Category Archives: Bags of a feather

Patchwork and Lace

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Patchwork Sampler Wristlet

Patchwork Sampler Wristlet

I have been playing around recently with some different ideas for sewing, and made a couple of small wristlets out of some fabric sample squares that I had sewn together and then let them sit around for almost 2 years. That is not unusual- I will sometimes start a project and put it aside at some stage because I am not thrilled with the direction things are going. Then one day, it all comes together again and the piece gets finished. I love when that happens!

Bird Stripe and Vintage Lace Cosmetic Zipper Pouch

Bird Stripe and Vintage Lace Cosmetic Zipper Pouch

The bird fabric in the cosmetic pouch above is the last of a long piece that I had left, and there was enough to use it as the front of 2 separate pouches. It has a lovely antique look to it and the colors are beautiful. The narrow strip of lace on the pouch was taken form a big shirt box filled with all kinds of vintage lace that was given to me by my 95-year-old mother-in-law. She cannot remember exactly where the lace came from, but said that some of it was handmade in Germany by her mother and grandmother. That makes it somewhere around the mid-1800s to the early 1900s. Most of the lace is in very good condition, except for a few pieces that have discolored a bit with age. I plan to use bits of the lace in some upcoming projects. It is too nice to sit in a box forever!

The items in this post are available in my etsy shop Bags of a Feather, and you can click on the picture to go to the listing with all the description details and additional pictures.

Wednesday Wings from Bags of a Feather- Toucans

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This weeks’ installment of Wednesday Wings From Bags of a Feather features toucans!

Keel-billed toucan

Keel-billed toucan

Toucans and toucannettes are parrots native to Latin America, and are instantly recognizable by their enormous beaks. In some species of toucans, the beak measures more than half the length of the body. Despite its size, the toucan’s bill is very light, being composed of bone struts filled with spongy tissue of keratin between them. They eat mostly fruit, but will also eat small lizards and insects, and sometimes raid the nests of smaller bird species for the eggs.

Keel-Billed Toucan

Keel-Billed Toucan

Toucans dwell in hollowed-out cavities of trees excavated by other animals such as woodpeckers—the toucan bill has very limited use as an excavation tool. When the eggs hatch, the young emerge completely naked, without any down. Toucans are resident breeders and do not migrate. Toucans are usually found in pairs or small flocks. They sometimes fence with their bills and wrestle, which scientists hypothesize they do to establish dominance hierarchies.

Toucans kept in captivity need large aviaries or flights to provide the exercise they need. They can be very curious and will try to eat almost anything.

Nesting red-breasted toucan

Nesting red-breasted toucan

Toucan fabric can be hard to find. I am always on the lookout for unusual parrot or bird fabrics, including toucans. I do have some beautiful  toucan fabric coasters in my etsy shop:

Toucan Fabric Coaster Set

Toucan Fabric Coaster Set

 

Gifts for Mother’s Day from Bags of a Feather

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Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 12, 2013.  If you are looking for a lovely, hand-crafted gift for Mom this year, check out Bags of a Feather on etsy  The shop is well-stocked with over 160 items, including kindle covers, cellphone pouches, and stand-up cosmetic pouches.

Antique bird print anti-tarnish jewelry pouch

Antique bird print anti-tarnish jewelry pouch

My anti-tarnish jewelry zipper pouches make a great, re-useable “package” to hold silver jewelry, and will help to keep tarnish from forming on necklaces, earrings, or bracelets. I am almost positive that Mom has better things to do than polish silver!

Pink Batik Anti-tarnish Jewelry Pouch

Pink Batik Anti-tarnish Jewelry Pouch

And don’t forget that May and June are also prime season for graduations and weddings!

Laurel Burch Hummingbird Kindle cover

Laurel Burch Hummingbird Kindle cover

There is also a sale going on for all my larger wristlets, tote bags, and purses, with prices marked down 30-40 % off.

Purple Poppies Shoulder Bag

Purple Poppies Shoulder Bag

Some Bright and Colorful New Bags From Bags of a Feather

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Maybe it is the long and drawn-out winter here in western Massachusetts, but I have been not seeing any color when I look out the window (other than brown, gray, and white). There are a few green bulb shoots coming up through the ground, but htere are also big piles of snow that are going to take forever to melt. Last year at this time, we had a very early spring and temperatures in the 80s by the end of March. Not this year- it is still very cold at night and has been in the 30s the last couple of days with a coating of fresh snow on the ground in the morning. I love New England, but I am ready for spring!

Big snow piles

Big snow piles

My latest sewing projects have involved some very bright and colorful fabrics from my fabric stash. Nothing subtle or understated here! I guess if Mother Nature wants to take her time showing some spring colors, I will have to create my own color in the sewing studio. Here are a few new things available in my Bags of a Feather etsy shop (click on the picture to see more pictures and a full description):

Pink Batik Anti-tarnish Jewelry Pouch

Pink Batik Anti-tarnish Jewelry Pouch

Bold Floral Anti-tarnish Jewelry Pouch

Bold Floral Anti-tarnish Jewelry Pouch

Lush Flower Garden Anti-tarnish Jewelry Pouch

Lush Flower Garden Anti-tarnish Jewelry Pouch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Cleaning Your Sewing Machine

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iStock Photo- sewing machine by Sergey Belov

iStock Photo- sewing machine by Sergey Belov

 

Spring is the perfect time to clean your hard-working sewing machine. Periodic cleaning and preventative care and maintenance is important to keep your sewing machine in good working order. If you use your sewing machine frequently, dust, lint, or bits of thread can get stuck inside the machine and cause it to jam or work harder than necessary.

