Red Panty Tote Bags...Scraps United!

I posted about my Sewing Room reorganization last month, which went very well, thank you! The space isn't as beautiful as those in my books, or on TV, but I'm not those people! It works for me, and you can walk right in and get to everything. In fact, sometimes during the day I do that, just walk in, look around, and take a bit of pride in the fact that there is still floor space!


As part of my clean out, I got rid of a lot of fabric to various places. After sewing up a storm for the Red Panty "Fall Collection" (I love saying that) I had a bunch of scraps left over from all the thrift shop clothing I used. I tried to be realistic and saved pieces that were large enough to be of some use later, but I decided to take the smaller bits and cut 4" squares out of them. I didn't really have a plan when I started, other than to reduce the bulk of my stash.


Then I had an epiphany, and this is what I came up with: cute little Tote Bags from the same cloth as my clothing! I used 32 - 4" squares, set up 4 x 8, and a good friend who is an interior designer had given me a leftover bolt of this great ribbed serge fabric in green, and it was just enough to line 6 tote bags, including a inside pocket where I sewed my label, and do all the straps. So not only did I make good use of the linen thrift store clothing scraps, I reduced the size of my stash by one of those big cardboard tubes! For one tote, I used the front of an orange blouse, complete with the button placket and chest pocket!


I think the bags turned out sweet; my daughter tried to grab one to take back to school with her, but then she has a bag fetish like other people have a shoe fetish. I'll be dropping off 6 bags at the gallery that is selling my clothing, and I hope people like them as much as I do!

Ross Museum recycled Exhibit!

I believe I mentioned I had driven to Brooklyn and back in 48 hours to pick up artwork for the next exhibit at the museum. Well, we opened last week, and I think it looks fabulous!

The exhibit is our response to the National Colloquium theme "Cultivating a Green Campus". (for more information, you should go to the Ohio Wesleyan University site!) The colloquium sponsors a campus wide topic each year, and every department tries to relate something to it. Anyway, I got to curate our exhibit, and found 5 women artists who all work with recycled materials!

The first is Chakaia Booker, represented by the Marlborough Gallery, she works with steel belted radial tires and makes these incredible sculptures. We got 4 of her very small pieces; her work is really incredible!




We also are exhibiting Aurora Robson, who just got back from months in Texas, installing a gigantic sculpture for Rice University. She uses recycled plastic water bottles (think "Dasani") and this is the result! (this piece is dangling above my head in the gallery skylight!)

I also invited Francesca Vitali, otherwise known as Frucci on Etsy, and Hayley Muse Rupersburg, known as Museglass on Etsy. They have the most incredible jewelry! Frucci's is recycled paper from junk mail and shopping bags, and Museglass recycled produce containers and bags, sandwiching them between glass!

The final artist is a fellow Ravelry cohort, Lyne Kearns from New Zealand. She had approached me on Ravelry when she saw my ravatar "redpanties" and so she made me my very own Red Panty handbag, from recycled ladies panties!! I am making her a red panty quilt in return.

Sometimes I really love my job!

New REfashioned Sweater knits!

I promised photos of some of my new pieces, and here they are! Linda, the gallery owner, and Marti her assistant were kind enough to model for me, since it's not as attractive to model while you try to photograph yourself!

I really love these pieces, and this time I took some photos of the "raw" materials I started out with, to give a before & after view.

This top was a short sleeved black sweater and a really cute little skirt; I added some extra linen that had white flowers embroidered on it.







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This top was a J Jill t shirt, and a plaid skirt!

These 2 sweaters looked good together, so I cut them up and mixed them back together, with a brown linen skirt on the left, and both have orange corduroy bias from a soft men's shirt

Fall Collection of Red Panty Designs!

Wow, I can't believe how negligient I've been about blogging....sorry! Since I last posted, I've taken down 2 exhibits at the museum, driven to Brooklyn and back to pick up artwork, installed a new exhibit, hosted 2 bus tours from the American Quilt Study Group, and finished my new Fall Collection!! Yay! Tonight was the First Friday for October, and the unveiling at (not on the) Corner Framing Gallery.

I had 27 new pieces, and this time I did a line of knits....I used T shirts, as well as cotton sweaters, and I'm really excited about how they came out! I'll be taking pictures tomorrow, because there were just too many people in the way this evening, which is a good thing!

For the soiree, I ordered 3 dozen gourmet cupcakes from the amazing Nicole; I asked her for something related to my line, and here's what she did:
aren't they fabulous? There weren't ANY left....luckily I stole 2 before the crowds arrived and stuck them in the freezer for my daughter, since she's at college. Here is Nicole, modelling the top she bought, it's called the Harvest Moon top, and, well, no I did not register that it's actually a SUN until someone pointed it out!
Silly me, I'm such a moon girl, don't ya know!

Anyway, I had the most fun ever with this line, and I promise more pics tomorrow!