Learn It
This project was made as part of a Craftsy course:
Stupendous Stitching: Adventures in Surface Design »
Difficulty:
Category: Sewing
Type of item: Accessory
For: Women
Style: Cute, Funky, Mod, Hipster
Materials
Soft Brown Upholstery Fabric, Various Colorful Cotton Prints, Stitch Witchery, Purple 12 inch Zipper, Handmade Polymer Clay Beads for Zipper Pull. Handmade Polymer Buttons.
What was your inspiration?
I was mostly hungry when I sewed this colorful 10 x 10.5 inch zippered tote. I started with very plain brown upholstery fabric, and prepared strips of cotton prints ironed to stitch witchery (paper backed fabric glue).
I cut out wavy shapes from each of the cotton prints, and heat set each one to the brown upholstery fabric. I added couched cords of different colors, and polymer clay buttons I handmade.
What are you most proud of?
I made a zipper pull from additional polymer clay beads, and fitted ends with gold eyelets, (eyelets available in gold and silver in large quantity packages at Hancock Fabrics).
Assemblinf beads like a bracelet, I added strength and durability by pairing the strand of beads with cotton print fabric--1" strip folded twice to form 1/4" pull.
What advice would you give someone starting this project?
I'm really digging the creative process of making polymer clay beads and buttons to decorate my totes.
When shopping for various colors of polymer clay, be sure to get a brick of translucent polymer clay. I combine a pea size bit of color (in this case lime green), and mixed it thoroughly into 1/3 brick of translucent. Really beautiful results.
A purple zipper on a brown tote? Well, why not?
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