Lina and Vi: September 2016

Monday, September 19, 2016

Comeback City: Detroit Burlap Pillow

Detroit burlap handmade pillow - made by lina and vi plymouth mi

I'm back today sharing a new variation of our Plymouth burlap pillow, the Detroit Michigan burlap pillow. Very similar to our Plymouth and Alpena burlap pillows, this rectangular shaped pillow has a burlap front and a solid cotton canvas back. The name of the city is hand-stenciled directly onto the burlap, with the silhouette of the lower peninsula as the 'O' (My Silhouette Cameo is a huge help when creating these stencils!). This one is for all those Detroiters who love their city and have pride in it, despite the popular perception that Detroit will always be a fallen city with a dismal future.

I am proud to say that I was born and raised in the metro Detroit area, and although I live further away from the city now than I ever have, I still venture into the downtown area to explore the new shops and restaurants. I spent four years driving into Detroit when I attended the University of Detroit Mercy, which is on the northwest side of the city in an area that is often regarded as a bit rough. It has been many years since I attended the University, and the amount of change in the area is visible enough that I don't recognize a lot of the familiar stops along the way that I became used to when navigating the commute for four years. I learned a lot in those four years and a good portion of it was outside of the classroom and outside of my own comfort zone in a new, big city.

Detroit burlap handmade pillow - made by lina and vi plymouth mi

Although the Detroit pillow seems like just another variation of our popular burlap pillow, it carries a lot of meaning. Detroit represents a bit of grittiness, but that is what builds resilience and resourcefulness. It is now regarded as the comeback city, gaining attention and respect from other cities for its evolution and continued revival, and that is what I love the most about it. I respect hard work and the hustle, and I hope that I continue to see that bootstrap culture change the city for the better.

There is currently only one of our Detroit burlap pillows available in our Etsy shop but more on the way as interest grows. You can shop here or shop locally at Birch Wood boutique in downtown Plymouth, Michigan.

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Coffee Hunters Burlap Foldover Clutch

Coffe Hunters burlap foldover clutch by Lina and Vi Plymouth MI

Fall is here, and I'm celebrating by using some beautiful new fabric in the warm red and brown tones if the season! I'm here to share a brand new bag that is now available in our Etsy shop, the Coffee Hunters foldover burlap clutch. 

This one was handmade using a new cut of repurposed coffee bean burlap sack and accented with a burnt orange cotton printed with gold polka dots. The outside features a chocolate brown top-stitching detail. Inside the bag, I opted to use a solid white cotton to keep it minimalistic since the exterior is the main focus of this, and many, of the Lina and Vi burlap bags.  I chose a heavy-duty bronze metal YKK zipper with a vanilla zipper tape, which coordinates well with the brown tones of the burlap.

Coffe Hunters burlap foldover clutch by Lina and Vi Plymouth MI

Coffe Hunters burlap foldover clutch by Lina and Vi Plymouth MI

I decided to change up my design process and sew a foldover clutch rather than wristlet style clutch this time around. This medium sized bag is lightweight, spacious, and incredibly easy to carry. What I love the most is the flexibility of how this bag can be used. It can be a clutch, but it can be used to carry or organize a variety of things. The design of the foldover top allows the bag to easy expand to fit taller items, like a tablet or notebook. With a hot iron, the foldover crease can easily be flattened down, and the bag could be transformed into a large zipper pouch.

Coffe Hunters burlap foldover clutch by Lina and Vi Plymouth MI

I really enjoyed sewing this burlap foldover clutch. Although the design is seemingly simple, the printed burlap and small gold polka dots give this bag a lot of personality!

You can shop this bag now in our Etsy store. I hope you are wrapping up another great September weekend and preparing for a good Monday morning! I'll be back with more updates later this week.

Enjoy,
Erica

Sunday, September 4, 2016

019 Burlap Yellow and White Tote

019 Burlap Tote Bag - handmade by Lina and Vi Plymouth MI - www.linaandvi.etsy.com

With most of the month of August focused on burlap pillowing making, I'm so happy to have wrapped up a brand new burlap tote bag this past weekend, the 019 tote. A lot of good things happened this weekend including finding extra time to sew up this lovely new design, celebrating my birthday, journeying to explore new areas of Detroit with friends, and sharing a delicious, homemade Italian meal with my family.  I'll spare you the details on them all, with the exception of the bag making. Let me show you around our newest burlap design and share how I made this everyday bag from a gigantic burlap sack.

019 Burlap Tote Bag - handmade by Lina and Vi Plymouth MI - www.linaandvi.etsy.com

I had wanted to add a new medium-sized tote bag to my burlap bag collection, and I found a great cut of burlap waiting to be used for just that. I chose a mustard yellow and ivory woven print fabric to form the bag's bottom and exterior slide pocket. This fabric is great for the exterior as its interior decorating/upholstery quality fabric making it super durable. The color scheme is chosen specifically for the cooler months, with the yellow and tan balancing each other out well. 

On the inside of the 019, I chose to include another slide pocket in a smaller dimension, specifically for keeping small items separated from the main compartment. The interior lining is a cream cotton canvas accented with a solid tan beige on the bag's interior bottom. It's a bit of color blocking on the inside to give it some dimension and interest while still using a coordinating warm color palette. You can find all of the specific dimensions of this burlap bag by visiting the listing in our Etsy shop.

019 Burlap Tote Bag - handmade by Lina and Vi Plymouth MI - www.linaandvi.etsy.com

019 Burlap Tote Bag - handmade by Lina and Vi Plymouth MI - www.linaandvi.etsy.com

019 Burlap Tote Bag - handmade by Lina and Vi Plymouth MI - www.linaandvi.etsy.com

019 Burlap Tote Bag - handmade by Lina and Vi Plymouth MI - www.linaandvi.etsy.com

I am thankful to have some extra time on this long weekend to sew. I hope you are enjoying your weekend wherever you are and spending some time, no matter how little, doing something that you love.

You can shop all of burlap tote bags now here in our Etsy shop.

Enjoy,
Erica