A Lovely Leather Bag

No one was more surprised than me when I won a prize on the Ruth Loves to Knit podcast.

Ruth has very clever hands and her handknits are beautiful.  Originally from Northern Ireland, she now lives in Devon and her chats to camera where she shares her making and her thoughts on her spiritual life, regularly keep me company whilst I'm knitting.

A few episodes back, Ruth showed off the lovely bag she'd made from a Babylon Leather kit.  After the company offered her another bag kit, she generously decided to give it away.  I was the lucky winner of the kit she chose at random - the zip top tote bag in this gorgeous caramel colour.  

I was so excited to open the box when Ruth's parcel arrived.  I'd seen other podcasters making Babylon Leather bags - now I'd be able to make one of my own!

The kit contains absolutely everything you need from lovely soft, pre-punched leather to thread, snips and hardware.  As we were about to go on holiday, I decided to take my kit with me to make whilst we house-sat for some pals and cared for their lovely labradors in the Scottish border town of Peebles.

When we weren't walking the dogs along the banks of the River Tweed in the beautiful sunshine, I made a start on my sewing and completed a section of the bag each day.

Instructions are provided via a QR code in the box but a wee glitch recently on the website meant I couldn't gain access.  I joined the Facebook group, Babylon Leather for Beginners, to ask for help.  Very quickly other makers found a YouTube video for me to follow.  It got me started and soon I had the back, front and base in place.  Next, I had to sew in the inner pocket and zip - at the same time.  

That didn't go entirely according to plan.  I managed to sew my zip in upside down.

The thoughtful Facebook group members sent a link to another video for me to watch.  It was clearer but I missed the lady mentioning that she'd made a mistake.  So I made exactly the same mistake! Duh!!  Third time lucky I got the zip in correctly.  

Sewing in both the side panels was fortunately incident free and the body of the bag was complete.  Time to turn it outside in and attach the hardware and handles.  

These just screw in so, in no time, my bag was finished.

It's so lovely - I can hardly believe I made it!  Beautiful and practical - it holds a lot.

Don't be put off by my mistake!  The installation tutorial is now available on the website so making this bag in future will be much more straightforward and you, too, could have a lovely leather bag!

Catch up with Ruth's podcast here

Peruse the many Babylon Leather bag kits here

The Book of Deer Community Textile Banner Project - Taking Part

Scotland's oldest surviving book returned home this summer.   On loan from Cambridge University, and with lottery funding, the 10th Century Book of Deer was proudly displayed in Aberdeen Art Gallery for three months.  I'd the pleasure of seeing it for myself in August.  Thought to be designed for personal use, it's a wee book of great import.  Whilst the monks scribed in Latin, they notated the margins in Scots Gaelic making this the earliest evidence of written Gaelic in Scotland.   The monks also doodled mythical beasties around the edges of these precious pages.

Aberdeenshire Council's cultural arm, Live Life Aberdeenshire, along with partner agencies,  developed a programme of events to generate interest in the return of the Book of Deer to Scotland for the first time in 1000 years.  The community textile project, From Book to Banner, sought crafters from across the shire to join groups at their local libraries to stitch a series of panels.  Rachael Forbes, the artist commissioned to design the textile banners, drew inspiration from the illuminated illustrations in the book as well as incorporating some of the fantastical creatures doodles by the monks.  She also dyed threads and fabrics using natural dyes the monks would have had access to in the 10th century.

Red (madder root) Blue (woad) Yellow (alder buckthorn) Grey/purple (alconet) Grey/brown (dried elderberries)

Inverurie Library hosted my nearest group.  During our inaugural get-together last May, I joined the eight other aspiring banner makers to chose which section each wanted to make.  Rachael had cleverly translated each of her banner artwork prototypes into detailed sectional drawings.

As I'm not an expert at embroidery, I was happy the more experienced stitchers in the group chose the apostle figures whilst I selected a background to a figure.  Each section comprised donated fabric, aged with tea by Rachael, on which she'd drawn the design with a dissolvable pen.  We each also received an envelope of matching applique pieces, complete with Bondaweb adhesive.  I couldn't wait to get all mine ironed on to the backing fabric so I could start stitching.

To help guide our hands, Rachael recorded a short YouTube video for each section of each panel.  I'm in awe of the amount of preparation work Rachael did to ensure that no matter the level of experience, the craft group volunteers would be comfortable recreating her designs in stitch.

Tentatively, I started outlining all these wee coloured pieces in black whipstitch as required.  I didn't rush and gently stitched away over five weeks, in between other craft projects, to complete all the black lines.  By this time I'd gained confidence and managed to complete the colourful embroidery stitches in just five days!

