New! Floral Burlap Crossbody Zipper Pouch

Hi friends! I'm back today to share a short update and a few pictures of my latest burlap crossbody bag. With two weeks to go until my due date and the summer heat fully turned up here in Michigan, I'm trying to keep cool while still being active in the evenings and sewing when I can. I know that once she arrives, I'll be taking a short break from sewing for a while, so I'm spending the free time I have now sewing up new items for my Etsy shop before I take some time away from my sewing machine. Today I'm sharing our newest crossbody bag, the Floral Burlap Crossbody Zipper Pouch.

When I set out to make a new bag, I knew I wanted to make something that was across the body with a longer strap. I am going to blame it on the heat of summer, or maybe I'll blame it on the fact that I know I will have so much more to carry with me in the coming weeks with a baby, but I wanted to go hands-free with my next design. The burlap is minimalistic, featuring a green industrial text on one panel and a solid burlap panel on the back. I opted for a fun, floral print with shades of gray, yellow, and orange so this bag would easily transition from the bright colors of summer to the warmer shades of fall.











Two metal claw clasps make the strap removable so it is possible to carry this zipper pouch like a clutch or as an organizer inside of a larger bag (such as a diaper bag or beach bag). I love how functional this bag is - it is small and practical but creative and fun. It's ready to ship now. Stop by our Etsy shop to see more details about this handmade burlap zipper bag!

I have one more project to share before the baby arrives that I hope to share later this week. Hint: this project was for a special customer - me! Have a great weekend, and thank you for reading!

Erica

A Nursery Tour!

Today I'm sharing a couple of photos of our baby girl's nursery. Most of what you see in this room has been a DIY, so although not everything here is related to sewing, I thought I would share the design in the spirit of showing what a little bit of creativity and crafting can do to spruce up a room, especially on a budget.

We converted a spare bedroom to a nursery this past spring. It was previously a room with a dark color scheme - beige and crimson with touches of dark brown and black. We decided to keep the beige on the walls and accent the color with tones of peach, white, brown, and ivory. I didn't decorate based on one specific theme for the room, but rather stuck to a color scheme throughout to give the design some cohesiveness.

The DIY elements of our baby girl's nursery include both handmade elements from myself and my husband. To start, the floating wall shelves were hand-crafted by my husband as well as the refinished crib and dresser which he changed from natural wood to a white paint using a paint plus primer product from Sherwin-Williams. Similarly, he used his woodworking skills to transform a large framed mirror from a bedroom set into a smaller, rectangular mirror by removing the mirror from the original inset, taking it to a local glass cutter to cut it down, and framing it with handmade moulding. The mirror matches the same color as the dresser and crib (not shown below).

As for my crafty touches, I handmade the moon and stars mobile, which I shared in this previous post. I also used my Silhouette Cameo to cut decals of a dahlia at different scale which I used to accent the top portion of one of the walls in the nursery to give it more interest.  I also recently handmade a wooden "I Love You Sign" (not shown) to place on one of the wooden shelves for decoration.  I upcycled two frames that were used for our wedding reception (4 years ago!) to frame the watercolor prints that you see above the crib which I purchased from two different artists on Etsy.

Overall, I think the nursery turned out great! I still need to put finishing touches here and there. As you can see, there is one open spot for a frame above the crib which I plan to hang a letter once we decide upon our little one's name. That will be another DIY likely to be done after she is born, and I'm in need of a creative project in between naps and feedings.

I hope you enjoyed this short tour of our peach-themed nursery! We are three weeks away from meeting our baby, and I am both nervous and excited for her arrival.

Thank you for stopping by and have a great rest of the week!
Erica

Swiss Water Burlap Yoga Mat Tote Bag

Here we are in mid-July! How did this this happen so quickly? I'm feeling pretty pregnant these days, but the heat has been manageable so far so I'm hoping that we continue to have a mild summer here in Michigan. I'm happy to still have some energy at the end of each day to continue to sew a bit, although I will be honest that I can feel myself slowing down more and more as each day passes. I love to sew, so if I can still manage it after a full day of work, commute, and dinner, then I'll commit whatever time I can to continue to create. The bonus is that it is a huge stress-reliever for me, so as I get closer to my due date (one month away!), I will need to find alternative ways to help me relax in the evenings. Yoga, anyone?

