2012-02-12

Trial and error

It's been a strange start for this February. Business has been slower than this time last year yet I have been very, very busy with a new project I finally got finished and sent off this Friday.



It all started with some ideas, colors, materials and some hasty sketches. Knowing me these are more like ideas put on paper than accurate plans, but it's a start after all. Then it was time to search for the right materials, match the fabric to the wools and vice versa.




And then, after my usual knitting and felting and needle felting some more color matching followed. Most of the combinations just come easy, while the others need more time and playing around on table, floor, inside and out. In different lights, sun and shade.




Then the hard part. How to put together these very different materials in a beautiful and durable way yet so, that it's not going to take forever to make? What about threads, interfacing, lining? More sketching, planning, designing, trial and error.



Sewing, ripping, ironing, cutting, lining, more sewing, some picture taking, more ripping, extra interfacing... Freezing, snowing, dark, gloomy outside. Running out of fabrics, threads, patience, time. Oh my, it was hard at times.



But then, I managed to get the first bag finished. But it just wasn't ready. Oh my. Back to the designing board (on a sofa next to fireplace, the days were -30C, it was freezing and almost impossible to take the pictures outside) to design something pretty for the bag still. A flower? A bird? Could I crochet (of course not), how about something like a fabric flower? Fabric bird?


Oh but both.



A bag with pretty bird with a matching crocheted (oh but I did it freehand, from here to there, some still here and back to there -kind of way, no pattern used, and they're all so unique you couldn't possible imagine) flower and birdie bag charm was born. Huh. But did I mention it wasn't just this one?



Three...



...four...



...and finally five. Phew. It's been a hard day's night but now, a few days after finishing it all it starts to feel like a real victory. Not all projects are this difficult (and that's good), and the stress levels are not this high very often but I did it. And I am pretty darn proud of myself.

Happy Sunday!

Yours,
Mia

20 comments:

Jane said...

No wonder you have not been around Mia..how busy you have been creating such beautiful work. Those bird and flower charms are the perfect finishing touches to 5 wonderful bags. I hope your days are warming up a little, I don't think my brain would still work at -30c! Have a great week to come my friend,
Jane x

Nova Melina said...

Nättejä kasseja oot taas tehnyt. Noi sun linnut ei ikinä lakkaa ihmetyttämästä mua. Ja aina mä hoen tätä samaa. Onneksi olkoon kun sait suunnitelman toteutettua! :)

Leppoisaa sunnuntain jatkoa!

greenrabbitdesigns said...

And you should be proud of yourself, they're wonderful!!
I did wonder what you were doing as you were missing for a while! :)
They do look good and I love the little charms and I'm so impressed with the crocheted flowers!!
Hope it has warmed up a bit since the -30 deg, that is too cold!
We are even sleeping with the bedroom window open at nights!! I can't believe our luck.
Enjoy the new week,
V x

Teje Karjalainen said...

Dear Mia, thank you for sharing your work and process! I try to think how many different parts your work has because your need to make the felting, too!
Your notebook is beautiful - mine is full of mixed notes just with pencil to remember ideas.
And your design for this new bag line is gorgeus! They are the most beautiful with those adorable charms! I'm sure they will be new success!
I wish you great week and hopefully warmer!
x Teje

Anne said...

Bravo Mia!! What a lot of sewing, knitting, planning for these 5 gorgeous bags!!

I love the charms, too.

Thanks for sharing your notebook and many working steps until the end!

Happy Sunday,
Anne
PC22

Mia said...

Thank you, Jane!

It was hard yet very helpful(for the future projects!) experience, and I like the bags. The pictures are dark and gloomy though...It's better here today, not even -20c ;)

Happy new week dear friend!

Yours,
Mia

Mia said...

Kiitos, Nova!

Vuosien harjoittelulla lintuset syntyy :)

Ihanaista alkua talviselle viikolle, ja mukavaa Ystävänpäivää huomenissa!

Terkuin Mia

Mia said...

Hello dear Vivienne,

It's "much warmer" here today, only -18,9C so no complaints. I wish your weather stays pretty and mild, so you can share all those pretty flowers and your spring park with us soon!

Happy week!

Yours,
Mia

Mia said...

Hello Teje!

I have SOME of my ideas in my notebook, and then there are a few ;) scribbled on envelope back, or a piece of newspaper that says "knit 5, turn go until xxx" and I have ABSOLUTELY no idea what I was after :)

I wish you a happy new week and mukavaa Ystävänpäivää huomenna!

Yours,
Mia

Mia said...

Thank you dear Anne!

I wish you wonderful and VERY SPECIAL week! Happy Valentine's tomorrow and then your extra-special day soon!

Best wishes to all of you and we'll talk more soon again!

Yours,
Mia

Helen Philipps said...

Wonderful bags, and perfect charms to match....you have been so busy, Mia! They are a real achievement too and well worth all the hard work. Hope you have a warmer week, and some sunshine too.
Helen x

Mia said...

Thank you so much, Helen!

I wish you a beautiful week too, and wonderful Valentine's Day tomorrow!

Yours,
Mia

Annie said...

They're beautiful, of course you're proud! My grandmother used to have a budgie called Monty who looked like the chap on the first bag.

Mia said...

Thanks Annie!

And here's to loving memory of Monty :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Yours,
Mia

Beth of The Linen Cat said...

Oh Mia these are truly wonderful and worth all the effort working them out! You are clever. I hope sales pick up and the weather gets warmer for you, we have had our snow now and I'm ready for Spring. Bethx

Avondster said...

Dokonalé. Nemám slov - nádhera.

Mia said...

Hello Beth,

And thank you! And yippee, sales have already improved, and I am creating spring-ly items, I am ready for it too!

Happy day!

Yours,
Mia

Mia said...

Hello Avondster,

Thank you :) Happy to have you visiting me here!

Yours,
Mia

Sini H said...

Ja syytäkin olla ylpee, nää undulinnut on kyllä söpöjä. Ja ennenkaikkea ihana saada lukea sun ajatuksia ja nähdä kuvia prosessin eri vaiheista!

Mia said...

Heipsan Sini!

Kiitokset! Harvemmin tulee näitä prosessi-juttuja itekään kirjattua ylös, tekeminen menee vaan omalla painollaan ja muistiinpanot on jossain epämääräisellä paperilla (jos eded siellä!)...

Iloista viikonloppua ja mukavia käsityöhetkosia!

Mia

This time of the year...

Usually around this time, when children go back to school, and you can just about to smell the autumn, I start to dig deeper in my fabric...