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brightpractical.bsky.social
Bright Practical Fabric Art
@brightpractical.bsky.social
310 followers 380 following 340 posts
I make fab things out of reclaimed fabrics & talk through the problems of the world. You gotta be kind to be cool in the right measure twice, cut once.
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brightpractical.bsky.social
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Hope your costume, sewn, made, collected, thrifted or bought, brings you happiness today.

#SewSky #costume #craftiverse #sewist #halloween #StrawberryShortcake
A Strawberry Shortcake costume lies on a floor. There is a slouchy newsboy cap made in pink plaid and strawberry ditsy fabric (sewn), a white t-shirt with a strawberry basket printed on it (thrifted), a candy bag the looks like a paper sack with a green gingham lining and a strawberry pocket (sewn), a plaid skirt with large strawberry pockets (sewn), and green and white striped tights (bought new).
October 31, 2025 at 12:51 PM
brightpractical.bsky.social
Halloween treats, ready.
A selection of Halloween treats on a table. You can see mandarin oranges in the foreground that have pumpkin faces drawn on them, in a net bag. To the sides and back you can see bags and boxes of candy and small toys.
October 31, 2025 at 2:00 AM
brightpractical.bsky.social
Strawberry Shortcake hat, finished just under the wire for the start of a week’s worth of Halloween festivities.
A girl with cherry-red curly hair models a slouchy hat in profile. The hat has a small brim in white fabric with small red strawberries. The hat has segments in the strawberry fabric and a bright pink and white plaid fabric. A bright pink strawberry with a green gingham leaf adorns the brim of the hat and a green gingham leaf peeks out from the top middle of the hat. In the background you can see an avocado green wall and a 1970s artwork.
October 24, 2025 at 9:15 PM
brightpractical.bsky.social
Candy bag nearly complete. The chosen strap is a former belt but I expect to make some short handles as well, so I added 4 D-rings. Everything used this time was thrifted except the thread from Wawak. I may have to hit the hardware store for a post to make the strap adjustable. #sewsky #halloween
A candy sack in grocery bag brown fabric (former tablecloth) with strawberry shaped pocket in dark pink (former wool dress), white strawberry ditsy fabric (thrift shop), and green and white gingham (garage sale.) the top of the bag features red polka dot ribbon (thrift shop), and more of the gingham and strawberry fabric peek out as a folded lining. There are antiqued brass D-rings (thrift shop) and clips (thrift shop) holding on a strap made of a pink belt with pie-like cutouts (thrift shop.) in the background is the completed Stawberry skirt and you can see the strawberry pockets.
October 23, 2025 at 4:40 PM
brightpractical.bsky.social
Strawberry Shortcake clearly needs a basket-y candy bag, no? There is a phone pocket inside and outside, it needs its boxed corner ears pressed down and a strap but I think it’s pretty fabulous. #sewsky
A bag made of fabric sits on a table of fabric offcuts. The bag is brown with a green and white gingham edge, with tiny strawberries on white trim, and a red polka dot ribbon run through some edging. There is a strawberry-shaped pocket topped with a bright pink strip and a green gingham strawberry leaf on the front. The inside of the strawberry bag shows a green and white gingham lining and a white-with-tiny-red-strawberries pocket edged in bright pink. You can see that the bag is unfinished with two points poking up in the middle.
October 22, 2025 at 10:04 PM
brightpractical.bsky.social
Halloween accomplishment!

Lots of trial and error for the costume this year, but although it’s not the original vision I think strawberry skirt turned out well so far.

It’s hanging out the hem today. On to the candy bag construction!

#sewistsofbluesky #sewing #artistsofbluesky
A pink plaid 3/4 circle skirt with an unfinished hem hangs in front of a china cabinet. The skirt has bright pink strawberry shaped pockets with floral “seeds”, green edging at the top, and green gingham leaves. In the background you can see a vintage ticket marked “NASA Tours” on the upper left and bits of china within the cabinet.
October 20, 2025 at 1:04 PM
brightpractical.bsky.social
Grant Park, Noon. See you.
A poster reads “Time to be Brave” in rainbow and red, white, and blue text on a white background. In the top right corner, a graphic of a clock reads “Fascism Alarm”. You can see ans elbow and a hand holding the sign.
October 18, 2025 at 12:22 AM
brightpractical.bsky.social
Link it if you find it, my chihuahua is not monstery enough.
A black and tan Chihuahua with very large ear stares at the camera in annoyance from her couch kingdom.
September 25, 2025 at 10:07 PM
brightpractical.bsky.social
Did you march? We watched incredible speakers as we walked from Haymarket to Fulton Market to Target, to Tesla, with thousands of workers in solidarity. Which side are you on?
A sign reads “Your Kids Will Know Which Side You Chose / Solidarity” in rainbow letters.
September 1, 2025 at 8:27 PM
brightpractical.bsky.social
I haven’t been sewing for a while due to a combination of construction and mental health so here’s a repeat! Love your Neighbors, friends.
A small banner reads “Love” in floral prints.
August 9, 2025 at 1:34 PM
brightpractical.bsky.social
We went to Michigan and found this fairy castle in the woods.
A stump that looks like a fairy castle, with pointy bits of leftover tree like towers, moss, mushrooms, and plants adding to the illusion.
August 6, 2025 at 8:26 PM
brightpractical.bsky.social
I’ve been grieving daily for what is happening in our country. But every day I remind myself to be sand in the gears of fascism.

Time to be Brave, Everybody.
A poster reads “Time to be Brave” in rainbow and red, white, and blue stripes. A small clock drawn in the upper right corner reads “Fascism Alarm.”
July 20, 2025 at 4:47 PM
brightpractical.bsky.social
You are Needed.

