2008-06-14

Creative Recycling

When I packed up my sewing room back in April I left out 3 projects to work on over the summer—Travel Quilt #2, Theresa’s Garden, and a pile of fabric for a baby quilt. I also packed up all of my Quilts Japan magazine collection and most of my other quilt books.

Lately I feel that by limiting the amount of projects I have to work on this summer, I’m limiting my creativity. All the sudden I have tons of great ideas for smaller projects or ways to finish up UFOs, but I can’t get to them without ripping the tape off the boxes in the basement. So I’m torn between wanting to be good and finish these 3 (now 4 with the surprise addition of a second baby quilt) or just giving in to my passions and unpacking my stash. AHHHGH!

It crossed my mind that I should just start reading a book. If I fell into a good novel, I could go between reading and stitching and keep a happy balance. Strangely, there’s nothing I really want to read right now either (should I mention that my stack of “I’m dying to read these” books got packed away already by a good intentioned husband?).
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I woke up this morning (having written the above post yesterday) and said to hell with it. I want to make something fun. So I did, I tore into the packed boxes to find some heavy fusible interfacing and cording, and this wicked cute print of fish that I got in Japan last year:

I took these unflattering pants:

(you don't know how embarrassed I am that I just posted that picture...)

And turned them into this nifty cute bag:

I left the cargo pockets on the fabric and centered them on either side of the bag. The handle is made from fabric from the cuffs. Good refashioning, don't you say? Have you refashioned anything lately?

13 comments:

Sew Create It - Jane said...

Very Creative! Love the bag!

makiba said...

Did you make this bag after I left your house? What about a skirt or something??? You must help me to make a skirt!!! Or you can make ME a skirt. I can believe people like you can make those stuff so easily. Well, I don't know if it was easy for you to make this bag but can you imagine how much I wish I can be skilled like you and make skirt that I want and fits me right now so badly!! So you have to help me. You LOOOOOOOOOOOVE, don't you!!!!!!!!???????

makiba said...

I mean you love me, don't you??

Jessica said...

of course i love you. don't you want a nice bag instead? bags are so much easier...
let's go sewing machine shopping on Thursday, and then come down to the Jo Ann's by me next weekend and we can find an easy pattern. I sure hope you read this btw..

makiba said...

Well, NO THANK YOU for bag but YES YES YES for skirt. THis bag looks much complicated than skirt. To me skirt is like sewing 2 simple trapezoid shape fabric together, that's all. A bag!!! Handle, fabric at the bottom and pockets and different fabric inside to make it look good. Too complicated. I just want 2 front and back fabric sew together. Sounds very very easy for you, right. ha ha. Oh and elastic for waist. More easy for you. ha ha ha

PJ said...

THAT is creativity at it's best!!!! Love it! I can feel your limited feeling right now!

Anonymous said...

That's a lovely bag! I'm a big fan of re-cycling...

Anonymous said...

That's one of the coolest recycling projects I've seen in a long time. Bravo!

Leila said...

That's fantastic! I LOVE the bag! I would have ripped into the box too. And I'm sure that we all have certain unflattering pants that embarass us. Not to worry!

If you feel like it, I've tagged you to answer 5 questions about yourself that I've answered on my blog. Just because I thought that they were fun questions!

Brenda said...

Man, you're good! I would have NEVER, in a million years, thought of turning pants into a bag. Long pants into shorts, that's about it! I'm blown away. Enjoy the fruits of your labor! Now I'm off to look for an old pair of cargo pants....LOL!

Bianca said...

I love that fish fabric, it's sooo cute!

Stefanie said...

I just finished packing up my studio. I left out one project to sew and another couple to do the machine quilting on. I think it throws you off balance when the creative supplies are packed. I guess I'm not alone in feeling that way.

Jessica said...

thanks for the great comments everybody~
I tend to buy clothes made from fabric that I like and then realize later (probably after seeing Costas' questionable looks) that I probably should have just bought the same fabric from the quilt shop instead...

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