Lina and Vi: August 2016

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Lina and Vi Burlap Pillows in Alpena

Up North Michigan burlap handmade pillow - by Lina and Vi Plymouth Michigan

Over the past two weeks, I have been working on a new custom burlap pillow order for a gift shop in Alpena, Michigan. I am thrilled to be able to partner with another Michigan small business to sell my handmade burlap goods! This is my largest pillow order to date since starting Lina and Vi, and it was an exciting challenge to be able to sew a set of new custom designs for the shop. 

For a few days, I had a room full of pillows in my house, and it was quite the sight. I'm happy to report that they are all packaged and ready to ship up north, and that one of the new custom designs is now available for purchase in our Etsy shop.

Up North Michigan burlap pillow by Lina and Vi Plymouth MI

Just in time for the warmer months, our new burlap Up North Michigan pillow is a way to personalize your decor for the coming Fall season. Of course, mostly Michiganders will understand the lingo of  'up north'. Here in the southern part of the lower peninsula, it typically means that you are heading on vacation to an area in a northern part of the lower peninsula. Heading to the upper peninsula is also included in heading up north in Michigan, but more often than not, most of us journey the shorter drive north in the lower peninsula to get away and enjoy the beautiful Michigan landscape.

Up North Michigan burlap pillow by Lina and VI plymouth Michigan

The Up North Michigan design is available in black or brown text. These rectangular burlap pillows measure 10 inches by 23.5 inches long, and they are backed with a solid cream canvas cotton fabric. They add interest and pop to a couch or loveseat with a sweet reminder of our happy places. Are you a fellow Michigander and do you vacation up north? I'd love to hear what cities you visit!

You can find more pillows similar to the Up North Michigan pillow, including custom order pillows, in our shop here. Remember to follow Lina and Vi on Facebook for daily updates on our burlap tote bags, sewing, and pillow making!

Enjoy,
Erica


Friday, August 19, 2016

Early Fall Burlap Zipper Pouches



Repurposed burlap zipper pouch handmade in Plymouth by Lina and Vi

 As summer starts to wind down, I'm bringing out more fall fabrics and choosing warmer color schemes for the cooler temps ahead.  Like everyone else, it's hard to believe that the summer season is coming to a close very soon. Although not much will change for me with the changing of the season, I will miss the great weather we've had here in Michigan, the outdoor fairs and farmer's markets, and the longer days. 

I recently made a goal to get my Etsy shop up to at least thirty items, and I achieved that goal this week. I'm hoping to keep it at or above thirty items for the remainder of the year so that I have plenty of variety for my customers using new color schemes, prints, and designs. I am a huge proponent of establishing goals, whether in business or in life in general, and I'm making more of an effort this year to establish achievable goals to keep my small handmade business growing.


Repurposed burlap zipper pouch handmade in Plymouth by Lina and Vi

Repurposed burlap zipper pouch handmade in Plymouth by Lina and Vi

Earlier this week, I wrapped up three large burlap zipper pouches. I love making these because they are a useful size and are very practical for organization. Each burlap pouch features new color combinations geared for the fall and winter months. I've always been a huge fan of mustard yellow, and I'm happy to report that at least one of the bags features a flat bottom in mustard yellow and white woven upholstery fabric, which compliment the color of the burlap beautifully.

Repurposed burlap zipper pouch handmade in Plymouth Michigan by Lina and Vi

Repurposed burlap zipper pouch handmade in Plymouth Michigan by Lina and Vi

Repurposed burlap zipper pouch handmade in Plymouth Michigan by Lina and Vi

You can find these three handmade burlap pouches in my shop now under the Burlap Zipper Pouches section. They are all cut from repurposed coffee bean burlap sacks and matched with unique combinations of accent fabrics for the bottom and interiors. Everything is handmade in Plymouth, Michigan.

I hope you are enjoying the start to your weekend! I'll be back next week with a status report on one of my largest sewing endeavors to date!

Enjoy,
Erica


Monday, August 8, 2016

Estate Crossbody Burlap Bag

Estate Crossbody burlap bag by Lina and Vi Plymouth Michigan


Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend!

