U-handblog

Suggestions for Bag Making Workshops Please...

Yesterday I went to a local sewing studio to check out the suitability of the space for holding bag making workshops.  Even a stinking rodden cold didn't dampen my excitement.

I think the studio will work fine.  The space is bijoux (which is no bad thing as small classes are more relaxed for everyone), but it is bright, airy and cheerful. 

At the mo I can only offer 1 day classes, though this could change later in year.  At the mo I can do Wednesdays or Sat 10.30 - 4-30

Woo it's been a long time coming! 

 

So now I've found a space (yay-sers!).  The next thing to do is to find out what you'd like to get up to in a bag making workshop.

Here are a few suggestions (please do add more!)

• Frame purse making
• Newbie tote and zip purse pouch
• 3 fearless zippers
• Any of my patterns (name which you'd like to do)
• Wedding/party Minaudiere
• Help with your bag pattern
• Bag design 101

Over to you...please let me know what you'd like to learn about?  Thanks in advance!

You might be a craft fiend if...

1. you regularly go hungry because stopping to eat whilst doing the craft thing is just too inconvenient.
2. ...same applies (as above) for toilet stops.
3. your partner, pet, family don't always get fed on time (even though earlier, you agreed it was your turn to fix up dinner).
4. you have taken to smuggling new craft tools, fabric, yarn etc. into your home and you are now hiding it because 'you aren't supposed to be spending 'yet more cash on...new craft tools, fabric, yarn etc..'
5. your (now) seasoned family members know better than knocking on your craft room door whilst you are locked inside creating - because when you are creating you can be: 'a scary person' (see point 6)!
6. you are normally a mild-mannered, gentle and caring person, but when something doesn't go your way inside the craft room your skin goes this odd shade of green and your clothes start ripping open.
7. you see nothing wrong with staying in your PJs all day to craft (many of you also will not even shower, or brush your teeth, let alone your hair...)
8. the prospect of staying in to craft all evening seems far more attractive then having to find something nice to wear and going out to party, dinner, etc.
9. many of your friends think your craft habit is verging on unhealthy...
10. you have shed-loads of fabric, yarn, beads, clay, paper, etc. etc. etc. but for some reason, you don't have just the right colour of fabric, yarn, beads, clay, paper, etc. etc. etc., for your latest project.
11. whilst crafting you regularly call-screen your phone (see point 12).
12. when people who tried to call you (during your crafting session) and didn't get an answer you sometimes tell them you didn't hear your phone/your phone is not working/someone was at the door/etc..
13. you save everything...old wrapping paper, jewellery, scraps of yarn/fabric, junk shop/skip/thrift store etc. finds, much to the amusement/irritation of those around you.
14. when you're not doing craft you're checking it out on your computer/your phone/in books shops/libraries/meet ups.
15. in your home everyone knows that "just another 10 mins" actually means: "just another 30/60/130 mins".

If you agreed with ummm...say...3 or more of these statements; I am afraid there is no hope for you. But hey, welcome to the club!  You're one of us and we happen to one of the nicest most content (don't forget; talented, mindful, energised, creative, quick-silver, determined...I could go on, but won't) groups of folk you could hope to meet. 

 

So do you recognise yourself somewhere in these statements?  Or have I shamed myself in public (again)?

Happy New Year!

Hi guys, it's Skye here.

First of all, happy new year to everyone! We hope you all had a lovely christmas and time off surrounded by family and good food :)

This week we've been talking about all the things we'd love to achieve this year, from travelling, to learning to drive (eek!) and of course, to try something new in the world of craft. 

My first project of the year was to make this little ipad mini case to house my (incredibly generous) christmas present. You might recognise the fabric from our old Easy Peasy Purse Kits, which I thought would be perfect to keep things nice and bright! 

So now it's your turn! What are your plans and goals for the new year? Have you got a certain craft or project that you already have in mind to tackle? We'd love to hear from you and hear all about everyone's different goals.

 

P.S. I made the case above as a little project for myself, but if anyone would like more information on it then just let me know. If several are people are interested then I'll look into making up a pattern for it :)

pinterest top picks: diy christmas crafts

Hi guys, it's Skye here :)

Just a little inspiration post for you all today- is everyone in christmas mode yet?! We've definitely been feeling it here at U-Handbag, and quite a few festive tunes have found their way onto our playlist!

All images/links can be found via our "Crafty Inspiration" pinterest board HERE.

Clockwise from top left: 

* Crochet Christmas Trees: I think these are completely adorable and would be a great little project to work on in the evenings. I'm still new to crochet but would love to try something like these- you could even string lots together for a festive garland!

