Bye Bye for now!

So you are probably wondering "where the heck have you been?"

Well, I had my first big wholesale order (very exciting), so I was busy sewing up a storm.

Actually.... I started sewing up a storm, but after a while my wrists were beginning to hurt. Any suggestions on how to minimize the stress on your wrists would be great. Right now, even as I type, I am actually wearing my rollerblade guards (don't really rollerblade so these are now being put to good use). I feel like the bionic woman (whatever happened to her, perhaps she is sewing up a storm as well...hum?)

Anyways, to finish the job off I kindly asked my husband to help (notice I said "kindly" he's not a big into sewing...but whose husband is?) Well... we finally finished 20 wallets and 6 bags.
Thank Goodness!So you can see they are all packed and ready to go.
These bags can all be found at a new online store called: Three Potato Four which opens up in the fall.

It is perfect timing, since we are leaving this thursday for Thailand. I can't wait to go. I have heard so many amazing things about Thailand and seen some amazing photos. I know...I know...we are leaving during off season which is good (inexpensive) and bad (rain). Although, many people said it only rains for a short period of time and it also depends on where you are stay, east or west side. Fingers crossed- minimal rain.

Soooo, I am signing off "bye bye for now" and will return in 3 weeks time.

Tanya.

Grey and Yellow...yummy!

Okay, I changed my mind. This is my favourite bag EVER! I am so happy with the way it turned out. I just love the grey linen, my two new fav. colours grey and yellow.

My new fabric

In a previous post , I showed you all some of the delicious fabrics I bought.

Well, here is one of the finished products. What you think?

I used some yellow vintage napkins for both the bottom of the bag and the inside pocket, which I bought at our local Brocante Market here in Vence. For closing the bag, I used a vintage grey button also bought from the same market. The handles are made from the same linen with some machine embroidery detailing.
I also added some trim with french writing. I really love the combination of yellow and grey...I think I will have to make more...

Cheers!

I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you (merci) to everyone and their encouraging words. For a while there, I thought I was the only one checking my blog. Now, I really do feel like I am having some success in my work and it is such a wonderful feeling. When I moved here to France, it was very difficult. I had to quit my job as a highschool teacher. I did not know anyone or know how to speak French for that matter, so I thought what could I do to keep myself productive - sewing.

This has been an amazing experience for me - difficult none the less, but I wouldn't change it for the world!

Thanks again for all your support and I love to read all your comments so keep'em coming!

A Beintot,
Tanya

Produce Obsession

Lately, I have been obsessed with fruit, perhaps because of all the fresh fruit in season here at the market in Vence. Who knows?

So I have made a couple of new items with a Pomme (apple) theme.

Bags and Wallets.

A friend of mine also suggested making some diaper bags, since many of our friends are in the baby making phase of their lives. So, this was my first attempt. It has lots of space for baby things and many pockets both inside and outside. I am pretty happy overall, but I think next time I will add a couple more pockets and continue the fabric strip in the front to go across the whole bag...stay tuned for the updated version.

Made from French linen and cotton, it has of course, a French theme.

Weekend Shopping!!!!!

This weekend I went on a little shopping spree.

On Saturday, I visited the local fabric shop and bought, bought, bought. Now I really have to sew, sew, sew to make some of that dough back. I absolutely love the linen. The muted colours are just waiting for some punch of colour.

So yummy!

Sunday, Marko and I went to the Vide Greniers (empty attic sale...like a garage sale, but way better) in Bar sur Loup, a little french village just went of where we live. Marko found this wonderful scale for me, just 8 euros...as he likes to say..."deal!"

I love this new toy. The bright yellow base and metal bowl is very 1950's...so vintage.

Like a kid, after opening birthday presents, I played with this toy all night long, weighing everything from our dinner to the produce in our fridge.

Wallet MaDNesS

I know...I know...I said I was taking a little break from sewing and blogging, but these wallets are so fun to make that I couldn't help myself. Yesterday, between preparing for our guests and cleaning up the flat, I would take a little sneaky sneak to my sewing machine and make a couple of these babies.

