A Brief History of Rag Knits

In my first post I said that the history of textiles is the history of people. Similarly, a person's history can be entangled in the webs we weave, or, in this case knit. I started knitting as a small child when I became fascinated by seeing other people knitting in public places. I spent some birthday money at age three on a child's knitting craft kit. Until that point, I had thought of myself as being the same as other children. All of a sudden I realized that I was a member of a minority of left-handed children and all of a sudden I had some problems I never knew I had!

I had learned to make things up to that point by observation and observation was not serving me well at all here. I had pictures to observe that were created for the benefit of right-handed persons. So, I had to seek assistance from others and others weren't very helpful because they also were right-handed. Curiously, I had spontaneously developed reading and simple mathematics skills so I continued my search at the public library. They had a fine collection of knitting resources all of which were written for right-handed persons. I did persevere and by complete accident, I discovered that by observing illustrations in a mirror I could finally make sense of the process.

I noticed knitting everywhere and it had truly become a passion. I was however continuously challenged by any new knitting-related activity so between the mirror and trial-and-error I made knitting work. In the third-grade, I invented a crochet fabric that resembled knitted fabric and designed produced a tam complete with a pompom for sale to friends.

Many years later, I chose textile and clothing design as a career and, of course, knitting would play a significant role. In the 1980's the choices for knitting yarns had started to somewhat bore me. In college, I learned that a rule of thumb definition for a textile fiber was something that was at least 1000 times longer than its width and could bend back on itself without breaking. I started to play with that idea. I had also been haunted by the image of Anne Frank unravelling knitted things to make new things. Somehow, The idea of creating knitting fiber from used fabrics evolved. The sweater above left is one of my first rag knitted garments made from strips of  a parachute. It was shown at a fashion show produced by a punk rock clothing store and many of the punk rock clothing store models refused wear it in the show because of "too weird" reasons.

The punk rock clothing store hired me so I decided to flunk out of Purdue University with a B+ average and move in with a band called the Zero Boys for a few weeks until I got more settled in Indianapolis. In less than two years, we truly advanced from being the people to ridicule to being the people who were becoming cultural role models. This photograph is from a fashion show that was produced by the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library for a special program they sponsored to connect fashion and music in late 1983. This rag sweater was made entirely from my discarded fitting muslins from one-of-a-kind clothing sewn for customers.

Soon after this show, my work was unanimously accepted by the jury for an upcoming show, Wearable Art '85 at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. The burgundy and black dress was one of the pieces shown at the museum and was made entirely from upcycled scraps from my studio. I was already toying with the idea of a zero waste clothing company even before anyone ever said those words. I guess you have to live with textiles for awhile to really understand the mess they make. Also, if you have become that cozy with textiles, you probably love them all the way down to their tiniest pieces. The clothes on the right of this photograph were from a line of clothing I made and marketed in Midwest also in 1985. I think, now, that it was truly miraculous that I did as well as I did at time. In 1985, recycling garbage was unheard of. Wearing clothing made of recycled materials was not done!

So, I am truly not apologetic about making some noise about what I love to do and I am prepared for anything that might happen as a result. This artist noticed my sweaters and commissioned this dress as a result. This piece was a deviation from what I had usually done because it is all new fiber and fabric. I knitted it in the round starting with irregular shapes very much like the first sweater in this story. The only seams are shoulder seams. This 12" dance single was on the Billboard charts during the summer of 1986.

I am looking forward to beginning again with this project because this is a point in time to embrace upcycled clothing and accessories. There is a  larger audience receptive to the idea of wearing clothes made from these techniques and to reuse of materials in general. Plus, new textile fiber products made with friendliness to the environment and to humanity are emerging constantly. I can't wait to upcycle those scraps in my 21st century zero waste studio. 

Happy Halloween Part One

Halloween is the ideal time of the year to express yourself through dress especially if you make elements of the costume yourself. I have always enjoyed designing and making crafts for this holiday. Grasping the opportunity for self-expression is both healthy and fun.

I have been making Halloween items to sell for more than 25 years. It is an ideal way for me to use my really awesome lifetime collection of quality junk. I have the habit of collecting unusual materials and objects for clothing and accessory design. Most of the oddities that end up in my studio are salvaged and discarded items. Because they appear in small and unreplentishable quantities, they are ideal for using in one-of-a-kind Halloween pieces. I have rescued these materials from the ultimate destination of the landfill so I certainly intend to upcycle them into something functional!

