2. I flattened out plastic grocery bags, placed them in a stack four high, giving eight layers of plastic, and ironed them between two pieces of paper. The plastic melted and the bags bonded to form one piece of "fabric." I cut and folded the plastic into the form of a wallet, and ironed again to bond the seams.
3. I used plastic bags, paper, and an iron.
4. I was interested in seeing how usable the plastic fabric was and whether or not it was easy to make.
5. One funny thing about the process was during the ironing. The paper I used did not entirely cover the plastic, so i let the handles hang out and did not iron them. The ironing caused the plastic to shrink, and so did the handles. They got pulled beneath the paper. It appeared as if the bag were growing in the wrong direction. Like a time lapse picture.
It was difficult to find a reliable method. One time I did not have the iron on hot enough, so the plastic failed to bond, and another, I turned the iron up too hot, to the plastic over shrank and developed holes.
6. I did what I set out to do and I learned along the way.
Contrast is important in my wallet. I used Safeway bags, so there are three colors: white, red, and black. A pattern developed, too. The plastic was not perfectly aligned, so when I ironed it, all of the Safeway logos showed up in different places. I did not think very intentionally about the aesthetics of my project. I was more interested in getting a scattered, random feel. I just wanted to see how it would look. I did what I set out to do. I probably won't iron plastic bags again, though, since it releases gross fumes. I just reuse them as bags.