* Origami Bows: Origami can be such a fun brain teaser and produces such cute little results- I think these would look amazing in really bright colours to top off some brown paper presents.

* Embroidered Felt Stocking: The delicate design of the tree on this stocking is absolutely perfect; if you're too rushed for time to make the stocking as well, embroidery is a great way to customise pieces and add a personal touch. 

* Advent Calendar Cushion: This cushion has been on my "to make" list for far too long, and I frustratingly left it too late to try this year. It's another great idea which is a great twist on the traditional calendar. 

* Fingerprint Fairy Lights Card: Projects like this were always my favourite at school, and even now I think they're a super fun craft project to do with kids- maybe we'll get Mabel involved in making these next year!

*DIY Christmas Chocolates: These are a project of mine that I have been working on for family members, and also brought a few jars into work today. Jars are a great starting point for christmas crafts- so easy to decorate and you can fill them with the recipients favourite treats. 

Do you have any DIY's planned between now and the big day? If you do we would love to hear about them, and I hope this post has spread some festive cheer :)

Merry Christmas to everyone, I hope you all have a fab time and see you in 2013!

P.S. Here's a little outtake I wanted to share from the sew in purse photos- meet Spiker our little studio mascot!! He also wishes everyone a very merry christmas!

Free purse pattern: The Sew in Purse!

Hi guys, it's Skye here! 

I'm back today with a free purse pattern for our adorable sew in purse frames! These dinky purses would be perfect for an evening out, and are just the right size to keep any loose change from getting lost at the bottom of your bag.

I've really enjoyed working with this frame; if you're used to working with our other frames the idea of sewing the frame instead of glueing it on might seem a bit daunting, but they are so easy to work with and provide instant gratification. 
This purse is also a great little fabric stash buster- you know all those scraps you keep "just in case?" well this purse will probably be a perfect fit :) 

If anyone is stuck for a few last minute christmas gifts I reckon these would be fab (Mary has already nabbed one for herself!) and are great little bite sized projects if you are looking for a first time project. 

DOWNLOAD THE FREE PURSE PATTERN HERE

Don't forget, send us any pics of your finished purses- we love seeing them and will also pop them up on our pinterest customer gallery.

Do you have any last minute or quick crafty projects that you use at christmas time? I'm putting together my favourite christmassy projects over on pinterest and I'll be sharing those with you next week to share the festive inspiration :)

Say Hi to our Sewing Skye!

As you might have noticed this blog of mine has been somewhat neglected of late. I've been a tad distracted. If I wasn't writing one book, then I was writing another, and then (with no respite in between) my yummy daughter comes along. Whats that they say about life and making plans? It's all great, life is full of new experiences and challenges, but this blog is a very old friend that I think shouldn't be left at the wayside just because mummy is busy!

This is where the wondrous Skye comes in.  Now, I hope you might have gathered by now that this blog is  precious to me and I only blog when I feel I have something to say...  This means that whomever is allowed to run amok in my blog should be at least as much of a sewing fiend as I am and also relish a stitchy challenge or ten. 

Well Skye has that in spades.  When she came to my place for interview I found her to be the sweetest and skilled craft-tastic enthusiastic person. She had brought with her a seriously groovy man's shirt that she had sewn and drafted the pattern for (Wow! I can't do that!)  I remember her telling me that she'd happily stay in all day and craft. She said that some of her friends thought that rather odd, but that she didn't care. And if she isn't crafting then she's blogging. I knew then that she'd be a prefect fit for our little team.  Her sewing is just superb, she's a master thrifter and she genuinely has craft on the brain for most of her waking hours.  And she's finicketty; like all perfectionist crafters, she'll pick out errors that don't exist and then give herself a hard time...we all do it!

It's been great to be able to communicate my designs to Skye. We sit together (sometimes with Mabel on my lap) and Skye stitches up my designs according to my specifications. It's really been a joy working with her and it's so nice to have complete crafting confidence in someone I trust. :) 

So skye is my right-hand sewing elf and she will also blog here as well.  I'm not disappearing altogether, when Skye blogs  we would have had a chat about the post and sometimes I will post myself (we'll say who's posting at the start of each post).

I'm sure you'll like what Skye has to say, so without further ado, time to hand you over to to the lady herself:

Hi everyone! 

I’m Skye, and I’m lucky enough to be working with Lisa as the U-Handbag sewing elf! I’m a huge lover of all things crafty, and can often be found sewing, knitting and generally DIY’ing my days away.

I’ll be posting over here with my latest crafty ventures- some bag and purse related- and also about anything else that has caught my eye. I'm very excited about this and hope you'll enjoy my posts too!

