Corner Pocket

My first project as a full-time artist: sewing little pockets onto my homemade mousepad. I got tired of everything I taped on the wall crashing down or little pieces of paper getting lost under my table. A while back I sewed a couple layers of corduroy together to make a good surface to cruise my mouse around. It has served me well. I was able to make it better by sewing pockets onto the sides so that they hang off the corner of my desk! Ya-hoo. May the world never know what I was REALLY supposed to be doing while I was sewing little pockets and then blogging about it. (hehe.)The pockets were made in my true renegade intuitive fashion: No measuring, just eyeballing and adjusting as I go along.

 

3 minute scarf

“That is the most Jean Fitzgerald photograph I’ve ever seen….you know, sans Polka-dot car.”-Natasha. This was taken at the Swap-o-rama-rama in  good ole Chicago. I arrived Saturday at the event with my dear friend, Liz, pictured to the left of the giant mound of free and amazing clothes:

I did put on a personal small-scale clotheswap in my own home a few weeks ago as featured earlier in this blog but that pales in comparison to this event. This specific Chicago Swap-o-rama-rama -there have been many held in other cities- served as a fundraiser for a newly proposed school called Three Sisters Folk Art School to be located outside Chicago. Their tag line was “Creators not Consumers” and they described the event as “part Project Runway…part clothing swap…learn to turn  “fiber trash” into wearable treasure.”  I can get into that…old clothes manipulated on the sewing machines and then displayed on the runway in celebration of the thrift.

Here is a quick clip from the founders of the Swap-o-rama-rama:

and yes that was a cyberdundant move of me…

At that event I learned how to make way cool earrings (tba at a later post), silkscreening techniques, loom demos, and my favorite…the 3 minute scarf!

First, I gathered random shreds of yarn, especially the fluffy, poofy kind. I cut them at unscientific lengths that I thought sufficed. I suppose you could shred a t-shirt or other non-fraying fabric into your desired length as well.

Then I knotted them randomly, I mean, intuitively, together. The more knotting you do, the shorter your scarf length will become.

Presto! A scarf in just minutes from scraps of yarn.

Although, I ‘ve been altering and knotting while at stoplights and in line at the grocery store— I guess it’s the 3-minute scarf that reincarnates.

 

Not your Mother’s Sewing Circle

To get you into the sewing trance, stare at this:

http://craftydaisies.com/2007/04/17/so-thats-how-it-works/

…the mechanics of one of the greatest inventions: the sewing machine. So there was stichin’ going on last night at the apartment. The honerable crafty Stacie cut up an old red tie and made what could be a funny cap but will be a little drawstring bag. Her machine is an oldie but goodie–all metal with grandmother’s sticky notes tucked in the machine. I think we’ve brought another one back over to sewing salvation. Praise.

Natasha demonstrated the wonders of patterns to Thomas. Mary knitted what will be great legwarmers. Bria shared the treasures of her vintage sweater collection. Laura crafted stories. Brianna humored some rad 80s outfits. Part of the evening incorporated a mini-clotheswap with the idea that swapped items could be altered in the sewing portion of the evening. I scored a really great skirt from Liz so I felt I karmically needed to find something for her.

That’s where my old dress comes in. Way back in the day, like 2005, I found schnazzy fabric and stitched together a very basic sleeveless dress that fit me fairly well but…who knew I was really making it for Mizz Liz to flaunt years later? The buttonholes are reinforced with a bit o’ interfacing and the buttons come from the generations-old stash of Fitzgerald buttons hiding in my sewing box. Because I don’t measure, part way through, I needed to put a little more yardage in the dress so I included an assymetrical denim stripe up the side. When Liz tried it on, it almost fit perfectly…but it was in need of some darts at the armpit which we educationally demonstrated to the group. You can also visit my flickr page to see some more images of the sewing extravaganza. I sew very much in the unapologetic manner that I make hummus: no measuring and just doing what feels right. If you’re okay with a little wobbly stitch here and there, just add wine.