Lately, I've been busy with creative donations to different causes. I like that. My friend, Alison asked me to contribute to a benefit she is working on. Women of the Congo takes place Oct 20 in Manhattan with the donations going to benefit the City of Joy, a safe house and leadership community in Bukavu. Our new son-in-law, John Paul traveled to the Congo two years ago along with a medical mission to take photographs at a women's hospital there. Because this is a cause we feel strongly about here and we are all women uniting for V-Day, I agreed to make something for her silent auction table.
But what? I looked at that site and was pretty impressed with the list. What in the world could I make for them? I decided to step out of the comfort zone.
Last summer I took an inspired class from the amazing Tracie Lampe at ArtFiberfest. She has a book coming out in April 2010 about her fused plastic fabric creations from upcycled plastic bags. Her class opened up a whole new creative experimental process for me. It's so much fun to learn something completely new. Like patchwork from plastic fabric you make in the kitchen.
This is what I had to work with besides the tools and process. (Yes, you really should buy the book!) All these bags were plucked from various recycling bins and trash containers, folded and saved over time for this some-day project.
- Crate and Barrel jumbo clear bag
- Joyce Leslie yellow shoe bag
- Equality magazine postal wrapper
- Gymboree polka dot bag (thanks, Syd!)
- PayHalf eyes bag
- Stew Leonards red wine bag
- Convenience store smiley face bag
- Motherhood bag
I cut up the bags, made the magic fused fabric pieces and sewed them together into a large patchwork panel for a big, big tote. OMG, creative thrillin'! My first a-Ha! moment came when I looked at the Crate and Barrel logo wondering what I could do with those letters. Cut them apart and rearrange for a new word. Then came the idea to put the new word with equality and then I realized that if I cut up some plain plastic bags and snipped my own shapes and lettering, I could just say whatever I want!
I love it empty....
and full.
And I really like the message.
Create Love, Equality, Joy.
Pass it on. xoC