I Love Paris - The Next Steps

After piecing my purse both front and back, it was time to begin embellishment.   My internet research - Googling images for Paris, France, Spring/Springtime in Paris, Eiffel, fashion, bicycles, the Seine, etc. etc. - took place over at least three weeks leading up to the piecing of the purse.  I visited lots of sites and blogs, looked at works of art, personal photos posted, and even did a bit of sketching.  And then I went through all my books and my huge binder of inspiration pictures and bookmarked potential ideas. 

And, unlike many people who begin a project with a clear vision of what they want to portray or accomplish, my muse plays hide and seek during the process.  Often she'll trick me: some "must have" embellishment just doesn't fit, so I try something else, then something else again, and Wham!  She jumps out!  Other times, things develop naturally, step by logical step... just clicking along until I encounter a roadblock or a experience a lightening bolt of creativity.


I work MESSILY.   I must be surrounded by a sea of inspiration in the form of every possible piece of lace, trim, fabric, bead, sequin, button, jewelry - ANY potential inclusion.  So, after gathering my pictures and sketches, I gather the materials.

Lace, buttons, green trims

Pink trims, more lace, bling

Still more lace (I love lace!!), threads, beads (metal containers in upper right)

My work station is NOT a pretty sight when I get going.   I sit in my wing chair, have an empty upholstered sewing bench in front of me, and work surrounded by mess.  I love it.  Not pictured are the piles of books on the floor.  Also - see that remote?  It's to my boombox;  I often listen to music while working, but when I get in a groove, I don't like to get up and down to fiddle with disks, volume, etc.  

THE GIRL

One of the first motifs I decided on was a girl walking a French poodle.  I figured I could either stitch or bead the poodle, but the prospect of creating a girl or woman from scratch daunted me.   I had this little wood and wire girl that had been attached to the front of a greeting card I received several years ago.  She was hanging on my studio wall, just right in view.....  my muse suggested I use her!  Here's the "before"...

I drew the lines on her dress to show my DH where to cut her dress with his bandsaw.  If this girl was to become a young lady in Paris, she needed something more stylish.  DH cut off the flare, I gave her a haircut, painted her blouse off-white, and gave her a black lace skirt with a gold belt.  Inspired by Susan Elliot's June Bead Journal lady (check it out here), I made her a fashionable hat (instead of a mere beret!) and placed it mysteriously over her eyes.   I left the wire legs and arms as they were.... we have to have some use for our imaginations, don't we? Here's the "after":

In my next purse post I'll show you the Eiffel Tower beginnings,  working with lace in various areas, seam treatments and various placement dilemmas.