Friday 1 March 2013

Fruit Fabrics

You may remember, although probably not, that quite some time ago I devised a method* of making a fabric from the net bags that fruit comes in...
 
 
and used the fabric to make a Bodice for Persephone.

 
I have also used the fabric to make a book jacket.

 
Recently in my machine embroidery class at The Settlement we have been looking at different ways of using dissolvable fabrics and have been making fruit net fabrics to cover books.

 
Being very predictable I have made another book jacket not too disimilar from my original sample.
 
 
Just a slightly different colour scheme!

 
But already my class are delighting me with their innovative interpretations of the idea. Jan is always first to finish with some beautiful work and this week was no exception with her wonderfully colourful book jacket.

 
And then later this week Jean sent me a photo of her fantastic book jacket which she had finished at home after the class on Tuesday. The colours are just stunning...

 
Especially when you consider we all started with red, yellow and orange net bags!
I can't wait to see what the others have come up with next week.
 
* This was published in an article on Workshop on the Web, December 2009. You need to be a subscriber to access the article.

15 comments:

  1. These are gorgeous Gina. Talented group, and teacher:)

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  2. Who would have thought that net bags could look so beautiful! I look forward to seeing some more.

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  3. Wow - this is amazing! So clever and very very pretty.
    Claire

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  4. I do remember you using the nets before, such a good use of them too, love the books! Only just this evening I threw one of those nets in the bin, just goes to show what can be made from waste materials.
    V xxx

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  5. I threw one in the bin too - and vaguely remembered your cover as I did it! these are amazing, I shall have to save my next couple and have a go, but not sure I can still see well enough for that sort of work. Cheers

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  6. Gorgeous, I had a stack of those bags waiting to do something with them - wish i had waited to see this!

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  7. So clever. It just shows what can be made with things that are normally thrown away.

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  8. I love these examples of using mesh bags and started collecting them after your original post, though am ashamed to say I haven't used them yet!

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  9. Wow, what amazing transformations!

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  10. Brilliant way to transform a fruit net. When I was teaching infants we used to weave chunky yarns through carrot sack fabric to make wonderful seascapes. Nothing escapes me without being recycled at least once! - Jo

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  11. always loved that bodice Gina. your book jacket and the class samples are stunning. PS how's the 5:2?

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  12. stunning work. I was wondering if you could post a link to the original, article you talk about, about how to make the fabric from these bags?

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  13. And I have always disliked those net bags!

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  14. Sorry, I posted before I had finished! I was going to say, who would have thought that something so beautiful could come out of them?

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