Designing a Hand-Sewn Patch

I've been inspired by the book, The Wander Society by Keri Smith.  The society's purpose is to promote aimless wandering as a creative pursuit and its motto is "Solvitur ambulando," or "It is solved through walking."

Have you ever noticed how taking a walk in nature helps you to unwind and sort out your troubles?  I walk for exercise, but also for peace of mind and creative inspiration.  I wanted to create a patch that celebrates how walking in nature inspires, heals, and strengthens me.

I started with a sketch on paper, then made a copy of the final design and covered the back of the copy with graphite.  I pinned the paper to a piece of denim cut from a retired pair of jeans and traced the design, pressing hard to transfer the graphite onto the fabric.

It was a little hard to see the graphite marks on the denim, so I darkened the design guidelines with a Sharpee.

I watched a video on making your own decorative patches.  It helped me to figure out how to fill in the boot with color and how to bind the edges of the denim.  Other than that, I have no real training in embroidery.  I just made up stitches, doing the best I could.

I stitched while watching videos with my husband or having conversations with my family. It was a pleasant way to keep my hands busy while listening.

My embroidery thread came from the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse (25 cents per skein!).

I like the wobbly wonkiness of the patch.  It looks handmade and organic. Human.

As a foil to the rise of AI art, I enjoy celebrating human-made art.  I find it makes creating more relaxed when I celebrate my wobbles and imperfections.

I hope this inspires you to design your own patch and create expressive, wearable art!

Happy Creating! 

Art for Self-Care: Upcycled Fabric Bags

 

I love creating items I can use in my daily life or give away. I had an old zippered bag in my purse that I used to carry first aid items in.  That little bag had worn down to a bedraggled state.  Time to refresh and replace it!  

I dug out some small fabric scraps that had been given to me, and found a vintage thrifted zipper to create the pouch below.  

When I've snipped the last thread end on a small project like this, I feel such a joyful lift to my spirits. "I made that!" I say to myself, and immediately put it to use.  

One of my self-care secrets is to prop my creations where I see them as I walk by, so I can celebrate myself and my creativity.  Every time I reach into my purse now for my lip balm or car keys, I see this gorgeous little zippered bag, and I smile.  

"I made this!" echoes in my head. 

Imagine if we all had these cheering thoughts throughout the day -- that would lift our hearts like springtime sunshine.

The zipper on my old bedraggled bag was still sturdy, so I carefully picked out the stitches and removed it.  I used it to create the pink and yellow bag above, and gave that one away to my oldest kid.  Another smile to think of them putting it to use and feeling loved.

The tiny, purple bag now holds palo santo incense sticks, and will also be given away. I like to have these sorts of little gifts on hand to share. 

I now look at every cast-off piece of clothing in my rag bag with an eye to designing more little bags, wondering, "Where can I steal a zipper from?"

I hope you find time to sew some fabric scraps together to create joy in your life!