T-Shirt Blankets with a story...
I just realized, that Isabella Blue is one of the few shops on Etsy that makes Ragged T-Shirt Blankets!!! How cool is that???
Here is my story....
I am obsessed with blue jeans. Jeans with a past....a history. Jeans with stories we can only imagine. Every piece I make has some form of vintage, reclaimed, worn in blue jeans. So this is how it started...
My boyfriend is a hoarder of t-shirts and wouldn't let me throw any of them away. Nor his old blue jeans. I decided to make him a blanket out of them. (He just about died when he saw me take a scissors to his precious t-shirts!) It was quite the adventure! One night, on an old 1960's Singer, I started making "The Blanket". It took a while, considering I had never sewn before, between figuring out how to thread it, needles breaking, "what's a bobbin?", thread piling up in every slot of the machine. I cut the shirts, laid them out so it looked like an art piece, cut up his old jeans and away I went.
I LOVED every minute of it! I got lost in it! I spent hours in my basement creating memories for my friends and family and then decided I would like to do this for other people as well. The only problem? I get so connected with what I'm making, it's so personal for me, that it's hard to say goodbye to that blanket! It's amazing that an old pile of t-shirts can become a beautiful piece of art.
I love every piece I have ever made and I hope, and know, that you will too! (Oh, by the way, I can now sew better, and have a top of the line NEW sewing machine! Thanks to my husband who believes in my dreams!) I am lucky enough to have found my passion. I'm a natural at it. Nothing phases me. A mistake, no big deal. Take it apart, start over. "Brick by brick, my friend, brick by brick." is a line taken from Seabiscuit. (My favorite movie).I repeat it to myself often because as they say, Rome was not built in a day.
With every piece I have made, I have become a better sewer, a better creator, a chance taker, a dream maker. My pieces are me. They are not perfect, but that's what gives them character and charm. You don't have to keep them under glass, in a dust bag, away from people, afraid to drop. Use them, touch them, enjoy them, get them dirty, get comfortable with them. They are for you to USE!
I have also been lucky enough to have fallen in love with every single one of my customers. We've gotten to know each other...sad stories, happy stories, funny stories. Reason being that I am in constant touch with them while their piece is being created. We've become friends. I've done blankets for people who have lost loved ones, babies first year clothing, graduating students going on to college, wedding gifts and more. I've learned a lot about my people and make every piece out of pure love for that one person. I'm sad when it's over. Like reading a good book, it's hard to put down after your finished. I've kept in touch with many of my customers and am sure I have many more friends to make. AND, I have just also realized I am the only shop on Etsy that makes Ragged T-Shirt Blankets!!! How cool is that?
I have also been making Denim, Chevron blankets. Being king sized, they are made from nearly 30 pairs of jeans in all shades. Out of those jeans, I cut out around 300 pieces of 11x4 strips of denim. It’s quite the process! But they are gorgeous!!!!
I've also gotten into dog collars as well as dog beds. I am an animal lover!!! My dogs will literally sit at the bottom of the stairs, (my studio is in my attic) and wait for their new collars! I have figured out a way to make them with the waist bands of recycled jeans! I only make Martingale collars as they are the most humane and comfortable for your dog. Some are different, colorful, fun, many embellished with charms and leather.
Each collar is custom made especially for your dog to make sure it fits correctly. The beds are made from distressed blue jeans that can be washed over and over again! (I also have 5 birds, a Macaw and 4 parrots, but I have yet to come up with anything I can make for them!) They all talk and believe me, there are some very interesting conversations! They are all rescues and I am so glad I could provide a safe and loving home for my large winged friends.
I have also been dabbling in jewelry making. I don't make a lot, but the pieces I make are very unique and special. Only when I'm in the mood and feeling very creative, I'll sit down and make some very unusual things. And, there is only 1 of each made! I don’t list them all the time… so keep a look out!
Thank you for taking the time to learn a little about me and Isabella Blue Designs. (There is much more, believe me!!!)
I am in love with Isabella Blue. I hope you fall in love with her, too!
Imagine...Peace
Renee xo:-)
"Blessed are the Gypsies,
the Makers of Music,
the Artists, Writers,
Dreamers of Dreams,
Wanderers and Vagabonds,
Children and Misfits…
For they teach us to see the World through Beautiful Eyes."
