Something different! A bit of fun maybe. I threw bleach at the denim and some pink dye to give the clouds a bit of sunrise, stencilled on some old sailing ships (you ought to see the back) and some captains' stripes for the sleeves. It's a good fit for a 12/14 Australian size standing at the steering wheel of a yacht - it won't blow away that's for sure. Now all you need is a peaked hat! Hee, hee. I almost forgot the seagulls. Remember the sound of seagulls when you've been out on the water fishing. So the garment has plenty of atmosphere, genre and intrigue maybe. Made from up cycled hardy denim and bordered with recycled denim, my husband's old denims if you please. Have a look see at my Etsy shop for a few different creative things. Creatifbitsnpieces at Etsy.
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I love these scarfs. I have one myself and have had pleasing comments! This one is extra special as I have added a few French words. You can pick up some spectacular fabrics for next to nothing at second hand stores but you know that anyway. Its the excitement of the find that thrills, discovering something you don't normally see. If you check out the tablecloths and the cushion covers you might find something different. I look at everything trying to lateral think a project: if it is unusual it's bound to be only a few dollars. If you look at the ladies tops or men's T-shirts you might find some script to cut away just the letters to use for another interpretation. Anyway at the moment I'm looking at stencilling to see if I can dream up something new! Creatifbitsnpieces on Etsy.
I'm beginning to appreciate Shabby Chic. So unique and so interesting a style. I'm amazed at the number of beautiful fabrics I have acquired over the years and long may it continue. My sewing machine is nearly worn out and I'll be having to repair and replace a few parts soon. I'd love to have a machine which embroiders script to create some really creative labels. This garment below involved a lot of sewing and every strip has been oversewn to prevent fraying. Long may it last! I think embroidery is trending but you're lucky to find it. I've had to cut the embroidered panels carefully from tablecloths to avoid the stains. Other used fabrics which have lost their radiance can be dyed or stencilled as long as the fabric is in good condition. Finishing a garment with borders gives it some respect and dignity don't you think?
Natural silk dyes very well and is very quick to absorb. From this you get definite outlines with the help of white vinegar as a mordant. It's very tricky sewing as the fabric is old and very light. The sewing cotton is actually heavier so the machine has to be on a very light presser. There is reinforcement around the neck in the form of a heavier silk. Washing is precarious as the fabric folds into nothing in lukewarm water with a touch of shampoo. You know the story of shibori dyeing when the Japanese during tough times dyed their clothes and became so good at it they invented interesting patterns. This style is a honeycomb pattern. I was lucky to find this fabric in a preloved store. The pieces looked as if they were offcuts; fabric that hadn't made it into the pattern allowance. I think it is a cotton linen blend and if there is any synthetic component it must only be a small amount. It's absorbent enough to take the fabric dye well and form definite lines. This type of abstract art belongs to Wassily Kandinsky's paintings. He was around in 1924 when he painted work in geometrical forms and in primary colours. The size of this kimono style is up to size 14 Australian womens. This kimono style jacket can be described as wearable art. In varing shades of blue and finished with dyed blue/grey borders just adds the finishing touches. A tie closure from the left side Japanese style gives you options on size.This has been home sewn from an Indian cotton tablecloth and therefore is of medium weight suitable for autumn weather. But you may want to hang the kimono as part of your interior decor. Or you may envisage it with jeans for casual lounging.
There are splashes of dye and paint on the garment. Be very careful with washing perhaps in mild detergent with cold water although I would tend to get it dry-cleaned for the first wash. Usually we refer to furniture when we talk about Shabby Chic. The name, which was thought up by a magazine call "The World of Interiors" in the 1980s, gives you a sense of fashion freedom. Of course France had a lot to do with it being so stylish and feminine. It is characterised by pastel colours, antique laces and lots of flowers. In furniture you will find layers of white peeling paint. There's a lot of history in fashion! Have a look see in my Etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/creatifbitsnpieces Always experimenting........ I did wonder how this pure white tablecloth would react to hand dyeing? Do all these colours work in together? Will the cloth lose its body because fabric is mainly "dressed" to sell. You probably know the final factory rinse contains starches to give the fabric body and glycerine to add some lustre to attract customers. Therefore I discovered throughout the dyeing process the fabric washed away all the dressing and exposed the real fabric which was quite limp. It even needs to be damp when it is ironed. This could be a sign of a large percentage of natural fibre involved in the weaving. The pattern appears to have become more noticeable with the colour. I have to say I am happy with the colour combination due to adding different colours to the same base of dye. The colours have taken on an old antique feminine look which would be fabulous worn with lingerie, lacy nightwear or even denims. Thank God for denims! You can see more "experimenting" at Creatifbitsnpieces on Etsy. Thank you for reading.
The Japanese call this style of bag Komebukuro. Kome meaning "rice" and bukuro meaning 'bag". In the old days the Japanese would carry offerings of rice to the temples and shrines in these special bags. Now they are used for festivals and bento picnics. This container has been sewn from fabrics that I have accumulated over time from preloved stores or left over bits and pieces from other projects. My hobby originates from a dislike of waste. Surely from discard useful things can be rescued, reused and remade. Most times waste is like new especially when it comes to fabric. But it's more difficult to use fabric that a pattern doesn't include because it is an awkward shape, has to be unpicked and is "off the grain". Therefore to sew takes more time as you can imagine. See some of my projects from discard on Etsy at creatifbitsnpieces.
