It took me a while to figure out my favorite feature, and not because there’s so much of myself I like. Complete opposite – I’ve always had a hard time with my body image. Like since I was a kid. (There was a kid in elementary school who called my “Ghandi lips”. That set me back as a second grader.) Let’s not get into body image and all that… it’s all self-acceptance and I admit, I work on that constantly.

After some thought, it came down to my eyes. Pretty sure I have my mom’s eyes.

1999: Wedding Day with my parents

I have big, dark brown eyes. So big, that if I make my eyes wide (like I’m surprised or mad), my family says it looks like my eyeballs will fall out of their sockets. It’s scary and funny – my kids cover their eyes, squirm, giggle, laugh and scream and sometimes, run away. My husband thinks it’s weird… hahaha.

As a kid, I thought my eyes were black because I couldn’t see my pupils. (If you’re Asian, you may have experienced this.) Then there’s the day when I discovered that my eyes (irises) weren’t black and I stood in front of the mirror looking and searching. (A lot of Asian kids do that too.) It’s mesmerizing seeing the brown coloration and maybe flecks of another color, if you’re lucky. I don’t know what I was hoping for – maybe gold?

Take some moments to think about your favorite features, and if you’re so inclined, stop by and comment. Love to hear from you.

Day 28: Paint with your fingers.

I used gloves. Is that cheating? I think safety first. My paint is acrylic, but some had ingredient warnings on the label. You would probably wear gloves, too. This needed a little something more…

… okay, I likey now. Reminds me of my Nick Bantock-inspired card. Except there I used a brush and rubber stamps (instant artistic flair). I think I should explore more paint and ink projects – you know, when I have more time. *sigh*

Julie Tiu in 2002

…Became this pillow. (I know, after 10 years, right?)

An upcycled sweatshirt made into an envelope pillow – meaning, you can slip the cover on and off. Very easy for washing. Could be a cute gift for Valentine’s Day, too.

Recycle Your Favorite Sweatshirt (I didn't even attend this school. Got the sweatshirt because it had my last name!)

And here’s how I did it.

1. Take your clean sweatshirt of choice and lay it on a table or on the floor.
2. I cut the sleeves off first. Then set aside.
3. Next cut along one of the side seams of your shirt and along the shoulder seams. This will open everything up. I did it this way to give the largest piece of continuous fabric.
4. Cut off the bottom hem and collar (cuff material) also. At this point you may need to iron the shirt (highly recommended).

   

5. You may need the sleeves for extra fabric. Cut off the cuffs and cut along either side of the seam.
   

   Sweatshirt sleeves cut open

6. For a 16 x 16 pillow, you will need three pieces of fabric: (1) 16-1/2″ x 16-1/2″ for the front, (2) 12-1/2″ x 16-1/2″ for the back. (See my fancy sketch below.) I needed to use the extra sleeve material for one of the back panels. Just piece together if you need to.
7. Try to center your focal point. I didn’t have too much choice – just went as high as I could.

   

8. Prepare the back pieces first. Fold along the length (16-1/2″) and press 1/2″, then fold 1/2″ again, pin and edgestitch. Do this to the other piece. Press both pieces. Note: I found the zig-zag stitch easier to do with the stretchy sweatshirt material.

   

9. Lay the front piece down, right side up. Next lay one of the back pieces, wrong side up, matching the raw edge with your front piece. The finished edge should be somewhere in the center area. Lay the other back piece with its raw edge along the other side of the front piece. Now the finished edges of your back pieces should be overlapping one another.
10. Stitch around the perimeter with a 1/2″ allowance. Backstitch as you start and finish. When complete, remove and clip your corners, and turn rightside out.
11. Stuff your pillowcase!

So here’s the thing – you can adjust the size of your fabric for any size pillow by just adding 1/2″ to your finished size. The back pieces take a little math.

16″ x 16″ pillow – cut 16-1/2″ x 16-1/2″ (front) and 16-1/2″ x 11-1/4″ (two pieces for the back)

14″ x 14″ – cut 14-1/2″ x 14-1/2″ (front) and 14-1/2″ x 9-1/4″ (two pieces for the back)

12″ x 16″ pillow – cut 12-1/2″ x 16-1/2(front) and 12-1/2″ x 11-1/4″ (two pieces for the back)

12″ x 12″ pillow – cut 12-1/2″ x 12-1/2(front) and 12-1/2″ x 7-1/4″ (two pieces for the back)

]]> http://www.julietiu.com/2012/02/02/sweatshirt-recycling-upcycling-project/feed/ 2 http://www.julietiu.com/2012/02/01/wordless-wednesday-the-fabric-stash/ http://www.julietiu.com/2012/02/01/wordless-wednesday-the-fabric-stash/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:30:31 +0000 Juliet Tiu http://www.julietiu.com/?p=4459

Day 27: What is the usual theme of your work?  If you tend to create joyful, bright and optimistic art, then try to create something somber or dark… or vice versa.

I never considered if I have a usual theme in my work, but if I had to describe it somehow, I guess it would tend to be on the positive side and easily understood. Though I love abstract and sometimes eerie art, I haven’t had much success in that. Here’s an attempt at something off my norm – a little darker, maybe? And using magnetic poetry.

What’s your usual theme?

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