Day 17- Ichthyology Meets The Sewing Machine

3/14/14

Today's piece is really wacky. I guess I'm trying to compensate for the fact that I was unable to post yesterday evening because I was feeling so sick. I promise to complete yesterday's project and get it up ASAP! I'm home with my parents for a few days which means I don't have my crazy piles of materials, only the few things I shoved into my suitcase and the stack of random fabric scraps in my parents' house.


This morning I started with a ribbon I bought a few years back that I absolutely love. I was experimenting at the time with a new technique where you sew two pieces of ribbon together side by side with no overlap by using a zigzag stitch. You can create fabric this way.

I found an absurd piece of fabric from the time I made my dad a pair of shorts when I had an operation and needed some new pajamas. The fabric has fish on it. It looks like an aquarium. Not something I'd usually use to make anything... except maybe sleeping shorts. For some reason however it struck me this morning as looking totally wild with the ribbon I was working with. So I committed to using it in the piece I was making. Well, almost committed. If it was coming out really ugly I probably would have stopped. 

Ichthyology meets my ironing board. 

I finished the ribbon fabric and made cut-out handles in either side. I used the fish fabric as a border around the handles. (In retrospect I think it would look better to make a 1/4" trim the whole way around. Live and learn) I also used the fabric to seal the sides and make it into a little foldover bag. I angled the corners at the top to give it shape. 

You can either use the bag upright or fold it over as a little clutch. I think this shape would be great with a variety of materials. Maybe less wild ones. Still, I think this would make a rockin' bag to take on vacaction! It would definitely benefit from a little chain so you could wear it on your shoulder. No one wants to carry things on vacation. You need both hands for your mojitos.

Foldover bag, cotton ribbon and fabric

I really love the way it looks folded over.

My mom says I need to stop making clutches. So I guess tomorrow will be something other than a clutch. Like a shoulder bag. Ha.

I do love this ribbon technique though, and you will definitely be seeing more of it!

xo,

Arielle