Yes, it's not easy to complete a creative project. It's all a matter of experimenting, seeing what is possible, if the fabric is going to take the colour and of course when it dries it can look completely different. Sometimes the fluidity of dye can distort the fabric one way or another so that's where problem solving comes in. Then, try as I may it may not work or look any good anyway. This is a wall hanging made from the fabric I used in the butterfly kimono below. It is a wide weave, looks like linen but there could be some synthetic component involved. The subject matter was difficult. You want a work of art to mean something, to have some depth and interest. When you look at the art work you can see people walking in the sunset. A little boy to the left is looking up at perhaps his mother to ask "where are we going?". It could be a refuge situation or it could be an evening walk with the family. Even so I hope a bit of atmosphere can be derived. I might put it on Etsy but then again it's difficult to let go, to sell but as long as you take a record of your work its there forever.
This is a unique time of isolation when we actually have time to think (March/April 2020). My selected store of fabric is being sorted through while all the time the brain is buzzing and puzzling over its purpose. Usually these fabrics are sourced from second hand shops or other places of discard so that I won't be breaking the bank if it turns out to be a disaster. But then never throw away a disaster, just replace it among the other waiting fabrics for the brain to come up with a brilliant idea. The fabric from natural fibre is always a find even if I'm not sure of its composition. With this latest kimono jacket I'm uncertain as to what the fabric really is or what it was originally intended for. It's a heavy weave, somewhere between linen and canvas but much more presentable so as to result in an attractive garment. The fabric took the onion skin colour like a duck to water and the stencilled outlines became more definitive therefore giving the impression of a large percentage of natural fibre. It is that fascinating to work with such material. Even when sewing, the material did not stretch or buckle; it was stable all the way and of course this adds to enjoyment and efficiency. At Creatifbitsnpieces on Etsy.
When you spend a lot of time thinking, creating, sewing, looking for and choosing the fabric you can get attached to what you have created. Pride is something else, especially when you receive lots of online hits, favourites, appreciative comments and other information to indicate your creation has been approved. Suddenly someone buys it! Of course it's been up for sale mainly for exhibition reasons and reasons for other people to think "I can do that too". But I admit to a feeling of loss and pleasure simultaneously. Especially when it comes to wrapping it up and sending it off I feel I must move on and think of the next work of art to exhibit. Yes, I want people to approve, like and buy, that's what makes the world go around? Thanks for reading and looking at Creatifbitsnpieces on Etsy.
This unique Kimono style jacket has all the qualities of linen. It has been dyed with onion skins to give the background a beige colour then handpainted randomly with fabric paints. The borders have been dyed separately with blue commercial dye. After careful washing you have the option of ironing it or leaving it to give a natural, bohemian look. It has no lining and has a front cloth tape closure knotted Asian style. The Kimono jacket can be worn over a T-shirt and jeans or a matching coloured dress. The Kimono jacket size will fit either a size 12 or 14 Australian size. Otherwise measurements are 58cm or approx 23in in length. The circumference of the jacket is 104cm or 41 inches. This includes chest and waist size. The sleeve opening is 38cm or 15 inches wide. This kimono can also be used as a wall hanging too depending on your taste in decor. Unfortunately I cannot include the bamboo hanger. More details on Etsy at Creatifbitsnpieces.
What is aged linen I hear you ask? Well, it's recycled linen for a start then it's bathed in tea until it takes on a sorry look. By that I mean it is tea stained leaving streaks, stains or splotches of brown giving the appearance of it being just discovered in the attic. Yes, a treasure from way back. Not very pretty but aged with character and memories. The embroidery adds a vintage or shabby chic look. I have made some small bags measuring 7 inches by 7.5 inches or 19cm x 18cm which is a good size for those handkerchiefs people are now going to use as part of their intentions to save the forests or limit their discard. Add some perfumed handmade soap and what a nice meaningful gift this bag would make. See Creatifbitsnpieces on Etsy. Hundertwasser was an Austrian artist, a protector of the environment and an opposer to the straight line. Imagine, his works were also involved in architecture and you can see the Hundertwasserhaus in Vienna. We went to his first exhibition in NZ, in Wellington which was free. The kids really loved the colourful images but we couldn't afford the catalogue which was $10. I remember it well from all those years ago. However in Auckland one holiday we came across a clearing sale and found a print, a precious print, which we had framed in a gold frame. The print only cost 50c and it has given us so much pleasure. Some of the work is painted in gold but it has faded now. Hundertwasser painting on the left and our faded print on the right.
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My name is Catherine Rowe. I live in Australia.I'm busy producing new creative items for my Etsy shop called Creatifbitsnpieces. Fashion is becoming more artistic don't you think? It's now a challenge to think of new things. Archives
August 2021
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