Just A Peek...

Project Totes Detail

 

I'm getting ready for the party on Sunday. I'm so looking forward to seeing my Stitches pals (and one sister who also worked for me), at the farm in the afternoon!

 

I'm making gifts for each of them, and this picture is a detail of two of the five project totes I created yesterday. They're all sewn in beautiful linens, using various ribbons, embellished with crocheted lace trim. Each one is as unique as the person who will receive it. I've chosen five different colors, and five different ribbons. 

 

I'll show you all of them, and ttell you all about the party on Monday. I'll definitely have pictures to share. I'll be busy, busy today with family time and party prep. 

 

I hope you have a great weekend!

Brynwood's Nursery Rhymes Project Tote...

 

This is one of my favorite recent fabrics. It looks vintage, but isn't. It's also a home dec weight, so I don't need to add more stabilizer to help hold its shape.

This one is a bit smaller, making it perfect for makeup, a small project or even a child's clutch! It measures approximately 9" wide x 8" tall x 4" deep at the bottom. I lined it with high quality quilting cotton, and embellished it with vintage crocheted lace. It's also available in my shop.

Today, I'm heading over to Glenbeulah, WI to The Old Wade House. It's a historic site in our area, known as a stagecoach stop in early Wisconsin. (It's a very interesting site to visit.) 

 

They're hosting a show about antique quilts and coverlets now through May, with a speaker most weekends. I'm doing some research for a friend who has two coverlets from the 1800s. I hope to tell you more about them after tomorrow. 

I hope you have something interesting or fun planned for tomorrow, but if you're in the path of the nasty winter storm, please stay home and safe.

Brynwood's Tula Pink Project Tote...

Brynwood's Tula Pink Project Tote

   Newly completed and listed in my shop... Brynwood Needleworks Tula Pink Project Tote.  

Measuring approximately 8" tall  x 11 1/2" wide x 4" (deep at the bottom). Created using a delicious, royal purple linen fabric exterior, with Tula Pink woven ribbon and vintage crocheted lace embellishments. Lined with more of Tula Pink's owl fabric inside, it's the perfect size for your needlework, woolwork, knitting or crochet projects and tools...or use it as a fun clutch. It's large enough to hold a cell phone and all your necessaries for a day out. Wristlet included. See my shop listing for more information.

 

New Linens...

New Linens For Brynwood Needleworks

 

New linens arrived yesterday! I have some special things planned for them, and I can't wait to show you how I'll use them. I'm going to have fun playing with each and every luscious color.

 

Can you even believe it's already March? Where does the time go?

A Short Time Out...

Brynwood Needleworks - Venice Concert Band

The holidays have officially begun. 

I took time out from my studio work to play!

Handsome's first Christmas concert was Monday evening in Venice, FL. He's waaaayyy in back, standing almost under the band banner.

It was a lovely performance, with a fun assortment of music. Why, even Santa and Mrs. Clause made an appearance at the end. In addition to a carol sing-along, the entire audience competed to be the best section when we divided up to sing The Twelve Days of Christmas. It was a hoot!

Brynwood Needleworks - Cabbage Rose Project Tote

I've been getting closer to caught up in the studio, too. Packages were shipped off yesterday, and I worked on the machine embroideries needed prior to assembling the next orders in the queue. I'll finish those projects today.

Brynwood Needleworks - Friends

After spending the day in the studio, I got dressed up and joined other guild members for our annual Christmas party. I always sit with girlfriends, Kathy and Nora (who used to own Sandy's Quilt Shop), and Karen. It was an enjoyable evening.

Brynwood Needleworks - DPQG Board (l-r: Pauline, Karen, Percy, Arleen and me. Absent-Lorraine.)

Before leaving, the current Executive Board posed for our annual photograph. Missing from the picture was our treasurer, Lorraine. The two tall gals in the back - Karen and I - are outgoing. Our positions (She's the current president. I'm the recording secretary) end in January. (Happy dance!)

