Bags of Inspiration...

Well, hello my lovelies and Happy Bank Holiday to all the folk over here. Cor blimey, we have a sunny one!!! This week at Simon Says Stamp & Show it is all about inspiration. What grabs your attention, who does it for you in the arty world, how do you go to kick start your mojo? We would love to know...

Well, never say never. My inspiration this week was all down to hubby's ever increasing pile of used jeans. I love sewing and up-cycling so the two came together in my Tattered Florals tote bag. Last month Tim Holtz held a great challenge all about these lovely blooms on his blog, but I just didn't find the time to join in...

But all the fabulous ideas that people came up with were so inspiring I thought I would still go for a Tattered Floral tribute! I cut off the trouser legs, cut them open along the seam and then cut two panels from the widest part to create the bag. I dug out my fabric scraps and also used the swatches from American Crafts. I ironed BondaWeb to the revesre of my scraps and then cut a selection of flowers. Just be careful when removing the backing paper from the Bond-a-Web before ironing the flowers onto the bag and you also need a really hot iron to ensure they adhere properly.

I was thinking of adding lots of buttons and wording but I like the modern, clean look. Also I think it is more practical to have a flush front otherwise it might catch on everything. It needs to be pretty and usable!!!! I did need a little extra touch and I thought that a word band was the just the ticket. I coloured it with a little alcohol ink to get the right tone and sewed it on.

It's all pretty simple really, but great fun too. It's just a basic tote bag and I didn't line it either!

If you have never made one here are a few ideas...  

You can use all sorts of scrap fabrics. Curtains, pillow cases, tea towels... Just in time for summer to carry a few books and your sun tan cream to the beach!

"Inspired by..." is a really fabulous challenge theme and with so many wonderful artists out there, in all fields, the possibilities are endless....Check out the really wonderful  ideas from the rest of the Design Team here! We are on the hunt for our top three artists and there is this very generous $50 voucher to be won too. Do join in and share your inspiration with us.
That's me all done again. Thanks for popping by! Enjoy your day and I'll see you soon.
Sarah.

*Tim Holtz Sizzix Die TATTERED FLORALS Bigz Flower Alterations 656640

*American Crafts CLASSIC Pocket Patterns Fabric Swatches 92530

*Tim Holtz Idea-ology Metal WORD BANDS TH93000

*Tim Holtz ALCOHOL INK SET CABIN CUPBOARD Caramel Ginger Latte Adirondack

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