Loddelina designs

Busy Sunday

2012-02-12T18:07:00.000+01:00

Today I am home alone, sewing and ticking off items from my to do list. Busy, busy, busy!
One of the things on my list was backing up my files and upgrading the computer which meant more than 4 hours of cyber blackout.

So instead of posting pictures of my sewing space and work in progress, here is just a quick snapshot I posted on Instagram earlier, a detail from one of two new hipster bags I am making. I will take pictures of the finished bags tomorrow and list them in my shop by the end of the day.

Have a nice evening!

New in my shop

2012-02-04T23:17:00.000+01:00

One expects winter to be cold but to have temperatures around -18°C for several days in a row is just too much and sitting still at the sewing machine gets a bit chilly after a while. I did manage to add a few zippered purses to my shop recently and am working on a custom order bag at the moment (pictures to follow).
In the next weeks I plan to work on new hipster bags for spring and perhaps a smaller version of money purse (with my new stock of 4" zippers).
You may find the new purses in my shop.

So try to stay warm and let's hope this long and cold February is soon behind us...

New Pippa bag

2012-01-18T10:15:00.002+01:00

Remember this bag I was announcing oh so long ago?
Luckily I was tidying up my sewing space over the weekend and found half finished Pippa under piles and piles of fabrics...

So here she is, a new edition to my shop, small and elegant shoulder bag, made from robin's egg blue corduroy and golden jacquard, lined with cheerful bright red floral print. The bag has one interior slip pocket and one zippered pocket in the back.

And another Pippa bag just found a new home, thanks to wonderful Jeannine I found through Instagram - here is her view of the new bag - Thank you again :)

Finally, an update from my previous post - the nappy/diaper bag got a matching changing mat I made from dark blue & white polka dot waxed cotton canvas from Ikea - inside is a soft, white cotton waffle, the mat rolls up and closes with velcro.

New year, new projects

2012-01-06T23:24:00.001+01:00

Hello again,

I hope everybody had a smooth transition into the 2012 leap year (what will we do with that extra day!), may it be a happy, creative and prosperous year for all!

A friend of mine asked me to design a diaper/nappy bag for her sister-in-law, who is expecting a baby. So I started my new year with a new bag - so far I have made a sample bag to test the pattern and I am quite happy with the result, so much that I intend to make more of these bags for the shop.

I used one of my happy printed cotton canvases by IKEA for the exterior (they are sturdy and washable) and lined it with black lightweight canvas and matching printed canvas for the pockets.
There are two larger pockets on one side of the interior for nappies, wipes, creme, etc., and a swivel hook to attach a dummy or a small toy you don't want to lose. On the opposite side there are three smaller pockets for bottles, tissues and other necessities plus a zippered pocket for valuables.

Both exterior and interior have folds for more volume so there is plenty of room for some extra baby clothes, bibs and other little things a mom might need in a hurry. All fabrics are interfaced and seams reinforced, the bag closes with a magnetic clasp and has adjustable shoulder strap.

The bag is 30 cm (12") wide on top and 35 cm (13.5") tall. I intend to make a matching foldable changing mat that fits in the bag, more pictures to follow...

And to get in the mood for coming spring season, I purchased some cherfull green and beige prints on white canvas and matching green lining - for a large tote perhaps or smaller hipster bags.

Valentine's Day is approaching as well so I better stop writing this post and start cutting out some nice little zippered pouches...

See you soon!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T23:33:00.000+01:00

Love,
Damjana

My day Monday

2011-12-19T10:31:00.001+01:00

red berries

clockwise from top left: sunshineartdesign, ManniaTitta, redbirdjewellery, AMIdesigns.

See more Monday moodboards at Star's blog...

Still here...

2011-12-18T15:01:00.001+01:00

Hello, dear friends,

I must apologize for not posting much lately, things have been a bit hectic with the last week of preschool and all the Christmas preparation - but now the holidays are here, and most importantly, Mother Nature sent us snow to slow things down, stop us from rushing around all day, make us stay at home and enjoy each other...

So that is what we are doing this weekend, frolicking in the fresh snow in the morning and going to the town Christmas fair merry go round in the afternoon. I must admit I have been more faithful to Instagram than Blogger this past month - hence these square images...

I hope you are enjoying your weekend as well, I will see you soon!

My workspace

2011-12-11T00:25:00.003+01:00

I wanted to title this post as usual, "work in progress" but other than chosing the fabrics and cutting out the pattern I haven't made enough progress on a new Pippa shoulder bag. I will continue on Monday since tomorrow we plan to visit a nearby Christmas fair...

Once it is done, this small shoulder bag will be a robin's egg blue corduroy with golden mustard jacquard base and lined with matching bright red and turquoise print, decorated with some mustard yellow trim and buttons, perhaps appliqued flowers. I haven't decided on the colour of zipper yet, if red is too much, I might chose something more neutral although I feel like

c o l o u r

at the moment - inspiration for this particular combination came from a pretty box I purchased some time ago...

Stay tuned...

My day Monday and December Newsletter

2011-12-05T14:44:00.000+01:00

New issue of Loddelina newsletter is out today - due to busy time of the year there have not been many new additions to my shop this month but I am looking forward to new creative challenges and ideas for the year 2012!

And to start this week on a happy note, here is my Monday Moodboard:

Clockwise from top left: FiliGraceJewelry, StarBags, byMarianneS, bialakura.

December

2011-12-01T10:53:00.001+01:00

Last night I was up till one finishing my double advent calendar for the children. Papa Arno made the light wooden frame (90x130cm, 35x51") with screwed in metalic hooks on which we strung a simple white cord to make 24 intersections. Children helped me make the tags and when they went to bed in the evening, I added two sets of red paper bags with small presents inside, attached with red polkadot ribbon for Lily and brown for Gaston.

I didn't grow up with this tradition but always found it fun for the small children who have a hard time waiting for Christmas (my son has been asking me about it since his birthday in September...). With this simple countdown tool they will discover a little surprise every morning of this holiday season.

Have a nice Thursday and don't forget, Loddelina December newsletter will be out this weekend, there is still time to subscribe and get fresh news about new items and shop promotions!

Have a nice weekend!

2011-11-26T11:15:00.001+01:00

Yesterday I added a new zippered pouch to my shop - a dark brown canvas base with emerald green and raspberry pink silk patches, decorated with matching trims.

I wanted to list another purse but the day got too short as I decided at the last minute to make a small girl tote as a present to my friend's daughter. I used my favourite Ikea striped canvas and lined it with whimsical colourful print of lobsters and fruit - what else!

I wish you a great weekend,
See you soon!

My Day Monday

2011-11-21T16:08:00.001+01:00

It has been a while since I posted my Monday Etsy favourites - time to start the weekly post again!

LEAVES

Clockwise from top left: AliBaliJewellery, P8ButtonArt, DeerLola, oneperfectday.

And the reason for picking the leaves theme is that after a long sewing pause I am finally adding something new to my shop: a zippered purse in cream canvas with stripes and leaves. I have a couple more cut out & waiting, I hope to add them tomorrow.

Have a great start of the new week!

A quick transformation

2011-11-17T22:36:00.000+01:00

There was not much time for sewing this past week but I did manage to make a little alteration on Lily's hat. Since I can't crochet or knit, I found her a simple, warm fleece hat in muted purple.

The store bought hat had tassels on long strings and since preschool doesn't like clothing with strings hanging around children's necks for risk of injury on the playground, I decided to cut both tassels off, sew them on the top of the hat and decorate the sides with two little fabric flowers I happened to have in stock...

New home

2011-11-10T20:04:00.001+01:00

After watching my husband play with iPhone application Instagram for the last five months and getting more and more hooked, I too started discovering this new platform for sharing images. The standard square format of photographs makes one pay more attention to composition of the pictures and application's many filters make it fun to change the mood, contrast and feel of each image.

I downloaded some of my Etsy shop photos and cropped them through Instagram lense, which gave them a new, artistic look I like very much. Since I also like to take pictures of nature and all things that inspire me, it is now interesting to see all these images together on my Instagram account.

