Welcome, Baby!

Things have been relatively quiet over here on the blog these past few weeks, and it is due to a good reason - please welcome our newest (and smallest) member of the Lina and Vi family - baby Adeline!

We are all doing well, and we are adjusting to our new life at home. Everyone is happy and healthy, and we could not ask for anything better. I can't wait to introduce her to some of the handmade dresses I sewed for her these past few months when the weather (hopefully) warms up a bit here in Michigan again. For now, we are using many of the handmade burp cloths, bandana bibs, and swaddle blankets so she is only a week old and already supporting handmade :-).

I'm looking forward to introducing her to sewing when she is older, but for now, I plan to use her nap time to continue sewing new burlap bags and pillows for our Etsy shop. Our newest little shop help will be here at my side along the way these next few months!

Thank you for your continued support with Lina and Vi! This is a special time for our little family, and I am excited to be able to share it with you.

Stay tuned to our Facebook for continued shop and sewing updates!

Thanks for stopping by,
Erica

A Few of My Favorite Burlap Bags

Clockwise from top: Blue Sound Crossbody Burlap Bag - Swiss Water Burlap Yoga Mat Bag - Cat Lady Burlap Zipper Pouch - Floral Burlap Crossbody Zipper Bag - Gold and Navy Blue Branch Foldover Burlap Clutch - USDA Organic Burlap Pouch

Hello, and happy Sunday! The days seem to be drifting together right now as we try to patiently wait for the arrival of our baby. While I was hoping for some good news of her arrival this weekend, it seems that she will be taking a couple more days. So while I am in this waiting period, I decided to embark on a few new sewing projects that are rather simple. If I don't end up finishing them up before she arrives, then I'll be able to pick these projects up again when I'm looking for a bit of time to spend doing something creative during the next few months.

Despite the baby projects, I have still been sewing plenty of burlap goods these past few weeks! If you follow us on Facebook, I've been posting a couple of our favorite burlap pillows that are ready to ship! Head on over to our Etsy shop to see the complete collection of our handmade and hand-stenciled burlap pillows made right here in Michigan!

Aside from burlap pillows, there are several unique burlap purses, pouches, and clutches in our shop as well. I am featuring a few of my favorites in the collage above. All of these burlap bags feature individual cuts of printed coffee bean sack burlap paired with a fun, patterned cotton print. There are many different varieties of bags available right now, and as with all of the designs in the Grounds Collection, they are one of a kind so they are ready to ship immediately! No need to pre-order. Need a quick gift or looking for a new bag for the upcoming early fall season? Shop handmade and stop by the Lina and Vi Etsy shop to see full details and more photos of each of our coffee sack burlap bags.

I'm hoping to share our exciting news in our next update! Stay tuned to our blog and our Facebook page, and as always, thank YOU for supporting small, handmade businesses like mine.

Erica

A Leopard Print Burlap Bag

Hi friends, and happy almost weekend! I promised that I would be back to share one of my latest me-made projects this week, and here it is! This fun, leopard-print burlap tote bag is my latest sewing project. After nearly two years of carrying my Charleston burlap tote bag, it was time for a new everyday bag for myself.  While my Charleston burlap bag needed its handles repaired once, it required no other repairs over the course of almost two years. But after several trips and everyday use, the burlap was worn, and it was time for something new. Knowing that I'll be carrying a diaper bag now, I wanted to make something that was flexible enough with shoulder straps and a strap to carry the bag across the body.

This leopard print burlap tote is a medium-sized bag with brown leather handles, a beige cotton canvas bottom, and an exterior slide pocket. I prefer to have at least one zipper pocket on the inside lining so I added a small one along with another slide pocket for my cell phone on the inside. The leopard print is a high quality woven fabric that will be durable enough to hold up to everyday use. There is a magnetic metal snap as well as two exterior loops for attaching a long strap. The long leather strap you see here is from a different, store-bought purse that I had from a couple of years ago. This is the second time I've used it as a long strap for one of my personal burlap bags, and although it shows wear, it works out well and is easy to attach and detach.

One thing you might notice is that the burlap is plain and doesn't contain any text or images. I intentionally wanted to keep the burlap solid for this design because I know the leopard print was pretty busy. With a bold pattern, I wanted to keep the rest of the bag as neutral as possible. I think I achieved that, and I'm really happy with how this bag turned out. I'm hoping it will last another two years like my last burlap bag! Now, if only I had an official name for it... :-)

With less than two weeks to go until baby arrives, I'm not sure that I'll have the chance to sew any new projects in the coming weeks. I'm glad I was able to squeeze this one in so that I know I have a reliable everyday bag that will transition well into fall. The next few months will fly by, so I'm making any preparations I can now to get organized ahead of time!

Have a great weekend and thanks for reading!
Erica