Tygerlily has built a Fan Page over on Facebook! If you would like to have your name put into a drawing for a give away when we reach 100 fans, just click the Facebook badge over on the left side of the blog. Then YOU will be entered! Not telling what the prize will be yet, that’s a surprise.
So get on over there and become a FAN! And then get some creating done yourself and show if off over on TygerLily’s fan page. We’d love to see what all you’ve been doing with your crafting.
Ok, interesting title, huh? We have been laughing over this for a good long time and wanted to share. After felting the barbed wire cable bag, my husband went on a search of the house for the perfect form for it to dry to. Hence, his comment “wine box Koozie”. The bag also got renamed after fifteen minutes of discussion. That will be revealed later. Enjoy our little joke!
It is now time to watch baseball, my least fave sport. But being born and bred American, it’s a must. Thanks for checking in!
OK, so I am taking 3-1/2 hours of my vacation time this morning to regroup and get back on track.
1. October is about over – forgot to get tags for the car, so THAT line will be uber pleasant this morning. But that’s my own fault.
2. Funny how basic items DON’T make it on the shopping list until they’re gone! Yep, Sam’s Club here I come. Blechhh
3. DID get the fabrics ordered for two commissioned orders for kids art books this morning. Should be super cute. And while I was on Fabric.com I found this FANTASTIC corduroy fabric which is going to line one of the Prairie Bags coming up….
Over-The-Top Orange Corduroy
…….and this beauty – embroidered corduroy! Think I’m in love with this one.
Brown Embroidered Corduroy
And there’s still a color of Brown Sheep Company’s Burly Spun yarn that’s not worked up into a bag yet, but THIS was the perfect find for the lining to the future handbag….
Prairie Handbag #? corduroy lining CAN WE ALL SAY WOW!!!!
Aren’t those fabrics absolutely wonderful? They are all ordered and I even was able to use a little coupon on my cord fabrics – YIPEEEEE!! I’ll take it!
After my mini-vacation this morning (ha) I hope to get the Barbed Wire Cable Handbag completely off the needles, get the fun little adornments attached that I found yesterday in my “Inspiration In A Bag” and get that baby in the machine to be felted – YET TODAY! :) There is a closure treatment that I want to test on this bag, hopefully to include a little bling, a little leather, some surprises. Have to keep testing to find the absolute best way.
And look what I found when I was digging through some things – the Pretzel Logic Handbag that I never lined. It was done back in 2008, but then things started falling apart and we had to move. So this baby needs to get lined and in the shop soon. It’s rather a bizarre looking kind of thing, isn’t it.
Pretzel Logic Handbag
And I realized I didn’t actually save the Cherry Blossom Handbag photo yesterday to the computer. That explains a lot. But here it is in a messy heap. This needs to get completed today also if possible. Well, maybe this weekend. :)
Cherry Blossom Handbag
OK, my mini vaca starts in a half hour. So here we go! Let’s tackle the day and have a little fun while we do it, okay?
Love to see you all stopping by – you make my day. :)
The duldrums (sp) hit this week quite unexpectedly. Not a lot of enthusiasm about coming home after work and doing much if anything creative. So this blog is for ME as much as it is for anyone reading. It’s time to recharge – just like my camera.
The houndstooth suiting fabric purchased last week is meandering its way into a handbag. I’ve started out using a basic pattern, but I wanted to switch up the top/handles a little, so now I’m rather stuck until I can figure how to actually DO what’s in my head. It’s at a stop until that’s figured out…..
Feminine Houndstooth - Waiting for Handle Treatment
Then as I went to take a couple extra photos this morning, I see the Cherry Blossom handbag still waiting to be sewn up into a bag – it’s knitted – just needs seams, lining and pink handles…….. (now I can’t find where I put the photo)
Then on to a great grab bag of vintage fabrics a friend at work brought in! This puppy weighs a ton and the fabrics inside are incredibly fun and will make great hobo bags, linings and whatnot….
Gift Bag of Vintage Fabrics
And here is an update on the two bags on the needles:
Barbed Wire Prairie Bag #6
Reynolds Lopi "Brick Streets" Prairie Bag #7
More on the Reynolds Lopi yarn later – becoming not such a big fan. But felting may change my mind, so I’ll try to keep that (my mind) open. :)
And my Japanese inspiration book came this week with MUCH taunting from my husband! He didn’t understand why I’d buy a book written in a foreign language. I told him that it’s the ‘study’ of the graphing done – not the words! And the pictures speak millions of words to me…..
A TREASURY of INSPIRATION!
I need to fly – meetings and work are calling………..
Drop me a line – let me know your thoughts. We can ALL use inspiration and some days a good kick in the keester. :) Happy crafting!
As I am still waiting on an okay from a possible buyer on another item, I decided to tackle the finishing touches to the Firebush Cable Handbag. It’s listed over on Etsy now, after taking it over to the abandoned farmland to take its picture once or twice. So here she is, in all her red and cabled glory………
Firebush Handbag
Smiling Pretty
Now I’m off to see what kind of trouble I can get into down in the sewing room. I may have to start cutting into Bill’s sweater and see what kind of purse I can derive out of it. :)
Happy creating!
The Headache
It’s been a quiet week here on the blog which is not like me. But when headaches hit and won’t split, the computer is the last place these eyes want to be. And yes, the head is better this morning, so I wanted to share another challenge that has my interest piqued.
My supervisor said she found a handbag at The Dressbarn and thought it could be something I could duplicate. OK. The challenge is on, and she hasn’t purchased it yet. So I looked on the Dressbarn website this morning and found two bags I would love to try at some point using suiting and leather fabrics. These are just too cute:
Dressbarn Handbag #1
Dressbarn Handbag #2
I thought first about going to Goodwill and finding a suitcoat, either men’s or women’s style, to upcycle for this project. But then I pulled out the Joann’s flyer for this week and they have their suitings on sale for HALF OFF! And with all the other coupons I have, I am hoping for a very successful trip to Joann’s after my meeting this morning.
