I am excited about this project as it is close to my heart, and to my house.
Rags to Riches will focus on the upcyling of materials handed in to the Govanhill Baths Trust Charity shop. The shop's aim was initially to reduce their amount of donations that go straight to recycling. Instead of shredding "rags" and they aim to create new garments or household objects from the reclaimed materials. They have now opened a separate workshop with a dedicated space for training up project participants in basic sewing skills & pattern cutting.
Walking through the door sends me all aflutter, vintage sewing patterns; shelves with fabric sorted into colours; jars of cotton thread, again colour coded; bins of "treasure" aka scraps! My kinda place!
Creating the "Tag"
The design solution took the Govanhill Baths Trust logo as a starting point. It was important for them that it looked like a sister project !
To make the circle look like a button, I added a double edge. I took the R's and mirrored them to look like a bow at the centre of the button. I love that it challenges the way you view things. Two R's , a bow or a butterfly ? When looked at creatively, a rag becomes a useful resource and through a process of change the caterpillar becomes the beautiful butterfly. The post of the R is a roman numeral 2, a pun on the "to" at the centre, or can be seen as a stitch holding the button on.
The bow/ butterfly on it's own will be used as a fabric stamp. Watch this space for shop signage, fabric stamps & general brand development. I hope that this is a stamp that locals will proudly wear, marking them out as individuals who care about waste, craftsmanship & have an eye for something uniquely beautiful !