Yesterday’s #onemillionrising zoom was uplifting and practical, letting us know how we can use noncompliance and building community to fight authoritarianism and win.

I took down my dining room table to fit 10 ppl in my bungalow yesterday.
How will you make room for the fight?
A kid removes hardware from an old rectangular wooden dining table. The table is upside down with two three-footed pedestal legs sticking up. There are screws scattered on the brown wood of the table top. The table and the kid sit on a floral rug. In the background, you can see a curtain and a peacock-colored wall.
July 17, 2025 at 11:53 AM
brightpractical.bsky.social
Accomplishment of the week: dog step. It’s cutest with little dog footprints on it.

This started out as a discounted as-is cushion and I was startled to discover, when cutting it down, that it was half springs, half foam. The upholstery fabric was new and the zip a leftover from a 2018 project.
A rectangular cushion covered in aqua velveteen sits on a green and aqua rug.
July 13, 2025 at 8:48 PM
brightpractical.bsky.social
Sustainable sewing supplies. #sewist #artsupplies #artistsofbluesky #sustainablesewing
Silk ties overlap filling the whole frame. Some are cut off, some have thrift store price tags. The ties are pink, orange, blue, gold, purple, red, green, aqua etc.
July 11, 2025 at 2:40 AM
brightpractical.bsky.social
I haven’t been making things, I’ve been trying to organize things. This is my impulse in times of stress, to make order, one step above sleeping through all of it. But I hope I shall make something soon. Until then, love to you. May we make things better today. #sewistsofbluesky #art #textileart
A small banner on a white table reads “Love” in blue floral striped letters on a floral background. You can see roses and sunflowers and lilies peeking out from behind the words.
July 8, 2025 at 12:44 PM
brightpractical.bsky.social
There are two dogs here today and all I can say is that two dogs are the right number for one person this news week.
A messy living room scene in closeup. The letters to the editor page of the Chicago Sun-Times is open in the foreground with a photo of fireworks and a headline “Divided States of America.” A small red dog naps on the end of a cream colored chair with a red quilt to the right. To the left, a small black dog naps in a pink leopard bed on a navy blue couch. There is another dog bed and dog toys in the fuzzy background.
July 6, 2025 at 9:47 PM
brightpractical.bsky.social
My G-G-Grandparents came here from Europe. They fled war and military service. They sought work and hope. Today’s immigrants are here for the same.

As their descendants, as people who are not in danger, it is our job to keep immigrants safe now. They are our sisters and brothers. #fuckice #resist
A small floral banner reads “Love.”
July 3, 2025 at 8:52 PM
brightpractical.bsky.social
#art #transrightsarehumanrights #sewistsofbluesky
A banner in Trans flag colors sits on a white table with a tape measure in the background. It reads “Love” in pink letters appliquéd on a blue floral circle with a pink and white border. The background fabric is a brown, pink, and blue geometric floral print on white. A white ribbon serves as a hanger for the banner.
July 2, 2025 at 11:41 AM
brightpractical.bsky.social
I thought about deleting potentially dangerous posts from my social media accounts but no one sees them anyway so here is your reminder to #Resist
#art #artistsofbluesky #sewistsofbluesky #textileart
A psychedelically colored banner sits on a white table with a tape measure, buttons, and crocheted tablecloths in the background. The banner reads “Resist”, in green letters appliquéd on a circle of daisy fabric with a background of 1970s style print flowers in hot pink, lime, yellow, and day-glo orange. There is a bright pink ribbon at the top. Interested in your own banner? DM me here. Ships from the Chicago area.
July 2, 2025 at 11:31 AM
brightpractical.bsky.social
A small cream colored rectangular sign on a brown piano reads “Do Not Attempt To Play Little Richard’s Piano. He Will Know.” The sign and piano are in the Tubman Museum in Macon, GA.
June 30, 2025 at 8:58 AM
brightpractical.bsky.social
Watch Sokols from the US and then from the Czech Republic perform in the quadrennial Slet.

Remember all Americans who are not Native Americans came here from somewhere else. We were immigrants and the US welcomed us. We maintain our traditions, and we share our strength.

All are welcome here.
June 28, 2025 at 10:51 PM
brightpractical.bsky.social
Have a photo of this lobster-shaped ginger from my local grocery store that knows what I needed in my life.

(Dusty work being done in my basement troll dungeon today so I can’t sew anything.)
A ginger root that looks a bit like a lobster with no tail and enormous ginger claws sits in the small area of a shopping cart on top of a container of sliced mushrooms and next to a red bell pepper. A linoleum tile floor is visible in the background through the cart and a bin of hot peppers are visible to the right side.
June 24, 2025 at 11:26 AM
brightpractical.bsky.social
I use reclaimed fabrics in my work: t-shirts, sheets, samples, thrifted fabrics. The book/tech sleeve in the front here is a shirt I got in 2018. I was sure I could find a place for (Bible) Thumpers but waited for the perfect idea. Last week I made it a rainbow Pride Month item. Love is Love.
A pile of colorful zippered pouches sit on a table. The first pouch is red and has a sports logo with a baseball player hitting a ball with a Bible. The ball is flying apart and the team name is “Thumpers.” The pouch also has two ribbons printed with rainbows appliquéd on at top and bottom and a red heart with black text reading “Love is Love.”
June 17, 2025 at 12:43 PM
brightpractical.bsky.social
See you in the Crowds!
#nokings
#resist #democracyrequiresyourscourage
#jbpritzker
A quote from Gov JB Pritzker adorns and appliquéd string backpack. It reads “Democracy Requires Your Courage - JB”. The lettering is in a bright floral fabric on a white pocket. The backpack is navy blue corduroy. The floral fabric is also visible at the top casing. The straps are cream colored with rainbow buckles.
June 14, 2025 at 2:42 AM