Hilary, who I knew but hadn't met before this project, was stitching the apostle which fitted into my background.  When she had completed her section, we married up the two pieces in early June over a companionable coffee and lots of chat.

Meanwhile, the group was meeting regularly at Inverurie Library and I joined them when I could to enjoy the company of the other ladies. It was exciting seeing the design emerge as sections were completed.  Any head scratching over how the pieces should be joined together was definitely made easier as a group!

You'll see there are crochet motifs along the upper and lower edges of the banner.  Rachael incorporated repeat patterns from the Book of Deer into all her designs and left each group to make them depending on the craft skills of the group members.  I crocheted a few prototypes from a book I own called Crocheted Granny Squares (20 to make) by Val Pierce until I got the size right for the space. 

Margaret then made eight more but there was space for ten so we used my matching sample and I unravelled one that was too big and re-made it in the same undyed Shetland wool.  

Once all the sections had been attached to the backing panel, strips of coloured fabric had to be attached to frame them.  Tiny self coloured stitches secured the strips then they all needed to be outlined with black thread.  Most of the group took it in turn to complete this work over several days, taking the banner home to do so.  I was one of the last to stitch the outlining so I got to proudly hold it up - finished! 

Now you can see the four apostles made by Fran, Hilary, Collette and Janet and the surrounding sections complementing them made by Lesley, Margaret, Glynis, Jane and me.

The next step was to sew on a fabric border and quilt the top piece, work beautifully undertaken by Fran.

All banners then returned to Rachael for finishing, including the attachment of hanging loops.  

It was always the intention to display the banners back to back on three free-standing easels with a grand unveiling to take place on 2nd October 2022 to mark the end of the visit of the Book of Deer to the North East of Scotland at Aberdeenshire Farming Museum at Aden Country Park, Mintlaw.  The chosen venue as it's close to the site of Deer Abbey, where it's thought the Book was written, and has a permanent display about the Book.

Here are the banners on display at the opening event.  

Firstly, Inverurie Group banner -

Inverurie Group Banner

Such a lot of stitches.  

Artist Rachael Forbes with the Inverurie Banner

Such a great achievement.  Friendships forged and skills cherished.

Banchory, Inverurie and Banff Group Banners

Peterhead, Mintlaw and the Home Group Banners

Peterhead Group Banner

Mintlaw Group Banner

Home Group Banner

Banchory Group Banner

Banff Group Banner

I feel very grateful to have taken part in this wonderful community effort.

...

The Banners will be on display at Aberdeenshire Farming Museum at Aden Country Park until the end of October 2022 and over the winter they will tour the libraries where the craft groups met to create them.

If you're in the area you can see the banners here:

Peterhead Library 4th to 16th November 2022

Banff Library 23rd November to 12th December 2022

Inverurie Library 11th January to 23rd January 2023

Banchory Library 28th January to 9th February 2023

Stonehaven Library 14th February to 5th March 2023

Mintlaw Library 9th to21 St March 2023

Predominantly Pink

Whilst the supermarket shelves were being denuded of loo roll and pasta ahead of lock-down, and most people were making sensible domestic and culinary choices for the weeks ahead, spent staying safely at home, I was at the local craft shop ensuring I had the necessary supplies to make a project bag!  Endeavouring to view my enforced isolation in a positive light, I could see an opportunity for my sewing machine and I to become better acquainted.  Also - Maddy had given me this beautiful bundle of  Liberty fabric strips for Xmas and I was keen to start making use of them.

The pink art nouveau style print really called to me so I delved into the fabric box to see what treasures might coordinate and was able to put my hands on some dark teal and pink spotty cotton.  I bought a zip, thread and fusible fleece and was good to go.

As the Liberty fabrics are long and narrow, I chose to follow the Squishy Bag tutorial by Erika Arndt which uses strips of material for the outside with a contrast lining.  I was especially happy it included the words 'easy' and 'beginner friendly' in the description!  

The seam ripper had a fair bit of use to correct my wonky sewing but I gave myself a thumbs-up after improving the box bottom liner - all the more impressive as it's inside and will be seen by precisely no-one!  No scrap of precious Liberty fabric went to waste thanks to this tutorial for a scented sachet by Bev at Flamingotoes.com.

Considering the construction involves quilting and zip insertion, I think the bag turned out fine.  It's even got  a wee handle.

Knitters (and crocheters) can never have enough project bags.  They house the yarn, pattern, needles and notions for a particular project and keep everything tidily together whilst the work is in progress.  My new bag now needed a project and I was dying to start knitting a jumper with some of this wool from last year's Aberdeen Yarn Fest.

