Yoga Bag Project Intro

Greetings ~ hope you've all had a wonderful week. The Autumn Equinox is upon us here in the Northern Hemisphere and the weather certainly is making it known that a new season is approaching. Autumn is one of my favourite seasons ~ the vibrant oranges & yellows, the deep reds & burgundys... the rustle of the fallen leaves as feet scoot through them... the crispness in the evening & first-light morning air... celebrations of a bountiful harvest & a new selection of fruits & vegetables...

September also brings the start of a new round of local community fitness classes. On my list for the next 12 weeks is Chinese Health Qi Gong {pronounced CHEE kung} and Beginner's Gentle Yoga. Both are gentle exercises, fantastic for all age groups ~ especially for those who are starting on an exercise regimen for the first time or after a lengthy absence from a routine, as well as those leading a sedentary lifestyle due to working at home, health issues and so on...

The Qi Gong requires only comfortable clothing and shoes along with commitment to practise each day. Yoga, aside from the practising the asanas and meditation, also facilitates a session of "retail therapy" {a form of meditation for some}:
   ~ Special footwear is not required as you work out in your bare feet ~ my personal preference 90% of the time anyway...
   ~ Pants & Top. Shop around for these as speciality or sporting good stores tend to be twice the price of a local clothing store. Try them on for comfort & do a mini test in the dressing room ~ stretch, reach, twist, bend. Check to see if your underwear show through the fabric when you bend over, meaning low quality fabric or you need the next size up. It's only a letter or number on a piece of fabric ~ cut it out if it bothers you. Comfort & proper fit matter first. 
   ~ A yoga mat. Not a bubble mat ~ an actual yoga mat. Research this one as the choices are several depending on which form you partake of ~ thickness, manufacturer's materials, even sizes for taller people. Again, check your local department store for affordable pricing on mats.

That brings us to the last item {unless, of course, the form of yoga you choose requires props, which will be your personal research}: 
   ~ A tote bag, or strap, to carry the mat. Many choices; personal preference on what will work for you.
This is where crochet skills are handy, resulting in a personalized mat bag, carry-all tote, or mat strap. Wow! the choices are endless! In the end, I've decided on a carry-all tote so I can add the few items I need from my purse, my mat and a bottle of water.

For me, something with a dense stitch pattern so my keys stay in. The mat is 61cm wide (24") so the tote has to be deep enough to stop the mat from toppling out. It needs to have a sturdy, long strap to be comfortable over my shoulder as I walk to class. Searching my studio stash, Bernat Handicrafter Cotton is a perfect choice ~ washable, durable and works up fast with a H8/5mm hook. 286 grams in Sonoma Print. Overall, I want a finished size of 46cm deep by 56cm round (18" x 22") with a 6.5cm wide by 51cm long (2.5" x 20") single strap that crosses over the top edge of the tote. And now on to the stitch/pattern designing...

As this is the very first pattern I am writing out to share, I will be posting it next week, complete with photos. {Cliffhanger, right?!} I've been twisting yarn since I was 12 years old; however, when it comes to actually writing the patterns... well, that's brand new territory for this ol' hooker! The written part will take a bit time for sure, but I'm always up for a new challenge =) 

Be well... join in next week, with your hook & yarn, when I'll share in detail how I created my Yoga Bag Project...

...Namaste ~ from In The Parlour =)

In The Works

Photography courtesy SD Jackson Digital Studio

Where to begin...

It's been a very long time since our last post here on the blog. So much has been going on at The Studio... lots to share with everyone!

The biggest & best news~~we are comfortably ensconced in our new private home-based studio in the heart of Vancouver! It took some time (not to mention fuel and hours spent with online searches) to find space that was suitable for both living quarters and work space.

Photo courtesy S. D. Jackson Photography

We have a wonderful amount of natural light coming from a beautiful picture window... I absolutely love the pink canopy of cherry blossoms lining the streets of the city... There would be room to sit in the window when the stitching bug hits, but it is already filled with chachkas & trinkets & family pictures... we most certainly need to add a couple of cozy chairs for tea time! 

Photo courtesy S. D. Jackson Photography

With the sewing & stitching room ready to go, the set up for the office is underway... not having a proper office for the last 3 months sure took it's toll on the stack of paper work! Catching up is a definite priority before any new projects... even if I'd rather have a needle & floss or a crochet hook keeping my hands busy...

In other news, you can now follow Carla's Victorian Heirlooms on Twitter and we are working on our company page on LinkedIn... and we're in the planning stages for our own web page as well... needless to say it will be a very busy Spring! 

In between all the moving and upheavals, I did finish hand-stitching the "Love Birds" counted cross stitch project... now to find "just the right frame"...

14-ct. Black Aida, DMC Floss, finished size 8" x 10"
Stitched by Carla Thompson, Creative Artisan

Bags, bags, and more bags...

Carla's Victorian Heirlooms is excited to showcase the featured stock for our very first Christmas season. An assortment of cloth bags... reusable, decorative and friendly to the environment by eliminating the need for wrapping paper... 

We gave you a sneak peek of a gift bag on November 7, when we showed off the red bag...
yesterday was spent cutting more bags.


For the festive season, lots of red and green... and of course, the holidays would not be complete without the holly fabric.

 

      A smaller version of the handled bags...

Trinket bags to hold small treasures...

