All turned in!

I turned in our projects this morning - both my sister's and mine. No line at about 11:00. (Word is that there will be when it's 15 minutes until deadline. "It's Eugene") Now we just wait until the big reception on Sept. 2!

Finishing

I traced the pillow form shape onto tissue paper, using the tissue paper as patterns for the backs and then cut enough strips the depth of the pillow to wrap around. I could have used zippers or Velcro to close the pillows, but decided hand sewing the pillows closed would work fine. (This isn't detailed enough to really be instructions, but just give an idea of the process.) I attached the sides to the back and then wrestled the thicker pantyhose weaving quilted fabric. Then I turned the pillow top and squeezed the form inside. I cut and sewed some other scraps to make ties to hand sew on to the pillows so the pillows could be tied to a chair (or removed) Once both were done I still had a week to fiddle with them and make adjustments. They were just set up in the dining room so I could look now and again and see if any great ideas came to me. The woven pillow needed something to bring the turquoise from the background into the weaving so I added some daisy stitch flowers, which also anchored the tights to the backing. The braided rug pillow needed something but I could figure out what. The braided spiral by itself looked too plain. Then I realized it kind of looked like the center of a sunflower. I dug into my felt stash and found some yellow that I could use for petals. I basted, then handstitched the petals. DONE! I'll go back through and doublecheck for threads that need trimming and write out some care instructions to add to package. Now, what shall I do w/ all the leftover pantyhose! It may become stuffing for stuffed animals or pillows -- or maybe I can tie up some plants.. Or I could always donate it back to MECCA. Next week we turn everything in. That was fun and a good challenge. Can't wait to see what the other 100 or so participants created!

Trying another method --

For the second pillow, I used the fabric pieces (aka pantyhose and tights) that weren't shades of brown. This one would be more of a standard weaving. I had enough to make black for the warp and colorful for the woof -- (I never can remember which one is which, but it doesn't matter.) Here's the difference, if you really want to know: I machine sewed the black strips so they were anchored to the backing on each side. Then laid out the colorful strips in the order I would weave them through. I basted the ends in place and then machine sewed all the way around -- So the fabric didn't get caught I used tissue paper between the tights and the presser foot for try for a minimum amount of swearing. No machine tangles -- for the most part.

Which way for weaving??

One of the ideas that I liked from Big Magic fits in here. I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but I didn't want to get stuck on anything being perfect or being the best. I would make something and it would just "be" and maybe it would turn out as I expected and maybe it wouldn't or maybe it would be better than I expected. Whatever happened, the result's purpose might just be to inspire someone else to take the concept to another level or try a variation. So, I decided I would start with the braided rug idea. I would sew braided "legs" of pantyhose onto the backing, using a combination of handsewing and machine sewing. Obviously first step was a washing machine load of all my materials and some time out in the sun for them to get any mustiness out. Then I used the rotary cutter to cut the waist part off and get a variety of a shades of light beige to very dark so the braid would have different colors in it. I went back and forth from the couch to the sewing machine until I had enough to get a nice spiral on the pillow background. One pillow top done!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle -- Rethink

OK, so the fabulous fabrics I had imagined turned out to be about a dozen pairs of tights and pantyhose in shades of brown, pink, black, green .. That was it. This would definitely be a test of creative thinking. (Trying to think back to Big Magic!) I did a little internet searching for ideas for "reusing pantyhose" and there were lots of lists about using them for crocheting (which I don't do), or for tying plants up or making scrunchies for pony tails. Others described how to make soft sculpture faces. That would be fun, but too fiddly. I also had $15 in MECCA bucks to go back and get more materials to add in. I thought about different weaving methods that could be used. Maybe a braided rug type project... or maybe something with more traditional weaving -- kind of like those potholder makers. Then I would need more pantyhose, so on a "When life gives you lemons" approach, I decided I would corner the lemon market and just go back and get MORE pantyhose at MECCA.

My haul: $5 for a bucket of pantyhose from the warehouse. $3 x 2 for two pillow forms $4 for turquoise quilted fabric scrap and some cotton to match for a pillow back. Total $15.

Surprise! ??!

Each artist (I'll try not using quotation marks there) received items to incorporate into their artwork. I had imagined all kinds of amazing fabric. What would I make? Something that would be useful... not a framed piece. Maybe an alphabet book in fabric. I had ideas. Then I got my mystery bag. My sister got a partially completed needlepoint piece (calling it "vintage" would be kind) and some random yarn (most of which could not be used in the actual needlepoint). Interesting... She could fill in the background somehow and use her MECCA bucks for appropriate yarn. Maybe make a bag or a pillow. What was in mine?.. Hmm. Not anything I could have imagined.