I also have my own blog at http://skyepennant.blogspot.com where you can see what I get up to in my spare time! 

For now I’ll leave you with a sneak peek photo of my first little project for the blog- an adorable little purse using our sew-in purse frames. I’ll be writing a tutorial on how to make one of these cuties so keep your eyes peeled for that very soon :)

 

P.s. I have also set up a U-Handbag pinterest account, so feel free to follow us over there at http://www.pinterest.com/uhandbagblog where I’ll also be setting up a customer gallery. It will be similar to our flickr page, so if you’d like to be featured in there then feel free to send over your latest projects :) we'd love to see them!

U-Handbag Brand - Loving our labels!

We finally did it!  We've popped our products into a clear bag and topped them off with nice pretty header cards.  To all of you lovely indie craft shops who asked us; 'when, when when, AHHH???'  Sorry it took me so long, I was in the middle of getting this baby off the ground when another baby came along...

Interested in being a stockist?

 

I know not everyone is as keen on shopping online, there are occasions when you need the supplies NOW and if you live near a sewing shop it's the nicest thing in the world ever to drop in for advice, a chat or even a class or two. This is why we have now packaged and branded our bag making goodies. Folks can now pop into their local habby shop and have a closer look and a squidge of our products before taking them home to make luscious arm candy.  The best thing is that we've tried very hard to keep our prices competitive.  You should find that our branded items cost no more than they do on our website - so everyone's a winner!  :))))

Ohh! We think the items look so smart in their new clothes.   We think they'll look so cute, preppy and professional all displayed in your sewing shop. Don't you think?

 

Interested in being a stockist?

Ohh we're all rather emotional about these babies!

My Baby is taking my house over!

Well one of my babies is taking the house over, and that baby is U-Handbag.  We are thinking that it's probably high time we found U-Handbag a home all of it's own.  The thought of finally moving my business out of my home fills me with both glee and trepidation. U-Handbag has operated from my home ever since way back when (in 2005) and it's been wonderful to see it grow.  Working from home seems to have helped me maintain a tight-ish yet cosy ship.  But my house is beginning to be taken over with U-handbag and one of my concerns is my little one will be crawling soon.  I don't really want Mabel to have to dodge boxes of bag making supplies as she makes her little journeys around the house on hands and knees.

Yikes this is a big step for both of us, Mabel will be a step closer to walking and I will have to walk to work! It is scary, but it's exciting.  I am hoping we can find somewhere large enough to accommodate workshops as well as the daily goings on in U-Handbag (and space for a nice soft play area for Mabel - so she can keep an eye on mummy).

 

My home is somewhere underneath this!  It might be time to upsize....    PS: this is not actually a pic of my home :)

 

Soooo I'm just wondering if I was to offer workshops, would any of you be up for popping in for some bag making and tea & cake with me?  Please let me know in the comments or on the ol' FB. Thanks!

We are based in Hove, East Sussex, UK

 

U-Handbag is Hiring

 

 

THIS POSTION HAS BEEN FILLED, THANKS.

This is a part-time post = 4 days a week, 9.30am - 5pm.

We are looking for nice, honest and motivated individuals to make up a small friendly, helpful and enthusiastic team.  We all muck-in and take turns to make the tea.

U-Handbag is an online store which specialises in bag making supplies.  We are based in Brighton, UK.  We are online only.  All orders are packed and dispatched in-house for mail order. Lisa (the boss) is extremely proud of her little business and is obsessed with giving her customers good service (so her team will need to help her achieve that at all times).

 

Duties will include:

• making the tea
• processing and packing customer orders
• ordering stationary and some supplies
• answering the phone to help customers and to take orders over the phone
• answering emails
• stock taking and processing supplies orders
• processing the daily post
• fabric cutting to make kits
• none of the above is difficult and of course full training will be given.  It's largely quite pleasant work, but it does get busy at times.

It would really help if you:

• are a creative person who is passionate about craft and sewing
• are a tidy perfectionist. There will be a lot of measuring and counting to do.
• can sew (this is an essential requirement), if you've made bags before, even better
• are computer literate.  We use a Mac computer. Photoshop/AI skills would be nice.
• have a craft blog, use any social media, that's wonderful.
• are happy to use the phone. We get a lot of calls and we like to try to help by answering bag making queries if we can
• are fluent in English because you will be answering the phone and answering emails
• are committed, trustworthy and reliable - this is absolutely essential please.

Hours, days, pay and perks:

• 9.30am - 5pm
• We operate Monday - Friday (not including bank hols).  
• The job is long term/permanent.
• Good rates of pay depending on your skills.
• We operate a yearly bonus scheme.
• 50% discount on U-Handbag stock.
• Pleasant, informal and friendly workplace.  Good tunes and a friendly office dog to keep us company.  Decent biscuits and the occasional cake too.