You may find my pictures under username Loddelina or, if you don't use Instagram click on this link.

Publishing pictures on Instagram also allows me to simultaniously post them on my facebook and twitter accounts. So many homes, so little time...

November news

2011-11-04T12:00:00.000+01:00

As promised I have added four new iPhone sleeves to my shop - two with cheerful stripes and two in dark wool with embroidery.
These slim cases fit iPhone 4 and 4S perfectly so no velcro or magnetic closures are necessary. Cozies are lined with soft wool cloth or cotton corduroy and have no raw seams. Other sizes are available upon request.

And the new Loddelina newsletter is out - click on the icon on top left of this page to subscribe and get your own copy with a special coupon code for my shop!

New design

2011-10-30T16:04:00.001+01:00

I have been meaning to add a mobile phone / gadget cozy to my shop for some time now but never knew which size to chose to make it as versatile as posible. The decision was made a few days ago when my husband came home with his brand new iPhone :). I made a test cozy for his phone, making it just large enought to fit the device snugly so no velcro or magnetic closures were necesarry. There is a small pocket in the back for a card and the cozy is lined with soft and thick wool cloth for extra padding.

The second case (the first was plain, no nonsense, masculine version) I decorated with Christmas tree embroidery and red corduroy applique on charcoal wool cloth. I quite like the result and will be adding a few iPhone 4 and 4S cozies to my shop next week. Other sizes might be available upon request, I am always open to suggestions. Stay tuned...

Lovely Clusters catalog

2011-10-26T16:50:00.001+02:00

One of the blogs I love to follow is called Lovely Clusters, a place of neverending inspiration, beautiful colours and textures. Each year Rachel from Lovely Clusters publishes two catalogs, carefully selecting and matching lovely items into colour themes.

In the new Lovely Clusters Fall/Winter 2011/12 catalog my zippered pouch got featured in Harvest Orange section - thank you, Rachel!

Just leave the new catalogue out for Santa and you won't be dissapointed this Christmas...

How many is too many?

2011-10-21T19:41:00.001+02:00

I recently purchased some new spools of thread - they were on sale so I couldn't resist :)

But coming back home I realized I already have most of these colour shades - or do I?
I keep my spools sorted by colour in a cardboard box and the new spools didn't all fit so I had to take out those that were too close in hue. But how to choose between midnight blule and navy blue, between lemon yellow and corn yellow?

I managed to trim my selection down so now most spools fit in the box...

New in my shop

2011-10-12T21:25:00.000+02:00

I listed another large City Tote today, this one is made from fine dark olive green corduroy in combination with cheerful striped cloth in pink, purple and pea green. Comfortable, broad shoulder straps are made from the same striped cloth and inside of the bag is lined with khaki canvas.

Over the weekend I experimented with shapes again and made this large, square wristlet from neutral linen blend - I adorned the front and back with some freehand embroidery and added a handmade bobbin lace that I've bought in Slovenia.

The region of Idrija in Slovenia has a long tradition of bobbin lace making; this delicate lace, often with flower motifs or heart shaped, is made from fine cotton thread, twisted and pleated over little pins in a round pillow. Click HERE to read more about this fascinating technique.

I've purchased several different pieces of bobbin lace, I will mostly use them for decorating smaller purses...

Monthly Newsletter

2011-10-05T23:04:00.000+02:00

This month I am celebrating the 10th anniversary of Loddelina, ten years of more or less continued creating of handmade bags and other accessories. I recently found a box of my very first handbag designs, the early attempts of sewing and trying out patterns (I will share some of them in one of my next posts).

I have learned a lot since then, mostly through trial and error but what other way is there? And I am still learning, my latest task was to finally start Loddelina newsletter, a monthly issue with fresh shop news, a look into my work in progress and announcements of special offers and events.
So here it is, the October issue, put together with the help of MailChimp, internet mailing service. If you wish to subscribe to the newsletter, please click HERE - at the end of this month I will randomly pick someone from the list who will receive this Loddelina keychain charm.

Autumn inspirations

2011-09-27T09:21:00.000+02:00

Japanese anemone - I love their delicate stems and simple blossoms

Shiny, gorgeous wild chestnuts - I used to dye my hair that colour back in highschool :)

The prettiest side of rain

Weekend!

2011-09-23T20:34:00.001+02:00

I listed another bag today, it is a remake of my red city tote with rainbow stripes that got sold recently (thank you, cousin :) - a roomy, sturdy everyday bag, stylish book tote or whatever you want it to be...

This weekend I won't have much time for sewing - first official weekend of autumn is going to be exceptionally sunny and warm so my family will try to make the most of it (chilly, foggy mornings are reminding us that winter is not that far away...).

Children enjoying themselves at the ever changing water fountains in front of the Pontarlier town hall

:: :: ::

I wish you all a great weekend, see you soon!

Some of my Etsy favourites

2011-09-21T13:13:00.003+02:00

It's funny how I am attracted to fresh spring colours and summer-at-the-beach theme on the brink of autumn...

New in my shop

2011-09-20T15:55:00.002+02:00

It was about time - another hipster bag is now available in my shop!

Made from lovely cream white basque cloth with woven stripes in rusty red, slate grey and taupe brown. I cut out some leaves from the same cloth and appliqued them in front and back. The bag has all the usual features: back zippered pocket, interior slip pocket for a phone and a handy D-ring for attaching keys.

Leaves are my favourite autumn inspiration and I intend to make more bags, especially zippered pouches, with leaves appliques. Stay tooned!

My workspace

2011-09-11T10:20:00.001+02:00

Today is a Loddelina Sunday so I am busy cutting fabric and preparing everything for my day of sewing. So far I have a neighbourhood of little house brooches in the works and I might relax a little in front of the TV later in the afternoon while I sew the brooches shut.
If time premits I also have a new hipster bag all cut out and ready to assemble...

And this is the latest addition to my shop, small money purse, made from chocolate brown wool cloth and embroidered with mustard yellow thread.

Have a great Sunday wherever you are!

* * * * * * * * *

Update: several hours later my little house brooches are almost finished (I have to sew a pin in the back of each one) - hopefully I can add most of them to my shop tomorrow...

A very sweet swap

2011-09-07T21:48:00.002+02:00

So far I have found only a handfull of Etsy shops, owned by fellow Slovenian artists, but we keep discovering each other through comments on our blogs or in Etsy forums. I found Saša from Tika Ceramics through Sonja's blog and I instantly became a fan of her beautiful ceramic dishes, cookie jars and oil burners. When we started emailing eachother she mentioned she likes my handbags and that is how we decided to do a swap!

Pippa Grande in sky blue corduroy with applique, buttons and embroidery

We met during my summer holidays in Slovenia (it was all in a bit of a hurry so unfortunately there was no time for a picture) and exchanged the goodies. I made Saša a larger version of my sky blue corduroy Pippa bag ...

...and in return she gave me this beautiful lidded cookie vessel, adorned with birds, imprints of handmade lace and delicately painted.

Saša also gave me a small handmade ceramic pendant (which I will model another time and post a picture!) and I really hope we have a chance to meet again soon.

If you want to see what Saša aka Tika is creating next or to know more about the beautiful part of Slovenija she is from, check out her blog, Tikin svet.

First day of school

2011-09-05T11:02:00.000+02:00

This year both my children are going to preschool, école maternelle in France, and to mark this event I made them each a new toy. Gaston will keep his bat under the pillow to protect him from monsters at night and Lily will take her bunny to school every day - if there is ever a moment of homesickness, she has both mine and her father's pictures attached to little bunny's pocket...

I made the bat's wings in one piece from shiny viscose fabric that I stuffed with vegetal fibres and overstitched to give it a 3D look. Then I attached the little bat, made from black velvety fabric, stuffed and sewn shut. The bat has two golden beads for eyes and embroidered mouth.

Bunny is made from some leftover floral print fabric and beige linen with button eyes and embroidered face. It has soft lavender terry-cloth ears and a front pocket in which it keeps his photographs - I transfered the two pictures on cotton canvas and sewed them together.

