faux fur and military jackets

posted by: jennifer

so, i have been totally inspired on the tote bag front lately.   it had been on my to do list for the past month.

  to do 10/2 - 10/10:
    - photograph/list remaining ornaments
    - decorate front arch for fall
    - planting in front yard
    - make 1+ tote
    - clean chicken coop

  to do 10/13 - 10/20:
   -chicken coop
   -start on halloween costumes
   -make 1+ tote
   -dentist appointment
   - blog post time mismanagement

  to do 10/21 - 10/31:
   -finish halloween costumes
   -make 1+ tote
   - clean chicken coop

do you notice a trend?  the tote bags never got crossed off the list.  (well sure, neither did the chicken coop... but one of the girls is now molting, so i think it is good i have waited.  all those feathers!)

but, this past week, i am now getting very little done but tote bags.  and i wanted to share.
i have made 3 new totes in the past week!  sure, the house is suffering a wee bit, but you can't deny the creative juices when they start to flow now can you?  i say no.

i am so please with how this tote bag turned out.  the colors, the textures, the contrast.  
i used scraps of a scrap of an antique crazy quilt, vintage clothing labels... all great britian referenced, and some super soft and cozy faux fur.  i call it "great britian glamour" .  as i was making it, i thought, if scotland had broken away from being part of great britian, i wouldn't have been able to use the mac intyres of strone argyll label.  i am glad i was able, because i think it looks fabulous next to the pride of england label.

and then jumping to the opposite side of the pond....

"a nod to the union army"
  
i think one of the reasons i like this tote bag so much is that it is not the normal direction i would go creatively.  military style jacket feel.  i was flipping through an instyle magazine, and saw a picture of chris martin... of the coldplay variety.  it was an older picture where he was wearing that great military style jacket.  it inspired me.

and this is what i came up with:

i kind of did i bit of a play on the whole union army thing.  i had this great piece of vintage ribbon that had a union made label attached to it.  i thought hey... military... union. a perfect marriage for a unique design.   and these vintage buttons?  they are not something i would normally gravitate towards, but i can't imagine anything else in this design.

and i am so excited, because my mind is not slowing down with design ideas, i have materials that are begging to be reborn, and a house that isn't going to die if i don't clean it. i really should get to that chicken coop however.

cheers!