My New Favorite

 

I'll be honest, just about every time I make something it becomes my new favorite. The capricious nature of my favor cannot be denied. Every day is the best day ever and every bag I make is my favorite. So the title of this post is just a little tongue in cheek. But seriously: These are my new favorite. No really.

Little eco zip wallets are super fun to make. I get to use some of the gorgeous small uphostery fabric samples in modern prints that I'd been collecting for a while into super smart looking coin purses, IMHO. They'd also be great to keep your earbuds, business cards, medicine (herbal or otherwise), etc. Get two for everyone!

Sneak Peek

The Best Day Ever

It happened! The spring Patchwork Modern Handmade Festival was on Sunday and I know that I am prone to hyperbole but it was the BEST DAY EVER. Seriously, I had a terrific time and I did sell more stuff than I ever have before.

It was truly the upcycled upholstery totes seen on the rack below that were the star of the show. I priced them at $39, worried that was going to be too expensive, but ended up selling eight of them! Everyone looked at the neon deer print bags but no one bought one. I sold both of those black and white ones, which didn't surprise me because I have one just like it and people compliment it all the time! Plus I sold some zipper bags and some hot pads, and two of the new leather clutches I made just last week.

Anyway, it's not just sales that make a show: The atmosphere and the organizers were top-notch just like last time and I enjoyed talking with my crafty colleagues, also as you can see from the last two photos my family even stopped by. They (as well as my husband, not pictured because he's camera shy, and my mom, who always comes to my craft fairs and tries to bring along some friends) have been a great support to me.

I was especially glad this show went well because last week I found out that I didn't get into the Renegade Craft Fair. It's a notoriously hard one to land but it made me pretty sad nonetheless and doubt myself just a little bit. But I'm OK now, thanks for asking.

See you in the fall, Patchwork!

What Color is Your Tote Bag?

Fold-over Clutches

I have been experimenting with some larger pieces of upholstery fabric to make some fold-over clutches. I've seen them with buttons and magnets, but I chose zippers natch. I'm not so much a clutch girl -- I never quite know what to do with them when I need my hands for something else. But these might just win me over.

Upcycling My Little Heart Out

One Part Inspiration

One of the great things about selling my bags is that is has brought me into contact with some really amazingly creative people who are an endless source of inspiration. Case in point is the mother-daughter team that runs Multiple Threads, a reincarnated clothing shop on Solano Avenue in Berkeley.

I've been bringing my upcyled upholstery bags to them for a while now, and I love stopping by the shop because I always see something amazing there. Diane and her daughter, whose name escapes me right now, have a studio set up in the back and just about every time I go in there they are sewing something new.

Recently, they told me about some jackets they were making out of vintage floursacks and suggested that some bags from the same material would be great. So I went to the Alameda flea market for the floursacks and here you can see what I came up with: Two totes and a zippered clutch, lined with thrift store finds and flanked with denim accents.

I have to admit I didn't love working with these sacks. They were tough, impossible to cut in a straight line it seemed, and they made a big mess! But they came out pretty well, no? I hope they like them!

Shiny!

So I showed this bag to my sister, who has historically been the only person to really give me any real criticism, or "honesty" about my bags. She's pointed out a few stinkers, and I appreciate it.

But on this one, I think she's wrong. She was turned off by the reflective quality of the bottom on this one, and says she doesn't like the print in the middle. But I'm standing by it.

This bag is a crazy patchwork marriage of FIVE different upcycled upholstery samples, so yeah, it's going to be a little wackadoodle just by its very nature. But I like it. I think it works. To quote Firefly's Capt. Reynolds, "shiny!"

What say ye?

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!

Totes fancy

Tote-ally Rad

Some more tote bags, all rad IMHO. A rainbow one (natch), plus two scrappy little numbers and an upcycled upholstery bag accented by a denim bottom.