I found it hard to get the iron temperature just right so three sheets of transfer paper later I had two small

images I could use and the rest were either overburned or not transfered entirely...

I wish all of you a happy Monday and creative week ahead!

Autumn is here

2011-09-01T10:27:00.000+02:00

Time to switch to warmer, more muted shades and wooly, cozy materials.

Some fabrics I have worked with before and am coming back to, like this dark grey wool cloth, meant for mens' wear and perfect for decorating with freehand embroidery and lace. Little money purse is also adorned with some embroidered ric rac trim and a wooden button.

Others I am testing out, like this upholstery canvas I purchased recently and is actually black floral jacquard on brown chenille base - I used its reverse side for more elegant look of this medium hipster bag and am quite pleased with the result.

Both items are now available in my shop.

One click at the time

2011-08-29T14:10:00.009+02:00

Yesterday I had my Sewing Sunday, a day all to myself to make new bags for my shop (and to completely ignore all the domestic chores). Day was a big success, I finished one hipster bag and two small zippered pouches which will be listed shortly.

I am very happy with my work but not so much about the stories I flipped throught as I read the latest issue of Time magazine during my lunch break. The story that particularly struck me was the one about famine in Somalia and images of starving children and heartbroken mothers who manage to bring their children to refugee camps only in time to watch them die. A few more flips through the pages of the same magazine and I could read the story of launching of a new McLaren road sports car for middle aged men, all 1000 of the firts series already sold for $229,000 each...

image: TIME Magazine

Back to famine. I read a while ago that Europeans throw away one third of the food we buy. We either forget about it and it goes off in the fridge or we simply buy more than we can eat. I used to be a very picky child when I was little, one who hardly ate anything. With each meal I left unfinished, some (well meaning, I am sure) adult or other would say "How dare you, when at the same time so many children in Africa are starving!" As a child I couldn't do much about it, least of all pack my unfinished meal and send it to some refugee camp in Ethiopia, then the most endangered African country.

But guess what, now I can. Not in the real sense, of course, but by clicking this button, I can help providing a cup of food for Somalia famine victims. Don't ask me how it works, but apparently it does, so I urge you to post a link to your own website, facebook profile or twitter and remember to click on it daily. One click at the time, while you are browsing the internet on your coffee break, for example. Or while you are not finishing your sandwich.

New in my shop

2011-08-24T17:21:00.002+02:00

I am so happy to be back at my sewing station that I already listed three new items in my shop since we came back from vacation last weekend!
Three items might not seem much but to me it is quite an achievement, considering all the unpacking, tidying the flat and a huge pile of laundry we had to take care of first (and I mean "we", thanks, honey, for helping :)

So here they are, a new Maia zippered purse (with a slightly revisited design from last autumn, there will be more to come) and two tiny house brooches. It was a lot of fun making these, especially the one with fairy lights; do you think I should make more for the coming Christmas season?

Grey and burnt orange with creamy white lace and embroidery

There's a party next door!

Closing of the little house once I have stuffed it with soft and light plant fibre filling...

Enjoy the rest of your week, more Etsy news coming soon!

Venezia

2011-08-17T11:07:00.002+02:00

We are back from our short visit to Venice and it is already time to pack for going back to France.

Here are a few impressions of Venice in mid August heat - this time we decided to get a room in a small hotel and spend the night (booking the room online well in advance makes prices quite affordable). That way we could enjoy this overcrowded city in the beautiful light of late afternoon and the quiet of early morning (we were up at 6 to catch the cool morning light and still deserted streets before returning to our hotel for breakfast).

Definitely worth doing again next year...

The lazy days of summer

2011-08-13T09:23:00.002+02:00

... are almost over for me. There is another long weekend ahead, with a short visit to nearby Venice, Italy, and then we slowly head back home to France.

My intentions to sew a bit while I am in Slovenia melted away with every sunny day spent playing with my children, walking my parents' dog (that is him in the picture, happily napping in the afternoon) and enjoying the peace and quiet of their garden. But I managed to purchase some new supplies, gather some fresh ideas and will be back behind my sewing machine soon to start working on new autumn designs.

Enjoy your weekend,
see you soon!

Slippers for Lily

2011-08-03T17:40:00.001+02:00

My little girl turned 3 yesterday - where did that time go?!

Lily starts preschool in September and she will need slippers to wear indoors so I found these simple and comfortable leather ballet slippers with rubber soles. They are sold in many colours but her size was available only in rather pale vanilla yellow so I decided to add some colour...

I like to buy Christmas and Easter decorations after the season is over, when they are on sale for very little money, usually in large department stores that want to get rid of their outdated stock fast. One can find many interesting pieces, beads, ribbons and other adornments that can be used for many creative projects all year round.

Two flowers, cut out of thick yellow felt (once a part of Easter garland), were perfect for my makeover. I had no problem sewing them on soft leather, using a large needle and some aqua blue embroidery thread, which I simply tied in a knot on the inside of the slippers.

Et voilà!

Summer holidays are for:

2011-07-30T18:04:00.002+02:00

:: daydreaming in the grass (no four leaf shamrocks found, better luck next time)

:: trying on a new look (these are the glasses frames I chose in the end)

:: having coffee at the streetside cafe (while your children attend a pavement workshop)

:: enjoying all the different colours of Ljubljana (even if the weather is way too chilly for this time of year)

:: buying some pretty jewellery (I fell in love with this gorgeous labradorite stone set in silver)

:: and adding a shiny kitchen appliance to my mental wish list (I had no idea KitchenAid mixer come in all the colours of the rainbow!)...

:: :: :: Have a nice weekend! :: :: ::

Blogger on vacation

2011-07-23T19:16:00.003+02:00

I am spending my summer vacation in Slovenia; plenty of rest, catching up with old friends and sightseeing around Ljubljana, my hometown. A lot has changed since I moved away and it is always fun to discover new things as I visit my favourite spots.

Loddelina is taking a break at the moment, buying supplies, making some sketches and looking for fresh ideas. I plan to add some zippered pouches to my shop as soon as I catch my breath :)

It has cooled down a bit in the last few days with rain showers painting the skies dark blue and beautiful clouds scattered all over the horizon. Here are some impressions from the past week:

Walking up to the Ljubljana castle ...

... as big stormy clouds gather above.

Street musician on a coffee break.

New art installations in old town's cobble street.

Lunch at the market place (mmmmmm).

And later that day street lights slowly light up.

:: :: :: Have a nice weekend! :: :: ::

A real challenge

2011-07-15T15:06:00.001+02:00

I finished another custom work yesterday, a fabric compendium that can hold a standard A4 note pad, two BlackBerry devices, some pens and business cards.
To even make this stiff structured item that would hold all the contents safely inside, I had to purchase some super strong double sided fusible that Lisa, the amazing writer of U-handbag blog suggested to me.

The colours, materials and embroidery followed this Loddelina zippered pouch, the only thing I had to figure out was the right dimensions for all the pockets and how to sew everything together including the strong interfacing and magnetic clasps closing the folded compendium.

Making this item was quite a challenge for my handbag oriented mind, but like any challenge it gave me new ideas for future projects and, hopefully, taught me new skills to bring them to life.

:: :: :: have a great weekend :: :: ::

Work in progress

2011-07-07T17:38:00.000+02:00

Very slow progress, but still...

In between nursing my son's broken elbow (hopefully it is not really broken but it has to rest in a cast for a whole week) and entertaining Gaston, who can't ride a bike, draw, climb outside in the playground, or sleep very well at night (due to the same annoying cast, stretching from shoulder to thumb), I am working on a custom order. It is a larger version of my Pippa blue corduroy bag and so far I have finished the front embroidery, all I have left is deciding where to sew the buttons.

I should have more news from my studio next week; if you want a closer update, follow me on Twitter - I have finally opened my account, find me HERE or click on the little blue bird in the sidebar...

Tweet you soon!

New city tote

2011-07-03T21:15:00.000+02:00

I listed another tote today, this time a city version - a bit taller, able to comfortably hold a A4 size folder, school boooks or work papers - whenever you want to take it.

