recycled leather

my return

August 19, 2019 by Birdbrain 13 Comments

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.

2 new cross-body bags from used leather

March 18, 2019 by Birdbrain 1 Comment

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 virtuous and useful pouch–did I say they are adorable?

January 10, 2019 by Birdbrain Leave a Comment

I use every inch of my leather and what’s more…I enjoy it. These pouches are made from recycled leather clothing–skirts and jackets–and the final pieces of my favourite fuchsia dot and lipstick red. Their inspiration was the piece of gorgeous African cloth I got at the last sale at the Textile Museum of Canada. You can see it peaking out in the first photo.

Pouches have all sorts of uses. When I travel I always have three of four with me. The small ones are to store different currencies and to keep track of my receipts. The bigger ones are for makeup or pencils/notebook.

These pouches have a beautiful texture and that alone could justify their existence–but their virtue is their usefulness and their environmental quotient. Check the online store if you would like one.

some thoughts on 2019, slow stitching, recycling, using up and paying attention

January 10, 2019 by Birdbrain 2 Comments

It has been over a month since I’ve written here. What was once a daily adventure for me, writing my blog and connecting to readers, has become a rarity. As I’ve told you before I’ve been posting on instagram and enjoying the connections and inspiration there. It’s quick and fun to hear from others and see what they are doing. Slowly I’ve been giving slow stitching, sustainability and reducing waste more and more thought. So, it’s time to share some of my musings and projects.

Several years ago I was on a cycling trip in Austria when we came upon the Geiger mill. Geiger, like Marimekko, is a brand I have loved since my teens. I was thrilled to visit the factory and to purchase some remnants. You can see the blog post here with the photo of the pile of beautiful boiled wool remnants.

I’ve been sewing in the last year, using remnants from my bins and the Textile Museum sales. (I line my leather bags with the off-cuts I find there.) There was a time I sewed all of my clothes, actually wove the fabric first and then sewed. But then a career and a family intervened. I sold my looms and packed up my sewing machines. After I retired I started rug hooking and then making leather bags. And then over the last couple of years I started slowly to make some of my clothes from the remnants I had on hand.

One of the big differences now is the global sewing community available online. Below are two pieces I made from a pattern designer in the UK, Tara at Paper Theory, using her versatile LB Pullover. I encourage you to read Tara’s reflections on ‘slowing fashion down’ and buying ‘ethically’. I’ve written here before about my principles of buying second-hand or handmade from local artisans. This year I have added to that by beginning once again to make my own fashion using recycled and remnant fabrics. I hope you’ll follow me here on my journey.

The tops below are from the Geiger boiled wool and I’ve been wearing them non-stop in frigid Ontario January. The pattern used is Paper Theory’s LB Pullover.

And below is a new day bag for an order. It is made from a recycled leather jacket. The first photo shows the jacket before being cut, the second the finished bag. The quality of the leather is high and it was a pleasure to sew with and to give it new life.

midsummer update

August 1, 2017 by Birdbrain 1 Comment

The blog suffers in the summer, I’m sorry to say. We are at the lake much of the time, and although we have cell service, it’s not robust enough to do blog posts. My instagram feed (link at top) is a good way to stay in touch. But here is an update of some of the things I’ve been making.

I’ve put a couple of the travel pouches in the online store. If you’d like one of the others just let me know.

And on the hooking scene, the orange roof trivet and the Fiona mat are both hooked and awaiting finishing touches.

colour block pouches

November 22, 2016 by Birdbrain 1 Comment

Here are some bright pouches made from recycled and/or remnant pieces of buttery leather. They are so much fun to assemble, each one a riff on the last. They are 7″ wide and 5.5″tall with coordinating zipper and cotton lining. They are great storage for the small things you carry in your big bag and are bright enough that you can find them in the darkest and largest tote. They can also travel solo with your phone and cards and other small essentials. These will be in the on-line store tomorrow. What a great gift! colour-block-1

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in the studio with two new backpacks

January 17, 2016 by Birdbrain 3 Comments

It’s a snowy day in my part of the world, a perfect day to burrow into the studio and get on with things. I snapped this photo of the counter with its pile of tools just as they lay there. Each bag requires lots of cutting and hammering. Below that is the box with my collection of leather belts. I really enjoy using hardware and leather straps from vintage belts on my new bags. Such additions are often much better quality than you can find now and add an interesting dimension. Here is a finished 1510 with its own unique leather strap.

Below are two 1510 backpacks in process. The first is a special order shown with a red leather pocket for the lining also repurposed, this time from a leather jacket I bought in Florence. It’s further along and I hope it will be done and in the mail this week. The cognac backpack below that is for the on-line store. Each backpack has a unique vintage closure. Look for the cognac 1510 in the on-line store by the weekend.

a birdbrain merry christmas

December 24, 2015 by Birdbrain 1 Comment

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.

the weekend production

October 18, 2015 by Birdbrain 2 Comments

One of my favourite things to do when I have an afternoon free is to drive to a nearby town to visit my favourite vintage store and then to do some sketching. Yesterday I was successful on both counts. I found a great buy in the store and a delightful Victorian house to sketch. As I sketched I imagined the lives it had seen over the past hundred plus years. It appeared to have been loved for its lifetime because all the pieces of gingerbread and other ornamental woodwork were in good condition.

Today we actually had snow flurries. A perfect day to stay inside and bake and sew. I am working on the new backpack, mostly still in the designing stage, so as things percolate, I made a few Kodachrome pouches. I enjoy combining pieces of recycled leather to come up with a pouch and then line each one with a different piece of batik. Below you will see the pouches and the pies. A great way to warm and brighten up as November looms. (The pouches will be in the shop this week.)

back in production: a new Keller in recycled leather

October 14, 2015 by Birdbrain Leave a Comment

I have finally begun to fill the orders that are waiting. This Keller bag is designed to be a compact size, yet still hold an ipad. It is made of leather from a man’s jacket with lots of life left. This bag is understated, a durable everyday bag with minimal hardware. It’s only when you look inside that you see some verve–crisp blue and white stripes. The bag sports a large outside zippered pocket, inside phone pocket and reinforced bottom with feet, as well as an adjustable cross-body strap. It measures 13″ wide, 12″ high and 4″ deep.