I've "termed out", having served two consecutive two-year terms. In January, I'll hand over my notebook of minutes to another member at our January meeting, so the party was our opportunity to snap a picture of most of our current board. I'm looking forward to simply attending meetings for a change.

I just saw that yesterday's post represented my 2400th conversation with you!

I'm thinking this calls for a celebration. Don't you agree?

Well, seeing as Thursday is MY BIRTHDAY, I'll announce a giveaway then.

Please be sure to come back to learn more about it.

Planning Ahead...

Brynwood Needleworks - New Totes

It doesn't count as work when you love what you do.

Handsome and I spent our Saturday together, so Sunday, without a Packer game,

I headed to the studio after a nice leisurely morning of coffee and a late breakfast.

Brynwood Needleworks - Planning New Totes

It's time to replenish totes for my Etsy shop, so I pulled fabrics and the 

rest of the supplies I was going to need. I always enjoy doing this part.

Brynwood Needleworks - Planning New Totes

I pulled all these tapes, fabrics and zippers, along with threads. I did set up one

more that isn't shown. My friend, Ellen, celebrates her Birthday tomorrow and I

want to make a tote as her gift. I chose fabrics for a new "Baa Baa Black Sheep"

Brynwood Needleworks - Her Royal Highness Project Tote

By the time I cut all the exterior and lining fabrics, wristlets and set up the zippers,

It was mid-afternoon. I sewed until dinner and then completed a couple more after.

Brynwood Needleworks - Butterflies Project Tote

All of these have linings that coordinate with the exterior linens and tape themes.

Brynwood Needleworks - Mighty Oaks Project Tote

I love this one. I had a custom tape made from my acorn/oak leaf logo element,

and I've used the wording in many of my advertising materials since Brynwood was

born. The linen is hand dyed, and the lining is acorn fabric. It's truly one-of-a-kind.

Brynwood Needleworks - Quilter's Project Tote

The last tote I finished last night would make a great tool tote for a quilter. The interior is a cotton fabric, printed with quilting terms and the names of quilt blocks. 
I'll be listing these up this morning, and finishing the others, too. By lunchtime, I'll have Ellen's gift wrapped to give to her at Panera's tomorrow.
I'll be working on that list from last week next.

More Work For Charity...

Brynwood Needleworks - Corgi Embroideries In Process

Having finished and listed a few more project totes on Friday, I turned my attention to my next creations. Each year, Corgi owners gather in Palm Bay, Florida to raise money for a charity called CorgiAid. This year, the meet-up is on Saturday, November 14, 2015.

CorgiAid is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization that provides money for rescue and foster efforts, medical care and financial aid (within their guidelines) for Corgis and Corgi mixes. They also help provide carts to help dogs with Degenerative Myelopathy maintain a level of mobility to enhance their quality of life. Fezzik and Taggart get the credit for my interest in the organization, and willingness to participate in their fundraising work.

I have donated items in past years, and likewise, I'm creating something special for their fundraising efforts this year.

Brynwood Needleworks - Finished Corgi Embroideries

I stitched out the embroideries (with the help of Destiny) on Saturday and began cutting out the pieces for a wallet in the afternoon. I'm also making a matching tote/handbag, but I cut those pieces as I go, because I make these totes without a pattern.

I had every intention to sew everything over the weekend, but the Green Bay Packers were on Florida television Sunday afternoon. Whenever the Pack gets national coverage so we can see them, of course, everything else comes to a halt! That means, I was knitting on my socks instead.

I'll work on this project today and see if I can't get them finished by tomorrow. Of course, Tuesdays belong to Tag here on the blog, so you won't see pictures of the wallet and tote until Wednesday! 

You will come back, won't you?

Playing With Hand-Dyed Linen...

Brynwood Needleworks - Linen "Roses" Project Tote

I finished two more project totes yesterday. This one was completed in the morning before I headed off to lunch with a girlfriend.

