Hermes...

Brynwood Needleworks - Hermes, The Beloved Cat

Meet Hermes. He's the pampered cat who lives with Arwen. When she asked me to make Arwen's bag, she also asked for a smaller version for Hermes. His Mom is a dear friend, and I was happy to oblige.

Having completed Arwen's bag on Wednesday, creating Hermes' bag yesterday was easy. I had fun fussy cutting the fabric patterns to highlight Laurel Burch's colorful cats front-and-center on his bag.

Brynwood Needleworks - BW Hermes Sling Bag

This is the result of my day of sewing. I had coffee and conversation with Handsome, and then I headed to the studio. I cut all the fabric, grabbed the hardware, and then started sewing. I stopped for lunch, and again for dinner, and completed the bag about twenty minutes later. I love the result and hope Samantha does, too.

Brynwood Needleworks - BW Arwen and Hermes Sling Bags

I'm including one more photo to show you the difference in the size of the two bags. Arwen's bag measures 16.25" tall x 11.25" wide x 3" deep. Hermes' bag is 10" x 7" x 2", just the right size for his essentials.

They're both on their way to their new home today, and I'm going to spend part of my day baking bread. I do have to vacuum the studio and tidy up a bit, but otherwise I'm going to be in the kitchen.

What do you have planned for today and the weekend? We're supposed to have warmer weather, so Handsome and I are going to finish up our yard work.

Arwen...

Brynwood Needleworks - Arwen G.

This sweet face is my girlfriend, Samantha's pup, Arwen. Not too long ago, Sam contacted me to create two custom pieces for her. Bags with her pet's names on them for when they're traveling or for daycare.

She asked for a larger size for her dog, Arwen, and a smaller size for her cat, Hermes. I gave her a few style choices and she picked the one she liked. She requested replaceable name tags for the bags, so that the bags could be repurposed in the future.

I gave her fabric choices, and set about creating the bags for her. This is a style I haven't made before, so I prepped the fabrics, read and reread the pattern, created the patch with Arwen's name on it, and then set about the bag construction yesterday.

Brynwood Needleworks - BW Sling Bag

 

The result was this crossbody backpack/sling style bag. I used black cordura (like a treated, breathable canvas), and a colorful Laurel Burch dog print quilting cotton. It has two large compartments and two zipper pockets (one on the back and one on the interior of the large, front compartment), and adjustable strap. There are two d-rings so that the strap can be attached either side, depending on the preference of the carrier. The name patch is attached with patch velcro, so it can be changed out later.  

 

I'm quite happy with the way it turned out. The second bag (for Hermes) will be 15% smaller than this one. He'll have his own name patch on the front, too, and will also use another Laurel Burch (cat print) fabric from my inventory. I'm going to make that one today. In fact, I'd better head to the studio. If you're looking for me, that's where I'll be.

On This Week's Docket...

Brynwood Needleworks - Fabric Selections For This Week

 

Yes, my friend. I'm still painting. Whew! This part of the project is taking me longer than I originally allotted. Plus, it's been raining. Have you ever stood in a pole building in the rain? Uninsulated metal roof. Even a light drizzle sounds like a deluge. It's so loud, you can hardly hear yourself think. I'm not complaining. Well, yes. I guess I am a little whiney. Sorry.

Let's get to the important part of today's post. I'm working on a number of commissions this week. I have two projects using the fabrics on the top half of this image, and two more using the fabrics on the bottom. They're all completely different, but they're going to be fun to make for my clients!

As it started raining again this morning, I'm going to stay inside and sew instead today. The hardest part will be deciding which fabric to pull first. (Hint: In order received, it will be one of the two Laurel Burch fabrics on the bottom, along with the black cordura below them.)

Tag will be back tomorrow, so I'll show you how far I get when I return on Wednesday. See you again in October! heehee

 

The Clothesline Bag...

