U-handblog

...and the 6 winnners of the Final U-Handbag Crafty Clearout are...

Hooray lights shining bright thru the other end of the tunnel and angels are singing - we are moving to the sea this Friday.  Woo hoo!  Thanks to all of you who sent your kind good luck wishes for the move.  It's going to be a numpty chaotic nightmare, but hey - it's going to be so worth so who cares, not I!

Al is such a sweetheart, he suggested that we should prepare some microwave food for our supper (for the day we move).  Er yeah, that evening I won't be in the mood for microwave food, I'll be too busy swinging from the lights swigging on a fruit cocktail and munching on my first portion of Brighton Fish & Chips (consumed as a resident of Brighton - as opposed to a tourist!).

To all customers of my shop, thank you very much for being patient with the short delays in sending stuff out. I promise that not only will things be back to normal pretty soon, they'll be better!

I'll of course return to more regular blogging as well.  As soon as we unload our gear I'll be sure to show you pics of the new house and I'll do my best to show you around my new neighbourhood as well :)

So my last blog duty (performed in London) is to announce the 6 winners of the Final U-Handbag Crafty Clearout.

 

and they are:

1. 50 = Lorna who said "Hello Lisa! Brighton! You lucky thing, hope the move goes well. I'd really like to see a pattern for a 40's or 50's solid-type handbag, with a frame and maybe gusseted sides. Apologies if I'm not describing this too well! Thanks for all those fantastic tutorials on your website, they're really helpful. All the best Lorna x"
2. 99 =  Sarah who said "tote bags! :"
3. 115 = Dee who said "I love your PDF patterns 1 have 3 and looking at 2 more. Your patterns have made gift giving easy.... MORE TOTES..."
4. 53 = Simone who said "Hi Lisa, Since investing in my first sewing machine last year, and having lots of fun learning and making (easy) things, I am now making one of your own bag designs, (Cavernous Carpet bag) - Going OK so far. Well, I would love for you to design a funky bag for my sewing machine with a couple of pockets on the exterior and a sturdy bottom. I ended up buying a plain boring black one, but I think my dear machine deserves something pretty and yummy, thanks!"
5. 114 = Claire who said "Hi! Good luck with the move! I would like to see a really funky/trendy laptop bag design. A bag thats for a laptop but a bit funkier than the usual kind you can buy! x"
6. 58 = Robin who said "Good luck with the move! I'd be interested in a less complicated version on Amy's weekend bag. Thanks for all the tips. You've been so helpful."

Congrats to the winners!  Will you please get in touch with me asap (my email is at top right corner of this blog) so we can arrange getting your mags and patterns sent to you - before I skip town!

Coming next: pics of our new house, Beanie & Brighton. See you on the other side OX!

Still very much here.

Umm yeah, best laid plans and all that...  It turns out that we aren't moving until next week now - the 24th or the 26th.  Who can say?  Certainly not our house buyer's solicitor (who is as contactable as a stone inside a sound-proof room). The hold up is with them grrr!  Hopefully we'll all have confirmation as to when we are supposed to move by tomorrow.  Anyhoo so yeah, we have another week in London.  Gaaahh-rate!

Never mind there's plenty enough prep stuff and nightmare packing to be getting on with and this gives us a bit more time.  With this in mind I'm gonna extend the draw date for the craft mags and patterns until the the 19th July and announce the next day.  You can enter as many time as you like.  I've read through all of your comments and almost all of them are soo helpful, so thanks heaps for that :0)

I'll check back into the blog on the 20th.  Toodle-pip!  XX

Final U-Handbag Crafty Clearout...

...that is until we move to our new address - next week!  WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Sorry about disappearing off for a while.  Thank you so much for your lovely comments about the Pleaty bag.  How can I not fix up  tute now!?!   Give me a short while to settle into our new home and I promise that making up the tute will be the first bit of sewing I do in Brighton :)

I can't believe it's finally happening. I've had to pack my sewing machine into it's box (I feel so vulnerable without access to my sewing machine!) We've packed most of our stuff and so far it's not been really stressful and we haven't had any blazing rows yet (hmmm, give it time...!) 

