Guacamole II

This project was made as part of a Craftsy course:
Stupendous Stitching: Adventures in Surface Design »

Materials

Soft Brown Upholstery Fabric Exterior accented with Colorful Cotton Prints, Stupendous Stitches from Carol Ann Waugh's Class, Couched Rat Tail in Light Blue and Black to form Medallions, Handmade Polymer Beads for London Tan Zipper Pull. Turquoise and Bold Cotton Prints for padded interior, featuring a padded removable pocket to hold ipad or Kindle type device. Padding is upcycled baby crib bumper pads from Goodwill (deconstructed and washed).

What was your inspiration?

Guacamole II, is a padded 10.5 x 12 tote to carry and store an ipad or Kindle device. Lined with a turquoise batik cotton, the interior also features a large removable padded pocket--completely protecting your expensive device.

Most of all I want to say how inspired I am by Carol Ann Waugh's great Craftsy Classes. I'm sure Carol Ann Waugh never imagined--the magic powers she was giving all of us when her Stupendous Stitching: Adventures in Surface Design became available on Craftsy. Carol, this is more fun than I could have ever dreamed. You are the Diva of Design! What a pleasure it is to learn from you.

What are you most proud of?

I'm still using up the bowl full of polymer beads I made this winter. I purchased some goldish green glittery nail polish and had my way with some of the beads. Look at them closely, you'll see flurishes and dots of nail polish here and there. The glittery nail polish only gives me more ideas what else I can do to create surface design on my purses and totes.

I coiled rat tail cord round and round, taking a couple of stitches to start, then continuing to coil and make light blue and black medallions using zig-zag stitch.

The colorful strata of printed cottons backed with stitch witchery fabric glue sheets are heat set to the plain brown upholstery fabric. CAUTION: Always use a pressing cloth or you'll melt your upholstery fabric when heat setting the cotton prints. Ask me how I know . . . . uh, a couple of oops on my part.

Padding: I use recycled padding from baby crib bumpers. Its a deep padding and is easily peeled horizontally to split into two pads. Oh my gosh I've made 8 totes from one baby crib bumper!

What advice would you give someone starting this project?

Get some of that glittery nail polish--add dots and flurishes to beaded pulls, or cotton fabric. I'm going to be experimenting more with it. Won't you give it a try?