Friday, June 28, 2013

Fabric & Leather Totes

Last fall and over the winter, I went through a phase of fabric dyeing.. I really enjoyed the process and the results, although I was never able to get the same outcome twice. This is a lot like baking for me. And interestingly enough, the parallels don't stop there- both baking and dyeing will leave you with dirty pans and a completely destroyed kitchen.
Anything stainable will be stained. For weeks after, I hesitated to interact with strangers- it looked as if I was suffering from some rare skin disorder of the extremities. When they recommend you wear gloves, they do mean it..

Here's a tote bag I made from some of the canvas I dip-dyed, then paired with pebbled veg-tan leather and brass rivets. (no longer available, but I will be making something similar in the next few weeks..)


Summer Florals

Everything is beautiful and blooming here, despite the rain and uncharacteristically cold weather. 
I'm finally working on designs for summer- a little late to the game, but I've never taken a particularly organized approach to my creative work. And I'm a strong believer in wearing whatever I like, no matter the season. Of course 80% of my closet is filled with black and gray, which just enables me to ignore seasonal dressing.. I own very little "summer" clothing, though I love this time of year.

I'm in the process of designing several new silkscreen designs- I realize I've been printing the same things over and over for several years, so it's time for something fresh..

Here's my floral & geometric shape design- I haven't tried printing this yet, but it should look something like this if everything goes well.. This is by far the most photographic image I've tried printing, so I'm interested to see how it translates onto a screen. I love the hyper-realistic look of the flower, overlaying the simple shapes. I'll be sticking to black and white ink for this, though I may print it onto some coral or seafoam tops I have..