I had four skeins of a luscious merino/silk blend DK hand dyed by Sheila, an indie dyer from Livingston, also known as Dye Ninja.  Her colours are beautiful and she specialises in small batch, hand dyed luxury fibres*.  My yarn is scrumptiously soft and drapes like a dream.  I chose to knit the Arcade Sweater by Isabell Kraemer.  It's knit from the top down so you can try it on as you go.

Sheila's Dye Ninja colourway is named 'Flowering Cherry' - appropriate for this time of year as there's a cherry tree right outside my craft room window.  Though ours isn't the typical cultivated pink variety but a Scottish native wild cherry, or gean tree, which has white blossom.  Seen here from my window at the end of April, and from the garden in mid May (by which time Geoff had power washed the whole patio!) 

I nipped on with my knitting, completing my jumper in the months of lock down as the gean tree finally blossomed with all the promise of spring.  

I grew up on a street lined with flowering cherries.   A sudden strong wind could abruptly finish the blossom, leaving petals strewn like confetti, and no more flowers til the following spring.  As a child I remember quite a philosophical discussion with my father as I bemoaned the short blossom season.   Dad asked if I thought it was better to enjoy brief beauty or long term mediocrity.  I was at an age when I still wanted it to be Christmas every day so I pleaded for long term beauty.  With 50 more Christmases behind me, it's December again before I know it and  I'll admit to slightly guilty relief as I tip into bed on 25th December, exhausted but content that it's only one day and it's all over for another year!  

At my age I'm happy to enjoy the seasons, and the blossom, and accept their transience.

Whilst feeling incredibly lucky just now to be able to enjoy country dog walks from home, and enjoy my neighbour's cherry tree shown here in full bloom, it's impossible to be unaware of the loss and  suffering in the country due to Coronavirus.  I noticed that a ward at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary was appealing for pairs of hearts to bring comfort to families unable to be with loved ones at this time, one heart remaining with the patient while its twin would be given to the family.  Pattern is Hearts by Amanda Berry.

In colour psychology, pink is a sign of hope.  It is a positive colour inspiring warm and comfortable feelings, a sense that everything will be okay**.  

If that's the case then I'm glad my crafting world has been predominantly pink lately.  Even our evening sky has been joining in.

Photo from 21st May 2020 by my friend Vicki who lives just over the hill - used with kind permission

* Dye Ninja has a sale on merino and camel/silk yarn throughout 2020 to help crafters keep crafting in this difficult time so pop along to Sheila's website and drink in her beautiful colours.

** https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/color-pink.html

All wrapped up

I made my own beeswax wraps this week.

It was such a simple process, I don't know why I didn't make some as soon as I bought this kit from Mimi Hamill last May.

Maybe it was the glorious half metre plus of fabric included in the kit.  Created by Mimi, an Aberdeen based surface pattern designer whose scarves are fabulously colourful, I knew I needed to make something else to show off this joyous material.  But first, the wraps -

I've been using beeswax wraps for over a year now in an effort to reduce my reliance on single use clingfilm.  I've bought some (and been gifted them too - thanks Steph) from Good To Bee and Joanne de Pace so I just cut some squares of the fabric into the sizes I find most handy using my pinking shears.

Then there's some not too arduous grating, baking and wafting.  Mimi's comprehensive instruction sheet is laugh-out-loud funny!  And I'm done.  It's a wrap.  Or several.

Meanwhile, back at the craft shop, these balls of Rico Ricorumi fell into my shopping bag in the way that sweeties placed near the counter are designed to entice children and hopeless chocoholics like me.  A classic impulse purchase!  These wee balls of cotton yarn make me so happy, just to look at them together.  When I got home I realised they reminded me of Mimi's fabric and, if I just went back for another couple of colours, I'd be able to make myself something lovely.

Putting the skills I learned at Fiona Meade's mosaic crochet workshop at  Baa wool shop in Stonehaven last spring, I decided to crochet another purse from this pattern by Icelandic mosaic crochet queen Tinna Þórudóttir Þorvaldar.

This clever design starts with some chain stitch around the zip.  The back side of my chain stitch is not a thing of beauty so lining the bag would be the ideal way to hide my embroidery embarrassment and use my beautiful Mimi fabric.

Two easy side seams on the machine and some gentle hand sewing later, ta-dah, I have a new lined crochet purse.

So, not only are my half-lemons and onions and itty bitties of cheese stored thoughtfully in the fridge now in their beautiful beeswax wrappers, my make-up has a new portable purse with a lovely lining. 

All wrapped up.