A Walk on the Wild Side.

This tapestry came from Japan.  My mother was given several but what happened to them I don't know.  I was given this lovely tapestry and I wanted to use it in a purse but for a while I had to "thin on it".  Then I started pulling out fabrics and when I put it next to the leopard weave, I said "Eureka"........   Sometimes the least amount of thinking allows the inner mind to operate and this time I was totally satisfied with the combination.

I lined it with black Satin and it has a leopard pocket.  I have a lot of sub structure that cannot be seen but it allows the purse to have a stand alone feeling and it won't collapse when it is left by itself.  Handy to rummage in the inside!

Trying to Capture a Spirit

While strolling through the variety of fabrics on ebay, I was arrested by the beauty of the vintage Kimono offerings.  Living in Gardena, California, I have become familiar with its history.  We have a large population of Japanese people.  Many are first generation Americans.  They brought their culture with them and so I have come to admire their arts and food.  
I had never thought to mix my ideas with their arts.  But seeing all these luscious fabrics, my resistance was broken down.  One thing about buying the fabrics directly from Japan is that it took 3 - 4 weeks just to get to me.  Then it takes me a while to think and dream on how I want to construct the purse.  With this purse, I wanted to honor the Japanese Arts of the past.
The fabrics that I used here are vintage "everyday" Kimono fabrics.  This fabric would have made a Kimono that a person would put on after coming home from work and not a holiday Kimono.  I used six different pieces of fabric and I quilted them with an organic batting on the back.  The purse is quite structured to give it some shape, as the fabric is cotton, vintage and very floppy.  
Also found on ebay is the carved white Jade that I hung from the handle.
I enjoyed every step that I took to make this bag.  It has been a long journey, in that my life constantly intervened but now with a few days just for myself, I finished it.

Little Tuff* Guy!

http://catasters.tumblr.com/

Don't you just love animals with hats on?  I think that I should make a file of animals "dressed up" and then when I feel down, I will open the file and wallow in how wonderful the human mind is to try to change our image of the domestic animal into human.

Look at this fellow's face.  He is so willing to amuse the person he loves.  Little tough guy!

*  When I was a teenager, this was how we spelled our favorite adjective (meaning bad, phat or simply wonderful).
**I saw this fellow on Catasters.

For My Girls

Now this is the last dress (the Brown) that I made with re-purposed Tee Shirts.  I had about six Tee Shirts of different colors.  I wanted to re purpose these fabrics.  I had a great deal of fun and I think the girls will like them.
It is a lot of fun to make clothes for girls. 

You Can't See Me

You won't find a dog doing something this peculiar.  This cat is saying, "You can't see me but I see everything".


Somehow my cats always make me laugh.  They are so serious in their approach to life.

I saw this on Catasters, a site I visit often.

The "Thrfted" Dress

I came into a few men's Tee Shirts and instead of giving the away or cutting them up for dust clothes.  I decided to see if I could re-use them.  I chose the Tee Shirt that had the least wear to use as the body of the dress.
There is enough room at the top of the shirt for a girl's dress.  It would be a very short dress but I wanted to add ruffles on the bottom.  I added two layers of ruffles to give a little flippy attitude and a little more length.
I used the sleeves of the Tee Shirt for the binding on the neck and sleeves.
To get the amount of gathering for the ruffles, I cut two pieces out of the orange and the ochre.  
I chose to do this while I wait for the handles for my Japanese purse.  Hopefully it will arrive soon. 

This is my WIP

I have been working out ideas in my brain for an everyday kind of purse.  And since I live in Gardena, I have been very influenced by the Japanese that have been here for ages.  There are many stores and restaurants, so the culture is all around.  I love the fabrics.  I made a robe for my darling niece last year from quilted fabric from Japan.  But I wanted to use something more traditional.  I patrol the Japanese fabrics that are posted on ebay.  And a while back I bought a sample grouping of about 7 swatches.  The swatches measure approximately 13" x13".  These swatches were cut from vintage Kimonos.  I sorted everything out and put aside the orange and brown that I want to make a quilt from and these pieces are "remainders".

I have cut these into smaller pieces and it will be pieced and quilted.  I am working on it and as usual, I have come to a slow stop because I need a piece that must come from Australia.  But I am so excited about where I am now that I had to take a photo of it.