Working with New Material :: Leather

 I have wanted to do this for awhile now and have finally had the chance to work with leather.  I love the idea of adding leather to bags and best of all, I've been saving outdated leather coats and using them on my bags.

I am still in the experimenting stages and the first time I started working with it, I am not going to lie, I was a little intimidated and nervous.  Leather is not something you can work with and if you make a mistake like incorrect stitches - rip them out and sew again.  Once that needle punctures the leather that hole is there for good.  Top stitching definitely needs to be done right the first time.

 Stitch length and your pressure foot are another important aspect of sewing with leather.  You want to make sure the stitch is long because if it is too short the thread will rip through the leather.  A teflon foot is a must for leather too, otherwise the leather will stick to your regular foot and pull the leather as you are sewing.  The teflon foot allows the leather to glide through as you are sewing.  If you don't have a teflon foot I think a walking foot would probably work as well.

I have only been able to work on a couple of bags and still tweeking the design.

The size of this bag is great.  There is enough room inside to hold a lot of your important stuff and closes with a zipper. The inside perimeter is lined with pockets so you can organize all your items and the outside has a large zipper across the front.

I am really pleased with how this bag turned out. The fabric combination with the black leather base and handles makes this a stunning combination.

I gave it to my Mom for Mother's Day and she was really excited about it when she got it.

What do you think?  Is this the type of bag you would carry?

What I've been Up to...

I've been kinda all over the map lately. Getting my spring/summer items ready and inventory stocked. One day working on children's clothing, another day making diaper bags, working on the computer, booking shows, looking after drapery orders, and sometimes switching gears and doing all of that in one day. It's a lot of work for one person and sometimes it gets overwhelming, but I love what I do, so it makes it all worthwhile. When things get hectic, with the things that I have to do, I like to take a break and work on something different, play with my fabrics and see what I come up with.

Enter Exhibit A.... The Bag~Organic
I love this bag! The combination of fabrics - the nutmeg brown linen and the oversized weave of the floral fabric brought together with the grosgrain ribbon, just pleases my eye. It's very organic feeling -hence the name. It has a fabric loop and wood ring closure. Silver metal rectangle rings on the handle, with lots of slip pockets inside to keep everything organized.

Then I tried another one....Garden Path

This bag turned out beautiful too. In soft sage green and mushroom linen, brought together with a strip of floral. It has a button/loop closure. The strap is held by a wooden ring on either side, again, with lots of pockets inside to keep everything organized.

These bags were fun to create, and I am sure , if I get enough positive response about them, there will be more in my future, but for now, I have to get back to the "To Do" list.

At this point, I am not going to be listing them on ETSY, possibly later, however, you could always email me if you are interested in either of these bags.

A New Take on an Old Favourite

I got some creative sewing time in yesterday and worked on something new. I usually don't make these little bags, but they seem popular, so I wanted to see what I could come up with and I also had part of the idea in my head for awhile and wanted to try it out.

A wrist clutch....
Front

Back
that you simply slip your hand through and can wear on your wrist. If you are using it for day use, you could also slip it through your belt and have hands free for shopping or holding onto the kids. There is plenty of room to hold all your necessities. It is in the shop for any of you that are interested.

3 Bags

I almost forgot to show you the 3 new bags I was working on a couple weeks ago. I'm still trying to find a size I like. So far, the one I like best out of these three is the one on the right. It is a good size (12" x 8"). It is not too deep so that you are digging through a bottomless pit, but big enough to hold plenty of "stuff". The one in the back, together with the one on the left are tall and long. In each one I put in a zippered pocket. I really like the look of the zippered pocket inside. It really gives it a nice clean look. They all have a hard base. They are quite sturdy, the fabric and lining is upholstery weight and I love the colour, a soft grey with undertones of green. So which one would you go for and why? I would love your input.

WIP Done

Now that I finally got my much needed supplies, I was able to finish this. A design that I have been working on for awhile now. Basically, I am just trying to work out the size, pockets and finishes so that it is the standard, but the fabrics and combinations are always different. It's getting there, but not quite finalized.

I don't have it in my Etsy shop, but if anyone is interest, please let me know.

Have a great weekend... it's friday already!

Don't You Just Love Peonies?!

I love them! They are my favourite flower. The petals are so soft and lush and the colours they come in are so wonderful. They just add a burst of beauty.




I am just loving this new Sydney Handbag. The fabric, the flower. It is absolutely gorgeous! The fabric is a synthetic gold silk that is iridescent with pink and green. It just sets off the peony perfectly.












A perfect handbag for the perfect occassion. Can't you just see yourself holding this bag at an outdoor wedding or special party. Or giving it as a gift to your bridesmaids to use on the big day. Even giving it as a gift to the bride-to-be, filled with some wonderful lotions and soaps or with a gift certificate to her favourite spa.