Saturday, August 25, 2012

The Polarizing Bag


When I showed hubs my new bag, he said it would polarize my customers. He's usually right. So here's my Parrot Bag which you're either going to love or hate.

I had discovered 2 rectangular panels of my Ikea fabric in my stash, had it washed, dried and ironed and they sat on my table for a few weeks. Finally I couldn't stand it anymore and decided I would have to shape a bag based on the amount of fabric available. This is a tedious task and I hardly do it unless I'm plenty motivated.


I really enjoy reading comics and I suspect that having read so much comic strips in my youth, it shaped the kind of blogger and person that I am today. Whenever I can, I try to incorporate some humour in my bags. Both sides of the bag look the same apart from the little extra I added. I'll show you the details later. I already regret using running stitches to sew the embroidery. But it's done.


When I was young, my younger brother and I were really into MAD magazine. We had stacks and stacks of them and we read them over and over again. It helped that we were both into the illustrations. I had even fancied myself becoming a cartoonist but soon realised I lacked the required talent. However my brother who had the talent went on to study graphics design and now he is a ............. entrepreneur.


One of our favourite MAD illustrator was Mort Drucker.


Of course I loved Calvin and Hobbes and enjoyed many Sundays reading the strips.


And The Far side was discovered much later on. I think hubs introduced it to me. I really dig the one panel strip most.

And here's my little attempt at a 2 panel comic strip.
Edit: p.s. I'm explaining the comic so you'll get it.

Parrot A struggles to get to his fish. It's tied to a really long string.

Next to Parrot A is Parrot B who has managed to eat 2 fishes. He's whistling in a smug way.

Yep. So overwhelmed with regret not using backstitch now.

Linked to:
Sew Many Ways...Find a friend!
Six Sisters' Stuff

7 comments:

Chris H said...

I don't quite 'get' what you mean by two panel comic strip in relation to the bag?
It's a nice bag though... I like it.

Chris H said...

OK I see where you were going with it now... thanks for the explanation.
I see things differently!
I see a bird 'fishing' on one side and on the other I DO see the bird has eaten two fish and is whistling.
I think many would see it differently... it's all in the interpretation and how one's brain thinks.

Chris H said...

*smiles*
Lots of birds DO fish!
Just not parrots ... ha ha ha!

Kandi said...

:0) I'm in the love it camp! I am also a HUGE fan of Calvin & Hobbes and the Far Side as are my kids. I think my favourite far side is the fat kid at Midvale School for the Gifted clearly pushing the door that says pull! x

Dee said...

I am not sure how the bag will be polarising, unless it is the humour bit. The bag itself looks like a fun shopper. Just as well you explained the comic bit for me; it took me a while to work out the bottom two were fish skeletons. perhaps going over it with a fine tip permanent market would fill in the unstitched bits?

Little Blue Mouse said...

If you're regretting not using backstitch, could you fill the gaps with more running stitch so that it will look like backstitch?

I can see what's going on with the parrot, but what is the squirrel doing?

punkychewster said...

I love Far Side. I'd always get the Far Side 365 page calendar from Borders. I like the combination of the pink and green! But I think it's a little hard to see the embroidery because the printed lines of the cage are so thick that it makes the embroidery less visible. If you have some way of filling in the gaps of the embroidery like the comments above suggested it will be more prominent. But I would totally carry this fun bag around!

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