As far as the Prairie Cable Bags, there are still 2 on the needles with no progress this week whatsoever. I guess that makes me a headache weenie, right? :) Hopefully this coming weekend there will be a lot of challenges and orders completed.
btw – I ordered a book in Japanese off of Etsy. I don’t read or speak Japanese. But there was some charting for knitting in this book that I know I CAN read. :) The book should be here this weekend, so hopefully some new inspiration will arrive with it. There are wool yarns that are begging to get made into something unique!
After having a ‘corporate’ meeting with Team TygerLily last night, the Fire Bush Cable Handbag is going to be left just as it is. Ideas were being thrown all over the place on how to make it better this way and that way, but my artist husband decided that if we continued on, it would be overworked and an artist needs to know when it’s time to stop. Call it complete. Done. So here is the Fire Bush resting and drying on the blender. Hey, it works, we don’t fight it. :)
Upside Down and On The Blender Drying
Up Close Pic of Perfect Felting Process
So this will sit the rest of the weekend and dry, baby, dry. Handles and a deep dark brown lining will top it off at some point.
It appears I need two bags on the needles at all times, so this Reynolds Lopi 100% wool will be next in line. It is an interesting color that is such a dark burgundy that it’s nearly brown. It’s exquisite.
Reynolds Lopi 100% Wool (this isn't purple like picture looks)
This will be going in my one allotted knitting bag today for our mini-trip. One very DEEP cable is going on the front and back of this bag. Still debating on handle treatment.
On the sewing side, the fabric came in for the diaper bag my hub ordered from me for a gift. Baby isn’t here yet, but they know it’s a girl. I fell in love with this on Fabric.com:
Diaper Bag Fabrics for Gift Giving
And a special order came in overnight on Etsy for a planner cover. So while getting that fabric ordered from Fabric.com I came across some wonderful new items in their store and threw them in my cart. Hey, I had a 15% off coupon and there’s no time like the present.
Fashionista Lacey Beige
Moda Architecture Aqua
Kashmir Floral Pumpkin
These have coordinating fabrics coming also, but you get the idea. Think I’m in love with the pumpkin………. iPad folio, here we come! None of these were the special order, but Amy Butler fabrics were her choice. The buyer has good taste!
Thanks for reading my ramblings this morning. Hopefully a lot of knitting will get accomplished this evening along with a little tour of small town, America. Keep an eye out, things are popping around here!
Image via Wikipedia - 1890 Victorian Queen Anne style home in Geneva, Nebraska
An adventure to a land far, far away (not) ……… Geneva, Nebraska! :) We’ve had this little jaunt planned for quite awhile and even had our reservations to a hotel done early. After Bill advised me this week to keep my knitting to just one bag for the trip, I decided to look into where we were actually going to stay. And what a pleasant surprise! Well, actually way more than pleasant, an actual TREAT in the center of small town Nebraska. Hotel Geneva. Surfing through their hotel site on the web, this little town has a lot going on that will certainly inspire some new creations. The architecture and the uniqueness has my interest piqued!
Does this look like a hotel? But it is!
Look at the bricks on the front of the structure. Can we say ‘texture’ here? And the courthouse on ‘the square’ is Fillmore County’s original structure….
Fillmore County Courthouse, Geneva, Nebraska
Look at the colors, the windows, the arches and pinnacles, the bell tower with the clock! (Just like Back To the Future) What kind of designs does this architectural treasure put into your creative minds? It’s fantastic! You cardmakers out there in blogland should love this one.
So yes, I will accompany my dear husband to set up for the wedding dance he is entertaining at, but then I’m on the prowl with my camera to explore this unique city with a population of 2,030 people. It’s inspiration just waiting to happen.
This little jewel of a city is only a 70 mile trip, so basically in our back yard once again. Are you looking in your back yards for inspiration? Design? Elements to something you can turn into a design that screams “YOU”? Now go check out your backyard. :)
This project has been SO much fun to work on and it’s just about to the point where the felting process can take place this coming weekend. It is named after one of my favorite shrubs that grow prolifically here in Nebraska and adorn many homes, acreages and farms.
Euonymus Alatus (Burning Bush) Sacculus (Handbag)
Even our own University of Nebraska Extension: Backyard Farmer has something to say about this beautiful bush – yes, it’s just THAT beautiful. Maybe you have one in your own landscaping you enjoy. We don’t have any of these at our duplex, but we sure enjoy looking at the homes around us that do!
Burning Bush Shrub
And hence, the inspiration for the fifth handbag in the Prairie Cable Handbag Series:
Burning Bush Cable Handbag - Pre-felting status
The bag is being done in Nebraska’s own Brown Sheep Company’s Lanaloft 100% wool bulky yarn on size 11US needles throughout. There will be some fun surprises that will help make this design even more fun than it already is. So please keep watching and hopefully by this Sunday there will be a newly completed TygerLily bag in the shop.
Thank you all checking in and just look around you! What is inspiring you today? Write it down, get it planned, and get it going!
What a day! Not much has been worked on except the Messenger Bag. And it’s done. Measured. Listed. Complete. And can now be put aside. Here it is, shown just like it is on Etsy. I hope you enjoy………..
Side View
Different Angle
Flap Open
Metallic Logo
Time for a celebratory ice water with fresh lemon and a good little sit on the deck – ahhhhh. Maybe some Aleve would be nice, too. 
Blessings to your Sunday! And thank you for catching up with me here. Leave comments and suggestions if you’d like. Always up for new ideas!
