Rorschach Tote

Now you can buy it! New Rorschach totes made by me here.

Hello Creatives! My idea for these totes was inspired by Project Runway Season 9. I have been watching it religiously since the very first season, and the challenge for episode 7 seriously got me thinking about: Ink Blots! This team challenge involved designing fabric, constructing five looks and creating the video for the backdrop. It was pretty obvious which team won, since the other "team" wasted their time attacking each other with senseless drama early on and then ran to their respective corners to nurse their wounds rather than collaborate. But I digress. The theme of the winning team was "chaos" and they chose ink blots as their inspiration. I was blown away by Viktor's gown:


and this dress by Anya:

images from www.mylifetime.com

It got me thinking about the beauty of making ink blots. You can't predict how they will turn out, and different people see different things. It's a nice conversation starter. I started off with some research. The original 10 ink blots in the Rorschach Test with their interpretations can be found here.


Then I set off to my local craft store for supplies. For this project you will need a blank tote, an iron, textile paint, a paint brush, some paper towels, a glass of water, and a piece of cardboard the size of your tote. You might also want something to cover your work surface, unless you love the idea of splattering paint on your family heirlooms.


Start by ironing the wrinkles out of your tote. Then pour (lightly) the textile paint in random shapes across one  half of the tote. Forgive the blurriness: I was trying to pour and take a picture at the same time!


Fold the blank half of the tote over the painted half. Don't press too hard or for too long because the ink will bleed through the back.


Very carefully, unfold the tote. Immediately insert cardboard into the tote to prevent bleeding through.


Now you can use a paint brush to carefully collect the paint, or use paper towels. It is important that you don't have thick pools of paint, because these will dry very thick and you will see them when the paint dries. Wash your paint brushes in water.


Allow your tote to dry for 24 hours, then make sure you follow the directions on your textile paint to set the paint. This will ensure it stays put if you ever need to wash your tote.

Here are the three organic designs I made. I think they are all so different and fascinating.




Apparently I have a knack for making cute shapes even when I'm not trying to. This creature came about purely by coincidence. Now what does this say about my personality and emotional functioning? Hmm...