Nice Rack!

 

At craft fairs, I tend to sell more of the items I have laid out on the table than the purses and tote bags I have hanging up. It could be because they are better displayed and easier to access so I thought I'd try something new for the Patchwork Modern Handmade Fair at Jack London Square on May 12. I just hauled this out of the closet and I hope it'll do the trick!

A Few More ...

Replenishment

A first: One of the stores I consign with, Multiple Threads in Berkeley, called me last week! Turns out my upcycled upholstery tote bags have been a big hit and they asked me to bring in some more.

Of all the bags I've made over the past 16 months, I think they garner the most excitement. That combined with the fact that I love recycling makes them my favorite bags to make.

Anyway, I packed up what I had left, a grand total of eight tote bags, leaving me upcycled upholstery bag deficient. So I set my mind this weekend to making some more and came up with these three. I am pretty happy with how they turned out!

In other news, this weekend I visited the Alameda Point Flea Market. It was super crazy, way too much stuff to see in one day if you ask me, and my feet are killing me. BUT I scored two great things that made it all worth it. (I had a good time, too. There really was so much amazing stuff to gawk at.)

The first is a lovely vintage wooden sewing box with some treasures inside (a few fabric scraps, some threads, buttons and rick rak, and a bunch of great patterns). But I did make an important tactical error by choosing to carry this around instead of going back to get it when I was done shopping. Oh well. The second is some vintage flour sacks, which I am going to use to try to make some bags. Stay tuned!

Random Totes

Totes To Go

 

Roll-up tote bags! Keep one in your purse and you're always prepared for an unexpected shopping trip!

A Craft Fair to Remember

A great day at the Patchwork Indie Arts & Craft Festival. Thanks for the pics, Paula!

Sew Little Time, Part 2

These pictures will just have to be worth 1,000 words :)

Sew Little Time

Hey, long time no blog! I have been so busy lately that I haven't had time to post here so I thought I'd better remedy that. I've still been sewing, as evidenced by the photos above. I'm madly in love with all of these items and am probably going to keep them for myself. I made the blue and green tote from some complementary fabrics that I used for my friend Jasmine's iPad case way, way back. And speaking of which, the denim with red and green flower print is an iPad case. I've been experimenting and I think I finally got it the right size. The two smaller zip bags are from a metallic Marimekko fabric scrap I found at the Crate and Barrell outlet in Berkeley. I suppose I could part with one of those ... maybe.

In other news, I've been busy trying to move some of my inventory to make room for more (and earn a little cash for supplies). I went last weekend to a little consignment shop in Sonoma called Sandbox. I'd met the owner at the Sonoma Charter School fund-raiser and she turned out to be the friend of my friend Paula, who lives there. I brought a giant box of tote bags and zippered pouches to choose from and she took it all! Oh no, guess I'll have to make more. How sad. Not.

Next up is a house event in July that a woman from my book club, who sells jewelry, volunteered to host. If nothing else it'll be a fun afternoon of showing off my stuff, which is basically the only thing I love more than actually sewing it. More details to come.

I'm also working on an Etsy store but that's not coming along very quickly. It's fairly laborious, because you need three or four photos of each item, and a very detailed description with measurements and everything. I need more hours in the day!

Little Treasures

With the Treasure Island Flea almost here, I've been working on putting tags on all of my purses and tying zipper bags that go together with cute ribbons. I also sewed some more small bags with Jim's artwork on them and made some scrappy keychains, as shown above. Just three more days!!!

More Bags Galore

Can you believe I made all these bags this weekend? (It's only nine, not 10. The one in the middle is the same bag, just reversible.) And yes, I did leave the house a couple of times! My neighbors must be tired of hearing the hum of my sewing machine. These are all made with the upholstery samples, with the occasional thrift store lining thrown in, and I still have a ton left. I'm calling it my bottomless bag of fabric!

Match Made in Upcycling Heaven

Upcycling is so often a case of kismet. I have a crazy giant collection of fabric, about half bought new and half from thrift stores and my friend the Dumpster  Diva. One of the best things about sewing is pawing through what I've got and finding things that will look great together.

This gorgeous thing is  made from home decor fabric samples on the outside, and on the inside a batik fabric Paula found for me at a thrift store (or estate sale? I don't remember which). They are a match made in heaven, don't you agree?

Oh, and the leather-like strap is actually pleather I got in one of my Thrift Town grab bags. I'd have never knowingly brought something like that home but it turned out to be just the perfect thing. No animals were harmed in the making of this tote bag!

Hippie Bags

Crossbody bags with straps that hit at the hip are all the rage, so I just had to try making a few with the home decor fabric samples (the lining is thrift store fabric) I got last week. The black ones are a little larger, but the ones on the bottom are just big enough for a pack of clove cigarettes and a hacky sack. I'm totally picturing some crunchy granola chicks dancing around on the grass wearing one of my upcycled creations. Is that crazy?

Upcycling With People

I hope you're sitting down. This may come as a shock. In honor of Earth Day this year, I decided to ... wait for it ... SEW SOME PURSES. Boy, that came out of nowhere didn't it? Ha ha.

Anyway, a longtime fan of reuse (in theory), I now have the sewing skills to (actually) repurpose tons of stuff. Since I started sewing I've been a regular at Thrift Town, where I am always sure to find bags of fabric for around $2 that hold untold treasures. And the East Bay Center for Creative Reuse is my other mecca, and thankfully closer to my home. There I get fabric and tons of notions, and the last time I was there I got a boatload of zippers for 20 cents each. You know how excited I get about zippers!

Then last week at the Martinez SWAN Day I met a woman who calls herself the Dumpster Diversion Diva and I traded her one of my bags for a bunch of fabric samples she'd collected from an interior designer who was going to throw these gems away!

So this weekend I made a bunch of stuff from that fabric, including my favorites: The three rope bags in navy blue, brown and red/white. The crossbody was pieced together from some smaller samples (strap included) and the larger tote was a sample that I put a grey bottom on from some scraps I had around.

On the left is a patchwork beauty from some thrift store pieces. All in all, a productive weekend of upcyling.

Happy Earth Day everyone!

Rainy Day Blues

It's been raining on and off for the past few weeks and unfortunately it's all but certain that it will be raining for the arts and crafts fair this weekend. Which is really, really sad. But not so sad that I didn't whip up this pair of waterproof blue polka dot totes, with the cutest complimentary fabric inside. When the world gives you rain, make rain-proof purses!

Zipper Bags and More Zipper Bags

I don't know what it is about zipper bags but I just LOVE making them! Here are some more ...