Made from delicious cherry red cotton canvas and decorated with a patch of striped Basque cloth in rainbow colours, interfaced and lined with contrasting dark khaki canvas. Inside are two pockets, a smaller slip pocket for your phone and a larger, zippered one plus a D ring for attaching keys. Many colourful details make this tote really unique and if somebody doesn't grab it quickly (my 15% sale is still going on), I might keep it for myself!

Today I was busy all afternoon, working on a custom order Pippa Grande shoulder bag. I will have some pictures tomorrow...

2011-06-30T11:47:00.005+02:00

: : : : : :

Dear Friends of Loddelina,

Welcome to a special

three-day SUMMER SALE

on all handmade Loddelina designs,

including the latest bags, wristlets, zippered pouches and more

www.Loddelina.Etsy.com

Please use the special coupon code during checkout:

SUMMER15

to get a 15 % discount on your purchase!

:: enter SHOP here ::

SALE starts this Saturday, July 2nd (10 AM Paris time)

and ends Monday, July 4th (10 PM Paris time)

: : : : : :

Sunday picnic

2011-06-26T10:39:00.000+02:00

My latest Goga wristlet was made with European Street Team's challenge in mind (theme was picnic) but I didn't finish it in time.

Here she is now, still waiting to be taken for a Sunday picnic in the grass - it is made from denim bllue polyester blend fabric and lined with a piece of vintage red gingham tablecloth. I added a handmade kanzashi flower brooch that can be placed anywhere on the purse or pinned to your clothes for a matching look.

Happy Sunday!

Starfish brooch

2011-06-24T16:01:00.001+02:00

A customer recently bought one of my Stella Maris wristlets as a gift for her sister's bachelorette's party. She told me starfish was the theme of the party as her sister was getting married at the beach.

When I buy an item on Etsy as a gift to someone, it is always a pleasant surprise when the seller includes a little something for me as well. So I decided to make a little starfish brooch to match the wristlet; I used the same robin egg blue corduroy, reinforced it with fusible interfacing and cut out a small starfish. I then glued the starfish to a piece of pea green felt and cut out the shape again, leaving a 2 mm margin. At the end I sewed a pin at the back, using green thread.

Michelle told me the package arrived just in time for the bachelorette party and she happily wore her new brooch pinned to the strap of her own bag.

Happy Monday

2011-06-20T10:45:00.004+02:00

I had a relaxing weekend away from my computer so I only noticed yesterday evening that one of my bags has been featured on Front Page Sunday morning!

Thank you, Vicky from mypipsqueak for featuring my Stella Maris Tote in your fun orange treasury!

I wish all of you a great start of the new week!

Custom work

2011-06-16T11:48:00.005+02:00

I finished my special order and sent it to its new home today. It is another version of Leelou bag, small satchel made from black denim and golden upholstery jacquard.

Instead of cotton webbing, I used the same fabric to make bag's adjustable strap and finished the warm look with a cream coloured ric rac trim and a piece of lace.

Thursday is also farmer's market day and this time of year stalls are full of young onions and fresh garlic, bound in beautifull small bouquets. I bought one just for decoration because I rarely use fresh garlic in my cooking (I prefer dried one; it has less "side effects" and gives the same aroma to dishes...).

And here is our Pontralier with its windows & shutters ...

... including my window with two recently planted boxes of zinnias.

Latest news

2011-06-14T22:51:00.004+02:00

What has been going on in Loddelina studio lately, you ask?

Well, there was a trip to the nearest IKEA, purely essential purchases, of course :)

The skies over Dijon were just amazing that morning, beautiful puffy clouds made it very hard to keep our eyes on the road.

And back home, it was time to reorganize my working space and replace the old drawer unit with a new, shiny creamy white one that matches the sewing table (when it is not completely covered with stuff).

It might not look like much to you but to me it is super tidy and it made me start on a new project straight away!

So this new project is a special order, a remake of my Leelou "Free as a bird" satchel, this time with cream white trim and lace accents.

Next weekend we are keepping our fingers crossed for some nice, windy weather so we can try out our new kite - bought at the kite festival in Pontarlier...

Chocolate and polka dots

2011-06-05T21:57:00.005+02:00

I listed another Pippa purse today and due to a small error (pssst, don't tell anyone) I made the bottom slightly deeper; the end result is this very petite purse with more prominent hexagonal shape.

The purse with a sort of 50's feel is made from dark chocolate brown upholstery fabric and warm grey canvas, decorated with red polka dotted ribbon, red corduroy straps and matching flower brooch. Ever since I bought the craft book Kanzashi in Bloom, I wanted to try out one of its many fabulous ideas and this seemed like a perfect opportunity. I cut out and folded five petals from grey canvas and decorated them with red wooden beads. The three dimensional flower is attached to a pin and can be also worn independently as a brooch.

Pippa purse is lined with creamy beige checkered cotton canvas and has one interior zippered pocket plus a swivel hook for attaching keys. New bag is now available in my shop.

:: :: ::

And remember those zinnias I bought last week? They are now planted in two flower boxes and are making me smile every time I look out the window...

Have a great start of the new week!

This month's inspirations

2011-05-27T17:27:00.004+02:00

Zinnia flowers waiting to be planted in my window flower box

Neighbour's garden poppies against the dark blue sky

My children's crayon shavings

And here is a bag I made for myself recelntly (yes, on very rare occasions I do make stuff for my personal use).

First I meant to use it as a shopping tote in which I could bring home bread and other dry groceries but now I mostly use it to carry parcels to the post office. I wish I could take it for a walk more often but when I do, I do so in style...

New in my shop

2011-05-25T09:05:00.006+02:00

Here they are, the three new hipster bags I made over the last weekend - all three are now available in my shop.

All bags have adjustable cotton webbing strap, large zippered pocket inside and a d-ring for attaching keys.

Warm grey upholstery canvas with orange starfish applique and buttons

Olive green floral upholstery fabric with repurposed men's tie applique

D-ring and small interior slip pocket

Blue denim-like cotton blend canvas with aqua blue starfish applique and buttons

Today is Button Wednesday on Petronella's blog (from Etsy kraplap shop) - check out this week's button beauties!

Happy Wednesday!

Work in progress

2011-05-22T17:23:00.004+02:00

I am having another one of my sewing weekends!

With the husband and children gone to grandma's, I have a house to myself. That means I have set my sewing station on the kitchen table, where I can cut the fabric and sew while I watch TV. And thanks to Elisa from Pesky cat designs, who has infected me with the sudden need for some British humour, I have spent the whole morning clicking through episodes of Keeping up Appearances on Youtube. It is hilarious even if you don't keep your eyes on the screen all of the time...

Here is my progress so far:

I have finished one new hipster bag in upholstery canvas and upcycled men's tie and have two more bags just a few stitches away - they will both have a starfish applique in front and cotton webbing adjustable straps. I hope to be able to take pictures before the dark and list them tonight!

New hipster bag

2011-05-17T22:13:00.004+02:00

Here she is, another Loddelina hipster bag, now available in my shop!

Yes, it is definitely a girl because it is made from bits of juicy red, dark red and raspberry pink corduroy and smooth cotton velvet in bright fuchsia. The bag is so soft and cuddly people will stop you in the street to stroke its velvety texture...

Hipster bag has a generously adjustable cotton webbing strap in khaki beige and a large zippered pocket in the back. Sturdy canvas lining in khaki has a gadget slip pocket and D ring for attaching your keys - and the magnetic clasp to securely close everything inside.

Slow week

2011-05-14T19:25:00.005+02:00

Another weekend is here and yet I have no new bags to show you - there is a work in progress on my sewing table, a new hipster bag, but I forgot to take a picture of it while it was still light outside... Hopefully I will soon have pictures of the finished project.

It is a rainy weekend here in the east of France but the rain is very welcome after an unusually long dry spell. The heat and dry winds have finished off all the lovely tulips but luckily here comes the next prettiest flower - poppy!

I love driving past fields and fields of these bright red flowers that gently sway in the breeze and I don't care if they are considered pests, for me poppies are just plain gorgeous.

