Thursday Updates From a Slow Week

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!

Oct 15 2011

Fire Bush, Fabric, Small Town America

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!

Oct 13 2011

Euonymus Alatus Sacculus (or) Burning Bush Handbag

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!

Oct 9 2011

Season’s Royal Messenger Bag is Complete

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!

Oct 5 2011

Watch out! It’s Barbed Wire Coming Your Way

A lot got done while Season’s Royal Messenger Bag was getting a good start at drying to shape this afternoon. There is a golden poppy wool that went into my hands first, and almost made it to the couch arm to work with. And then an idea came into my head. Barbed wire. My husband makes fun of the word and has from the day I met him. He likes to pronounce it Bob wire, just to irk me I’m sure. Plus, what type of fencing do you see the most out on the highways of the heartland? Yep, good old barbed wire. Keeps what needs to be safe, safe…. And keeps harm away. Perfect theory behind a handbag, don’t you think? So the gold poppy got put away and some gray 100% wool bulky Ironstone from Las Vegas, New Mexico, got pulled out. This will end up being a smaller bag, and there’s going to be some surprises at the top, I hope.

Extremely excited with this start. I have never used this brand of wool before, so the felting process is unfamiliar. But we are going to go with the flow here. Things happen for a reason and it’s good to try new elements.

Keep watching! Surprises may be in store.

Oct 5 2011

A Royal Felting

I know today is Wednesday and I’m usually working. But I was scheduled a bit differently this week and get to work Saturday. So today is play time.

Season’s Royal Messenger Bag came off the needles completely, and with only about 3 feet of yarn left out of three hanks of Brown Sheep Burly Spun. This is what it looked like before it hit the showers…….

Pre-felting

And an up close and personal picture of the diamond style cabling on the front flap…..

Diamond Cables

The close up actually shows the real color of this bag much better than some other shots taken. I was VERY happy with the way the flap came together. But then, as we all know, there’s no time like the present. So off to the showers with this guy and here he is sitting out on the deck getting his ‘dry’ on. It was tough finding a box to help form it, but after doing some thinking and realizing I wanted this big enough to hold a laptop, I went in search of computer boxes around the house. So he is sitting and taking in some gorgeous fall weather getting prepped for some serious oriental brocade to be the lining. Along with some batting of course. This has to be a very protective messenger bag.

Back Shot - SUPER handle!!

Front Flap View with Button Loop

He should be good and dry by Sunday so we can get it all finished and hopefully get over to the abandoned farm for some photos.

One more thing…. A little more of Monday’s Sneak Peek……

Lanaloft 100% Wool

This is a whole lot bigger than it looks, and should end up being a medium size bag. This one’s oval handles are waiting by the sewing machine. But I ran out of Lanaloft quicker than anticipated, so there’s another hank coming in from Woobee’s.

So there is technically NO purses that are workable on the needles. So I guess that means I’d better get to it. There’s a whole afternoon left to get something started.

Oct 3 2011

Monday Teaser

As I was taking a break from working on Season’s Royal Messenger Bag yesterday…. getting some ice water with lemon, taking the dog outside…….. sitting looking around at what’s out our back door….. something came to mind. Coming in, I told Bill the idea for the next bag had been born. And he proceeded to say, “Well, you’d better get on that right now before you forget exactly what it is!” No kidding, that’s what he said. So here’s a little teaser of what’s coming up next……….

Brown Sheep Company's 100% wool Lanaloft

Lanaloft wool

Isn’t he the best in making me sit and get this started? He’s my biggest motivator and supporter. It almost looks like a crown!

This will be the FIFTH in the Prairie Cable Series of handbags – and just a little bit smaller than the previous ones. Keep watching!

Oct 2 2011

Season’s Royal Messenger Bag – The Process One Week Later

I had something totally different on the schedule for this afternoon, but after finding the perfect element to THAT project on the internet (which means time out for order arrival) there was time to continue on with Season’s Royal Messenger Bag. This is going to be the 4th in the Prairie Cable Series of bags. My only hope is that I’ve started with it being big enough, before the felting process. The pictures turned out pink today. I’m bummed. Just remember this is a jewel tone royal purple wool yarn – using size 13 US needles throughout. Entire bag should use about three hanks of wool. Yeah, we can say $$$, but well worth it.

So here is the big guy, bag portions and strap handle completely knitted. And this is all the teaser you will get until the FUN FLAP gets completely finished.

What a BIG boy he is!!! He's cable-icious!

Thick Burly Spun Brown Sheep 100% wool in Amethyst

Time to get flap-crazy!!! Let’s all keep our fingers crossed – it has to be deeply textured and full of fun. Maybe next weekend there will be some felting going on around here.

Oct 1 2011

“Steeples on the Plains” Handbag – It’s Journey

Progress, progress, progress! Not making much of a dent in my list for the weekend, but it really is okay. THIS handbag is complete and ready for someone to nab up. Here’s it’s little Saturday journey……

Have to have TYGERLILY embroidered ya know.

Everyone should have some backbone, don't you think? (awful photo color though)

Yes, my messy sewing area when the embroidery needs to get done.

... all the way to it's enjoying some fresh air on abandoned farmland.

The ‘team’ gave a big thumbs up on this one, which makes this base design something to consider doing again – just a different cable theme. We couldn’t have asked for it to work up any better than it did.

Thank you all again for traveling along this highway we have ourselves on – and there’s always surprises around the corner. GET CREATIVE and ENJOY! :)

Oct 1 2011

Goals, Lists, Nerds and a FREE Knitted Headband Pattern

Two days of no plans other than TygerLily projects. It’s a long list, but there’s been progress. Some times I wonder if this passion of mine is a blessing or a curse!

Golf club cover yarn has been wound into balls. We do this by hand just like mom did back in the day. I know there are tools out there for this but will save those $$’s for something else. So the Peruvian wool is ready to start knitting with.

Want to ~~get through one more hank of Burly Spun on Season’s Royal Messenger Bag~~ this weekend. Hancock Fabrics had a divine oriental brocade with a perfect design that will end up being a very soft and slick lining for it. So far I’ve managed to work through maybe one third of my goal. Progress! – (accomplished)

With six tote bags that have been special ordered, the goal is to complete just ONE this weekend to show the buyer. I am pretty stoked about these and can’t wait to share their design. No yarn used on these though, totally done in fabric and iron on vinyl.

the ~~Steeples bag~~ is totally ready for the sewing room!!! The leather strappy handles came in a week early and they are screaming at me to get this bag complete! Paisley corduroy will make a great cushy lining, too. (accomplished)

And then the big project….. The new iPad portfolio design that absolutely has to get done. Once it’s perfected, there will be many more ready to roll for those nerds like me who want the ease of the iPad, but just can’t give up paper and pen. There’s something rewarding AND cathartic about using a PEN!

Last, I wanted to share a great FREE pattern I came across the other day. With the fall chill in the air and winter coming up, this would make a great weekend project for all you knitters out there.

Cascade Yarns Headband FREE knitting Pattern………