How I make my own patterns

Earlier this week I blogged about my inspiration, but today I want to share a secret about my designs. My previously ultra, topsecret, super important design book! If any professional designers see this, they will likely scoff at my chicken scratch, but this process WORKS for me. You'll be able to see by looking at my book, that even by showing it to the world, it would be very hard to make sense of my notes, so in turn, really hard to steal my ideas :)

My design book. Sorry if you were expecting something fancy. 

But I am just not a fancy girl!

Simple is the way I roll.

So after I find inspiration, lose a little sleep, the next step is to try to create it. First, I kind of scribble what the bag should look like in the end, so I can remember how to put it together again. Then I guess the approximate end size, and guess how big I should cut my pieces. This often gets me in trouble! But you've got to start somewhere :) Once I get a size I like, I write it in my notebook. Sometimes my kids will help decorate my book when I'm not looking. Not sure yet if I appreciate that or not :/

A couple of my "patterns"
Along with my patterns, you will see some scribbles from my budding sidekick, Audrey :)

Then there are the ideas I get that I really want to get to, but don't have the time yet. So in comes my sticky note system. These are usually ideas that pop into my head quicker than I can get to my notebook. So I scribble them out, and eventually, they find a home in The Book. If they are lucky, they become actual bags when a new season rolls around!

Can you guess what this became?

That chicken scratch turns into something like this :) Not too shabby,eh?

...and this, eventually became...

THIS! One idea, a piece of paper, some fabric and some time :)

Entering a whole new realm of pursemaking!

I recently hit the leather jackpot, thanks to  a hookup from a  friend in the furniture biz!
See these three boxes? They are mine...all mine!

See the words..19.05? Thats pounds. Of leather!
Oh, and there are 3 of them...

This is the 67 pounds all dumped on the ground, waiting for me to sort it. Ugh.

Mid sort, I swear...I have a system here! The angle of the picture is deceiving, you can't tell from looking but it is taking up about 10x10 feet of floor space!

My sister hopes I have enough black to make her a purse. I think we'll be ok....

A preview of my new leather line. Thats all you get til I've got more to show :)

I've already started playing with it today, and have big plans. Now to find somewhere to put it all.....hmmmmm!

New in my shop :) (and some soon to come!!)

I may have been kind of quiet lately in blog land, but I have been busy! Here are some of my latest additions to my Ruffle Purse family :D

In this batch of bags, I'm letting the fabric make a quiet statement. No loud patterns, just subtle, beautiful colors, accented by flirty, fun ruffles. If you see an orange one in Sheboygan, that's me! 

I made one for myself :)

This avocado green is my FAVORITE color for fall!

Gathered & Sown has a professional photo shoot {I feel so grown up}

Last night, after I dropped my kids off for VBS, I was privileged enough to have my good friend Krissy Vanderlaan offer to take pictures of my bags. She has a super fancy camera, some mad photog' skills and photo shop. I would be a fool to say no! But when the time came to go, I had no model. As I called Krissy on my cell, I drove by my friend Laura's house. Lo and behold, there she stood, cleaning out her car, like a frantic answer to prayer! And don't gag, but as you look at the pictures, please know this is EXACTLY how she looked when I drove by. No foolin. I wish I looked that good when I was cleaning my car! Krissy was able to convince me that I looked presentable enough to be in a few shots, even though I was only planning on standing BEHIND the lens. Had I known, I would have tried to look at least a little more "laura-like!"

This picture was taken in the cutest little old fashioned soda and ice cream shop in the South Pier district.
If you are ever in Sheboygan, check out South Pier Parlor, owned by the sweetest little thing,
Michelle and her hubby Ryan.
{ I love to support awesome people and their small businesses, wink,wink! }

This was taken on South Pier in Sheboygan.
We are SO BLESSED to live right on the beautiful Lake Michigan.

Krissy thought Spencer felt left out. (he was waiting in the car the WHOLE time!)
SO we decided to get him in a few shots.
{Notice his body language. He was about to SPRINT after another dog.}

Laura and those L-E-G-S!
If I had legs like those, I'd be going around showing them to people, saying
"Hey, have you seen my legs? They rock!" :D

We had so much fun. The weather and natural lighting were perfect and I love what Krissy did with the pictures.

{Thank you Laura and Krissy for your time, talent and friendships!}

That's what I love about my job. I get to do what I love, with the people I enjoy being with and on top of that, get to see something I CREATED bring someone joy. Life is good :)

I finally made my ruffle bag! (and I can't wait to make more)

So for about a year now, I've had this little picture of a ruffle tote bag hanging on my computer in my studio. I always thought it was cute, but never had a free minute to experiment with the design. Fast forward to about two weeks ago. I get an email from a friend that read something like this..."I love this (picture of cute bag) for it's straps. I love this (picture of another cute bag) for the fabric....and I love THIS BAG!" And what was it? Oh yes, the very same ruffly bag idea that I've been looking at for over a year! I took this as a sign. I needed to do it NOW! So I told her I was not only up for the challenge, but excited to give it a whirl. Here is what I came up with:

It makes me want to twirl around!

I kept the ruffles to one side...didn't want to get TOO crazy!

I put a magnetic snap on this bag. I wanted it to have a slouchy,hobo look.
But I do plan to design a double handle- tote style with a zipper for all of you zipper fans! 

Up close and personal with the ruffles :)

My 6 year old took these pictures to show the size of the bag on me.
She may not understand cropping and backgrounds but  you get a nice view of my garage.
Sparkly clean thanks to the hubs :)

I'll have to tell the hubs to get out and pressure wash the driveway. It doesn't look sparkly like the garage!
 But Spencer doesn't seem to mind. He'll sleep anywhere!

Vintage US Army Fatigues Repurposed

So a good friend  and neighbor of my Dad called me to ask if I'd be up for taking her husbands army fatigues and recreate them into a purse for her. Duh! Of course :) The project was so much fun, and they turned out better than I had hoped. ( I love it when that happens!) When I finally got to meet her, I talked her into modeling her new/old bags for me, so here it is! Such a sport she was. She just may have a new career in modeling....:)

I was able to remove the cargo pockets and use one on the front. I put the name label she found on the flap,
so she can show off  Her Man :) I made the strap long and adjustable, so she can wear it as a purse, or cross body. To get a long strap, I had to piece together many cuts of the pants legs. The seams just give it cool character.

We came up with the idea to take some of the ties off of the pant legs to make a zipper pull.

This is her bags' mini-me. I used the other cargo pocket to make her a small cross body. Perfect for those scooter rides into town. (They live in a resort community in Egg Harbor WI, in the heart of Door County <3  lucky! )

This is the backside of the bag, I have to point out the stitching on the bottom center...I cut it out on purpose, it was a hole on the knee that he must have mended. I figured there was a story to go with it and HAD to include it in the design. Even if there isn't a story, she could probably make one up! Wink,Wink...

I would love to see things that other people have done with Army Fatigues...any ideas???