So with these borrowed images from davygoat.com I am wishing all of you a nice Sunday - see you soon!

Saturday

2011-05-07T19:16:00.007+02:00

Did you have a nice Saturday?

Ours was spent picknicking by lake Saint Point, enjoying the perfect sunny day. It was windy and the calm breeze made us stay in the high altitude sun a bit too long - by lunch time we were already quite dizzy so the children had a rest in our comfy foldable beach hut.

We tried to fly a kite, the wind seemed right but kite flying turned out to be harder than it looks - especially when there are two children pulling at the kite's strings...

Lake Saint Point is a very popular place for surfers, sailing boats and picknicking families - children like playing in the grass, on the sandy beach or even wetting their feet in cold water. It is always a good idea to bring a change of clothes...

I hope to sew a bit tomorrow, I had plans to strat working on another hipster bag yesterday but then made this little plush toy for my son instead. He says he doesn't like to dream at night so I made him a small stuffed crocodile that will stay under his pillow and eat up all the dreams - a sort of dreamcatcher but very strict one since Gaston doesn't like dreams at all, not even nice ones...

I wish you a lovely rest of the weekend!

Just listed...

2011-05-04T23:28:00.004+02:00

Another Maia small zippered clutch - sky blue corduroy and flower print canvas, a fresh blue-cream-orange combo for summer.

And I just realized it matches the Blogger "publish post" layout perfectly...

I'm off to bed, good night!

Special offer

2011-05-02T22:51:00.004+02:00

Loddelina is offering a free gift, small purse of your choice, to the next four customers who will purchase €50 or more worth of items (shipping not included) in my shop.

How to get your free purse?

At the checkout, please specify which purse you would like in "message to seller". All four are described here and since they are one-of-a-kind, first customer gets the most choice :)

(If any of these purses get sold on their own, I will replace them with another, just as pretty, from my shop).

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Red star

2011-04-30T20:31:00.005+02:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have been working on a new bag design.

Some of my friends have made observations about my shop lacking a smaller cross body purse one wears when one doesn't want to carry around much more than bare essentials; others have said they don't like it when a bag closes with a flap that needs to be constantly lifted up when you want to take a peek inside...

So what is the solution? Hopefully this new Loddelina design, a small sized hipster bag with adjustable strap, with almost flat shape and a magnetic snap closure. The bag has a large zippered pocket in the back plus a small interior pocket for a phone and metallic D-ring for attaching keys.

As I was drawing the bag, starfish came to mind again so I decided to try a black denim version with bright red corduroy applique - army green shoulder strap gives it a unisex look and since tomorrow is May 1st, labour day in most European countries, the red star seems only appropriate...

The new hipster bag will be listed in my shop tomorrow.

While I was sleeping ...

2011-04-28T10:58:00.004+02:00

... my little house brooch made it to the Front Page!

It has been a really long time since I was featured on Etsy FP so I am very grateful to Erin, talented jewellery maker from TheSilverDog, for having included me in her Tiny Pieces of Art treasury. Little yellow house got lots of hearts and so did some other items in my shop - a happy change from otherwise slow Etsy month.

Thank you :)

In other news, I am currently working on another design, a small crossbody hipster bag - flat, simple and practical. I might even consider a men's version...

Happy Easter!

2011-04-22T22:02:00.002+02:00

Spring comes late to our part of the world so we get to enjoy these gorgeous tulips in the nearby park and all around our town at Easter time - in my opinion the municipality gardeners of Pontarlier really have a great sense of flower arranging...

Have a great weekend,

see you soon!

More colour!

2011-04-19T23:29:00.008+02:00

I decided to combine two of my favourite fabrics, vibrant corduroy in fresh, spring colours and patches of striped canvas from Maison d'Artiga.

The result are these (so far) two Maia zippered clutches, one in red , pink & purple combination and the other in robin egg blue & yellow mustard. I lined both purses with cheerful floral prints in matching colours and decorated the zipppers with handmade polymer clay beads.

I love saturated hues of these new purses but somehow their true colours don't always show in the photos of Etsy listings. I thought my computer screen was to blame so I opened several photos in different programmes - it turns out Etsy makes all pictures look duller and less sharp compared to same pictures, published on Flickr, Facebook and other places...

Other fellow Etsyians confirmed that it is the case in their shops as well. So for future listings on Etsy I will have to push the contrast and saturation up in PhotoShop and sharpen all the images.

:: same picture on Etsy and in PhotoShop window ::

Are any of you having the same observations? Please share!

Freshly baked

2011-04-14T17:39:00.006+02:00

Lately I have been in the mood for colour, lots and lots of it, so I started sorting out the most vibrant textiles in my supplies closet to make a few new zippered pouches. But then I realized I don't have many colourful beads left, those large glass or wooden ones I like to use as zipper pulls (and I find them not just beautiful but pretty handy, too...).

So I thought I might make some beads myself - the only available material I had was polymer clay though it has been a while since I worked with it the last time. I have a small collection of basic hues of Fimo soft polymer clay and it took some effort to blend them into pastel colours I was after but at the end I was very pleased with the result.

I used some tiny plastic beads to decorate each large piece, sinking them into the soft clay before baking it according to instructions (half an hour at 130° C). I laid the beads on a small baking tray - a miniature one from Ikea that my children use to make playdough cookies.

I made the holes large enough for the leather cord I use to attach them to zippers.

This project was fun but I am still very far from mastering the clay modeling technique - I admire those Etsy artists who make lifelike miniatures out of polymer clay, like Stephanie from PetitPlat, or jewellery artists like Maja and Sonja.

Nevertheless, I can't wait to use my new beads in future Loddelina projects!

:: P.S. ::

Thank you, Sonja, for pointing out a few more things about polymer clay beads, I will consider them when I make my next batch. Those that I won't use for Loddelina purses I will keep on my sewing table - they will come in handy when Lily comes to play at my feet, she loves to string beads!

Stella Maris wristlet

2011-04-10T20:42:00.006+02:00

The weekend is almost over and I still have some tidying up to do before my family returns (and muffins to bake like I promised the children).

Here are two new summer wristlets I listed in my shop today. I call them Stella Maris, starfish in Latin, and I must say I am very pleased how the corduroy applique in salmon and robin egg blue on two tone beige canvas turned out.

I have already sketched some more starfish inspired designs but they will have to wait for the next sewing break...

A busy weekend

2011-04-09T15:21:00.005+02:00

This weekend it is all about Loddelina. Thanks to my husband, who took the children to grandma's, I have a whole weekend to sew!

Ok, almost the whole weekend because there are other urgent things to be done, like reorganizing my pantry (to make sure I restock on food that is actually missing and stop buying more and more pasta that I already don't have room to store anymore, for instance).

This morning I dedicated some time to call a few of dear friends I made during our stay in Germany - we were able to catch up without constant interruptions from children who always want to take part in the conversation...

Later I prepared my sewing table and started work on a new design (I have cut the pieces and fused the interface the evening before). But my stomach reminded me it was time for lunch so I had to take a break - my abandoned sewing table didn't look very attractive but that is how interfaced, double stitched insides of a tote bag look like...

I cooked some pasta, what else (to make more room in my pantry), spaghetti with tomato and basil sauce with cubes of fresh mozzarella on top. It is one of my favourite 20 minute dishes and I often make it for my family.

After lunch I hurried to finish the bag (I will do the dishes later) and here it is, a sneak preview of my canvas summer tote with handmade starfish charm. It has interior zippered pocket, slip pocket for mobile phone and a swivel hook for keys. It closes with a magnetic snap and makes a perfect medium to large summer bag.

I intend to make two more starfish themed designs this weekend and I hope to have them all photographed and listed on Sunday.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

A package is on the way...

2011-04-07T09:04:00.002+02:00

... and this time it is one of my little house brooches, on it's way to Norway.

I usually wrap my bags and purses in plane or printed brown paper, decorated with colourful tape, before I stick them in a bubble envelope, but that didn't work for tiny houses.