Many older sewing machines have specific maintenance and cleaning instructions for removing dust and lint, and for oiling specific machine parts to lubricate moving or rotating parts. This simple maintenance will protect connecting metal parts from excessive wear and tear and ensure freedom of movement.

  • Unplug your sewing machine.
  • Remove the needle and sewing machine foot, and unscrew the throat plate on the machine.
  • Use a small lint brush to remove pieces of thread, lint, or dust inside the machine. Use if canned, compressed air is not recommended as it could blow dust further into the machine.
  • Refer to your individual sewing machine manual for specific instructions for oiling your machine.
  • Check the foot pedal for any accumulated dust or pieces of thread, especially if is resting on a carpeted surface.
  • Replace the throat plate, sewing machine foot, and needle.

Some older sewing machine manuals might contain more detailed instructions for cleaning and oiling the tension discs, bobbin case, or slide plate. Newer sewing machines have fewer owner maintenance instructions, and recommend that the machine be professionally serviced at a local sewing machine dealer..

Most sewing machine dealers offer periodic professional check-ups and cleanings to help keep your machine in top shape, and to avoid voiding the manufacturer’s warranty through improper care.

A few minutes of basic spring cleaning and preventative maintenance will allow you to enjoy your sewing machine for this spring and many years to come.

All About Anti Tarnish Silvercloth

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Silvercloth or anti-tarnish cloth is a special fabric is made from heavy weight 100% cotton flannel. The cloth is impregnated with a non-toxic tarnish preventing compound. Silver surfaces attract sulfur, which in turn causes silver objects to develop tarnish. Silver anti-tarnish cloths contain either small particles of zinc or silver. They absorb sulfur before the surface of the protected silver object does, preventing tarnish. Silvercloth will not lose its effectiveness unless it is wet or washed.

Many companies sell anti-tarnish cloth by the yard so that it can be cut to size for storage of individual pieces of jewelry or silver serving dishes. Some people seal small pieces of the cloth inside plastic bags to store jewelry, or cut larger pieces to wrap silver serving platters or dishes. Other uses for silvercloth include lining silver storage drawers, jewelry boxes, and cabinets.

Anti tarnish Silverware Box

Anti tarnish Silverware Box

This product can either eliminate or greatly reduce the need to polish silver. This is an excellent idea if you have a lot of silver jewelry, especially with intricate designs or small stones. Turquoise and silver American Indian jewelry can be hard to polish without getting the chemicals on the turquoise.

I have a section in my Bags of a Feather etsy shop with a selection of jewelry bags that have either an inside lining or inner pocket made of anti-tarnish silver cloth.  This unique design from Bags of a Feather features an inner lining or pocket made of a dark gray flannel anti-tarnish silver cloth fabric. This jewelry pouch or zipper pouch makes the perfect storage or travel bag for silver earrings, bracelets, rings, or necklaces. For an extra surprise gift, tuck a special piece of silver jewelry inside the pouch!

 

Antique bird print anti-tarnish jewelry pouch

Antique bird print anti-tarnish jewelry pouch

 

Wallpaper Bird Nest Stripe Anti-tarnish Jewelry Pouch

Wallpaper Bird Nest Stripe Anti-tarnish Jewelry Pouch

 

Butterfly Jewels Pouch with anti-tarnish inner pocket

Butterfly Jewels Pouch with anti-tarnish inner pocket

 

Birdsong Garden Anti-tarnish Jewelry Pouch

Birdsong Garden Anti-tarnish Jewelry Pouch

I recently purchased some silvercloth in a deep royal blue color, and will be making some new bags with the blue lining, as well as more pouches with the dark gray linings. Custom orders are always welcome!

Blue anti-tarnish silvercloth

Blue anti-tarnish silvercloth

 

 

Some New Things From Bags of a Feather

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100% Organic Cotton Forest Animals pouch with anti-tarnish lining

100% Organic Cotton Forest Animals pouch with anti-tarnish lining

 

Although I have not been doing a lot of sewing lately, I still have been slowly whittling away at the pile of bags all cut out, interfaced, and ready to put together. I usually get a burst of sewing “inspiration” and cut out the outer sections, linings, and interfacing for approximately 6-9 bags at one time. Sometimes I will fuse the interfacing all in one shot, and then put the pile next to the sewing machine until I am further motivated to begin sewing them together. It is rare that I cut out, interface, and sew a bag from start to finish in one shot. I do like to have something that is ready to assemble when I get the urge to sew something.

With over 150 available items in the Bags of a Feather etsy shop, I usually don’t feel a a great sense of urgency to frantically sew up new things. It is nice to use new fabrics, or to find a treasure among my fabric stash that is just begging to be sewn into something new and different. I like to play it by ear, and sew when I feel like it, and not try to turn sewing into a chore or a big production effort. That is just no fun!

