The CQ BoHo bag begins

Keep in mind that the inspiration for this bag is the spider belt buckle and a round robin block I did for Janet Popish years ago....








I did go over the pattern for the  bag and it states quite categorically that it must be assembled in a precise order.  Well since I have to embellish parts before the assembling, that caution has gone to the winds already. 

I have lots and lots of decisions to make before I start  but since the bag will be covered with flowers and foliage I guess that is as good a place to begin as any.  Keeping in mind my vision problems and frustration level, I am using larger materials throughout including a lot of heavier green pearl cotton that has always been too heavy for anything else.

1. I have decided to do mostly fabric and ribbon flowers....and a little  ribbon embroidery.. I want to do flowers similar to vintage millinery flowers.  Flowers that look like they have gotten wet and been run over by a truck.  In fact I might spray them with water and put them in my antique book press.

2.  I want them to be muted and vintage looking.  No bright colors.  This brings me to the fact to achieve this they will mostly have to be hand dyed or antiqued. And I plan to paint some of them with alcohol inks  after they're sewn

3.  In a perfect world I would use real silk but in my less than perfect world it will mostly be rayon ribbon and whatever works.  I am going to get out of my comfort zone on materials.

4.  I do want a very dense covering of flowers... not quite this dense because I want to showcase  the spider webs...

And I want the piece to have a sense of movement with an art deco influence -lots of flowing foliage,



5.  Since it is difficult working with a larger piece under the magnifying glass, I will be working some smaller floral groupings on buckram  and adding them to the body of the bag.


6. I want to also include vintage laces when possible.  I like the use of lace with the flowers on this bag.

 7.  Some bling, beads or buttons will be included.

8.  I have a big supply of Kreinik threads that I hope to find a use for... I can definitely envision them as floral centers.. And cording...I have  a  drawer of fabulous unused cording.









In the past I have always  added a new skill I want to learn to each project and this project will be no difference.   There is a whole world of off-the-wall fabric and ribbon flowers that I have never tried.

I have this book by Christen Brown which has 132  ribbon flowers.  I plan to try as many as I can...

Now next come the spider decisions.....