These sketches are of some the places I visited last year. It is the sketches that I did on the spot–standing, sketchbook in hand, or sitting on the curb–which are the most evocative for me. The whole day comes rushing back when I look at them again, the temperature, the company, the conversation, even the smells. In January a village outside Hoguin Cuba…
In February: Amsterdam…
Boston in June…
Dublin and Enniskillen in September
In November La Gaude in France and Cordoba and Granada in Spain
In the last post, I featured some of the best bags I made in 2015. Today I’m featuring some Kenyan sketches. This is Cliff’s place, a series of buildings like so many all over Africa, crumbling cement block and corrugated tin. We walked every day to Cliff’s because he had milk and fresh eggs and phone cards. As well, the local women had a small market there where we could buy tomatoes, chard, onions and, if we were lucky, fresh samosas made over a small fire. I loved the interaction with the local people and using the local ingredients in our cooking.
This building in Nairobi is a reminder of the colonial past. I’ve just finished reading Circling the Sun which is set in Kenya in this colonial era. Although I found the book mediocre and its story of the self-centred ruling class annoying, I connected with the descriptions of the places I know well, both in Nairobi and in the countryside. The Norfolk Hotel, so much a part of the novel, is still 100 years later, catering to the expat and tourist monied classes with its beautiful architecture and gardens with little regard for the local culture or population. Last year I noticed they had spoiled the lovely verandahs with bullet-proof plastic…
And here are a couple of quick sketches of local people and village life. It was hard to sketch during the day because of the heat, so a few lines done at the time and then colour added later.
I thought I would do a post on the best bags of 2015 which can be ordered. I am still intending to revise the leather gallery so that you can see what is available in what leathers and sizes and the price. But for today, all of the bags below can be ordered in the leather pictured. You can always put the name of the bag in the search box at the top right of this page to see all the posts which feature any bag here. Each of these bags is out in the world now, but I have enough of the leather to make another. If there is another colour or size you would like, you can always ask and I’ll see what I can do. As you know, I am a one-person operation and each of the bags is made with great care and love from start to finish by me. The only way they can be purchased these days is through this blog. If you are interested, check out this wonderful comment at the bottom of the post for the 1510 black backpack.
This is my fifth time to wish you blog readers a happy start to a new year. All the very best for 2016. I so appreciate that you visit the blog and sometimes leave comments. I know there are zillions of blogs out there and I value every visitor who stops by this one. I’m planning on making some improvements this month to make it easier to see what is available and what you can order. But more on that later.
Meanwhile, I’ve been spending time over the holidays hooking on my Annie rug which is about time and how we spend it. I’m finally making headway. The background moves from blue at each end into green and then back to blue in the centre. I am finishing up the green sections. I simply love combining various shades and textures and hooking them in circles. It makes a game, hooking the circles and then filling in the spaces left. Addictive when you get going. And listening to good radio which is so available as NPR compiles its best broadcasts. I’ve also been watching a stunning PBS documentary called The Royal Paintbox which here in Canada we can get through TVO.
Back to the blog for a minute. A blog provides an interesting vantage point from which to see your life as it passes. Over the past 4+ years, the blog has chronicled the progress on three big rugs and several smaller hooking projects as well as countless bags and totes and lots of sketches. I hope to have a second look at some of these which I have posted in the past year–bags I thought were good, sketches which evoke great memories and, in a week or so, a photo of the progress I’m making on Annie.
But in the meantime, enjoy the last hours of 2015, take some time to reflect on the good things and then plunge ahead into 2016. I’ll be here.
You will remember this wonderful coated fabric I found in Ireland. I used it again in this prototype tote which I made for Carissa. The bottom and exterior slip pocket are pebbly red leather, the handles are wide cotton webbing. This is a durable tote, but one that is not heavy; it is designed to carry lots but be easy to manage with two small children in hand. The choice of handles makes it easy to grab, wear over your shoulder or sling it cross-body. Inside it is cotton polka dot with large pockets and a leather phone pocket. Width 18″, Height 14″, Depth 5″.
Last week I promised to post the Christmas presents that I was making. Here is the first one…a large laptop bag made of black waxed canvas and dark brown leather. This is a straightforward bag with minimal hardware and fuss. The wide strap is cotton webbing, designed to be comfortable with heavy contents–the bag is big enough for a large laptop, lunch and a few books Under the flap is a wide zippered pocket for boarding pass, passport and other essentials. It is lined in moss green waxed canvas so it won’t show the dirt and any spots can be wiped clean. The bag, btw, was a hit and you can see the new owner modelling it at the bottom of the post.
Dimensions: Height 13′ Width 18″ Depth 3″
I wish all of you a wonderful holiday season this year. In keeping with the xmas message, here are two new stockings I just finished. The original stockings were knitted over thirty years ago by my mother for our two sons. I’m afraid I take the easier route and repurpose some xmas sweaters I’ve found along the way. So, I got out the bins, fingers crossed there would be enough pieces of festive sweaters to make two more stockings. I used the sleeve of the Jenny Ferguson teddy bear sweater you first saw here to make Oscar’s stocking and I’ve saved the other sleeve for a third stocking…we expect we will need it next xmas! And then somehow Pru missed out in the stocking department, so we’ve corrected that for this year. Both stockings are now full of treats and waiting for tomorrow morning.
And don’t forget to look for tonight’s Christmas full moon. The weather networks says the last one was 32 years ago and we have to wait another 17 for the next one.
We had some sun this past Saturday and I started a couple of sketches which I am in the process of finishing up. I’ve been taking sketching courses on Craftsy which are really good (check out Shari Blaukopf and James Richards) and I was eager to practise some of the new ideas. I started off by warming up with a cappuccino in our favourite café and then set out. The last sketch is still unfinished but I’m including it anyway because I’m not sure when I’ll get to it again until after xmas. (I’m making two new Christmas stockings today which I hope to share tomorrow and then it’s tourtières, and other treats.) At any rate…the sketch is of my favourite Belleville buildings, which you have seen here before. You can see I’m working on windows! 
I have been making things in the studio all week, but most are surprises, so I can’t share them here until after Christmas. But here is one I can share. It is for one of my favourite people who wanted a medium-size tote that will stand up to the daily abuse of a busy life. I thought this striped fabric I bought in Ireland which is waterproof and durable would be perfect and make a great City Tote. I combined it with navy leather and lined it in orange waxed canvas. So this tote can be wiped clean, both inside and out. It has leather carry handles and a cotton webbing cross-body strap, a metal zipper and a large split pocket inside. It measures 12.5″ tall, 13″ wide and has a 4″ base.
My long-time friend is visiting and our favourite thing to do is to spend a few hours sketching. Yesterday was a lovely sunny day, so we parked the car on a side street of a nearby town and sat, one in the driver’s seat and one in the backseat, each with a good view of this great old Victorian place. This part of the house faced the side-street and was attached, not entirely seamlessly, to the large square two storey main house which faced the main street. I was initially attracted to the garage doors with their diamond windows which must date from the 1940’s or earlier. I didn’t even note the street, so will go back to see if I can learn a little bit more of the history of this classic.
I’ve just begun a new sketchbook and this one is a Pentalic Aqua Journal. I like the paper very much, but after using the Large Portrait Hand.book which is just a little larger and oriented the other way, I felt space was tight on the page. I need to get back to working a little smaller.
