On the
first day of Christmas I made myself a new bag. For me this was more than
playing with fabric to make a bag, it was a kind of sentimental journey!
The fabric
I used for the bag came from Capsicum, a shop in Amsterdam which sells and
creates fabulous handmade fabric, interior and fashion accessories.
Their
products are hand-woven in India.
“we strive
to pay the worker a fair wage for his/her work and stimulate our producers to
improve working conditions and develop environmentally friendly production
processes”
They also have a project to help street
children of Delhi.
While I was
at university in Amsterdam in ‘de Oude Manhuispoort’ which was almost next to
the Capsicumshop, I visited them often. I still remember the opening of there
shop in 1980.
I was a
‘second chance’ student, already worked 13 years as a teacher before going to
university. I got a bourse from the government so I needed to count my money
often and I only bought at Capsicum when the fabric was on Sale.
I still have some tablecloths, a
beautiful silk scarf and some Ikat fabric hanging on the wall in my sewing
room.
I also
still receive their newsletter the ‘Capsicum krant’, always a pleasure to read.
When I read
that there was a small bag with 40 squares of fabric inside from the Capsicum
collection from the past 40 years. I absolutely wanted them.
So this bag
is made with 37 squares of fabric of 15 x 15 cm, i had some tiny scraps left and 3 whole squares.
There are
lots and lots of seems, but I LOVE the result.
