Many people have requested heavier clips on my sock garters and thigh-high garters for their heavier socks and thigh-highs, and I finally found some nice ones. I can use these on any pair, just ask. And I’ll be making up a special pair of heavy duty garters that can be used as a sock and thigh version soon. Because I do love you! And besides all that, hi everyone :) I’m working hard and looking forward to fall, I hope you are too.
SWANclothingness.
hi jennie! this is what happened yesterday with your Tiny Rose purse in Mint…
my sewing machine with lovely view, note the mint thread all ready to go.
(my newly favourite vintage loafers.) side panels of Tiny Rose with top stitching templates in place & half finished zipper. a custom cut to size zipper mind you! so with teeth removed then the end bit put back on with appropriate pliers, then trimmed. i didn’t do that, a sweet zipper genius did that for me. and some bias tape finishing the edges. that bias tape will be throughout the bag interior.
thready bits after topstitching but before the template is removed and the threads are pulled through, individually knotted and then the end bits hidden.
just a happy photo of the topstitching on the template.
photos look much nicer large here.
today all the pieces of the actual bag are being put together, hopefully some pics will happen too.
{Click for big}
I made these bags twice. At first they were too fussy. What I really wanted was something simple, humble, pretty. The bags work. They hang well, are strong, and feel good, with a bit of body and a bit of slouch. And I love the cotton upholstery florals, I hunted for them for a while… Mint with tiny roses. Big luminous flowers on midnight black, like flowers in moonlight. A muted circle of dusty roses on tan. My favourite lilac floral fabric. And lemon-lemon yellow with big pale pink climbing roses too. That one just glows. The interior is lined in light grey with a single big pocket.
{Click for big}
I was obsessed with the handles being florals that encircled you and not the regular flat handles. So I made these rounded cotton filled handles, very easy on the shoulder. I love the idea of tubes of flowers. I found matching embroidery thread and hand whipstitched them together from end to end, and hand embroidered the swan logo.
{Click for big}
{Click for big}
The wood swan charms were made for me by The Wood Garden. They work with “wood from sustainably farmed hardwood trees”. I think the swans are beautiful. They feel great, and the more they are handled the better they will look. They’re tied on with a little fabric loop. Something about threading the flowers through the wood swan, I love that too. I guess I am a little bit in love with these bags.
{Click for big}
So yes, finally a tote from me for summer!
Find them in my SWANclothing store.
i guess i am still in a big city so i will keep posting these tiny, maybe inane, sometimes helpful sewing tips…
there are times when my sewing is getting the better of me. like i worry i can’t nail the topstitching i need to do on a finicky piece of leather. i get really tense, sort of shy away from the work as i sew, and feel a separation from it. but then i realized i had to do the opposite. the classic “tell it who’s boss” approach was the way to go. and i relax into my sewing, remember feeling confidant and sew. that’s the attack part. try it, it works. and at the very least it helps.
{Click image to enlarge.}
People kept asking me where to get the tights I used in my SWANclothing sock garter shoots. Some I bought and some I made. It’s easy!
SWANclothing sock garters available in my store.
i keep hinting. and i am almost finished the 1st batch of SWANclothing 2010 spring offerings. filling orders is really intense right now and balancing that with creating new items is a challenge to say the least. but i am very excited about spring things. newness brings lightness. sometimes nothing feels better than a change and different visuals to express a new season and time. as much as i love the past and old things, i love this too.
over the next couple of days i will post large versions of these in my Flickr stream. they look much nicer huge. EDIT- view here.
{A Jointed Swan Silhouette from Chad of Mon Petit Fantome, photo by me.}
It started like this… I asked if I could blog Chad’s image of his Jointed Swan Silhouette, because I love it. He said yes, because he is nice. Photo by Chad.
Which lead to a trade where Chad sent me the Jointed Swan Silhouette and these lovely and elegant and charming and tearful swan prints, because he is very very nice and I think he spoiled me a bit…
Photos by me.
And I sent Chad custom made SWANclothing sock garters, because I guess I am nice too. Lovely photo by Chad.
Thank you Chad!
Mon Petit Fantome on Etsy and on Big Cartel.
My computer Pink was 9 years old. I think one of the first generation of Mac titanium PowerBook G4 laptops. A present from an ex in 2001, when I still lived in NYC. Pink had lost her spacebar a few years ago and I built a new one with a little bubble of plastic and some clear tape. Yup. Then her hard drive blew, and I bought her a new one, flew her across the country to have her software re-installed by my computer-saver-hero friend Henry and flew her back. And she bravely trundled on and on. But this week- fizt! Game over. I was really sad as I wrapped her up in a pair of my pale grey vintage Levis cords, she never needed a special carrying case, she was no princess, and put her in my knapsack for her final trip. Henry cleared out Pink’s memory in her last hour of life, and was obviously extremely horrified by her unkempt appearance! He even took photos. Pink was a proud little warrior, and had the battle scars. So funny to have such a messed up machine help me make such pretty pictures.
So say hello to Petit Four, like the desserts, and like the 4 sides that a computer has, and also like a particular Roman battle formation. She’s my new MacBook Pro. And on we go…
SWANclothing
Flickr Photos
Categories
Links
MEMBER OF
