New items in my shop!

There are lots of new things in my shop now...

I just needed to get started with updating it again. I had some new wristlets ready, particularly two in one of my favourite barkcloth prints, a painting by Grandma Moses. The bits I've picked are snowy woods, one of them with a little cottage:

 I had a navy blue floral sweethaven bag ready as well:

The blue needlebook is the last one of that batch and I'll make some new ones soon in a different set of colours:

And a special bonus just for my blog readers - buy any wristlet, bag or needle book from my shop and mention this blog in the comments and I will send a free bonus, one of my little deer print pincushions!
NOTE * Each pincushion is a little different, offer good for September 2010, while quantities last. *

 Thanks for looking!

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Lacy camera case

I know I've been neglecting my blog when I find cobwebs on my camera tripod. Sorry to have been away so long! I had a tight illustration deadline that was keeping me busy and after a couple of weeks I tend to get out of the habit. As usual I can't show you the artwork until the project is published so I'll try to remember to show you later on.

Incidentally I've started getting a lot of "advertising" comments on my blog which means a comment that's really just a link to a business. Some of the businesses are.. um.. not family friendly.. and it can take ages to delete tons of these automated comments so I've had to add moderation to any comments on posts older than 2 weeks. This means that sometimes I don't see comments right away because the moderated comments only show up when I log in to write a new post. So sorry for delays answering any questions. I usually just reply on the same post where you left the comment/question so you can look for that, but you can also just email me directly, my email is there on the sidebar. Or include your email with the comment. As always comments are appreciated - it reminds me that people do actually read my blog!

So anyway, I was at a wedding with a friend recently who noticed my small handmade camera bag. I had made it years ago and it seems a little wonky to me, but she liked it and wanted me to make one for her. She has a typical bulky black leather/vinyl? bag and wanted a smaller one. It was good timing as lately she's been giving me lots of nice old sewing things, vintage transfer patterns, and bags of bias tape, trim, zippers and buttons, so it was a perfect chance to say thank you!

I love when people find old sewing things and ask me if I'd like them. "Are you sure you want this?" "If you don't want this stuff you can just give it to Goodwill.." I love that. They always seem surprised at how thrilled I am.

When I designed the camera bag for my friend I decide it was time to update my own and these are the results. It's a really nice thick soft wool that helps cushion the camera a bit. The colour didn't come out right in the photos and I can't seem to fix it. It's a bit more rich and warm.. Anyway I'm loving this teal blue lately. The floral print was actually a scrap from Jen Anisef leftover at one of the Workroom Trunk shows (thank you Jen!).

The inside is green seersucker. I like seersucker, there's something about it that makes me nostalgic, something comforting about the texture.

Then the outside is embellished with a bit of antique lace from the Sunday Market. I collect these things incessantly so I'm always happy when the right project comes along to use them. I just can't turn down a mason jar full of buttons or a bundle of vintage bias tape or lace.

The overall pattern is modelled on the wristlets I've been making lately with squared bottom corners. The wool is so thick that it was hard to sew with too many layers, so it worked out better having the lining fabric overlap the top to finish it. It kind of looks like a basket liner.

Anyway I now have a camera bag that I love!

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Red Sweethaven bag

My first Sweethaven bag for the shop is done - I actually finished it a couple of weeks ago but wanted to wait for a new set of labels to arrive.

These ones are really sweet with red, orange and pink flowers on a brown branch.

This bag is made up of a fun mix of fabrics, inspired by a cute vintage style polka dot print of red on white. It's an upholstery weight fabric that I thought had a retro look.

The top flap is appliqued with a pretty vintage white doily.

For more details, you can visit the red Sweethaven bag in my shop!

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Sweethaven - dark turquoise doily bag

Ok, so bags. I can't stop making them. Possibly in some kind of endless quest to make the perfect one. I'm not sure. But this is my latest design and I'm kind of excited about it.

I'm calling it the Sweethaven bag (I love the movie Popeye.. especially the soundtrack by Harry Nilsson). The idea is that you're out and about, you have all this stuff that you want to have with you, and this bag looks after everything and makes you feel like you have a little comforting haven of organization as you go.

The secret is pockets.

There are two large interior pockets on each side that go the whole width of the bag. I divided the pockets so that they are just the right size to fit sunglasses, a pen, a water bottle etc. Then the back of the bag also has a large pocket that could hold a paperback book.

And with upholstery weight fabric, piping and top-stitching the bag has a lot of structure. All the pockets are lined which gives it even more layers.

