Upcycled bag 復修袋子

Some people never care about what they have. Stuff are easy come, easy go.  However the earth is getting sick with lots waste disposal. I just like to make the tote bag and the chair (last post) longer life cycle ......

I've a friend who already have some beautiful bags and purses still treasures the small cotton tote bag I made for her years ago. It's washed out and worn out.  She doesn't want to dispose it.  I said let me do something to make it usable.
給友人的一個布袋子用久了已殘破, 但朋友不願就此扔掉, 我說讓我看看如何修復,  在破損處加點刺繡, 布畫上鮮明顏色,  車縫內裡, 這樣把袋子復修, 再可用耐些, 不隨便變了垃圾, 地球也健康些.

    

Before amended it, the acrylic painting faded out and holes on the bottom of both sides

I repainted the scenery with fresh acrylic

All the broken holes amended with french knots - that is the easy way for me to do these stitches

The small holes are amended with french knots in red thread then painted again

The other side are the same stitches on the holes

To make it stronger I lined the interior with my eco dyed scraps, sewed the inside pocket and a separate pouch..

Put the folded tote bag inside the pouch when the tote bag is not in use

 

A big tote bag carrying the mini one........ 

The "Before and After" look of side one

The "Before and After" look of side two

                          The upcycled tote bag of both sides.  This will be stronger and last longer. 

 

Poppies and country scenery are always my fav painting, on canvas, cotton tote bag or set of ceramic.  Just love the bright and cheerful red color.

Botanical imprints on paper 紙上植物移印染

 

There are lots ways of making paper prints with plants. Thanks to James Dennison,  he does beautiful prints and his wealth of botany knowledge inspires me. 

I tried some sorts of papers, like watercolor paper, sketch paper, drawing paper, used envelopes...... and recently the abandoned index paper.  Different papers have different outcomes of prints.  I'm not sure what chemicals or ingredients of the industrial paper making. Some botanical imprints on watercolor papers are quite nice but costly.  Instead I use the abandoned index papers with my simple method. 

  

Index papers are thin as the normal A4 writing papers. I cut off the margins and fold each piece.

 

In between the folds I placed the reusable plastic sheets (heat resist kitchen wraps).  This is to avoid "breeding" or "overlaps mess".  Put the plastic sheets a bit extend outside the paper margin for easy unfolding after boiling.

 

Gently damp both bottom and upper sides of the paper before placing leaves.

 Or cover the leaves with a fabric scrap soaked with iron water. This will bring out the leaf outlines.

 

  Sandwich tie the batch with the aluminum plates. 

 

I usually boil in the used rice cooker for an hour. The batch of paper on the bottom and other bundles on the top just to save energy to make more than one thing together. 

 After an hour boiling......Open it..... the prints on index papers like these.......

 Put the papers on a towel and air dry but before dry up......

  put the heavy books over the stack of damp papers overnight  to make them flat and smooth.

 Take them out from the book weights after a night and let all dry up

 Prints on my index papers

 I would like to make a booklet with coptic binding.  That's how I make the art journals with abandoned papers. 

Other than making art journals I also do prints on fabrics. I have instant download pdf English version  and Russian version for the basic yet colorful shades in my on line shop ETSY

Art journal making from travel memory 旅人的手作小本子

 

Recently I'm hooked in making art journals.  I printed the papers,  made the cover and bound the booklet.  This one with prints on cotton & wool felt cover just made.

這數位年代還有多少人愛手寫小本 ? 可能捨不得書寫那由始至終的手作， 這獨特的植物移印染捧在手中我有一些莫名的喜愛。

 

 I took from the stash a piece of cotton prints which was first dyed in Portugal workshop years ago with a little rust and the dark iron marks.  It sat aside for long. Last year I took it out to have the castor oil leaf prints over the cotton fabric.  The leaves were from Israel workshop last year.  I bought back a few pieces of that leaf as I know it's better to do with local leaves. 

 

I hand sewed the cotton prints on the wool felt piece with eucalyptus prints.  Make it the journal cover. 

 

The cotton part I stitched some French knots.  Really like sorts of stitches which give a special touch. 

 

 When I was making the stitches I imagine it's a seaside of Tel Aviv where I strolled along for a few days from dawn to dusk. 

 

The inside cover is printed with eucalyptus, the upper and down sides are soaked in the indigo dye, not a vat but only very pale solution.

 

Then I made the coptic binding of 7 signatures, each with 7 blank pages and some prints.  That makes a booklet of more than 100 writing pages.

 

Completed with the first page also with castol oil leaf.......

 

A few pages with local leaf prints......

 

A few prints on silk fabric and dried leaves.

 

The French knots and the rust marks

 

The castor oil leaf looks like "Sea Star"

 

A "Black" tone art journal with my handmade ceramic button closure

 

Simply the art journal.......

 

I made with the good memory of my last stay in Tel Aviv with this leaf

 

The day I took it to the beach near my studio....... I imagine it's the Mediterranean Sea in between Tel Aviv  and Cyprus.......

 

Back to reality, it's the South China Sea in Hong Kong

  

Listening to the wave, listening to the echo of sea...... 

Imagination to come true......