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Bright Practical Fabric Art

@brightpractical.bsky.social
321 followers 396 following 352 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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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Come on out to the Chicago Concert for Democracy on October 11! @chimusic4democracy.bsky.social
A poster describes the Concert for Democracy on Sunday October 11 1-4pm at Belvedere Banquets in Elk Grove Village, IL.  QR codes let you donate to the musicians’ fund or the event contribution for a reserved seat.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Sold in the first place I’ve been since last spring, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I needed the reminder that every little bit of us has a purpose.
Four colorful bookmarks made of silk scraps sewn together and 
cut with pinking shears sit on a white gridded mat. One of the bookmarks reads “remains. Every Scrap Had a Purpose”
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Dear CVS, It would be easier to shoplift than to get your self-check to register anything lighter than a tube of toothpaste. Stop understaffing your stores. Ned Ludd
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
See you, friends. We get there together or never get there at all.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
“What I lost was my faith in the American Constitution.” Today is the Day of Remembrance of the forced internment of Japanese-Americans in concentration camps via EO 9066. Internment happened within living memory. Stop it from repeating. _History and Memory: for Akiko and Takashige_, Rea Tajiri
kanopy.com
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
Finally made something again, this time for someone who put up an ISO for beanbags. I have to add the beans and stitch them up but it felt good to work to help someone in my community.
Square fabric shapes make a rainbow across a grey ironing board.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 24/12/2025
Protect your neighbors. Love one another.
A white piece of paper on a holiday-themed tablecloth reads “Mankind is our Business” in rainbow and red/green lettering.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
They’re letting women die rather than giving them appropriate medical care. You knew they were going to, and now they are doing it, and it is as bad as we said it would be. Remember for some places in Texas, the closest place to get an abortion is Illinois. www.propublica.org/article/texa...
propublica.org
“Ticking Time Bomb”: A Pregnant Mother Kept Getting Sicker. She Died After She Couldn’t Get an Abortion in Texas.
Walker is one of several women ProPublica found with underlying health conditions who died when they couldn’t access abortions.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
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).
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
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.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
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.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
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.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
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.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
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.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 19/10/2025
I don’t think I have ever been in a crowd that big before. Chicago Tribune rpts 100,000+ but that’s low. We exited the field an hour+ after speeches (more people behind us!) Someone counting at the starting intersection of the march told us 300,000 at Grant Park. I can believe it. #lovechicago
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Reposted by Bright Practical Fabric Art
Indivisible Chicago Alliance ❌👑 @indivisiblechicago.bsky.social · 18/10/2025
❌️👑 View from above: peaceful crowd marching out of Grant Park and into the streets of downtown Chicago. #NoKings #HandsOffChicago
Description is in post
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 18/10/2025
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.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
“Most of the deaths were caused by toxic gas and the building's roof door being locked, the fire service said.” When people tell me they have to buy fast fashion because they cannot afford slow fashion, I want to ask “Who pays for your cheap garments?” bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
Bangladesh garment factory fire kills at least 16
The dead have been burned beyond recognition and officials have warned that the toll could rise.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
My first year in a job, 25+ years ago, a teen lamented to me that she didn’t feel like there were many social issues to stand up for like the ones her parents had protested for. Like we had achieved Civil Rights law, mostly, and she was sad to not be part of a movement. I wish she had been right.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
I am concerned about IL State Police appearing to help the Border Patrol. If your job is to protect the citizens peacefully protesting, you should be facing the threat, not the protestors.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
The windows are boarded up, the fence pushes protestors away, but we know what is going on inside, and it is inhumane. Abducting our neighbors is wrong. Stand up. Speak out.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
Watched Rea Tajiri’s _History and Memory: for Akiko and Takashige_ last night on Kanopy and was reminded once again how willing our government has been to imprison its own people, and how willing millions are to go along with it. 1/
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 28/09/2025
A thing I am tired of is middle aged men telling me it’s too dangerous for me to protest, or that there is some magical way to behave in order to keep people bent on violence from being violent. I have no patience for them anymore, let them fear for themselves and let me take care of me.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 20/09/2025
Not enough national coverage. What ICE is doing in Broadview is SHAMEFUL. Stand up, Speak out. Wear goggles. blockclubchicago.org/2025/09/19/i...
blockclubchicago.org
Agents Tear Gas, Detain Demonstrators Outside Broadview ICE Facility During Daylong Protest
Large crowds gathered to protest early Friday and later that evening outside of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 20/09/2025
I’m thinking those ICE/Border Patrol dudes in the roof need some solid shaming. “Your grandmother would be ashamed of you! Your abuela would be ashamed of you! Your nonna would be ashamed of you! Your babička would be ashamed of you! Your busia would be ashamed of you!”
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 01/09/2025
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.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 29/08/2025
You marching Monday? You should march Monday.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 09/08/2025
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.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 06/08/2025
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.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 20/07/2025
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.”
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 17/07/2025
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.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
“The 1A limits the gov't; it doesn't privilege certain ppl.” - Crip Dyke
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 13/07/2025
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.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 11/07/2025
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.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 08/07/2025
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.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 08/07/2025
“I know for certain that hatred and bloodlust are not the path to justice, but the path to nowhere, or even worse…That hatred is easy, love is hard, and those are our only two options.” - Denny Carter _Bad Faith Times_
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 06/07/2025
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.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 05/07/2025
“And I think that it will be easier for me to be light if you'll be light. I think it'll be easier for you to be light if I'll be light.” A.R. Moxon
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
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.”
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
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.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 28/06/2025
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.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
On charity, a thread: Yesterday someone stopped me in a parking lot on my way into a store. He was so sorry, he said, but could he ask me for help? I said sure. It sure was a hot day, how was he doing? Well. He’d locked his keys in his car. He needed bus fare to get to his sister’s… 1/
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
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.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 19/06/2025
We call people what they ask to be called. We treat people how they ask to be treated. Anyone who does otherwise is a rude jerk. Stand up for Trans people.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
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.”
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 14/06/2025
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.
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 13/06/2025
Hoping to make a backpack for tomorrow. Thanks to @govpritzker.illinois.gov for the words that motivate me and all of Illinois to march.
A floral letter appliqués rests on white fabric.  The letters read “Democracy Requires Your Courage.”
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Bright Practical Fabric Art @brightpractical.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
Love to Twirl? See you at the Riverside Farmers Market, Wednesday 6/11, 2:30-7. #sewsky #riversideillinois
A child’s dress hangs in front of an orangey wooden door. The dress has a purple bodice with the word “love” appliquéd on it and a skirt made up of rainbow tiers, pink flames, orange polka dots, solid yellow, solid green, blue stars, and purple bubbles. The hanger is yellow and there is a small macrame unicorn peeking over the hook.
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