Monday, November 9, 2015

Pouch Perfect! Something Old, Something New...

Greetings! I can't believe it's already November. Freelance projects have kept me super busy, so I am so excited to be back in the home studio making things again! In my busy-ness, I feel like I am always in need of little ways to help organize my daily life. My handbags, backpacks, styling supplies, and sewing supplies tend to get out of control over time and I can't find anything I need. With that inspiration and my desire to put some great fabric remnants to good use, came these little zipper pouches!

I can't ever let good fabric go to waste. Each piece has a story - whether it was the way it was found or the story by which a person gave it to me and I love that. Because I have fabrics in such small and limited amounts, I want to use every last bit of them. In addition to interesting prints and colors, I really love working with denim. It's not unusual for friends to drop off their old jeans to add to my fabric supply :) If any fabric was made to last and be reincarnated into a new item - it's denim.

And how about these great brass zippers?

This floral cotton fabric was give to me by an old neighbor in my hometown. For a long time, she worked at a fabric store and she is starting to giveaway all her fabrics and notions. The quality and assortment of her fabrics are so lovely I'm so glad that she thought of me. I decided to use some of this fabric as a lining - I always want the items I make to be beautiful on the inside as well as the outside.

The result? Sweet little somethings to hold your sweet little somethings, or just all those little things that get lost in your giant handbag!

Shop Pouches

Pleated Plaid Pouch

2-Toned Denim Pouch

Seamed Light Denim Pouch

Light Denim Pouch

Blue Florals Zipper Pouch

Get more detailed info and shop all of these pouches in my ErinElsie Etsy Shop by clicking here!

Treat yourself, or give one as a sweet gift with a story that goes much beyond the design!

Okay, back to work for me. I have a few ambitious projects I'm trying to get done! Please stay tuned and hope you are having a lovely Monday!
xo,

Erin

Follow along the journey of ErinElsie and *Textile*Repurposed*Style.* Subscribe by email in the sidebar of my blog or sign up for Bloglovin!

Other Links:
✰ Website: http://www.erinelsie.com
✰ Instagram: https://instagram.com/erinelsie_official/

✰ Instagram: https://instagram.com/erinblank_designer/
✰ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/ErinElsie/360147150720430
✰ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErinElsie_Blank

Monday, August 10, 2015

An Ode to the Teeshirt with these Unique Upcycled Tote Bags!

An Ode to the Teeshirt with these Unique Upcycled Tote Bags!

It doesn't get more classic than the teeshirt, especially those favorites that you wear until they are literally falling apart! My husband has lots of these. Unique teeshirts, many are from concerts or travels over the years and carry so many stories with them. He handed some over to me in disrepair, and I was inspired to create some wearable art using the unique designs of each tee shirt. A friend gave me some old curtains a while back, and I thought the sturdiness of the fabric would be perfect for the base of a simple tote bag.

I used some fabric glue and then hand stitched around the teeshirts with colorful thread to give them a clean finished edge. I'm so happy with the results!

_______________________________________________________________

Brooklyn 2 Faced Upcycled TeeShirt Tote

________________________________________________________________

The Florida Rocker 2 Faced Upcycled TeeShirt Tote

_____________________________________________________________

Get more detailed info and shop these and other totes in my ErinElsie Etsy Shop by clicking here!

Have a great week!

xo,

Erin

Follow along the journey of ErinElsie and *Textile*Repurposed*Style.* Subscribe by email in the sidebar of my blog or sign up for Bloglovin!

Monday, August 3, 2015

Weekend Wrap Up- A Few Good Things + a Box of Inspiration

Weekend Wrap Up! A few good things...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've got mail!

On one of my last trips home to Louisiana, I visited with one of my parents' neighbors who decided to get rid of most of her sewing supplies and wanted to offer them to me. She, an artist herself, had worked at a fabric store and had quite the organized collection of fabrics and notions. Going through her things, if felt like I was going through her memories. She had stories connected with the fabrics and piles of beautiful lace, some of which dated back to her childhood. I had to leave the goodies at my parents house as I had minimal luggage space, so my mom recently shipped me some of the items.

I feel a little pressure when people pass their things on to me, but touched that they think of me and trust that their old things will live on in special new pieces! It's the heart of what I love to do, create new items with vintage materials - unique clothing with stories that can be passed on for years to come.

