purses and chairs?

Oh, the neglect!

With good reason though..
I've been holding back on creating any handbags, since I have so many and havent gotten rid of them yet. I dont feel that any of them are good enough to sell yet- since they're not perfect. BUT, tonight I had some time home alone, so I set about making a bag from start to finish with no flaws. I made sure to take my time, instead of rushing to the end like I usually do. The only thing I forgot was to put the feet on.. but other than that, I think she came out rather well.

Hawaiian Kim

Technique wise, this is probably one of the best I've made, if not the best. I put the straps on inbetween the lining and the outershell, so there aren't any unsightly ends. I also made sure this time to have my threads matching, so the outside has red thread and the inside, which is lined in a dark navy blue shimmery fabric, has black thread. Yay!


In other news, I decided that I couldn't stand the ugly pink velour chairs any longer. I've never upholstered before- but then again, most of my sewing efforts are trial&error, so I figured I'd give it a shot. Instead of buying one of those chair covers that never quite fits, I decided to have my hand at it. I managed to find a fabric that matched our couch perfectly in colour, so I thought I'd post the progress of covering the chairs (there are two, but no sense showing both!)

This is how they started out..

snug tailoring..



sewn and fitted..


Almost done..


Done! This chair gave me a bit of a headache because I wasn't thinking, did the whole thing, then opened it to recline it (they are reclining chairs) and snapped all the seams! Back to the drawing board.

I ran out of fabric so the bottoms were showing pink.. which I decided to fix by making magazine pockets on both sides..


Magazine pockets!

Hurrah!
Sleepytime now!

When life hands you lemons..

I've been neglectful, I know.. but it's been busy in my non-housewife world..

I've been sewing less, but I still managed to make this little lady:

Lemonade Lucy

She's made of a gorgeous lemon print cotton, with a lush green lining and green handles. Magnetic snap closure, a pretty nautical themed button, and metal feet (my first time using these) so she'll stand.

I need to really get on with designing a website for my ladies, since I've been told they're not an effective use of closet space. In that vein, I registered the domain www.divina-denuevo.com, so keep an ear to the ground for my launch!

Luc(k)y 13

Ta Da!!!

My 13th handbag, a "Lucy" style, with Henry Alexander's "Veronique" fabric, magnet closure, and a juicy black button. I love this bag! I made it yesterday despite the heat.

I also baked some delicious cookies, who's recipe I'll post soon. It's been quite the housewifey week. Yesterday was Canada Day, so we had a proper BBQ and watched the fireworks.

3 bags in two days - I'm my own sweatshop!

In the last two days I've managed to make three different bags. This new design, Ariel, came about when I was planning on making a "Kim" bag. On a whim I decided to throw in a couple pleats (which, since were done last minute were difficult thanks to the sturdy interfacing). In order to conceal the top's jagged shape because of the pleats, I added another layer of fabric and folded it over- I think it gives it a nice clean look. But then I realised the bag was getting lost in its print, which is why the big black bow came to the rescue..

And voila, Ariel!

I fell in love with this fabric- I'm a sucker for houndstooth, tweeds, herringbone- all that goodness. But this, with the teal, well, how could I not? I'm thinking of buying more and even making a dress or a skirt - when I feel super adventurous.

But, not content to make "kim" bags only, I freestyled a new design. I just decided to cut and cut and sew and sew, and this is what I ended up with:

Her name is Alexandra, and she came to work with me today because I love her so much.

It was fun to make something different, though she came out more "sac" like than I would have wanted.. she's slouchy, I'm planning on using some interfacing next time for a sturdier look. She's only got the cotton shell fabric and the thick navy satin lining holding her, plus the super cute damask ribbon as handles. I love the trim idea, so I think it'll be making more appearances in the future!


And lastly, my first creation out of this little set, my ladybug "kim".

Dresssew was having a sale on the piping, which was going for $1.00 per ROLL! So of course I bought red, pink, green and blue! they're my new easy-cheat handles.. for the times that I can get away with non-matching handles..

But how cute are those ladybugs!?