Go Team USA!

Last year, I made a couple of hoodies with very long hoods-just for fun.  I had seen an artist on Etsy named Katwise who made wonderful coats with long hoods from recycled sweaters.  The two that I made both sold to boutiques almost immediately, but  I had to move on to spring sweaters and didn't make any more.

The idea kept coming up  in the back of my mind until I decided to do a few more.  The first inspiration was the upcoming Olympics in London and Team USA.  Wouldn't it be marvelous if a US athlete wore my hoodie in the closing ceremonies?

With that thought in mind, I began crafting it from a navy Danskin hoodie.  I searched the studio high and low for great leftover or recycled materials, and then began cutting a more flattering style held closed by a giant shoestring. Fun ruffled navy and white trim soon found it's way around the perimeter, and I also added luscious red polka dotted minky cuffs.

The result can be seen in the pictures.  Not only would this look smashing on a member or supporter of Team USA, but also would rock on anyone who wants to wear their team colors proudly.  I've listed it on Etsy https://www.etsy.com/listing/100711573/ladies-usa-medium-upcycled-cotton-fairy so that my  dream of seeing it at the Olympics has a chance to come true.

If you would like to see more Echo creations, I humbly invite you to my website at www.echoclothingcompany.etsy.com.  You can also keep up with us on twitter- @braitzatl.

A Better Mousetrap?

Sometimes, I come across a great piece at a store that is almost perfect.  Key word? Almost.  Maybe it's the fit, the color, the styling, but it just needs a little something.   This past week, I stumbled upon a sweater at Anthropologie, one of my favorite stores- not only for their clothes, but because of their great displays.  The store inspires me, plain and simple.  So, when I saw a small striped sweater on clearance, I danced right to the checkout with it.

What I loved about it was the back.  The front is a relatively simple crew with two cute pockets.  But the back---wow.  Only two buttons at the very top, then totally open.  I thought of it over a long white tank, and mused---great potential. Yet, it needed a little something---perhaps in the way of color--- to tie it into my black pants or make it a smidge more interesting.














Enter some red sheer polka dotted material from my studio and a leftover black and white bottom from a sweater that had been made into a bolero.  By attaching them to the interior edges of the back and letting them drape, I created a more interesting back---- which still pays homage to the open idea, but without the hassle of pulling it together over my tank.

With the back complete, I needed to add clue on the front.  So, by attaching a leftover ruffle that could be tied on one side to the interior top of one pocket, I introduced just a little pop of color and maybe a curiousity of what you might find on the back.















Finally, I attached two buttons--- different sizes, but complimentary.  Not only did they complete the look, but helped hold the pocket upright as well. Different, unique and colorful---just what I had envisioned.



When I was finished, I realized what had inspired me. I had inadvertently created a simpler, backwards version of one of my favorite designs from 2011- a turnstyle (see Smoke Flowers below).  Perhaps my upcycled sweater was a slightly better mousetrap (for me at least), but it's nearly impossible to improve on Anthropologie.......

Smoke Flowers

Rag Pillow Reveal!

Several posts ago, I blogged about a project we had begun in Art Studio to make rag pillows from t-shirt strips (see Rag Pillows on a Rainy Day).  Well at long last, and after about 6 t-shirts worth of strips, I have finished it!  Woo hoo!

Check out the finished product sitting pretty with other flirty pillows.  I had a ball stuffing it full of colorful patterned tee strips and matching it to my guest room. (This is totally different than matching a painting to your sofa----I promise.) My friendly little pillow is now happily ensconced on my window seat....that is until I make my bed and take a follow up pic.

It was fun and easy to make and I often worked on it while I was watching Alcatraz, Castle, Glee, Vampire Diaries, or any other treat.  Here's a close up of the materials. All recycled--- even the back which I did in a cheery black polka dot.  Try one yourself, or better yet, grab a teenager and get them started!

Rag Pillows On a Rainy Day

This week in Art Studio, we are going to take a run at rag pillows.  With the mounds of scraps in my studio from Echo Sweaters, I have tons of material.  So, in advance of my students, I decided to try a smidgen of the concept yesterday (see the end of my entry called "Collage is not just for ransom notes") and it appeared to work pretty well!

First, here's the picture of what inspired me in the first place.  It's a fun find from Pinterest----in great beach colors.  I was a bit concerned about not only the size, and the suggested t-shirt backing, so I've opted to try a throw pillow face instead.  (After I finish, I can face the underside into the fluff of the pillow and protect it.) Maybe a rag rug next if this goes well!

In brainstorming with my friend Pam, we thought of different backings that might give us a bit more strength and linear guide.  We wanted something with a tad more structure, that would be easier to handle and thread the t-shirt remnants through.  We couldn't find plastic canvas (used for yarn projects) with wide enough holes, and it was too hard to enlarge them.  We needed a cross between a miniature silt fence and irrigation plastic--without the nasty plastic feel.  So, when nothing emerged as the perfect dream base, I went with cross stitch canvas in Ivory- size 11.  It has the grid and it was relatively easy to cut slits into it as needed.

I selected a smattering of t-shirt remnants from the studio that would work well in our orange bedroom. (It has a black and cream toile spread with a few red accents in the room.) After cutting my canvas to a 15" x 15" area to allow me to have pillow edges to sew, I bound them with blue masking tape so they wouldn't ravel.  Then the strip making began--- cutting them roughly 1.5" wide by 6" long.  No need for perfection here.  By cutting slits about 1/2" long and about 2/3" apart, I had plenty of holes.  The first two rows came out well, but I can tell this is going to take a very long time. Perhaps the students will make 8" x 8" pillows.  Anyway, I am encouraged by the fluff that emerges from just two rows!  Here's the beginning of the pillow!

Collage is Not Just for Ransom Notes

I saw this great ad for a show at a museum in London (with the title above) and decided it was going to be our Art Studio sketchbook assignment for this week.  My students are busily working, but I finished first and wanted to share my finished page.

My assemblage is about my journey through art. I have used scans of my Beetle art pieces as the cars driving along the road and some great road package tape as the boundaries.  It was really great fun picking out all the different papers- cutting them into squares- attaching them and filling in with prismacolors. (In fact, I think I would love a quilt made out of these patterns and colors.)  It would also have been fun to make the entire background then attach 1 or 3 major figures or themes.  Hint: Nikki is playing with Ninjas from the Ninja Gmail background- can't wait to see how it comes out.)











From the beginning to the end (where you reach my newest Twitter avatar), you can see many fun mediums (symbolized by the papers/colors), twists and turns into new directions (shown by the road)-  always bounded by the tape, which are my guard rails.  It was fun and frothy and therapeutic.  Who doesn't like to color?









Coming next?  I'll share the other collages when finished, but this week, we are moving on to t-shirt rag pillows.  A great way to upcycle old tshirts and to create a really fun piece for your bed. I got the idea from a tshirt rag rug tutorial I found on Pinterest.  I'll share our inspiration with pics of what we make. To give you a clue, here's a preview of our trial rows.  Color, color, color!!