I used a wool plaid on the front and back, and the back pocket is tweedy brown wool. The sides have a blue panel, then piping, then brown corduroy on the bottom and outside of the straps.

 The front is dark teal/turquoise corduroy with an appliqued doily.

Look at all the detail on the doily! I love the pineapple motif. Vintage doilies kind of fascinate me. Someone spent ages making it, and no one really wants them these days to actually put under vases or whatever. But I love the lacy look and buy them because they're pretty.

So now I'd like to ask, what do you look for in a bag?

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Defending-the-stash bag

The other day I was going out to lunch and couldn't find a bag I wanted to take. It wasn't going to be a full day out so I didn't want to take a backpack, or even a messenger bag. And while I usually don't coordinate bags with outfits, I didn't have a bag that seemed right for a hot summer day. They all seemed kind of dark and barkclothy if you know what I mean.
So I had a rummage through my stash - you know the big stacks of hoarded fabric we sewers keep in various locations around the home - and found the perfect print that I had bought months ago. And whipped up a new handbag that seemed just right. I used the last scrap of the fabric to make a matching coin purse:So I'm just wondering, do any of you have stash guilt? Does it seem like you have too much, and do you wonder why are you buying more fabric when you already have lots you haven't used yet? Because if I didn't have all my fabric handy I wouldn't have found that perfect piece.
On the other hand my stash is still a little unwieldy so lately I've been trying to do more sewing and make some of the things I've always been meaning to make but was too busy. There's going to be some new things going into my etsy shop www.clairelmilne.etsy.com including some older bags getting sold (because my bag stash is a little excessive as well) and maybe even some fabric...

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Knitted bag: After!

Ok, so the Toronto Craft Alert Get Er Done Giveway worked. I finished the lining for my knitted bag yesterday. I also worked out a way to line a bag like this with a handle as part of the main shape, so I can show you that too. I think that was the main reason I was procrastinating... I wasn't sure at first how to do it.

First of all, this is why you have a stash. I was able to just rummage through my fabric to find one that would work. I wanted one with some stiffness to offset the floppiness of a knitted bag and give it some structure. I chose a pink upholstery fabric that went with the colours in the bag and had a pretty motif of bunches of white daisies.
So I cut out the main lining piece, attached a pocket to it, hemmed the top ends of it and sewed the sides together.Then I cut two strips for the top part, folded them in half lengthwise and sewed them together. This creates a strip with a finished edge to be the top part of the lining. As you can see in the picture the back of the fabric has a lot of threads for the daisy embroidery, so this helps prevent snags as well.
These are the finished strips.

Then I turned the bag inside out with the main part of the lining pinned in place and the top strips pinned in place. Then hand sewed the strips to attach them to the main part of the lining, except for the areas where the gap was for the handles. Then I hand sewed around the handle gap and around the top of the bag to attach the lining.

It's hard to describe but hopefully you can kind of see what's going on in the picture:And now it's finally done! I have too many bags now so this one may make an appearance at the Hunt & Gather Trunk Show...

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Toronto Craft Alert: Get Er Done Giveaway

Is it wrong that I procrastinated in posting my craft slacker project? So this is it. I craft all the time, as you know, and I'm pretty good about finishing things. But I do have my share of unfinished craft projects. Let's call it the basket of shame. For some reason I like to knit bags and pouches - almost as much as sewing them - but I never seem to get them finished.

Sewing the linings and zippers for knitted projects can be pesky. So this is the batch of knitted but not finished things I'd like to finish. The main offender is the knitted bag, which has nice stripes made of blended yarns and I really like it, but it needs a lining. That's it! It's been sitting around for years. I'm guessing it was abandoned in 2005. Well this is it's big chance to get finished.

It's not to late to enter yourself, all the details are on the Toronto Craft Alert website.

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Getting ready

Tomorrow is the City of Craft crafts sale and I'm puttering around getting ready. I have things to sort through and find, things to finish up and new things to make. Everything is lined up on my dining table so I can see what I have: shoppers, totes, messenger bags, earrings, necklaces, pincushions, pouches, one hat, one flower brooch, one eyeglass case, trivets, bracelets, bird postcards, and last but not least needle books!

This picture shows some completed needle books. Please visit me tomorrow and don't forget the first 100 people in the door get free swag in a fabulous tote that I'm coveting myself!

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Amy Butler's Weekender... again.Part one

Well this is my third attempt to make Amy Butler's Weekender and be happy with it. It's one of those things where you think the fabric you've picked is just perfect for a project and by the time you finish you're not so sure. And a few weeks later you can't stand it and wonder what you were thinking when you picked it in the first place. And you regret all that hard work you did to make something you don't really like.

