Blackpool Icons Textile Project

I wanted to make a really special and unique gift for a loved one, encapsulating all the things they love about Blackpool and the Lytham St. Annes in Lancashire.

I transferred carefully selected images to a range of fabric textures using sublimation and gel medium methods. Then stitched into the images before assembling them in a kind of patchwork.

I added hand painted seaside icons such as ice-creams, buckets and spades, fish and chips.

I included some of my own repeat pattern fabric designs and sewed into the design to represent the sea, rollercoasters, the beach and also to accentuate elements of the design.

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I chose a candy stripe fabric to represent rock and a fun ice lolly fabric for the reverse side of the cushion. Bright blue bias binding and zip really made the colours ‘pop’ in the design.

I’m delighted with the outcome, as is the recipient who hopefully will have many hours enjoying the images, detail and references which will evoke nostalgia, memories and encourage a new way of seeing a favourite place to visit.

Here’s a one minute movie of the project…

My artworks which relate to this project are:

Paper Art Pictures

Inspired Bags

The Inspire Bear

Have a n-ice day! Sewing challenge

This was my written intention at the outset of my latest make inspired by ice cream.

Ice Cream beauty/ tech tablet/ make up bag.

Ice Cream van made using appliqué in key colours of fabrics, including my silk painted fabrics, as the front panel design for bag. Two lollies and an ice cream made in appliqué. All arranged on indigo dyed fabric using shibori technique. Heatpress printee onto silk, padded and machine embroidered to accentuate the ice cream van and ices.

Reverse side of the bag  is an ice cream, lollies and the scanned appliqué van on an indigo shibori ground as a repeat pattern. Which will be printed on satin, sort padded and then quirky quilting.

The ice cream texture is akin to a cloud and some could be pink. Zip pull of an ice- cream in shrink plastic.

The one main side, with repeat pattern on reverse, approach inspired by my cushion from Las Dalias market, Ibiza. 

Complementary coloured bag liner or could heatpress a design onto wipeable lining. That could have a secret message or mantra for the bag owner.

 It must be made with love. Look for the love and stay in love to get the magic. That said it doesn’t need to be perfect, that should not delay its creation.

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And here it is… completed.

Here are the creation stages, I’m pleased with this bag.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this post.