Sooo fun to sew, and now that I have the system down...looks like another tutorial on "youtube" is on its way...

Like an Energizer Bunny...I keep sewing and sewing and sewing...

I have been posting everyday with all my new creations trying to keep you all updated on my daily activities. The next couple of days will be crazy, busy for me (we have guests from Germany on thursday coming for dinner and again on friday and saturday is brocante day...yummy brocante), so I thought I would post all of my doings from the past couple of days in one go.
Firstly, another "Petit Sac". I took a break from these bags for a while (I was little Petit Sacked out and wanted to change things up a bit), but now I am back in the sac mode (tee- hee). I was very excited to see Zenzey (who by the way also makes beautiful bags) left a comment about the tutorial on how to make these bags. Thanks Zenzey!

This bag was made from heavy weight linen and cotton.

Notice the French flag colours and all the French Maisons...

Also, I finished another pouch. This one made from fabric I ordered on ebay france. I was a little worried it wouldn't make it with my broken french. Not too sure what I wrote, but I guess I was understood because my order was complete.
Last, but not least... a Kitty Bag (everyone needs a Kitty bag I think). Made from linen as well (notice the theme). I played around with my sewing machine settings and fancy stitches, and addded some embroidery in brown thread.
The closure is two vintage buttons I picked up here in France at a local Brocante market. I love the colours; brown and blue a great combination!

Pomme Wallets

Today, I have been working on these new pouches. I had this left over apple fabric but not enough to use on a full bag, so I figured I would cut out the apples (there are pears too, but one fruit at a time please). I appliqued them unto these scraps of linen, and made some little wallets. I am glad I didn't throw away these scraps of fabric...you see... it is important to keep everything...even if it takes over your sewing room.

This one is my favourite
I also made two with white apples

All are available on my etsy shop.

Bags, Bags and more Bags...

Just finished 2 more "le marche" sacs.

I just love making these bags and for some reason I get such joy converting these large bags into 6 x 6 pockets (maybe too much time spent by my sewing machine).

This one is wrapped and ready to go...on its way to it's new owner in New Mexico

Sur La Plage Part Deux

Last night as I lay in bed to go to sleep, I started to dream about my beachbag (sad, I know). I thought; what else can I do to make it even more functional?

This morning I woke up and went straight to my machine to make a little matching change purse. Just like the bag its waterproof made out of vinyl and oilcloth.

Then I thought perhaps the bag could fit in there...

and...

Viola!

Sur la plage...

Yet another creation...this is a beach tote made from oil cloth and vinyl.

Lots of room for all my beach supplies.
Upclose you can see the bag says " la plage" meaning the beach.
I have also embroidered some waves on the bag. So you can carry a little bit of beach where ever you go.

Completely waterproof. I really like this bag because after swimming you can toss all your wet stuff (sand and all) and then hose it down afterward.

I think I will try it out this weekend.

What else can it do?

I found another use for the wine bag. It can be a vase, you can correspond the flowers to the colour on the bag; rose - pink flowers, rouge - red flowers and blanc - white flowers. The goodies bags can be used for the same thing.

I am always recycling...

Vin Sac

MERCI BEAUCOUP Visnja! C'est une bonne idee!

My husband came home from a business trip,where he visited his parents and he passed on a message from his mom, Visnja. "Can you make wine bags out of those goodie bags?"

Can I?... I am always up for the challenge.

So, here they are. I am very happy with the way they turned out. Each one is embroidered to the colour of wine. Pretty clever (if I do say so myself).

I made one for Red Wine (notice the empty bottle...)

One for White Wine

And one for Rose Wine (the most popular type of wine here in the South of France).

These bags are a perfect host/hostess gift. They are reusable and definitely a conversation piece. I think these would be a great hit at any dinner party. Vous pensez?

Sorry wine not included.