Just came back from a post office, sending off this guy. His name is Flag 06 from the ‘A FLAG FOR EVERY HOME’ series. This project is special for me in many ways. This project got me to start this blog, because I wanted to share the back story of this project and the making process. In fact, it was one of my very first blog posts. Also, this project gave me the encouragement and the confidence to begin AMATEURS site with Mattie.
One of the flags is now on its way to its permanent home, and again, I have mixed feelings about this, alike the feelings I shared with you in my previous post. Mostly grateful and excited, but a little nervous. Hence I folded and refolded the flag about twenty plus different ways until I was satisfied ; )
I hope Flag 06 will become the emblem of the home it’s heading to as these flags are intended to be when created. Bye bye Flag 06.
Towards the end of last year, I set up my sewing machine station. It was a very small table space. In fact, the sewing machine’s butt hung off the table. It is not the ultimate sewing station, but it was dedicated all to sewing and that was perfect enough. I believed setting up a small place just to sew would help me to finally make a set of hand painted kitchen towels I dreamt for a (embarrassingly) long time, which was part of my top five 2013 resolutions. I even put a small pot of plant and taped my mock-up kitchen towel pieces on the wall. I was motivated and ready to go.
One of several spreads of flag sketches Lots of pinning for sewing curves
The truth is I managed to sew up just one and a half kitchen towels before I got distracted. I don’t know how and why, but I became obsessed with flags. I was looking at old vintage flags and nautical flags. I thought it’d be nice if everyone has his own flag to represent his home. I filled several spreads of my sketchbook with variations of bold minimalistic shapes. After selecting six designs, each went through a process of creating a pattern, cutting the fabric, hand-dyeing individual pieces and sewing them together.
All this may sound like I’m an expert at sewing, but I must confess that I don’t sew frequently or closer to never. I only know the basics of sewing machine, which I picked up from my dad when I was young. I’d love to learn it properly one day from a grandma who can sew up a storm. But that day hasn’t arrived yet, so I had to improvise every step of the way from making a pattern to pinning to sewing. Through it all, I got pretty good at sewing the curves ; ) It might not be the right way or the easiest way, but I have a way.
Only few trimmings left to do, I got occupied with other things and left them hanging for several weeks. And why is it always so difficult to go back to your old projects! But finally yesterday, I got back on my sewing machine and finished the last few trimmings needed to finish the project.
So here are the finished flags.
You might ask what I would do with them now. Well, I started the project without thinking about what I would do with them. I simply wanted to make them. Now that they are done, it’d be nice to show them. In few weeks, my boyfriend and I are joining forces to create a website to showcase our art pieces, including this project. But besides the web, I hope I could show them in a physical space. And ultimately, it’d be nice if they find permanent homes. If you got any other ideas, I’d love to hear! Please share them in the comment section.
Now that I’m done with the flags, I must go back to my kitchen towel. Hopefully this time, I won’t be distracted : )
and how are you.
I'm Jin Angdoo.
This is what I do. But here is a little more personal and casual place where I hope to share and meet like-minded people.
Welcome. Hope you stay awhile.
If you'd like to know a bit more about me and the blog, please read my very first post : )
And you can contact me here.
