Look What We Made - Shoulder Bag using Liberty of London & Linen Fabric

This bag surprised me to be honest, because I would not have chosen the Liberty of London Mrs Robinson print in these shades. But the linen really brings out the soft shades of lemon, teal and taupe, and the rich chocolate throughout. These colours are showcased in the top band through the positioning of half a sunflower, and mum did a great job with the rosette bow embellishment. The darker linen rosette adds depth, and the positioning of the bows give the bag an overall look of class and elegance.

 

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

Look What We Made - Shoulder Bag using Liberty of London & Linen Fabric

Mum did an incredible job with this bag for me - don't you think?



Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

I'm just an apprentice at this stage so I cut the pieces out and helped with the design, but mum pulled everything together for me and I'm so proud. We matched the 100% linen with Liberty of London tana lawn in the Mistral Pink print.

And we had even more fun making the flower embellishment. I was inspired by the flower print, and mum embroidered hot pink streaks on the linen leaves. The navy fabric was once my grandmothers - it's very sheath or scarf-like and frayed well - I'm obsessed with frayed edges at the moment. It created a kind of fluffy look behind the button and flower. It's gorgeous.

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

Inside there are 3 pockets including a mobile phone pocket. Mum added a fabric strip on the top of each pocket to add some colour and spice to the inside.

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

And this picture of the back of the bag gives you a good view of the handles. I went for long shoulder straps to keep my hands free. We had considered structured handles but these fit more snuggly on the shoulder so I'm much happier.

 

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

I used this bag for the first time today and I felt so proud of us. The fabric is soft and silky and it was really comfortable to wear. Happy days.

Look What I Got - My Liberty of London Fabric Finally Arrived From The UK

I've been itching for this delivery to arrive from the UK so that I have some pinks to work with. As you can see from previous blogs, mum and I chose more subtle, classy colours/prints from Calico & Ivy and they suit the handbags beautifully. But I want more funky colours/prints for my jewellery and for the clutches we want to make.

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

I've been itching for this delivery to arrive from the UK so that I have some pinks to work with. As you can see from previous blogs, mum and I chose more subtle, classy colours/prints from Calico & Ivy and they suit the handbags beautifully. But I want more funky colours/prints for my jewellery and for the clutches we want to make. 

Here's what I got. The Liberty Tana Lawn - Mistral Pink:

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

It is my favourite and I've been waiting for it so that we can get started on my first handbag. The colours are gorgeous, with the different hues of hot pink mixed with navy, lime, taupe, and a brilliant white that gives the print a really crisp look. What I love most about this print is the overall design. There is a look of hand-painted peony roses and I LOVE this print! My bag will be gorgeous, and if I can get my hands on any scraps I'll make a necklace or earrings as well :o). 

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

The next one is Liberty Tana Lawn - Frank:

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

This is a really unique print. I'm not sure what inspired the designers but it reminds me of an Aboriginal dot painting. I particularly love the colour combinations of blues, oranges, and purple. I'm curious to see how the shapes and colours will translate into a bag or a necklace. Stay tuned.

The next one is Liberty Tana Lawn - Clarricoates:

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

This is a gorgeous blend of purples, teal, and mustard in small flowers and stripes. The print is quite small and it looks like a mix of beads. I'm going to make a fabric bead necklace I think!

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

And the last print is Liberty Tana Lawn - Symposium:

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

I'm not sure why I was drawn to this design... It has an artistic graffiti look about it with fantastic sketches of roses with splatterings of vibrant red, lime, and electric blue. I can see it working really well as a clutch, but I think I'll start with jewellery to draw out the colours and textures.

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

What do you think of these? Do you have a favourite? I feel really inspired and can't wait to share my projects with you.

Look What We Made - Shoulder Bag using Liberty of London & Linen Fabric

This is SO exciting - our first handbag!!! Isn't it gorgeous?

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

Mum and I had such a great time making this bag. We had so many different ideas and so much excitement, we just loved every part of this process. We love working with beautiful fabric and trying different techniques to make it feel soft and luxurious, and feel comfortable to wear every day.

The top band and handle are made with 100% linen that we loved because of its driftwood shading and soft feel. It had a heaviness that gave it a similar drape to the Liberty of London fabric, so they worked really well together. The Liberty fabric used is the Kate Ada in bold red, navy, brown, green, and grey. It is a stunning combination of colours and the print is spectacular. Mum and I are both really drawn to the bigger prints and this one stood out for us immediately.

We decided to go with unstructured handles because nothing drives me nuttier than stiff bag handles that flick off my shoulders. I tried this bag on and it fits so snuggly and feels beautiful. I'm in love.