The cotton bread bags are also cut and ready for sewing. We posted a bit about those on November 9. We had a few issues with some lettering on them and that is sorted out... finished photos of those will be posted as well this week... 

The studio is becoming a flurry of activity with preparations for our upcoming market December 3... our blog followers are the first to see what will be available at our public debut...

There may be 33 more sleeps until Jolly Old St. Nick's arrival but we will back tomorrow... stay warm, stay safe and be happy.

Thank you to Shawn at S. D. Jackson Photography... your camera, your support, and your creative input are deeply appreciated.

I learned something new today...

It is said we should make an attempt to learn something every day that we did not know yesterday. In my internet travels today, I found some interesting information that was unknown to me yesterday... I located a local chapter of an embroidery guild here in Nanaimo... the Island Stitchery Guild. They meet once a month from September to June.

The Guild is part of the Embroiderers' Association of Canada Inc. whose aim is "to preserve traditional techniques and promote new challenges in the Art of Embroidery through education and networking". The Association came into official existence in Winnipeg, MB, in 1974, and to date has almost 2500 members in Canada and other countries throughout the world, making up 46 chapters and 17 youth groups. Through membership, correspondence classes are available for various stitching techniques at all levels of knowledge. Certification may also be obtained upon completion of individual courses, ranging in length from 12 months for the beginners and 18 months for the intermediate and advanced stitchers. There is even a 5 day seminar coming up in May of 2012, in Victoria, BC, (just down Vancouver Island from us...) for members of the EAC~all about embroidery and stitching!

I am most certainly going to contact the Island Guild to find out more details about the Nanaimo chapter. Great Grandma S. and Grandma S. would both be so proud to know that I am choosing to carry on with the disciplined stitching they taught me as a little girl before I could even print my full name.

Until next time... keep your needle threaded... be safe, be happy.

Happy Hallow's Eve

photo courtesy of S. D. Jackson Photography

Good morning to all,

Hope everyone had a great weekend with all the parties and festivities. As today marks the end of October, tomorrow marks the official grand opening of Carla's Victorian Heirlooms. Long hours and hard work to get to this point, and it won't be slowing down anytime soon. It certainly has not been without its challenges but that has just made it a bit more interesting. Challenges help us to see if we are actually up to the task. They can also guide us down a different path to the same result; I like to think of it as "taking the scenic route". It may take a bit longer to get to where we intended, but we get there eventually with a bonus of seeing different sights along the way. So even though it took us almost 25 years to get here, it was definitely worth the detour of twists and turns along the way.

The weekend had its challenges as well. A new project went smoothly up until a point. The bags were cut with casing lines and buttonholes marked in no time. However, the transfer pencil took its sweet time transferring to the fabric. It eventually showed up after about 5 minutes under the hot iron and the motif is ready to be hand stitched today before I stitch the seams. Another challenge is the fabric has a pattern that is somewhat hiding the lines of the transfer... easily dealt with under good light. The 'scenic route' again.

Stitching time yesterday was fun. I met some ladies that also have a passion for needle and threads. I also had a quick lesson in lace making. I have heard of it but had never seen it done so now my curiosity is satisfied. The results are absolutely gorgeous to behold... an heirloom art for sure. I am still undecided as to whether I will attempt to learn the technique. It would definitely fit with the repertoire of the studio...something I will ponder. I actually didn't get much stitching done on the little project I took with me as we were too busy chattering about threads and patterns and the different cloths we use for our art... next week's sit & stitch will see the finish of the first piece in a set of Victorian Christmas ornaments in the works for the craft market booth display. 

Today will be a stitching day as we have sunshine and a break in the rainy weather... A day of work and then over to Twin Beaches tonight for some cocoa by the bonfire and watch the Halloween fireworks. To all the ghouls and goblins out there... safe trick or treating and have a Spooktacular Halloween!

A weekend of stitches

Good evening to all...

 

After waking up to rain and walking in the rain most of the day, the clouds broke late this afternoon and it turned out to be a beautiful sunset on the Salish Sea. Gorgeous sunshine shades of orange and gold mixed with the blue and white in the sky. Autumn certainly is upon us... leaves fall with every rush of the breeze. More shades of orange, gold and red fill the landscape. The crisp air brings a chill with it. The kind of chill that makes you want to grab a cup of cocoa or warm cider and curl up by a crackling fire...

Sounds like a good plan for the weekend... we don't have the fireplace at our cabin but we do have the warmth of the cocoa. Looks to be the perfect weekend to do some stitching too, I'm thinking. In the design department is a new bag to take with me when I need to run a few errands or pick up supplies and would rather not take my "briefcase" purse. Something in black with embroidered bead work in jewel tones... not sure on the colors of the jewels as I like all jewels & gemstones... and it's gotta have pockets! Lots of pockets!

Sunday is set aside for tea & stitching at The Stitcher's Muse Needle Art. 'Time', as Dione (the owner) put it, 'to immerse yourself in your stitching'. I'm looking forward to meeting other stitchers with a passion for needle and thread. Besides, who can honestly turn down tea and cookies? It's exciting to have an opportunity to make new friends. Of course, there will be show & tell too...

So join us over the weekend with your cup of cocoa to see our version of show & tell. Stay warm and enjoy the colors of Autumn... be safe, be happy.