The weather here in Michigan has been beautiful, so I feel lucky to have spent a lot of this past weekend outdoors. Of course, there's always the conundrum - to stay inside and sew or to head outside and enjoy the weather while we have it.  I was lucky enough to have a three day weekend, so despite spending time outside in the sun, I was able to make great progress on a new bag that I'm introducing today, the Estate Crossbody bag.

I opted for another crossbody burlap bag since our Cafe Crossbody bag sold out so quickly in July, and I've been noticing how popular when I am out and about at the summer farmer's markets and art fairs. In fact, I just realized that I never shared a post about that bag as it sold it a few days after I had originally listed it in our Etsy shop! 

The new Estate Crossbody burlap bag is a medium-sized bag with a metal zipper closure and a long cream strap. The exterior is embellished with black industrial text original to the burlap coffee bean sack. I choose to use a brown and white tweed fabric for the lining and added a coordinating pocket using a chocolate brown faux leather fabric with white top-stitching detail. The interior feels very warm, so it's a great option for a transition bag from summer to fall this season.

Estate Crossbody burlap bag by Lina and Vi Plymouth Michigan

Estate Crossbody burlap bag by Lina and Vi Plymouth Michigan

Estate Crossbody burlap bag by Lina and Vi Plymouth Michigan

I think you will begin to see more crossbody burlap bags in the Grounds Collection in our Etsy shop during the next few months. I like how practical these bags are for the everyday, especially for those of us who carry multiple bags while we are on the go or have kiddos and strollers that require free hands.

You can find this new burlap bag in our Etsy shop here. I'm really focused on adding new burlap bags to the shop for the fall season, so stay tuned this month to see what else I've been working on!

Enjoy your week, and as always, thank you for your support with Lina and Vi!

Erica

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Our First Burlap Yoga Mat Bag

Burlap Yoga Mat Bag by Lina and Vi - linaandvi.etsy.com

One of my favorite things about the town I live in is that they offer a variety of events for families and residents of the community. Every summer, they hold yoga in the park at the center of the downtown area in Kellogg Park, and I try my best to make it to each weekly session. There's over a hundred people in attendance generally, and it's awesome to be part of a large group of people practicing together at the same time.

I've always had the idea to sew up a burlap yoga mat tote bag, but I always talked myself out of it for some reason - difficulty, uncertainty, effort.  Being in between projects last week, the idea popped into my head again, and I wanted to give it a shot.

I drew up some very rudimentary drawings, figuring that if it worked out, I'd be able to reference the dimensions to make a second burlap yoga mat bag. And I'm happy I did, because I am thrilled with how it turned out and am looking forward to making a second.

Burlap Yoga Mat Bag by Lina and Vi - linaandvi.etsy.com

Burlap Yoga Mat Bag by Lina and Vi - linaandvi.etsy.com

Burlap Yoga Mat Bag by Lina and Vi - linaandvi.etsy.com

Burlap Yoga Mat Bag by Lina and Vi - linaandvi.etsy.com

Burlap Yoga Mat Bag by Lina and Vi - linaandvi.etsy.com

Burlap Yoga Mat Bag by Lina and Vi - linaandvi.etsy.com

Yoga mat bags aren't a new thing, but a repurposed, coffee bean sack burlap yoga mat bag is pretty unique to find. I accented the bag with a fun coral, teal, and white ikat printed cotton fabric. Both the handle and the drawstring opening are sewn using that patterned fabric.

I choose to line the interior of the bag with a silky, off white fabric which adds to durability but also makes it easier to slide the sticky yoga mat bag in and out.  The pop of color, the industrial black text, and the natural burlap fabric are a great compliment to yoga, which focuses on finding balance, calmness, and inner peace.

This was a fun bag to work on, and I am definitely making more! You can shop our Shade Grown burlap yoga mat bag here or find other burlap tote bags in our Etsy shop now.

If you are local and attend the weekly community yoga sessions, please leave me a comment! I'd love to meet one of my fellow yoga-loving readers in the area.

Enjoy!
Erica