prototype this, prototype that. I have yet to come up with a name. Sometimes it dawns on me, other times it is like a bolt of lightning before sleep and it lingers till day. Below are shots of the original design. All made from recycled, second hand or donated fabrics. There will be changes in this first edition, namely the artwork. I love creating mola and finding a place for it besides a pillow or a wooden frame. I may stick to simple piece work, but it will not be simple and accommodating. A splash of color or turn in difficulty of technique should accent the overall piece well. Oh yes. And the quilting is different. There is a lot of quarter inch separation here, adding more value and time into the piece. I'm opting for a decorated and lively surface now. When I go back to pin-striping it will be because I laid waste to the men's section at Goodwill. I started the next section of fabric to quilt for the body of the bag. The ins and outs of piece worked tapestry fabric are a challenge. Especially navigating around thick seams. I'm using a rolling spiral for the overall design. I'll pic either when finished or after the next color of quilted length is finished. I'm loving this process so far and am glad to post. Keep watch for more cleverness. I found my sea legs late today and got a fresh start on the purse. A purse which I have yet to come up with a name for. While I am photographing the prototype for you to oogle at, I try to come up with something catchy, classy and appropriate.
Above are detail shots of the beginning process to make the body of the bag. The top was once a shower curtain and has a little damage, but that will be worked into the over all design. I have three or four more sections of different colors to work with. When they are all quilted and cut, they will be randomly sorted so that when the bag construction begins, an overall motley match to the color will be apparent. Up late last night, I couldn't sleep so I grabbed my pen and paper to sketch. I have three more designs to prototype over the next six months. I'll keep you posted on that front as I synthesize patterns and directions for each. I'm looking forward to you getting to know the shop and the product. If you ever have any comments or insights, feel free to contact me at [email protected] |