Detail of Clothes and Flowers

This is my latest finish. I began by creating the little articles of clothing to go on the line. The dress is 3" long, and the pantaloons are each 2.5" long. After I made them, I stitched them down to the pocket fabric, which is black linen with a Pellon SF101 black woven stabilizer to help keep its shape.

I did the applique' work on Monday, and I finished creating this handbag yesterday. I thought about adding tiny clothespins, but am leaving that option for my client.

Completed Clothesline Bag - Front

This is the completed bag, showing the entire front. My client requested black and bright colors. She did not want pastels.

I chose black linen, a sage dot fabric and Laurel Burch bright-colored fabrics for this piece. The completed bag measures approximately 12.5" at the bottom, 9.5" tall and 5" deep. The black linen portion on the front is actually a large pocket, lined in the same green dot.

Completed Clothesline Bag -Back

There is also a large pocket on the back (with a nickel piece on the bottom corner that reads "Made For Me"), and a zippered pocket with a "Handcrafted" zipper pull.

Completed Clothesline Bag -Rear Zipper Pocket and Tag

I used a sweet yellow dot fabric for the zipper pocket lining.

Completed Clothesline Bag - Interior

The interior is finished with a Laurel Burch multicolor cotton. I also included a slip pocket on the inside.

My client has already seen pictures of her completed handbag and said she can't wait to receive it. I'll treat it with Scotchgard™ today and send it off tomorrow after it's completely dry.

The Next Fabric Combination

 

I've already chosen the fabric for another bag in this same design. This is my color palette, and my plan is that others will be special order to the client's taste.

Today is a stitching day with my pal, Kathy D. We're starting a series from Kathy Schmitz, which I'll share with you tomorrow. I'm looking forward to just sitting and visiting with her for an afternoon.

Diggin' The Mini Quilts...

After a day of mini-quilting Monday, I was in the mood to tackle the creative part of my latest swap project. This swap involves the participant's choice of 1) 1 yard of fabric or 2) a 1/2 yard of fabric and something sewn by the giver. (I guess there are other combinations available, but after I saw Option 2, I stopped reading.)

I'm lucky, in that I was recently asked to be a swap angel for the last swap, which was for pincushions. (Read about that swap here.) The organizer for that swap was "starknits". She contacted me and asked me to make a gift for a gal who hadn't received her overseas package. The recipients name was "amylynnknits" and she lives in Athens, GA.

After she received the pincushion and other goodies I shipped out, she posted a note that she loved what I made for her and that she especially liked mt fabric choices. I have a reason for telling you this. Our swap partners are secret until after the swap packages have been received.

You can imagine my surprise when the organizer of the new swap, "celia", matched me up (again) with "amylynnknits"! I was tickled and decided today was the day to make the "creative" part of her swap gift. More Laurel Burch fabric for this swap! And I decided to make another mini quilt, but this time I would put it into a shadow box frame with other goodies. A mini quilt collage.

I have a number of hand made "beads" that I like to use in my collage work. They're simple and fun to make - and they're a perfect project when sitting in front of the television. You really don't need a lot of supplies to make them and the results (I think) are quite fun. Leave a comment if you'd like to learn more about how they're made. I'd be happy to put up a free tutorial if there's any interest!

After I finished assembling my newest mini quilt, I did the machine quilting with Hemingworth metallic thread in a beautiful aqua blue.
I completed the quilt by hand sewing the binding. I'm really happy with the results...especially knowing ahead of time that my swap partner will love the fabric!

I opened the back of the frame I'd chosen and removed the velvet-faced board. I used two pieces of velcro to secure the quilt to the velvet, and did the same with the beads. Then I glued three abalone cabachons below the beads. I replaced the backing into the frame and voila! a completed collage!

I'd love to know what you think of it! I'm planning to make more, and may just have one as part of my 100th Post Giveaway Drawing (which isn't too far off)! Your feedback will be greatly appreciated. Do you think I should include a Mini Quilt Collage in my drawing? I hope so...I'm really diggin' making the Mini Quilts!