Yards and yards of beautiful wool plaids have already got me thinking of fall.

Lace, Lace, and more Lace!

She also had quite the stash of thread, something I can always use!

The best thing about getting a box from your mom? She always includes a sweet note and a sweet treat! My man has a thing for jelly beans in particular :)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New Thrifted Threads

This past week I was able to squeeze in a treasure hunt at one of my favorite thrifting spots. I was lucky to hit the store on a special sale day, so the prices were even cheaper than normal! I found so many great things and you'll hear more about them in the future!

Most of the finds I am using for the fabrics, but this wrap skirt may be an exception. I originally grabbed it for it's yards and yards of printed and pieced silk for $4 (such a steal!)! It's made with 2 layers and completely reversible. Considering the quality of this silk fabric and the yardage, this original piece would have been a couple hundred dollars! It's quickly becoming one of my favorite summer pieces and I've already received compliments!

The Greater Good

Lastly, I recently watched a powerful documentary that poignantly explains the fast fashion industry. I have included the preview below and it is now available on Netflix and Amazon.

When most people grab a piece of clothing at a store, they often don't think about the fact that it was made the world over, by human hands. Some of the largest companies such as Walmart and H&M are getting away with questionable business practices while earning billions of your dollars in their pockets. There's absolutely no excuse why workers anywhere should be battling for safe conditions and living wages while working for companies worth billions. I've worked in various parts of this industry and this is the kind of powerful information that you can't un-know. It's why I want to my own little company to be one I can feel good about. There are more and more companies doing the right thing and I hope to share and highlight them in the future.

Cambodian factory workers protesting for safer working conditions and a living wage.

“There are hands, physical human hands that touch the things that we wear, and those hands are lives, and they matter... when we buy something, it is a moral act, and there are a chain reaction of consequences, so let’s begin to be more mindful and choose things that support life, not take it away.” - Andrew Morgan.

Rent or own the film today! Visit http://truecostmovie.com for more details.
Available on DVD, Blu-Ray, iTunes, Amazon, or VHX.

Please take the time to watch and be informed about the purchases you make. when you spend your hard earned money, do it for the greater good!

Alright friends, wishing you a lovely week ahead!

xo,

Erin

Follow along the journey of ErinElsie and *Textile*Repurposed*Style.* Subscribe by email in the sidebar of my blog or sign up for Bloglovin!

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Reduce, Reuse, UPCYCLE! My Latest Project: 2 Old Men's Shirts = 1 New Shirt Dress

2 Old Men's Shirts = 1 New Shirtdress

Greetings!

I can't believe it's almost August already! It's definitely hot here in NYC and I have been living in comfy and cool dresses. I normally gravitate towards flow-y bold prints and color with my materials, but when my husband handed over some old shirts he was discarding, I was inspired to do an upcycling project for myself with a little more polish.

The Project:

I don't currently own tailored shirtdress, so I decided to create one!

I had a blue shirt and a white one, so I decided to go with a color blocked design. Keeping blue on the bottom, I was thinking it might be a little more flattering and would wear over time better than the white would. I sewed the pieces together with French seams, which give the overall dress some structure for a clean and crisp look!

The Result:

I'm really happy with the result! It's such a sleek and versatile piece; a blank canvas to change up with so many different accessories. Here I've photographed it with one of my best vintage clutch finds and a staple in my wardrobe for this summer- It's leather, made in Italy, and only cost me $15 :)

TIP: If you want to invest in some high quality accessories, but don't have a lot to spend, try some vintage shopping! For me, I love the thrill of the treasure hunt, the quality in which things were made in the past, and having a unique item that's not hanging in every department store in the country. If you're intimidated by a thrift store or a vintage shop, check out eBay online - I've found some great pieces on there.

You don't have to be an expert seamstress for a project like this, so it's a great beginner sewing project idea. Also, something like this would be a great way to preserve memories by using old shirts from a loved one! I hope I've added a little DIY inspiration to your week!

Cheers,

Erin

Follow along the journey of ErinElsie and *Textile*Repurposed*Style.* Subscribe by email in the sidebar of my blog or sign up for Bloglovin!

For info on Shopping ErinElsie and other Links:
✰ Website: http://www.erinelsie.com

✰ Instagram: https://instagram.com/erinblank_designer/
✰ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/ErinElsie/360147150720430
✰ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErinElsie_Blank