These decorated masks were some of my earliest creations sold during the 1980's. Usually, I cover the mask with lace or an interesting knit fabric. This reduces the "cheesiness" of a bare plastic mask. Unfortunately, most masks are made of plastic. If you can find a lame or satin mask backed with buckram, you are truly lucky and you can skip the lace layer. The top mask is one of the nicer vintage ones so I could sew decorations directly onto the mask. Remove the elastic or ribbons before decorating the mask.

Some tips to remember when covering the mask include:

• Cut the lace fabric a little bit larger than the mask and in approximately the same shape as the mask.
• Spread a line of glue around the entire mask. Use something like a contact cement which will adhere to plastic and most fabrics.
• Fold the lace over the mask, working back and forth alternating between opposite sides. Do not stretch the fabric too tightly.
• Do the eye openings last. Cut a slit the length of the eye opening, apply glue on the back of the mask and fold the fabric over to the wrong side of the mask.

When the mask has dried completely, you can decorate to surface with objects from your own collection of awesome junk. Any small, light weight object is good for this. I have used beads, sequins, glitter, ribbon and cord, seashells, buttons, feathers, plastic and metal trinkets and seeds. If the edges of the mask and the eye openings are less than perfect, camouflage those areas first. Glitter and sequins are good choices for this. When attaching items to a mask, I use a white glue that dries clear. You can be liberal with applying this kind of glue because it will be invisible when dry. Attach the elastic or ribbon and you're done.

KEEP IN MIND THAT IT WILL TAKE SEVERAL DAYS FOR THE MASK TO DRY!

ARE YOU LACKING SOME NEEDFUL MASK-MAKING SUPPLIES? For your convenience, I have created a mail order catalog of supplies available at amazon.com and by clicking BELOW on "buy supplies now" you will be connected directly to this source. The amazon.com logo on the catalog pages will connect you directly to everything amazon to continue your shopping.

BUY SUPPLIES NOW!

OVERWHELMED? Here is a link to my Etsy shop section with handmade masks! Click on Baisebeige on Etsy to shop now!

BAISEBEIGE ON ETSY

WELCOME AND PLEASE BE PATIENT ...

I am so glad you've dropped by in the beginning of this venture and I hope you will visit often. Textiles are my life - long passion and I intend to be engaged with designing and crafting them as long as I live. I think my fascination with them is connected with my love for people and I realized as a small child that textiles are the story of people.

Personally, I think the story has saddened in our times for a variety of reasons. The manufacture of textile fiber products is brutal on the environment. Mother earth is ravaged for fossil carbons, coal and petroleum, to make synthetic fibers such as nylon, polyester and acrylic. Furthermore, natural fibers such as cotton and wool have negative effects on the environment. Cotton is only about 1% of the world's agricultural yield yet requires 10% of the total harmful agricultural chemicals in use each year. Overgrazing by sheep denudes the landscape causing mudslides.

Textile fiber product manufacture is brutal to people. It is an industry where slavery and child labor are common. In case you were wondering why so few of your clothes are made in America, this is why.

The materials I use for my own designs are made with conscious choices. There are better options evolving everyday. I will educate you about these materials and this will be an on-going feature of my website.

I also will be discussing various aspects of dress and style you may not have before considered. I think it's sad that dress has homogenized into nothingness in our times. I will challenge everyone to consider making changes in their personal style in order to bring the persona into alignment with the psyche. The results will be astounding.

I do not believe the fashion industry can perpetuate much longer in the direction it has been going in the last 50 years so this blog will not be about fashion as we have come to think of it. I want to see fashion return to the prevailing style of the time period and I want to see style once again reflective of the wearer's lifestyle and values. We are living in the age of infinite possibility in a world accessible to all.

My own design point of view expresses this with what I call pan ethnic style. My shapes transcend cultural boundaries. I experiment with surface decoration inspired by traditional crafts fading into the world's memory. Since I believe in the oneness of all people, I want to perpetuate my history by evolving it in to our modern times.

I believe the world of fashion should be a world of inclusion and not exclusion as it now is. For this reason, I will be giving tutorials on how to make some styles yourself. I will also sell some of my original fabrics and fibers. I also do not believe in the imposition of the designer's ego on the consumer so I will connect you to sources of basic ethical clothing for your wardrobe-building pleasure.

I anticipate this site will be completely operational by November! Please visit frequently before then and watch it take shape. My Etsy store will open soon. Everything is happening quickly now and I am happy! Happy to be of service to you.