DLP Week 18

Not only is it May, but May is almost over!  One of the things I started doing in my Documented Life journal after the first couple of months is to make my own calendar for each month. 

The theme for May is Touchy Feely (Texture).  The challenge for the first week was Fabric.  So I decided to make a fabric calendar for May.

One of my goals at the first of the year was to use things that I've been saving (sounds better than hoarding!)  I used a piece of fabric that I painted years ago in a workshop with Sherrill Kahn.  I sometimes get those fabrics out and enjoy them, thinking I'll make a book from them.  But since I haven't done that, this is a good place to use some of this fabric!.

I sewed the fabric to lightweight cardstock so it would be easier to glue to the page.  I messed up stamping the numbers, but my attitude lately is just keep moving, go forward, don't look back!

I picked a fabric that did not have a lot of busy elements on it, so the numbers of the month wouldn't get lost.

Since I was behind on May's assignments, I already knew the challenge for the next week was Stitching.  So I took another piece of painted fabric, wrapped it around the edge of the page, and sewed it in place.  Note:  I have sewn on book pages before.  It's a challenge to be sure.  But this large hard back journal fought me all the way!  Hence the haphazard all-over-the-place stitching!  Move on, don't look back...

At that point, I had not decided what else I was going to put on the page on the right, but knew I wanted to letter on fabric.  When I decided how to bring all that into play, I kind of wished I had not sewn that fabric to the right side of the page, makes it pretty busy overall. 

First, I took a piece of lightweight cardstock and wrote on it sideways with two watercolor pencils.  It was random, stream of consciousness writing, about the fabric of my life, my life in general, where it might be going, etc.  Then I brushed the writing with water to blend the watercolor.  When that was dry, I sewed strips of batik fabric along with my lettered and stamped fabrics, plus a girl from a napkin. 

The last thing I did was lift up the fabric of the calendar page and jot some notes about my technique for the page.  Done and done.  Move on... I like the texture theme this month.  Lots of ideas in my head!

Stick it To Me

I often go in spurts with projects.  Like fabric projects.  I have a lot of interesting bits of fabrics, but I don't make too many things with any of it.  Then I get in a sewing frenzy and make stuff.

Several years ago, I made some pin cushions for gifts and one for myself.

I don't even pretend to be an accomplished seamstress, but the directions were easy enough to follow.  The instructions were in this issue of Sew Somerset 2008. 

I do struggle with matching seams, making corners, and all that stuff.  But somehow it still turns out okay.

 In fact, it turns out okay enough that I can give another one as a gift and not embarass myself.

And in case you want to use it instead as a tiny pillow for a tiny head, make sure there are no pins in it. 
:o)

Making a Case

On a recent post, I showed some fabric I had painted.  In the meantime, I have experimented with making little zippered bags with the fabric.

 My main goal was to make a cigarette case for a friend (who will remain nameless) because her ratty old cigarette case, so cool and unique a few years ago, desperately needed replacing.

Before I used my painted fabric, I decided I'd better practice on regular fabric.  After all, I was flying by the seat of my pants, making it up as I went along.  I haven't put a zipper in anything in about 30 years!  My first effort turned out okay, but I was pretty sure it was too narrow at the top.

My next bags were too big, but to be sure, I had to actually go and buy some cigarettes and a lighter and see how they fit. 

There was too much excess space, so I thought maybe I could put a divider in the middle and she could put her cellphone in one side.

When all was said and done, she loved the case, but I bought the wrong blend of cigarettes.  Plus, she already has a very cool case for her new iPhone.  But it was fun experimenting anyway!  Makes me want to do more playing with painting fabric and sewing little bags.

 

 

Fabric Painting Fun

My on-the-go playtime lately has included painting on fabric.  By on-the-go, I mean a project that is spread out in a certain area, and anytime I pass by it, I might add something to it in the space of about five minutes before moving on to wherever I was going.

These were done with cheap acrylics paints, stencils, stamps, and a permanent black marker.  They are mostly still in progress, with some highlights still to be added.

 

I've had a lot of fun with these!