Project Australia

 

 

As I already mentioned in one of  my older posts, in January I started a new bag. It´s going to be a gift for my good friend who loves animals and Australia as well, which is the reason I call it „Project Australia“. I inspired myself very strongly by work of Sue Spargo, who designs beautiful animals from woolen fabrics and embellishes them with embroidery, beads and ribbons. The base of the bag is made from my old long jeans skirt, the animals and trees are from wool scraps I bought some time ago from www.patchworkcz.cz. The green colours of wool were not very satisfactory, so I added green flannel scraps.

 Two animals are completely finished so far: the kangaroo and the bustard (well, yes, I call it so…).

The edge of the kangaroo is embellished with bullion knots, the ears are bullion loops.

  The abdominal pouch is sewn with open buttonhole filler stitch, but, yeah, I have to admit, it is not very nice. It was my first try oft this stitch. But it´s a pouch, yes:)

 As border stitch on the bustard I used the Pekinese stitch. I love the stitch, it´s very easy but effective. 

 White feathers on the breast are made from crested chain stitches, the feathers on the head are easy and effective pistil stitches. Well, I know, it´s actually not a bustard, but I do call it so:)

 

Now I work alternately on the trees,on the goat and on the cow. 

 

 

Happy stitching!

Michaela

 

 

Bag No.47 – On The Seashore

 

I love sewing bags. I love sewing bags for a concrete person, for a concrete reason. Like this time. In my time schedule was surely no bag this week, I planned to work on the embroidery sampler and as much as possible on the Project Australia. But my husband asked me to sew a bag as a thankyou  for his colleague, who helped him very much in the last time.

There was not much time for thinking and planning, so I reached for my beloved old jeans fabrics and not less beloved batik fabrics. It makes always a lovely combination. The colour choice was made only emotional, without any intention. 

The fabric choice and sewing was conscientiously  controlled by Lumik. 

When the batik stripes were sewn together, I sent a picture to my friend, the artistical soul Aninna. Her answer was short and precise – colours of the sea!  And then, in that instant, I saw it too: a seashore. The quilting plan was clear – waves and stones! For the rest of the bag panels, I chose only easy straight lines.

 

The quilting was made, but it was somehow not finished. Thinking about the seashore, I added a few pieces of amber from an old necklace and later also some small beads as sand. 

 

The very cold Sunday (snow and -5°C) was ideal for sewing the inner of the bag. This time also with two small snap-hooks for memory sticks. 

 

My husband added the leather handles and the bag No.47 was finally born!

 

Happy stitching!

Michaela