BirdBrain Designs

bags and purses

my return

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It has been months since I have done a post. If you are reading this, thank you for staying with me. I’ve had time to think about the blog and what I want to do with it. For a time I thought it was done. Instagram is such  quick alternative and I’ve been keeping up there–so you can always use the button in the menu above to see what I’ve been up to. But the blog is for more extended writing and also a place where you can see what I’ve made and purchase if you want to. We’ve revamped the shop — but more on that in a few weeks. I’ll send out notification, so let me know if you want to be on the list.

I’ve also been sewing more of my own clothes and I want to share the wonderful indie patterns I’ve found and some of the things I’ve been making. More of that to come in September.

Right now I want to show you the new travel tote I made for my upcoming trip to Scandinavia. I was given a marvellous trove of designer leather in the spring and this is the first I have used any of it. This is not recycled leather, but surplus and I am delighted to ‘repurpose’. There will be some gorgeous colours and textures coming later. This is mocha waxed canvas and brown leather with a great Japanese cotton lining–lots of pockets and a wide crossbody strap. I look forward to slinging it over my shoulder, filled with all my travel essentials. 

And on the sketching front…we spent most of the summer at the lake where I was working on sketches of trees and water. Not easy. We did make a couple of trips to the nearby town of Bancroft where I had  chance to do some sketches of the old buildings. Here are two.

I’ll write again when I’m home from the trip–with some thoughts on the area I’ve wanted to visit forever, some sketches and some photos. Thanks again for sticking with me.

the beauty of reusing leather, part one

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I made this bag in the fall of 2015.  It has been used every day since and these photos show what it looks like today. Pretty good! The bag is made from a man’s coat, so it was in its second iteration. The owner has decided she wants a new bag so she returned this one so I could pass it along or use it for parts. There is still too much life in it to take it apart. It’s just getting worn in! So it’s on its way to a new owner.

A good leather jacket or pair of pants usually have lots of life left in them. I enjoy both the ethic and the process of making something out of an existing piece. The jacket or pair of pants have already made their mark on the environment so giving it another life is a plus all round. And working within a framework of limited resources has given rise to new ideas and new designs.

Gallery 121 preview

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Here are some photos from the setup of the show at Gallery 121. The official opening is this Saturday May 11, 2:00 to 4:00. Pictured here are my hooked runner, a few hooked pillows inspired by Ton Schulten, two of my bags and a couple of pairs of Bombazine oven mitts. Much more at the show. I would love to see you there.

 

a not-so-plain black bag

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At the last sale of the Textile Museum of Canada I got two pieces of black leather. That leather turned out to be top quality and I’ve used it in several projects. This bag has the very last of it on the top half. The bottom is yet another remnant which I’ve had for a while. Together they make a dynamite bag. There is a zipper pocket on the outside and another inside as well as two slip pockets. (The lining is also from the TMC sale–fits with my use-it-up/repurpose philosophy.) Great hardware attaches an adjustable strap. And, as you can see from the third photo, the tabs are made of smile-making starry leather. Compact and versatile, this is a great day bag. In the Gallery 121 sale.

new traveller in brick

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Most of the bags I am making now are for the upcoming show at Gallery 121. But I have also been filling some orders. This has been wonderful leather to work with–the colour is uplifting especially on these drab days. It is upholstery grade and a fabulous colour of brick. This is a cross-body traveller like this one with an outside zippered pocket and inside another zippered pocket and two large slip pockets. 14x14x4 inches it is designed to be a great travel bag but not too big to carry every day.

waxed canvas bags

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Here are two new totes for the Gallery 121 sale in early May. More details on the sale soon. 

The first tote is made of waxed canvas from England, the second with waxed canvas from the USA. Both fabrics are water-resistant and durable. They bags have cross-body straps, are trimmed in leather and have lots of pockets inside and out.  Great for travel or for everyday use. Drop me a note in the comment section if you have any questions.

2 new cross-body bags from used leather

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Here are two new cross-body bags, the first made from a leather vest, the second from a leather jacket. So much depends on the weight of the leather and the number of seams in the garment and these two pieces scored well in both areas. The vest was long and the back had only one seam. I still have enough of this great leather to be part of a second bag. The black leather jacket had more seams, but there was still enough clear leather to make a smaller bag with an exterior pocket. The red bag is 12″x9″x2″ and the black is 10″x8.5×3″. Both bags are lined with a zipper pocket inside. 

I enjoy giving a second life to cast-off garments. And I try to use every inch. I have plans to make pouches and small cases from the remaining pieces still left on the cutting table. 

the traveller bag in black

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After a break from making bags, I am filling orders again. Here is an up-close look at the latest Traveller bag. It is made of black Italian leather with a large exterior zippered pocket and several interior pockets including one with a zipper. This cross-body bag is meant for travelling. Carry it hands-free or shorten the strap to carry it under your arm. The bag has a double bottom and is lined in striped canvas.

The starry leather tabs for the strap are what I love about handmade. They are made from small remnants I found on a recent trip and make me smile each time I see them. Bag is 14″ x 14″ x4″.

reset and inspiration on Lake Ontario

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This past weekend we spent a beautiful afternoon on the shore of Lake Ontario. We ate our lunch on the beach and I had time for a quick sketch of another tenacious tree. It’s been a while since we have been out to that gorgeous isolated expanse and the colours and textures of the day have remained with me.

I had taken an extended, unplanned break from the studio, leaving all leather and sewing firmly under wraps and was actually looking for a way back in. I have a list of projects but nothing inspired me to actually thread the machines and start. The colours of the day on the lake held the key. When we got home, I pulled out my box of remnant leather pieces and began building some pouches in the colours of the day–shoreline and sky. The small Strand collection of pouches is made of leather remnants with salvaged cotton linings–mostly from the Textile Museum sale. It feels good to make useful things of beauty from left overs. 

I find this size of pouch, approximately 7″ x 4.5″, very useful for travelling. My passport fits in comfortably and I like to keep different currencies separate and also to save receipts, tickets etc. I often take two or three along in my backpack. These pouches will be in the online store soon. Send me a note if you are interested.

Two great fibre exhibits on my holiday

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I was in London when the Fashion Textile Museum had its exhibit of the work of Orla Kiely.  I’ve long been a fan of her work and it was so interesting to see her process up close–pages from her sketchbook and samples of her clothing and bags.

Here is my sketchbook page from the day. 

Then, totally unexpectedly, I stumbled into an amazing textile sculpture show in Isle de la Sorge in Provence. Next to our sketching site was La Fondation Villa Datris and inside and outside were amazing fibre sculptures. From Sonia Delaunay and Sheila Hicks to others I had not been introduced to, this was a thrilling exhibit. The museum staff were incredibly welcoming and I wandered happily taking photos both in the gallery and in the amazing garden. 

I was particularly interested in the work of El Anatsui who “has managed to turn salvaged materials into a mainspring of the creative process. His work questions global commercial exchanges, the destruction and the transformation of materials, symbols of events that spread across the African continent.” (quotation from museum notes)

And in the garden the sculptures of Odile de Frayssinet who winds polypropylene rope on wire frames and then uses fire to give her pieces “skin with a half-animal, half-plant appearance.” (museum notes)