Here are a few new things that I have recently listed in my etsy shop (click on the picture to go to the etsy listing and more pictures and descriptions):

Hand-dyed Pink and Purple Zipper Pouch

Hand-dyed Pink and Purple Zipper Pouch

 

Linen and Cotton Bird print Jewelry Pouch with anti-tarnish lining

Linen and Cotton Bird print Jewelry Pouch with anti-tarnish lining

 

Retro Fruit Stand Cellphone Pouch or Coin Purse

Retro Fruit Stand Cellphone Pouch or Coin Purse

 

 

Random Glimpses Into the Bags of a Feather Studio

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A pictorial glimpse into the inner workings at Bags of a Feather, including the mess created by cutting up pieces of fabric and sewing them back together. Most of the following pictures were taken a couple of years ago and sent to an online venue for approval as a “certified handmade artisan” designation. I passed with flying colors- they determined that I was not a factory that was mass-producing bags all day long and passing them off as handmade.

It is messy at times, but I usually know where everything is. Sewing supplies take up a lot of room, especially when you just cannot say no to a beautiful new piece of fabric or a length of unique ribbon!

Sewing a bag lining on the trusty Janome sewing machine

Sewing a bag lining on the trusty Janome sewing machine

 

Sewing thread and ribbon and cord storage

Sewing thread and ribbon and cord storage

 

Fabrics for a coaster set and ironing area

Fabrics for a coaster set and ironing area

 

Thread, bobbin holders, pinking shears and a big bag of zippers

Thread, bobbin holders, pinking shears and a big bag of zippers

 

 

 

 

Thinking Spring!

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It is the last week of February, and right around this time of year, the winter seems like it will never end! The cold weather, snow, and ice having been hanging around since November, which is going on 5 months now.  The huge piles of snow are dirty and slushy and seem to take forever to melt. Enough, already! I don’t know about you, but I am thinking SPRING!

Singing yellow warbler

Singing yellow warbler

Two years ago, a robin built her nest in a large holly bush right outside the bedroom window, and it was thrilling to see the eggs hatch and the babies fledge and take flight.

Robin chicks and eggs

Robin chicks and eggs

Soon the great spring migration of birds will begin, and the goldfinches will lose their drab winter colors and molt some beautiful golden yellow feathers.

Padded Jewelry Bag with Anti Tarnish Inner Pocket in Goldfinch Bird Print

Padded Jewelry Bag with Anti Tarnish Inner Pocket in Goldfinch Bird Print

Tree Full of Finches

Tree Full of Finches

I have a lot of bird fabric creations in my Bags of a Feather etsy shop. Here are a few favorites (click on the pictures below for more details):

Bird and Dogwood Blossoms Zipper pouch

Bird and Dogwood Blossoms Zipper pouch

 

Red Feathered Friends zipper pouch

Red Feathered Friends zipper pouch

 

Vibrant Meadow and Bird zipper pouch

Vibrant Meadow and Bird zipper pouch

 

Tiny Sparrow Anti-tarnish Jewelery Pouch

Tiny Sparrow Anti-tarnish Jewelery Pouch

 

Bird Nest Stripe Anti-tarnish Jewelry pouch

Bird Nest Stripe Anti-tarnish Jewelry pouch

 

 

Antique bird print anti-tarnish jewelry pouch

Antique bird print anti-tarnish jewelry pouch

 

 

It is also a great time to be thinking about gardening, even though the garden is still buried under about 2 feet of snow. The best antidote for cabin fever this time of year is to get out the glossy seed catalogs and dream of new things to try in the garden this year.

Orange mums

Orange mums

Only a few more weeks to go- can’t wait for spring!

Clearance Sale on all Totes, Wristlets, and Shoulder Bags in the Bags of a Feather Etsy Shop

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I have decided to clear out all of the larger tote bags, purses, and wristlets in my Bags of a Feather etsy shop, and have marked them wayyyyyyy down (30 to 50% off) from the original prices. Most of the larger tote bags were originally priced at $39.00 to $42.00 and are now priced at $19.00 to $22.00. The wristlets were $19.00, and are now marked down to $12.00.

Click here to go directly to the SALE-Totes/Wristlets section of my etsy shop, where the items are already marked down.

Tote Bag Display

Tote Bag Display

The larger bags have never been very good sellers for me, and they involve a lot of time and fabric to make. I will make them as special orders if someone requests one, but I do not plan to offer them as a regular item in my shop in the future. Plus, I am tired of looking at them hanging on their special  wooden craft show display rack, unloved and unwanted. :(

Birds of Norway Fabric Storage Bin

Birds of Norway Fabric Storage Bin

So this is a golden opportunity to buy something for yourself or as a gift for a friend. I am keeping several for myself- they are handy to haul stuff around in, like lunches, ipads, water bottles, etc. Plus they can be washed if they get dirty.

Penguin Batik Wristlet

Penguin Batik Wristlet

These bags were fun to make, but it’s time to move on to other things and move them out of my sewing room!

Happy shopping!