Monday, March 12, 2012

A flower-flower obsession

Folks,

Over the few years I've been selling my bags, I've often come across women who are very anti-flowery prints or anything associated with flowers. Not only are they openly vocal about their anti-flowery prints stance, they show the seller of such prints (me) the same disdain. Some of these women would try to persuade me not to buy flowery prints in future because they find them too "Auntie". In Singapore, to be called "Auntie" is not a good thing because it really means you're not fashionable.

Of course "Auntie" is also a term used to address an older woman. The older women don't seem to have an issue with being called "Auntie". I on the other hand am quite likely to poke your eyes out if you were to call me "Auntie". The only people who feel safe enough to call me "Auntie" are my relatives and my kids' friends.

Back to the flowery prints. If by association with flowery prints means I'm not fashionable then I'm cool with it because I don't care about being fashionable. I LOVE flowery prints and love illustrations of flowers. Right now I'm digging flower embroideries.I'm not so into the real flowers though because sometimes the smell makes me sneeze or gives me a headache.

When it comes to creativity, sometimes I'm hanging by a thread and sometimes I feel like I'm riding a tornado. Right now, I am still on a high after my brooch run in a previous post. This time I'm mainly using lazy daisy stitch also called detached chain stitch.


This is the first one I did. Three sunflowers in a classic pose. For the stems, I used stem stitch which gives a very nice texture. The leaves are done in fishbone stitch.


And I made another one with the same red sunflowers in a slightly different pose. When I made this batch of zip pouches, each time I complete one, I would show it to my son who sat next to me. He clapped his hands for every zip pouch except this one.


Yep, the same three red sunflowers - this time on a grey brooch.


I knew at this point if I made another "3 red sunflowers" it had better be different so it had to be on a linen brooch. I could feel the tornado waning.


If you're wondering how I sewed my sunflowers, it's simple. I draw a little circle and sew lazy daisy stitches around it. You can vary the look of the flower by changing the size of the circle.


While tidying up I saw these paper packaging which my SIL had given me after her trip to Japan. The 2 containers had little chocolates in them. Is it wrong to like the packaging more than what it contained?


Check out these gorgeous Japanese flowers. I don't know any Japanese so I have no idea what the names of the flowers are. For all I know the words could say: Little chocolates - very nice to eat. Pardon me, reader-san. These Japanese flowers gave me a second wind.


I went pink. Pink french knots all over apple green stems.

Back to sunflowers again. What's so versatile about lazy daisy stitch is you can vary the length or angle of the stitch and you're able to give the flower a little character.


The best part about embroidery is you need not base it on reality. I liked the idea of blue sunflowers. For the buds, I used blanket stitch (sewn on an arc) and straight stitch. In the end, I think straight stitch does the job better.


And I finally made the chain stitch flower on black embroidery into a zip pouch. Would you believe this is the first time I've made a zip pouch using a solid black fabric? This black linen has been in my stash for a while and it was only after purchasing some black fusible interface recently that I felt I could make it work. Would white interface show on black fabric?


And here are my 6 lovely flower-flower zip pouches. I've listed a few in my Etsy shop. Please have a look. I think I've got a few more flower-flower zip pouches left in me but I'll save them for future weeks. You see the tornado has left me with a giant migraine. So will go lie very still for a few days. See you.

Linked to these parties.
Skip to my lou
So very creative
Ask Anna
Family ever after
Inspired by Felicity

11 comments:

corinna said...

love it! Especially the big bag.. so fashionista lol....
yours truly aunty C :-)

Suzee said...

OH my gosh those are beautiful and very well done! I LOVE THEM.
the black one is my favorite! I use to do Crewel when I was younger. It was a form of embroidery that used a lot of the different stitches. Or maybe they just call it all embroidery now! lol IDK? always love reading your blog!
My son can read some Japanese so maybe later I will have him take a look at your chocolate bag! lol

Bethany said...

I must be auntie....because I love them all! There are definitely some flower prints that are old ladyish, but not all of them - many of them are really sweet! And the simplicity of these pouches makes them even prettier!
Well done, Jane! (don't want my eyes poked so I'll avoid any Auntie Jane references :)

tamdoll said...

I hope you're recovering from your migraine!! Your bags look fantastic - the embroidery is really, really nice. I hear you with the "Auntie" remarks... must be the same over here like being called "Grandma" = not young & chic. Like when I'm sitting around knitting = Grandma. Or when I wear my eyeglasses around a string on my neck = Grandma. Or that I had a hip replacement = Grandma. What will they call me when I'm really old and become a grandmother ?!!! I'm only 42!!!

punkychewster said...

clap clap clap! the simplicity in your embroidery makes it really elegant! i love the one with the french knots!! keep up the great work jane!!

tamdoll said...

Here's a good flowery link for you - http://meetmeatmikes.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/one-about-floral-things.html

Dee said...

Hiya not-aunty Jane, ;)
I love flowers and I love your bags, especially the cute flower ones. This batch my fav would be the pink knot flowers.

Those bags sure provide some inspiration and are too pretty to toss. i often reuse cute packaging or repurpose it.

There are some florals that are definitely old fashioned or unfashionable. But I keep seeing all the retro floral prints being redone and worn by the young and hip.
Like one of your other commentors said, here if something is unfashionable it is called 'granny'. My kids will sometimes look at my shoes (comfortable and practical) and call them granny. I don't mind too much 'cause I am confident enough to not feel like i have to wear some thing just to be fashionable. If it is fashionable, looks and good and is comfortable then I am all for it. Otherwise I'll go granny. LOL.
Aunt and the corresponding uncle are often used by children to adults who aren't family but are close friends to signify respect and closeness. In the aboriginal culture children and youth call most adults aunt or uncle. I like the respect it shows.

My 20 year old daughter commented lately that she finds it hard to call some adults just by their first name now even though it is acceptable for her to do so. She said she has called them uncle all her life and it feels weird to drop the uncle.

make the most of it while you are on tornado alert. :)

antmee said...

Loving these embroidered pouches! You have wowed me again!

Carol & Eddy said...

Sigh, teenage boys are starting to call me aunty these days. I totally agree with you about lovely packaging! I sometimes buy boxes and tins because I love them so, the contents, not so much :-) The flowers are lovely, by the way.

YUN ZHEN! said...

I like the one with the pink tiny flowers the best :D

I read ayame (iris) and hamanashi (Japanese rose) and can't really make out the rest unless I were to flip my computer screen the wrong side up. I'm not Japanese by any chance though, just had a chance to learn the language some time ago :D

jane p said...

Thanks YunZhen. I shall check out ayame and hamanashi and I might embroider them too.

Related Posts with Thumbnails

My Bag Pattern Shop

https://www.etsy.com/shop/projectsbyjane

My Applique Patterns

https://www.etsy.com/shop/projectsbyjane?section_id=15580078&ref=shopsection_leftnav_2

My Embroidery Patterns

https://www.etsy.com/shop/projectsbyjane?section_id=15580078&ref=shopsection_leftnav_2