I pulled two pieces from my assortment of hand-dyed linens, and then chose the twill tape to coordinate with them. I'm quite happy with the way they came together.

Brynwood Needleworks - Linen "Carnations" Project Tote

The "Roses" project tote is a true one-of-a-kind, as I have no more of this fabric and it was hand-dyed years ago. I seriously doubt that I'd find a match for it now.
 

I do have one more piece of the linen used in the "Carnations" tote, so I could do another one at a later date. The color is a beautiful shade of gray/mauve/rose. This one came together after I got back home from lunch, and I really like the soft fabric and colors in both of them.

 

You can find more photos and information in my Etsy shop: BrynwoodNeedleworks.

I'll be starting another charity project today, and hope to have it finished by the end of the weekend. It needs to be on its way to Florida Corgi Picnic headquarters next week! 

 

The event is in November, but we want it to have some exposure before the big weekend. It's going to have machine embroidery on it, so I'll start that this morning. Everything else comes after that's done. I'll share photos soon.

Work Before Play...

Brynwood Needleworks - Destiny Before Cleaning

I started the day choosing linens, linings and tapes to create new project totes. Once I'd chosen everything, I cut out the fabrics, stabilizers, tapes and pulled hardware It took me most of the morning, but by lunchtime, I was ready to start sewing.

Brynwood Needleworks - Destiny Being Cleaned

After I've been giving Destiny a workout, I always stop to change needles and and then I check "under the hood" to see if I need to clean out the "foop".    Man, it was a dusty, fuzzy mess in there, so I needed to take the time to do a  little maintenance before I could start working on the next line of projects.

Brynwood Needleworks - Destiny Clean!

It took about an hour of careful attention, but I got Destiny back to normal.

Brynwood Needleworks - Destiny "Sparkling"

She was really sparkling "all under" when I was finished - and chomping at the bit to start something before the end of the day. I was glad that I'd kitted all my fabrics and supplies. All I had to do was choose which one I wanted to do first.

Brynwood Needleworks - Medium Linen Butterfly Project Tote

This one is heading over to my Etsy shop right now. By the end of the day today, there  will be four more - in some gorgeous, hand-dyed linens. Destiny and I are up to it!

Replenishing My Creative Juices...

Brynwood Needleworks - Linen "Butterflies & Roses" Project Tote

When I have a lot on my plate, I'm known to back away for a bit to regroup.

Brynwood Needleworks - Linen "Butterflies & Roses" Project Tote

I shared my project list last week, but got way behind (my self-imposed)  schedule when some other really fun options came into play. Getting back to my studio to jump right into those projects was going to take a little extra effort.

Brynwood Needleworks - Linen "Butterflies & Roses" Lining

When this happens, I usually start with a few smaller projects that can be completed in a few hours or an afternoon. What I came up with was particularly fun.

Brynwood Needleworks - Linen "Butterflies & Roses" Twill Tape

I love my "collection" of linen fabrics and custom made twill tapes, so I started there.

Brynwood Needleworks - Linen "Believe In Yourself" Project Tote

Before I knew it, I had two completed project totes, and a head full of ideas for more designs. These are perfect for toting around needlework, knitting, or crochet projects - or they can be used as tool bags to carry sewing items.

Brynwood Needleworks - Linen "Believe In Yourself" Project Tote

I chose some of my favorite fabrics to use as linings, and added a removable strap to make each tote into a larger wristlet. So, you could even carry your cell phone, wallet and a few extras in them for everyday use.

Brynwood Needleworks - Linen "Believe In Yourself" Lining

It was fun to choose all the components, and then create these two projects.

Brynwood Needleworks - Linen "Believe In Yourself" Twill Tape

 They're both listed in my Etsy shop, and my mind is clear and focused.   Nothing works better than taking a little creative breather for me. Now, I can get back to my studio to work on the items on that list I made.