This past week I worked on a brand new yoga mat burlap tote bag, the Swiss Water bag. It's a beautiful print that I've seen before on a burlap coffee sack, but this time around I designed a yoga mat bag around the imprint rather than a shoulder bag. The simplicity of the design with the bright blue really gives this mat bag some personality. This yoga mat bag is definitely not for the shy. If you are looking for practical and fun way to carry your yoga mat to and from the gym or studio, this is the one for you! The burlap is authentic to the original sack, and the yoga mat bag is completely handmade in Plymouth, Michigan.




I opted for a solid lavender lining on the inside. It helps to reduce friction when sliding a yoga mat in and out of the bag. The top flap is a solid beige cotton canvas with a clear toggle closure so it's easy to open and close before and after class while you are setting up your yoga mat.  You can shop this bag now in our Etsy shop!

I'll be back next week sharing more photos of my DIY baby girl nusery! Enjoy your weekend and thanks for supporting my handmade business!

Erica

Our Latest Burlap Bag: the Pyramid Market Tote

I'm thrilled to be able to share a new burlap tote bag with you today! This medium-sized market bag is one that I am particularly proud of. It features a simple yet modern pyramid design on the repurposed burlap front and back panels, offset with a soft, faux leather brown bottom that is trimmed with an ivory cotton canvas fabric. I'm especially proud of that ivory trim on the bottom. It took me some extra time to get it just right, and I love how the design turned out. This market tote bag is truly one of the more sophisticated burlap bags I have designed, and I am in love with how it turned out.

A couple of other details to share about this bag include the flat pocket on the interior lining for easily organizing small items and the handmade wide straps so the bag stays firmly on your shoulder. I opted for a neutral, ivory cotton canvas fabric on the interior which matches the trim on the exterior bottom and the handles. The handles turned out beautifully with a top stitch that strengthens each strap and makes them durable.







You can shop the Pyramid market tote bag now in our Etsy shop! I have a good feeling this one is going to go fast with its neutral color palette and organic, natural style.

This weekend is Plymouth's Art in the Park, and while we are not participating, we do have our handmade burlap pillows available to shop at Birch Wood Boutique on Forest Ave! You will find our Plymouth and Detroit stenciled pillows as well as the Michigan home and Great Lakes square burlap pillow available. Plus, everything in the boutique is on sale for the art fair! Everyone knows I love a good sale. ;-)

I hope you are enjoying your weekend. The sun is out, the temperature is cooler, and I am taking full advantage of this pleasant weather with my larger baby bump in tow. We are only 5 weeks away from welcoming our new family member - time is flying!

Thanks for stopping by,
Erica

New in the Shop: Burlap Zipper Pouches

I'm back at the sewing machine this week sharing a couple of new items for our Etsy shop. We closed out June with three new burlap pouches in our shop, and I'm loving the color combinations for these fun yet practical zipper bags.

Each zipper pouch is sewn from 100% repurposed coffee sack burlap bags and finished with a colorful printed or solid lining fabric. The burlap prints on these pouches are bold and completely authentic to the original coffee sack. The zippers are standard high-quality YKK zippers in both white and ivory. I love sewing these pouches because it is fun to combine different color combinations together. They are so useful for organizing small items, or even replacing a big purse, especially during the warmer summer months when there is a tendency to carry a lighter load. You can shop this set of three in our Etsy shop now. These are completely USA (and Michigan) made.

In other news, we are halfway through 2017 which seems surreal. I don't know where the months went, but I do know that the second half of 2017 is going to be an exciting one. I am looking forward to welcoming our baby, adjusting to motherhood, and finding a new normal balance between sewing/career/family.  I sense a few more baby sewing projects in my near future!

I hope that you are enjoying this beautiful holiday weekend and spending time with your friends and family to both relax and celebrate for the 4th of July!

Enjoy!

Erica