Totes Ya'll!
Congrats, you've made it until Friday! I hope you all had a great week!
If you happened to read my last post, you'll recall that creatively I got a little burned out on clothing construction. To keep my mind and skills fresh, I switched gears to try something new. My friend Sarah (shout out to Sarah) recently sent me a box of super luscious leather scraps from her interior design world and that became my source of inspiration. I also had a couple of fabrics, mostly given to me (shout out to Jessica too!) or rescued by me, that I had set aside thinking they'd work well in some type of accessory.
Here in NYC, I feel like good tote bags are such an intricate part of most daily activities. Most of us don't have cars to throw all our stuff in throughout the day, so your tote bag becomes a catch all. I've wanted to experiment with some simple tote patterns, and then the project seemed to all come together. I'm excited about the the results so far. I love that they are super simple and practical in structure, but also become the canvases for these beautiful print and woven fabrics.
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I received this beautiful floral vintage fabric in one of many thoughtful packages from my old friend Jessica. I will be bummed when I run out of it entirely. I'm hanging on to every last scrap! This tote also includes leather details, making it extra sturdy.
I call this one the Sarah Tote! In addition to the leather pieces Sarah sent me, she also included an old skirt. The fabric was a woven silk, with this modern leafy print. To toughen up the silk, I lined it in this thick, cotton/silk brocade fabric in the perfect shade of champagne. The added leather details make it as practical as it is beautiful!
Bold reds and pinks make the perfect compliment to the brown ground in this beautiful print! Can you believe someone was just about to throw this fabric out? Luckily I was around a quickly swooped it up! In my past life in the mass production fashion world, so much fabric goes to waste. It really echoes the disposable attitude in the clothing industry these days. The border print was perfect for the shape of the tote. I also love that this print is a little bit neutral, and a little bit bold. For some added structure, the tote is lined in this champagne colored cotton/silk brocade fabric and is also completely reversible! It's all topped off with these comfy leather straps.
Okay, so there are no pink flamingos in this print, but doesn't it just make you think of them? This vintage fabric makes me happy- it's a bit of a statement while still being chic. The lining is an equally beautiful and vivid print and this tote is completely reversible.
Yes, this beautiful floral print again...This tote is a little bit larger than the others, with extra long straps. If you're not one to wear a bold print like this, just add a little splash with your carryall.
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The print of the vintage fabric on the reverse side is just as beautiful as the other. I also love the look of the contrasting straps. |
I'm going to push my "Weekend Wrap Up" segment to Monday this time for a very special post. Stay tuned friends and have a "tote-ally" awesome weekend!
xo,
Erin
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