November 20, 2009

The Owl and the Pussycat, well, just the Owl for now

Not that I can really say I love that poem, but it does get stuck in my head. And for some reason, I find myself intrigued by folksy owls these days. So after my successful freezer-paper-as-stencil project earlier int he week, I thought I'd give it another go and revamp my library bag.

Actually this bag is more than my library bag, it's also my taking my computer to the gym bag and my I need some way to tote all my junk bag. The problem is that it's kinda ugly. Will's grandfather gave it to me when we visited them earlier this fall in Kentucky. As with all grandparents, we generally leave with more than we came, and this time the bag was part of the pile heaped in our car. As it turns out, it's the handiest bag I've had in a long while. Pockets in just the right spots, handles the right length, fits my computer or a slew of books or my gym clothes or sometimes even all of that at once. So despite the fact that it says "Paducah Technical College" on one side, I've been carrying it around a lot lately, with the words facing in that is.

I had thought about funning it up before, but couldn't think of what to do with a sort of vinylish big pocketed bag that would make it look good without taking it out of commission for very long, because I NEED it. I cant be bagless while it gets cross stitched (as if I have the patience for that anyway) or hand appliqued (again, like I have the patience) and using a sewing machine was out due to the size of the opening. But when the freezer paper thing panned out, well, I figured how bad could I screw up a stencil? So I took the plunge.

Now I wasn't brave enough to attempt something in a totally different color, just in case the paint wasn't as opaque as it needed to be, so what ever it was, it was going to be blue. And a blue owl? Well, why not, Probably better than the blue hedge hog I started off with. The eyes ended up freehand because I didn't want to try to iron over the paint and I think I may add some kind of texture, maybe with Modge Podge or more paint, but maybe not. For now I'm just happy to have a bag that doesn't advertise a college I didn't go to in a town where I don't live. Woo hoo to freezer paper. I'm thinking tee-shirts might be next...