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

And I LOVE this bow/rosette combination. It was an experiment at first, but it looks perfect.

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

What do you think? Do you like it? Love it? Tell us what you think?

Look What I Got - More Liberty of London Fabrics to Play With!

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

There was absolutely no need for us to go back to Calico and Ivy today - because we already have some Liberty of London fabrics to play with and we've got more on the way from the UK - but we couldn't help ourselves! We've got so many project ideas and we're so excited about the gorgeous Liberty prints that we've seen online that we made the hour trip to Mosman Park in the pouring rain just to look at more! And then we spent another couple of hours (i'm not exaggerating :o) pulling out almost every Liberty fabric roll we could get our hands on to look at the prints and colours. I doubt the staff were very impressed with us...

As you can see from our picks, I was drawn to the florals and paisley's, and colours like pink, grey, and yellow. And mum loves big prints in bold colours. Dilemma. As much as we love the thought of making something out of every design we love, it just wouldn't work. There are so many different patterns and colour combinations... it's a little overwhelming. So we decided to just grab 2 each again and not get too ahead of ourselves.

The first choice was Liberty Tana Lawn - Judy Rose. I absolutely LOVE the combination of pink and yellow with grey and black. And the flower drawings and dot patterns give it a contemporary but sweet look that would work beautifully on a clutch purse or handbag.

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

My second choice was the Liberty Tana Lawn - Felix Raison. This print is really unique I think. Up close it reminds me of Native American Indian handicraft, but when you spread the fabric out the image transforms into feathers and ferns... one section even looks like a mardi gras head-piece! I love it, and again there are hints of my favourite colour at the moment - mustard!

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

The third choice was a design that mum and I both love, the Liberty Tana Lawn - Meandering Chrysanthemums. It comes in green, red, or blue backgrounds, and I'm sure we'll end up with all 3 at some point but we grabbed the green one yesterday to see how it translates into a handbag. Mum thinks the larger prints will suit the bags better and I trust her instincts as she's been making them for ages, so I'm excited to see how this print works.

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

And the last choice was Liberty Tana Lawn - Bourton. This is a bright paisley in colours that remind me of Spain. I'm not sure what mums plan is for this one but I'll show you when it's done!

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

OH, and there was another stop we made - the Corner Store in Claremont. What a funky place!! We felt like we'd fallen down the rabbit hole with Alice! They sell all sorts of things from kitchenware to bed linen, toys, books, and beauty products. We just loved it, especially their little Liberty of London section. I snatched this Liberty Book of Home Sewing up as soon as I saw it and we ooh'd and aah'd over the pillows and lampshades and little notebooks. Love it.

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

It was a great day, despite the miserable weather.

Can't wait to get started!!!!!!!

Look What I Got - Liberty of London Fabrics Discovered

On a fabric hunt last weekend, Mum and I visited Calico and Ivy in Mosman Park. It's on Glyde Street... a deceptively boring-looking street off Stirling Highway that actually has a gorgeous little strip of boutique shops and restaurants. We saw the window display for Calico and Ivy and practically skipped across the road. It was like walking into Willy Wonka Land for the creative heart. At first, you're bombarded with the most incredible range of coloured wools. My fingers were itching and I was already planning crochet projects in my head but I forgot them all when I saw the fabric section downstairs. It was a bit of a challenge logistically because I had my baby girl in her 3 wheeler (Her name is Isla and she is a shopaholic :o). I think I heard the typical sigh that accompanies the sight of a pram and/or baby, but she was as mesmerised as us and giggled as we piled her pram up with our favourite prints.

Unfortunately we had to behave ourselves (so said our purses) as the Liberty of London fabrics are quite expensive. But the unique designs and fine, almost silky quality of the fabric easily explained the prices. So with frowns and much procrastinating, we chose 2 prints each of the Liberty Tana Lawn and a gorgeous soft linen that had the look of old driftwood.

My first choice was Liberty Tana Lawn - Kalinich:

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

 And my second choice was Liberty Tana Lawn - Mistral:

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

Mums first choice was Liberty Tana Lawn - Mrs Robinson:

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

And her second choice was Liberty Tana Lawn - Kate Ada:

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

This is the beginning of Rhapsody and Thread.

Mum and I have dreamt of this day for a long time, but neither of us felt the time was right until we found the uniquely beautiful designs and sophisticated quality of Liberty fabrics. Matched with our favourite linen, we plan to hand-craft a range of bags and accessories. There are so many different designs that we want to use, I doubt any piece will be the same. We're so excited to get started.