The response to the Girlfriends design has been overwhelming! Thank you!!
I have been asked for some variations, so there is now a design with 5 women along with the first design which has 4 women.
The design was inspired by my long time GFWC (General Federation of Women’s Club) friends and mentors, so yes, GFWC Girlfriends was designed as well.
And the design looks great on Aprons!
Pillows – $15.00, Aprons $12.00
Here are a few more color options.
Thank you again! Wendy
Taking special t-shirts or other pieces of clothing and incorporating them into something new can be fun, and rewarding.
These wall hangings and pillows were made out of t-shirts that I had, and will be donated to the upcoming GFWC (General Federation of Woman’s Clubs – www.gfwc.org ) International Convention in Memphis, June 2015. (Please note these were new shirts used for these projects, but you can use a favorite shirt when making your own creation).
I was able to use the logos from the front and back of the shirt with a very simple quilt square pattern.
The wall hangings can be used to display pins on, or as a lap throw. They were machine quilted, which made them very quick to sew up.
The t-shirt pillows were made with the extra fabric to form the flowers and described in an earlier post. Quick fun, and bring back many great memories!
While in China, we were able to visit the Nanjing Cloud Brocade Museum. I had heard about weaving looms with girls at the top, that select the pattern, but was thrilled to be able to actually see them weaving and working.
In the Chinese tradition of weaving Nanjing Yunjin brocade, two craftspeople operate the upper and lower parts of a large, complicated loom to produce textiles incorporating fine materials such as silk, gold and peacock feather yarn. The technique was once used to produce royal garments such as the dragon robe and crown costume; today, it is still used to make high-end attire and souvenirs. Preserved primarily in Jiangsu province in eastern China, the method comprises more than a hundred procedures, including manufacturing looms, drafting patterns, the creation of jacquard cards for programming weaving patterns, dressing the loom and the many stages of weaving itself. As they ‘pass the warp’ and ‘split the weft’, the weavers sing mnemonic ballads that remind them of the techniques they employ and enhance the cooperative, artistic atmosphere at the loom.
Nanjing brocade is regarded as one of the best forms of silk. It boasts a history of more than 1500 years and was originally formed by a merging of Northern and Southern Chinese technologies. It is famous for it’s cloud-like colors and intricate patterns.
It takes an entire day of labor to complete a 5cm (2 inch)- long piece of brocade.