So I looked around Etsy supplies a bit and purchased small glassine envelopes. They come in many sizes and with these 3" x 5.5" I can pack each little house individually, enclose my business card and staple the little package shut with a cut out cardstock flower on top. I like to include a handmade blank card with envelope as well in case the purchased item is a gift (even a gift for oneself...).

So far, Loddelina designs have traveled to many corners of the world, some to Europe but a lot of them much further, to USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and, thanks to lovely fellow Etsy lover and blogger Yael, to Israel.

-::- find Loddelina on facebook -::-

Thank you, all, and thanks to those who are liking Loddelina Facebook page - I will do my best to update the page with fresh designs, work in progress and other news as often as possible. See you soon!

New season, new ideas

2011-04-05T09:25:00.003+02:00

First blossoms of spring make me already think of summer, there is something about clear blue sky with puffy white clouds that evokes memories of childhood summer holidays at the seaside... I love the clean and fresh combination of sky blue, leaf green and white!

So this week I am working on a larger summer tote - perhaps not in the same colour scheme as this cherry branch (because I have to use some of many fabrics I have in stock) but the new bags will definitely say "Summer Time"

Stay tuned!

Beautiful company

2011-04-04T10:26:00.005+02:00

A big thank you to all the wonderful fellow Etsyians, who have featured my work in their treasuries lately - I love seeing how other people view my work and include it in ther collections.

Here are just two of the most recent features:

FIRST, a treasury made by Jetty from JKphotography

and SECOND, made by Betti from realfaery .

Thank you :)

Daffodils

2011-04-01T17:46:00.003+02:00

Spring is around the corner but it will take a few more days for the first cherry tree blossoms to open - on this high altitude spring is always delayed by at least three weeks...

But following a tip from the locals we drove not far from our town to find a field where the first daffodils have started popping out of the ground. It was a beautiful afternoon with wild clouds above our heads and the children enjoyed picking tiny yellow flowers (this wild variety is much smaller than what I am used to seeing in people's gardens, it only grows about 20 cm tall).

After a while the clouds got darker and our boots were covered in mud so it was time to go home.

In my kitchen now stands a beautiful bouquet of sunshine yellow blossoms to brighten up our mornings.

:::

Have a great weekend,

see you soon!

No. three

2011-03-30T15:49:00.003+02:00

I have a confession to make: I almost kept this little purse for myself :)

But, at the end, I decided to put it in my shop. So here she is, a small money purse in vibrant red, plum purple and turquoise striped canvas, lined with cheerful print and adorned with teal blue zipper & button.

New in my shop - small zippered money purse

2011-03-28T18:53:00.008+02:00

As soon as we adjusted our clocks to summer time, my mind switched as well and now I have sea, sun and sand in my head all day long.

To let some of the summer spirit out I created these two zippered purses in fresh colour combination of navy blue, white, sand and red. The zippered money purse is a little smaller than my other zippered pouches, only 15 cm (6") wide on top, 11 cm (4.3") tall and measures 3 x 12 cm (1.2 x 4.7") on the bottom. It fits in the palm of your hand and can store anything from gadgets, cash & cards or makeup.

The first two purses will be availabe in my shop later tonight and there are more to come in the next few days!

Summer time

2011-03-26T21:15:00.005+01:00

Tonight we move clocks one hour forward, which will take an hour away from my already short sleep (the children woke us up at six today, not caring at all that it was Saturday...).

image: PurdyPrints

It might take me a week to get used to the new daylight saving time and to stop being late for my appointments but I don't mind - to me, pushing the hour hand forward is a welcome sign of changing seasons, longer and warmer evenings and, oops, brighter mornings, when children wake up with the first rays of sun...

Oh, well, one can't have everything - I will just have to remember to close the window shutters every night!

Enjoy your Sunday!

New in the neighbourhood

2011-03-23T09:00:00.003+01:00

It has been a while since I added new tiny houses to my shop but a few days ago two of the brooches got sold and I had to make some more - so here they are, four new homes in the neighbourhood.

Remember this Gaston's drawing?

And while I was sewing away, sprig arrived - days are suddenly getting sunny and much warmer and trees in the park are full of bird song. I couldn't find any flowers poking out of the ground on this high altitude to take nice pictures of so I made my houses even more cheerful instead...

:: :: ::

Happy spring!

Hearts for Japan

2011-03-21T12:15:00.005+01:00

Were you wondering where all the decorative hearts from my shop have gone?

I have donated them to Europe for Charity, a special European Street Team Etsy shop in my humble effort to make a contribution to Japan relief.

You will find my remaining 4 hearts here, together with other amazing handmade items, donated by fellow Etsyians.

Thank you!

Free as a bird

2011-03-19T13:55:00.004+01:00

Here she is, LEELOU, a new small cross body satchel from Loddelina.

This bag is a smaller version of my Luna messenger, with adjustable strap and a zippered pocket, hidden under the front flap that closes with a magnetic snap.

You might remember the colours and the bird embroidery from one of my previous designs, a Pupa shoulder bag, made from black denim, gold yellow jacquard and with a cherry red shoulder strap.

The bag is now available in my shop. Happy weekend!

What is taking so long ?!

2011-03-16T16:24:00.010+01:00

If any of you were wondering where those promised new bags are, here's a more detailed description of my very slow bag making process...

I am working on a new design, a smaller version of Luna messenger bag and things just keep coming in the way. I will not bore you with details but rather list the work stages of my latest bag that stretch over the past 5 (!) days:

Stage 1

evening after the children have gone to bed

duration : 2h 30

Designing the new bag, matching the fabrics, buttons, trims, zippers (at the end I decided to partly revisit my previous design, Free as a bird Pupa shoulder bag). Drawing the pattern and making notes of all additional ideas.

Stage 2

two evenings later

duration: 1h

Cutting the main fabric, lining and interfacing. Fusing the interfacing (since my iron was still hot from having ironed the laundry).

Stage 3

short break while my little one naps

duration: 45 min

Sewing the golden mustard jacquard pieces onto black denim, freehand machine embroidery on the flap.

Stage 4

last night

duration: 1h

Finishing the flap, sewing the front zippered pocket, swivel hook band and interior pocket

Stage 5

today

Not much longer now... I have to put exterior and interior parts of the bag together, insert the flap and adjustable strap and the new satchel will be ready for photo shoot tomorrow...

Thing that is keeping me awake in the evening (when I wouldn't mind going to bed at nine) is the new coffee machine we bought last weekend to replace the broken one. It makes delicious expresso and I like to pour mine in a small bowl, adding lots of milk froth and a cube of cane sugar. Mmmmm...

PS:

Thank you all for participating in jaebumfangirl's giveaway to win my zippered pouch. Over 350 responses in two days, I am impressed!

There is still time to participate, giveaway ends 21st of March.

Yey, a giveaway!

2011-03-14T19:14:00.003+01:00

I know I just posted My Monday this morning but there is some exciting news I needed to share with you toute de suite:

Alexa from Jaebumfangirl blog is hosting a Loddelina giveaway - a perfect opportunity to win my LOVEly zippered pouch All you need is love!

This small but roomy purse is fully lined, made from natural coloured linen and adorned with red and gold hearts jacquard and has a freehand machine embroidered message.

So hurry up over to Jaebumfangirl and good luck!

My day Monday

2011-03-14T10:46:00.007+01:00

Here is a freshly picked bouquet of spring to brighten up your week:

clockwise from top left: littleBstudio, ScatteredStardust, Baymut, vadjutka

Unfortunatelly I had no time to sew last week because I was so occupied with getting our busy family life on track after the long winter break - hopefully I will be able to finish those bags I promised by the end of this week.

But the good news is spring is just around the corner (though you couldn't tell by still soundly asleep vegetation here on 900 m altitude). Days are getting longer and it is a real joy having our walk to school on a sunny morning, filled with bird song.

Have a creative week everyone!

I'm back

2011-03-07T17:58:00.005+01:00

It was fun spending two weeks in Slovenia but I missed sewing a lot so I am looking forward to having some time to sort through all the new supplies I bought (plus I had a lovely package waiting for me with some amazing ribbons I had ordered just before I left).

