This is the bag that took so very long for me to finish: there is something rather special about a thing that has to be put aside for a good while – for me, it creates a tension that is like a bow string on an instrument, which can be played, or not! So it can either sit dormant for this period, or it can kind of thrum with potential energy, according to whether or not we place conscious attention on it.
This was one of those projects that wanted a lot of rumination time, and it seemed when I first put it to the side that it would never be resolved.
But, as with my painting and gardening approach, the creative process eventually alchemises in such a particular way, so that the final steps are often much more straightforward than previously anticipated. The tweaking comes easy, and the creation turns out quite different from the original vision, but perfectly imperfectly right.
The final bag here has multiple details that came in at the end, after I thought I’d ruined it by mis-sewing the base. I had a particular concept that I had hoped would form itself in a kind of origami fashion, but it all became bottom heavy, and rather ugly.
I got annoyed about that, and decided to wait until more inspiration came around. Which took a month or so. And slowly, just putting my mind into it, without taking any action, a new vision formed – or rather, the details became clearer and clearer as time passed. I totally reworked the base, and it sort of took the natural form of a circle. 🤗🙌
And I refound the strap, which I had left in the other house, oopah; that was a main feature of the bag, and once it was on, it felt a lot nicer and more balanced.
In fact, the bag is quite a nice balance altogether; it is not like any other bag I’ve made or that I’ve seen before. It is a bit small at the zip on the top of it. And there isn’t a lining in it yet, so no pockets inside.
The big outside pockets are very useful; I added nice wee tabs to close them with, which are not like a super-secure feature, but they do help keep a wallet or phone safe if one lives in a rural area like we do!
I also added tabs at the ends of the zip: this helps for opening and closing it, as the zip is nice and neat/ tight, so requires a firm pull. The smaller handles I adjusted too, as they were too short, and needed to be lengthened. The new, reinforced ones are rather nice to pick it up by at first, before putting it over my shoulder.
And the length of it is comfortable for sitting next to my body when I am walking. I used it the past few days, and really enjoyed it as a tactile object, hugging my hips.
What do you think? Is it nice enough?? Do you think that a bag like this could even be sold??? And if so, what kind of a price would I ask? 🙏🧵🪡
In fact, I’m pondering this week on what I can sell, for a couple of events coming up where I am invited/ asked to show my reinvented clothing (McMA: Making Clothing Magical Again). It is exciting to be showing in a new area, on the coast of Molise, though it is perhaps not an ideal venue.
The second place is a wee gallery in Guardia that I’ve shown in a few times – both my art and my clothing. It’s always well-attended and I look forward very much to (re)connecting with that community, even if we are trying to sell up and move everything to our glorious shack in the wild woods!
Looking forward too, to new ideas coming into being, as I get more and more inspired by revisiting my clothing supplies in the house we’re selling, in Guardia S. Picking up my paintbrushes recently, is also re-igniting a sense of flow and vision, that I’d been missing for some years. The particular painting that I’m completing for a commission is really pulling me out of a lot of stuck energy around my pure creativity, my calling to painting…. Let’s see how that unfolds, as the warmer weather allows for activities like this…
Sending LOVE and Tante Belle Cose to you all, and hoping that your creative work is deeply fulfilling, fun and expansive, this week!