As you can probably imagine it's not exactly 'blissfully serene'  behind the shop scenes and it won't be until we settle in proper in Brighton.  We're doing our best to minimise the chaos disruption in the shop, as such orders may take approx 2 days longer than usual to be dispatched.  We thought a delay in dispatching was better than outright closure.  I've put a notice on the homepage warning everyone.  I reckon all will resemble normality from the 26th July  :)   Psst...come September-ish the shop will have emerged from the beauty parlour having had a swanky head to toe makeover!  There's lots of other groovy things happening in readyness for fall/winter.  But we've still plenty of Summer to enjoy so all will be revealed in good time ;)

So here are the spoils of the final clear out (from London):

  Click on pic to enlarge.  Blimey!  There's gotta be over 30 mags here!  Included in this mega mag stack is:

• Sewing World magazines dated 2006 - to the latest issue.  Most of which contain a bag making tutorial by yours truly!
• Quick & Crafty - some of which have freebie stickers.
• Knit Today
• Simply Knitting.
• 5 x sewing patterns by the lovely Amy Butler. (2 of which are no longer available).

So do you want to do me a favour and give this crafty loot a good home?  "You do? That's great, thanks so much"  Hehe!  What I'll do is randomly split up the huge mag stack into 6 piles of 5-6 mags.  5 of those piles will include an Amy pattern. so that mean that :

This draw will have 6 prize winners!!

Contest Details (please read carefully)

I will post a stack of 5-6 mags to 6 winners. Please note the mags are kinda heavy = approx 1950g so the postage will...um..reflect that.  The draw is open to everyone. If winners are overseas I will mark the package as a 'gift' so there will be no customs to pay  :)

To enter all you have to do is comment on THIS PARTICULAR POST by:

• Telling me what patterns you'd like me to design or products you'd like to see in my shop. Thanks.
  
• You can enter as many times as you like.
• Please note folks this is time sensitive. As soon as I post the winner announcement winners will need to contact me with your location ASAP so we fix up postage payment and I can post out your mags before I leave London!!!!
  

Contest Official-ness :

1. I'll randomly select 6 winners in 3 days time - 14th July and announce them the following day - I WON'T BE LATE TO ANNOUNCE BECAUSE I AM MOVING!!!  Good luck! 
2. I'll need to ask winners to make a donation for the postage.
3. Sorry I can't notify winners, so please keep an eye for the winner announcement.  This is made easier for you if you subscribe to this blog so you don't have to keep checking back, although it's always great to have you pop-in for a read :0)
4. Prizes which are not claimed within 3 weeks of the winner announcement will be carried forward to the next draw.
5. Sorry I can't reply to contest/draw comments, but I do love reading every single one :)

For Pleats Sake

I verilly love this pleaty bag.  I made it during a triple bill episode of Wife Swap  - crappy weekend telly at it's absolute finest, love it!   This is a simple to put together bag, but I think the pleats and the smart leather handles make this simple tote look quite refined. 

I'm keeping the prototype to use as my posh-er groceries bag.  It's so roomy and it's perfect for carting around one's higher-end groceries purveyed from one's local food hall, artisan baker and 'new world' deli, daahhlink.   ...I wish...

Whatcha think?   If enough of you request it in the comments I'll fix up a freebie tute to make this bag for yer!

**UPDATE*** Oookaaaayyy!  I hear ya loud and clear.  Thank for your lovley comments. Please give me couple of weeks (or so - like I am moving house V sooon) to fix up the tute.  :)

Click on the pics to enlarge.

  The pattern is just a simple rectangle.   The clamshell curvy top edge is formed of 6 evenly spaced pleats. The pleats are also topstitched with contrast green to match the green stitching on the handles.

  The straps are these leather bag handles which I have stitched on using contrast green embroidery silk (which looks dead cool close-up).  The leather handles make the bag look like a "yum, where did you buy that?"  kind of bag.  The bag wouldn't look the same (or as posh) with fabric straps.

  Close up of the 'business end'.

   Inside pleat action.  The pleats not only shape the bag, but they reinforce the bag top as well.  The bag bottom is flat - tho you can't see that in the pic.

Golly I actually look kinda tall in this pic.  Hurrah, bonus!  This bag is roomy and can easily hold milk, bread, newspaper, parma ham, dried porcini, French Pave loaf, dried Udon noodles, asparagus bundle, a pat of Brittany salt crystal butter, a block of Manchego cheese, Kikkoman soya sauce, jars of harrisa, olive tapenade and marinated anchovies, a bunch of dried French lavender and...hahahaha!

If enough of you request it in the comments, I'll fix up a freebie tute to make this bag for you :)

**UPDATE*** Oookaaaayyy!  I hear ya loud and clear.  Thank for your lovley comments. Please give me couple of weeks (or so - like I am moving house V sooon) to fix up the tute.  :)

Right I'm off to make myself a cuppa and to write the first newsletter I've written in flipping ages - I'm going to put front & back cover pics of my booky: 'The Bag Making Bible' inside the letter...