I also brought with me boxes of yummy comfort food that I can't find here in France but reminds me of home. Like pumpkin seed oil, pickled cucumbres (I find french ones too sour), wind dried prosciutto or pršut as we call it on the Slovenian side of Karst and some special grains and other little things I use in my everyday cooking.

But first the house needs to be tidied, fridge restocked and children need to resume their daily routine (which gets challenged each time we are on vacation :).

I will have something new to show you by the end of this week - I was thinking of a smaller version of Luna messenger, everyday satchel for those who prefer a smaller cross body bag...

See you soon!

Winter impressions

2011-03-02T18:06:00.004+01:00

The weather these days has been cold and windy, there is a promise of new snow in the air.

In spite of freezing temperatures, my parents' garden offers many interesting sights:

snowdrops waiting to open in the next sunny spell,

lifeless branches that will turn into a summer explosion of foliage,

frozen air bubbles in a water filled garden bucket

and my favourite, delicate lace on dried hortensia blossoms.

Holiday update

2011-02-26T08:28:00.005+01:00

My winter break is slowly moving towards the second half and it feels so good to rest from everything, even the blogging... It is time for a quick update:

Two days ago I had an opportunity to meet a fellow blogger from Ljubljana, an Etsy artist whose work I have been admiring for a while and who I am now happy to call a friend. Sonja is amazingly talented in every art technique she decides to try (and there have been many), she currently focuses on jewellry making and mixed media but also spends a lot of her free time sewing (while also being a mom and working full time).

We met at the local mall, in a coffee shope next to a large indoor playground where Lily could play while we chatted. Sonja, who has already surprised me with a gift necklace, has brought a handmade present for my daughter this time, a darling handpainted doll...

And just before I left France, I made a small present for a friend and finished one special order for another. First one is a smaller version of my Mia zippered pouch, this time a little narrower and taller (12 x 15 cm, 4.7" x 6") - I always enjoy making special orders and trying out different suggestions people make.

The second one is a present for a dear friend whose mother has recently been diagnosed with cancer. The whole family is very upset and they are trying to stay strong and brave to fight the disease together. So I made my friende this iPhone cozy, embroidered with words that might bring her some of that strenght as she starts each new day.

My day is Friday

2011-02-18T12:25:00.004+01:00

This week Maria from My day is Friday blog invited me to share my usual work day with her readers - it was great fun documenting my steps and HERE you can read more.

And today is also a day I hang a GONE FISHING sign on my shop door - Gaston's winter break starts tomorrow and we are spending the next two weeks in Slovenia. My shop will stay on vacation mode until March 8th and I will be back with fresh ideas & some new supplies to transform into new bags.

Holiday blog posts coming soon,

have a great weekend, everyone!

Soon in my shop

2011-02-15T10:15:00.005+01:00

I made two new messenger bags with adjustable strap over the weekend, one will be available in my Etsy shop later today and the other I am keeping for myself ( I honestly needed a new bag!)

New Luna bag is a medium size messenger bag with tons of interfacing so it will keep it's shape plus you can store everything neatly in its many pockets - there are two double compartement interior pockets, one large exterior pocket in the back and one zippered pocket under the front flap. Interior also has a swivel hook for attaching keys and the front flap closes securely with a magnetic snap.

This was the first time I made two identical bags simultaneously, phase by phase. Usually I prefer making one bag from start to finish, from cutting the fabric and fusing it with interfacing to placing the magnetic snap and closing the lining at the end.

I am keeping the bag on the right. Perhaps when it stops raining I can model it outside...

And here is a look at the wall above my sewing table - since we are renting I can't do much about this ugly structured wall paint but I can dress it up a bit with my favourite pictures. The cheerful Amsterdam canal print is from Laura Amiss and next to it are my postcards of Ljubljana, Cape Town and one with Le Petit Prince.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T10:48:00.003+01:00

Busy weekend ahead

2011-02-12T11:01:00.004+01:00

I am working on a new design this weekend, a shoulder bag with adjustable strap

This morning I finished drawing out the patern and now it's time to choose the fabrics...

Ooooh, what to chose? In the past 15 years I have collected so many different fabrics but each time I want to sew it takes me forever to chose - I love my collection and fell in love with several fabrics the moment I saw them but since then I just don't feel inspired to transform some of them into a bag while I use others all the time.

I was thinking of offering sets of three or four pieces of matching fabrics as a destash in my shop, hopefully inspiring others to sew something. That way I can clear out some space in my closet for new stuff (!) - but what if those materials fail to inspire me as well after I put them on the shelf?

You see, it is a never ending dilemma...

Stay tuned for more pictures of my work in progress

& have a wonderfull weekend!

The MOO cards

2011-02-07T14:54:00.010+01:00

Yay! it said on the package and that is exactly how I felt when I saw the envelope from MOO cards in my mailbox this morning.

I have been admiring these shiny, vibrant business cards for some time now and when I saw a special offer on Etsy, I decided to try them out.

50 free business cards (I only paid shipping from UK), come with a line on the bottom, advertisong Moo.com, but they still look great and you can chose one or 50 different images to feature on the front; I chose 13 different images but I think I will go for only 5 or 6 the next time. Some of the images came out a bit too dark so I will have to chose lighter, less contrasted items to feature.

The back of the card has plenty of room for all the information and even a business logo or a picture. The free cards are larger than normal Moo cards (5.5 x 8.3 cm) but they still fit neatly in this lovely card case I got for Christmas...

Pippa Grande

2011-02-03T23:18:00.005+01:00

This new design came to life thanks to a custom request from Heather - she wished for a larger Pippa shoulder bag she could carry around every day and I made her a bigger version of this bag in brown chenille with embroidered branch.

I liked how a larger scale shoulder bag looked like so I decided to introduce Pippa Grande to Loddelina family (thanks, Dawn from Latouchables, for suggesting the name :).

So here is another one, this time in salmon orange corduroy and warm gray upholstery fabric, decorated with various blue buttons and embroidery. The shoulder straps are made from the same gray fabric and matching denim blue canvas and I added some teal blue stitches for a more graphic look.

I really enjoyed making this bag and focusing on all the little details, from the zippered pocket to swivel hook loop and embroidered word "handmade" in the lining.

Today I ran out of daylight to take the final picture of me modelling the bag, perhaps tomorrow...

Good night!

Night and Day

2011-02-02T09:17:00.006+01:00

I have been trying to squeeze some work into my busy days - sometimes I have an hour in the morning and sometimes there is no time for sewing until the evening, after the children are in bed. So this is how the view from my sewing corner changes all the time:

And here is a glimpse at my latest project, a shoulder bag in salmon orange corduroy with embroidery and buttons. If all goes well I will list it in my shop by tomorrow...

Link your own button story to Petronella's Button Wednesday!

Work in progress

2011-01-27T08:36:00.000+01:00

Here is the bag I have been working on for the last couple of days, a custom order for Heather, who has been a real pleasure to communicate with.

Heather saw my Pippa shoulder bag in brown chenille but found bag's current size too small for her needs so she asked if I could make a larger version of the same design.

After I resized the Pippa pattern, trying to keep the familiar proportions, I found this gorgeous cotton canvas in oatmeal with cherry flowers print in burgundy and white. I think it lines the mink brown chenille perfectly and I hope Heather will agree with me.

Here is a quick peek at my sewing table; the two sides of the bag have to be sewn together and at the end I will attach the shoulder straps.

I will consider adding this new, larger Pippa to my shop, but how shall I name the new design?

My creative space

2011-01-25T17:04:00.005+01:00

I am working on a custom order at the moment (more about that in another post) and I thought it would be a good idea to take some pictures of my creative space before it gets all messed up again...

This is my magnetic message board where I like to attach current creative inspirations. Gaston, my 4-year son likes to make me drawings; most of the time he draws trains, buldozers and robots but in recent weeks he started drawing houses, perhaps influenced by my little house brooches. I love his attention to detail and intend to use his drawings in my future designs (if he agrees, of course).