But this bag is really great, it's such a perfect size and is just what you need for short trips (and good for cramming in extra stuff such as knitting and books) and is also great for a carry-on bag. And I wanted to start making one now well before I'm rushing to get ready for a trip so maybe I could do a really good job on it and not cut corners.

So the last weekender I made was a plaid upholstery fabric in a caramel kind of colour with pink piping. I'm not going to link back to it or anything because I grew to hate it. So I unpicked it recently (might as well re-use the zipper and cord) and decided to try again.
I bought some new Michael Miller fabric (pictured above) from Tonic Living but after a couple of days I wasn't sure about it for the bag although it may look great on our dining room chairs someday. I still like the fabric, I don't know why but I just didn't want it for the weekender bag anymore. This blue floral was my other choice, which I may still use someday. I bought a sample piece and it's nice and thick and has a kind of nautical freshness that I like.

So in the end I decided on a fabric I already had in my stash, a thick white linen with a grey fish pattern on it that I think will look elegant although not extra practical since it has a white background. But there's all that detail and dots and things so maybe it will be ok. And the bottom is going to be dark grey twill which is very practical and the part that gets the most wear. But the main thing is I think it's really pretty and it inspired me to go ahead finally. I hope it works out, I took a lot of time thinking about fabric combinations and even Photoshopped new fabric choices onto a photo of the bag so I could try and picture it. This version looks like this:
The straps and piping are made with dark brown cotton (from the Workroom) and the base is dark grey twill. I'm going to line it with very sturdy cream coloured canvas material. I found a huge piece at Goodwill and thought it might be useful for something that really needed structure. Which this bag does. And as you know if you've tried, local shops look at you like you're crazy if you ask for Timtex. Last time I substituted buckram, but I forgot about that this time and just bought some fusible interfacing which is not as sturdy. (I used two strips of interfacing for each strap and they turned out well.) So in short I'm hoping the canvas lining will compensate. We'll see!

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Velvet flower purse

I spied this fabric at the Designer Fabric Outlet store on Queen West (1360 Queen St. W, between Dufferin and Landsdowne) recently. This store is amazing, they have, if anything, too much choice. My favourite part is that all the fabric is in small swatches on hangers, organized by fiber, colour and pattern, and so it's very easy to browse through. My friend Sarah and I spent ages in there. Don't forget to go upstairs for extra fabric on bolts - and even more choices.As promised I'm showcasing some of the things I'm making for my table at the Artisan's Gift Fair this Sunday. I thought this fabric was really gorgeous and perfect for a evening bag. I love the colour scheme of tan, grey, white, black and red. Also the black parts of the flowers are velvet and very soft. Since I'm not home I don't have all my fabric with me, so it's lined with some of the linen I bought. Usually linen is a bit pricey for a lining but since I don't have anything else with me, this bag is just that much more special. There's a pocket inside, and I'll be adding a snap or button clasp when I get home.

I have a dressy black dress that needs something just like this to go with it! Just one question, should the closure be a snap or button? A snap is more practical and easier to open and close but a button could be prettier. What do you think?

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Needing the barkcloth

I've been hoping for years to have lots of things made and be able to rent a table at a Fall/Christmas crafts sale. I've decided this year I'm finally going to do it. I've even ordered "needle book" fabric labels to put in my things. I was inspired recently by Practically necessary's barkcloth bags. I finally won a little bit of barkcloth on ebay and made some messenger bags. I love how they turned out, the hard part will be parting with them.I've also been making granny bags after creating a pattern for myself. A bit tricky but I think anyone could do it. Mine are all one-of-a-kind, depending on how big I want to make them, the amount of fabric I have and where I feel like putting the pleats. I make coordinating lined pockets to go inside and of course attach those before assembling the bag.

I like this one, from a wool tweed:

This ones is from my Cath Kidston circus fabric with olive green straps:
And I've made a bunch of pouches:
My favourite pouch is made from Liberty fabric:My favourite fabric these days is still the scenic barkcloth and I'm trying to buy more on ebay, but I keep getting snipered with 5 seconds to go! One auction went from $75 to $225 in the last 5 seconds. My maximum bid was $220 for 10 yards of barkcloth which I already thought was high. But I loved the pattern and I was very disappointed. It was part of my new plan to think big, and invest in my craft business a bit more so I could make enough things to have a proper table.

It may be for the best though because my dining table is still covered with stacks of fabric...but that's another story.

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