I want to take a moment to wish my readers a Happy, Healthy, and Safe 2013. May this coming year be a good one for you, your friends and family.
It has been way too long since I posted an update here, but I was in something of a quandary. I wasn't doing a lot of drawing, except for my weekly figure drawings and I don't like to post those as my featured image but I was doing a lot of sewing. The problem with posting what I was sewing to the blog was that my family reads my blog and the sewing was for Christmas gifts, bags to be specific. Well now Christmas has come and gone so I can post these photos to the blog for all to see.
Above is the knitting bag I made for my sister, Japanese fabrics along with some batiks. You can't see the inside but I incorporated pockets on both sides. Several narrow pockets to store knitting needles, and a large pocket on the other side for patterns. The handles are braided fabric strips with D metal loops to attach the strips to the bag. All sides have batting between the lining and outside fabrics. For the photograph I put some of my own yarn balls into the bag to make it stand up. Size is 15 inches x 14 inches x 6.
This second bag is larger and also of simpler construction, just a lining fabric and the outside strips, no batting, though I did reinforce the bottom with a non-woven stiffener to provide a sturdy base. This one is about the size of a large shopping bag, 20 x 19 inches, and is 6 inches wide. The one above is actually my prototype, I made 3 more for family members. On theirs I applied a zig zag stitch to the raw outer edges which finishes them off a bit more. I use mine to haul clothes back and forth to the laundry, not sure how my family will use theirs.
I was also working on more bags to wrap Christmas presents. You can see my Sister's tree in Chicago with the fabric wrapped gifts. They make a rather colorful sight. The best part is there is very little cleanup after everything is unwrapped. The bags are saved and will be reused next year.
This will be my third year making bags. I figure I need to do at least one more year before we will really have enough to just recycle them from year to year. I originally got the idea from a fellow member of a Yahoo group I belong to, my family and I have found it to be a wonderful idea, much the easiest way to wrap gifts (and you often don't even need those pesky boxes, just put the article in the bag with a tag and your good to go). I purchase the Christmas fabric for the bags at the after Christmas sales which does cut down on the cost.
Last but not least one of the figure drawings I was working on while doing all that sewing. This is from early in December. I am only semi pleased with this one, but I do have a couple from last month that I will be posting that I am quite happy with.
One last image, a photograph of Millennium Park with the Chicago Skyline behind it made from inside the Art Institute of Chicago in the fairly new Modern Art wing.
I did enjoy my visit to the museum, though I have to tell you that I have no love or understanding as to why solid color painted squares or rectangles are considered Art and given space in a Museum. As far as I am concerned they are color studies not art, but then I am not a critic so have to admit I might not be a good judge. On the other hand we saw some wonderful textiles from around the world, and some works on paper that I do consider art. I may post some more images in my next Blog update.
That is it for today, per usual comments are welcome.
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