Above the sewing table a little sales fairy is keeping an eye on my work. Sales fairy was a European Street Team project on Etsy a little over a year ago, a good-sales-vibes chain game in which we had to first catch a fairy (purchase it as soon as it got listed) and then make one ourselves to offer to the next in line. I was lucky to catch this beautiful creation by Michele from steinschmuckdesign and made Beeba for the next candidate. (I don't know where the sales fairy is today, I hope she hasn't retired yet...).

I will have more news about upcoming Loddelina bags soon!

Flashback Friday

2011-01-21T17:56:00.005+01:00

It has been a while since I played Flashback Friday with Tia...

So clicking through some older folders on my computer I found these photos, taken with my phone a few years ago during our stay in Augsburg, Germany. I usually carry my digital camera with me but sometimes it gets left behind and I am forced to capture an interesting moment with much more basic phone camera.

I find these four pictures very characteristic of our German experience (clockwise from top left):
- very determined Madame Chancellor
- "No ball playing" sign in front of the grocery store
- one of the local breweries
- whimsical decor in a bathroom of a Biergarten

2011-01-19T09:29:00.010+01:00

My shop has been featured in so many lovely Etsy treasuries lately that it's about time I start making my own lists.

So here is a collection of fresh items from some of my favourite shops.

Oh, let it be spring already!

And since it's Button Wednesday today at Petronella's blog, here is Loddelina's contribution, a new Maia Valentine's Day clutch.

Happy Wednesday!

Here she is

2011-01-17T10:04:00.003+01:00

For those of you who were wonering what those buttons and embroidery turned into: a new Pippa shoulder bag.

Made from sky blue corduroy (not the same robin's egg blue as in some of my other designs) and warm grey canvas with dark grey handles, floral print lining, an interior zippered pocket and a swivel hook.

There are other almost finished projects on my sewing table, I will try to list them in the next few days.

Have a wonderful start of the new week, everyone!

My workspace

2011-01-15T19:44:00.002+01:00

I am enjoying a sewing day (thanks to my darling husband who took the children to grandma's), working on some new designs. My shop needs more shoulder bags so I have a couple of Pupa bags in mind and a smaller version, Pippa, that is almost finished.

When I am not pressed for time, I like to move away from my sewing corner in the bedroom and nestle on the couch, watching some of my favourite shows on DVD while I sew on buttons or beads. So instead of showing you my messy sewing space, here is a look at the coffee table and a piece of sky blue corduroy with some embroidery, felt applique and buttons I am about to sew on.

I hope to add the new items to my shop on Monday, stay tuned!

Still cloudy today ...

2011-01-12T16:00:00.006+01:00

... which is why I have colour on my mind!

I made two new corduroy Maia clutches last night and just finished listing them; I took pictures at midday when the natural light was the least dull but I still had a hard time capturing their true colours; in reality this soft corduroy in robin's egg blue and dark salmon is extremely vibrant and juicy.

New clutches are now available in my shop, I hope they cheer up your cloudy day!

My day Monday

2011-01-10T10:11:00.003+01:00

Mostly cloudy

Clockwise from top left: milkysupplies, amoronia, annarubyking and Clariceonline.

Introducing: Maia clutch.

2011-01-04T18:04:00.005+01:00

And here they are, three new corduroy clutches in sweet pastel shades of robin's egg blue, dark salmon and lime green.

I had to find a different name for them since the new Maia zippered clutch is slightly roomier than Mia pouch due to 2 cm (3/4") wide bottom. I have to say I love how it sits comfortably in the palm of my hand and the corduroy is super soft. All three clutches are embroidered and decorated with beads and buttons and I added a matching decorative loop at one end for easier grip and some extra spice...

The clutches are now available in my shop and more corduroy items are coming soon!

My workspace - new pastels

2011-01-03T15:48:00.005+01:00

Here is a sneak peek of what is coming next to Loddelina shop: some new and improved Mia zippered pouches I have been working on over the past two days.

I bought some imported Italian corduroy on my last visit to Slovenia and deliberately chose these soft, pastel colours to put me in the spring mood; lime green, robin egg blue, sky blue and dark salmon.

So far I made a few small zippered purses, same size as the Mia pouch (20 x 11 cm, 8x4.5"), only a little roomier with a 2 cm (3/4") wide bottom. To take a few steps outside my comfort zone I paired the fabric with (at least for me) unexpected colour of zipper and embroidered a blossoming cherry branch in front for a fresh, spring look.

I am quite happy with the result, a soft, elegant cosmetic pouch that allows us ladies to carry even more stuff in our handbags...

I tried to take more pictures today but the afternoon light is very cool, almost blue these days so I will take fresh pictures tomorrow morning - new pouches will be available in my shop tomorrow afternoon at the latest!

Could you "like" this bunny?

2010-12-30T21:46:00.004+01:00

Rachel from Lovely Clusters challenged us to spread the word and get as many people as possible to visit her beautiful web calatogue.

The goal is to get the most "likes" for a single item and I chose my Bella bunny wristlet to run the race for me. So far I have 21 people on Facebook liking the purse, which, thanks to a lovely Etsy customer, got sold just before Christmas. But my bunny keeps on running and with your help it can get closer to winning (the contest ends this Saturday).

So if you have a Facebook account and a like for bunnies, please click "like" under this listing. Thank you!

Reset!

2010-12-28T15:19:00.006+01:00

New Year's inspirations, clockwise from top left: 2011 calender from camillebellet, zippers from zipit, buttons from dizzyizzysupplies and the inspiration jar from thedancingwren.

I'm back from family Christmas holidays in Slovenia;

I brought home some new sewing supplies, some fresh ideas and hopefully enough motivation to start working on some new designs for 2011!

But first I have to sort out the inevitable mess the house gets left in each time we go away for a long time - and then: sewing. The shop needs some more Valentine's day items and after that it's time for spring inspired bags.

Ready - reset - go!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

2010-12-17T10:32:00.007+01:00

... says the song.

And on top of that I wish you a relaxing time with your family and friends - so we can all meet back here in ten days, with recharged batteries, tidy creative space and head full of fresh ideas!

I might not have time to post much in the next week so I leave you with some Christmas market images from our town Pontarlier (currently under 25 cm - 10" of fresh snow) with its charming little labyrinth of wooden stalls and rows of Christmas trees and from nearby city of Besançon with its giant wheel that attracts huge crouds every day.

Besançon

Pontarlier

Loddelina shop will be on vacation mode until 28th of December.

See you soon!

A giveaway at Tika's blog

2010-12-14T15:05:00.005+01:00

In Tika's garden giveaway deadline: December 18th

I fell in love with Tika's colourful clay jars the moment I saw them and now she is offering to give away one of them to a lucky blog reader. Visit her blog, In Tika's garden and leave a comment for a chance of winning this beautiful multipurpose lidded jar; you can use it to store garlic, candy or light a candle in it.

Hurry up, deadline is December 18th!

Sunday inspirations

2010-12-12T10:35:00.003+01:00

New snow on juicy winter berries - a feast for hungry birds...

Happy Sunday!

Love is all around

2010-12-09T19:10:00.004+01:00

I came across this lovely natural beige linen canvas and wanted to make some winter inspired zippered pouches out of it - yet it wouldn't talk Christmas to me...

Instead I felt like pairing it with cream lace trim, hearts and some words in cherry red embroidery.

Cheesy? Well, the Moon is made of cheese, right?

Two new Mia purses are now available in my shop.

Christmas tree

2010-12-08T18:13:00.006+01:00

Last week my children and I started to decorate our appartment - I pulled a big box, labled "Noël", out of the closet and they happily took out the ornaments one by one.

We wanted to make a Christmas tree but there isn't enough room in our flat so I decided to use a big fir tree branch that I took from my mother in law's garden (thanks, Michou!) and put it in a flower pot on top of our new side table; I wrapped its bottom end in a plastic bag, filled with moist paper so it stays fresh for as long as possible. Since the branch is too heavy to stand on it's own, I tied it's tip to a hook in the wall.

We didn't use many ornaments, soft little branches couldn't take much weight - but we are happy with the result.

Now we have to hang some twinkle lights and put presents under our tree!