Calico toile #2!

My second calico toile this year! It's so much bigger than I expected, but I'm making a 3/4th size and a 1/2 size tomorrow just for comparison 

It has two main compartments - each served by one of these flaps - and an internal flat pocket created by the joining of the two compartments, so a gap in the middle! Each compartment is big enough to fit the laptop case I'm making (16") and a4 files

There will be a leather handle so that you can wear it as low as your hips with the strap over the shoulder. I might also make a square one :)

Planning some more toiles tomorrow. Running out of calico and uni have switched their supplier to some cheap and nastily see through stuff. Feels like cheesecloth. Im sure it's fine for drapey fashion stuff but for the bag mock ups I prefer the calico quite form and tough! The best representation of the final fabrics.

I now have about 10 calico mockups. We will see what developments the weekend, and Mondays tutorials bring! 

Visualisations

Here are some of my first visualisations. I dont have any definite fabric repeats yet so i decided to use my drawings, both digital form and straight from the raw scans! i also scanned in my tartan wool and leather.. i kind of like the look here actually even though i havnt used my repeats yet! Strange what you do when you're bored then actually you like them..!

I am creating a bunch of luggage pieces with accessories. i hope to have a few big bags for my degree show as well as a large range of accessories, from toiletries bags to umbrellas! Maybe even some wellies.. we will see :)

 I want my degree show set up to be kind of simple but still have a good amount of products on show. Its about quality, not quantity.. thats for certain. you dont want your space to look overcrowed..! I plan to have a box shelving unit which i can stack loads of accessories into. that way, i can make an overwhelming amount which you can view, but in an enclosed space. then stack two or three big luggage bags on top of each other, maybe get a luggage trolley too!

Teaching Bee

This evening i whopped out my sewing machine for the first time since i have been at uni this year.. and it wasnt for me! My friend Bee wanted me to show her how to make a leather pouch, as a birthday present for her mum. And as its me, we had to do it properly! 
Many people on our course have made lovely leather pouches but they didnt have a lining, which is great for beginners but i like to throw my 'students' in at the deep end. Its how i was taught and at the end you have major satisfaction that youve made something so awesome all in one day!

The leather pouch was created from leather scraps, Amy Butler cotton, a jeans zip and we also made a little tag for the side. Naturally, it was a bee. Bee used my bamboo tablet to create her little bee and we had it printed and ironed in in no time :D I do this everyday for my little business but she was super impressed!

Here are some photographs..

We used wonderclips to keep everything lined up! This part was where we sewed the leather and the lining to the zip.

happiness is a handmade leather pouch!

The Amy Butler lining choice. i think it goes really well :)

YAY! This has made me realise how much i love my sewing machine.. i really need to get some toiles made!