 

Apply here

If you have a majority of the skills listed above and this sounds like a nice job to you, we'd love to have a chat with you.

Please email us:

1. with your telephone number and home address (these will be kept confidential).
2. and tell us a bit about the skills you posses which you feel make you suitable for the job. We will need to see some evidence of these at interview.

 

Please email us with answers (to the above) here.

Interviews begin in 1st week Sep. Thanks

THIS POSTION HAS BEEN FILLED, THANKS.

 

Guest post: Amy Butler's new fabrics & how to use them

Ding-ding!  Grab your seat on the bus for the last stop on Amy Butler's fabric blog tour (you can see all of the other blog stops here.)  In this post Amy talks about her yummy new line of fabric substrates and give us some cool ideas on how we can experiment with the new textures. I saw and fondled these fabrics at Spring quilt Market earlier this year.  Not only do the fabrics look gorgeous they feel so luxe to the touch.

So, over to you Amy!  (I've added a few baggy suggestions of my own in amongst Amy words).

.

Organic:

It's been a long time dream of mine to be able to provide an organic option for my fabric collections and " Organic Soul " has been well worth the wait! Having a sustainable, beautiful line for quilting and fashion sewing was my focus and the delicious hand and gorgeous quality will inspire your next projects for loved ones, little ones and of course yourself! The prints are derived and rescaled from my most popular Soul Blossoms designs and lovingly reproduced on a 100% organic cotton using low impact dyes. The soulful inspirations behind this line go hand in hand with the spirit of the material. You'll feel uplifted by the dreamy jewel tone prints and multi hued flowers and designs. It's my hope that you connect as deeply with this line as I do. Be inspired and let your Creative Soul shine!

Perfect for making:

• Anything & everything you use quilt weight for
• Amy's Birdie Sling
• Amy Nappy Bag
• My Highbrow Hobo Bag
• My Pretty Pinafore Purse

Rayon:

From the striking beauty of flowing saris in rich, vibrant color that captivated me on my travels in India, I've introduced 5 of my favorite Soul Blossoms prints uniquely scaled for fashion in the softest rayon.  The women of India are so confidently expressive in their glorious jewel-toned prints with multi-hued flowers and designs, it's wonderfully uplifting to see that passion.  My beautiful rayon has this inspired spirit and a very silky hand that is versatile enough to experiment with endless fashionable projects;

Perfect for making:

• dresses
• elegant tunics and kaftans
• graceful scarves,
• pantaloons,
• skirts and more!
• Amy's Lotus Tunic
• Amy's Barcelona skirt

 

Corduroy:

In my continuing quest for the most wonderful textures and fabrics, I've found a renewed love for corduroy! In this new Soul Blossoms collection I chose 4 dynamic prints rescaled (especially with sewing for baby and kids in mind) along with 2 solid colors for creating some very soft, and very comforting jewel-toned projects for home & fashion. I've picked the highest quality fine wale corduroy with an amazingly supple hand and a beautifully unique weight & body. I wanted it to offer you the most diversity across a wide breadth of sewing inspirations, and if you're like me, you'll have a blast dreaming up ideas for this timeless, super-soft fabric!

Perfect for making:

• Snuggly PJs
• Cute coats and jackets
• Plushie toys
• Soft & tactlile quilts
• Wraps and scarves
• Sofa and floor cushions
• A messenger style bag
• Amy's Liverpool Tunic
• Amy Sweet Harmony Bag
• My Expandable Tote Bag
• My Kyoko Frilled Pouch Bag

Voile:

I've always fantasized about working with Voile! It is so romantic and graceful. I imagine giant blowing sheers in richly painted blue/green doorways in Varanasi India during my travels. I chose 8 of my luscious Soul Blossoms prints scaled down for fresh fashion, as well as well as 4 mixing solids so you could dream up your dreamiest quilts, tunics, scarves, maxi dresses or sweet outfits for your favorite little ones! With such a soft feel and flow, my new voile is perfectly suited for the rich, jewel-toned prints. I can't wait to bring some of my India inspirations to life, And I can't wait to see yours!  Enjoy!  

Perfect for making:

• Flowing quilts
• Majestic maxi dresses
• long and full skirts
• Shawls and scarves
• delicate and feminine blouses
• romantic curtain panels
• dresses for little princesses
• Amy's Anna Tunic
• Amy's Sun Surf Halter
• Amy's Doemstic Goddess Apron
• Amy's Liverpool Tunic