upcycling art – Dear Liza

Dear Liza,

Summer means a lot of picnics, shows and concerts, and other good reasons to be outside. And, usually, this involves our camp chairs.

We have had them for years and they are very light to carry and sturdy to sit in. Their weakest part is the bags they come in, so every now and then I need to make a new one. It was Auntie Bridgett’s turn and she got to choose her fabric from my scrap box.

She chose these curtains we made years ago for her Seaside apartment. They were fashionably striped and even lined, so the bag will last longer.

I used the old bag for a pattern, then cut the curtains to fit and added a bit of other fabric to make sure the bag would be long enough. The straps and bottom panel were reused from the original.

With reinforcing bits below the slit and the drawstring in place, it is ready for our next outing.

Ta Da! Another project in the books.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Dear Liza,

You know I love mosaics. I am fascinated by how the tiny bits fit and flow together to create larger images. I have taken hundreds of pictures of mosaics over the years.

I have even made some! The side table we use everyday is made from upcycled plates, a big broken bowl, and floor tiles from a building that was torn down, years ago, in Salinas.

But mosaics made from tile or plates are very heavy, and tend to be large. Good for a garden, maybe. But that’s an idea for later.

But mosaics made of paper could be smaller and lighter. And since one of the things I like best about mosaics is using ’damaged goods’ to another purpose, why not recycle some of my less-than-successful pictures into one?