Tuesday 10 July 2007

a new home for the expensive but delightful mistake

closeup

my new laptop arrived a mere 24 hours after i ordered it last week and it didn't take me long to fall completely in love with it. it's so big! and bright! the keyboard lights up! and, man, is it FAST! i haven't given my old lappy a second thought, although shane suggested getting a secondhand monitor and setting it up as a music/video station in my new craft room which i think is a fine old plan. to celebrate (and protect) the new laptop, i spent a few hours last week scheming a design for a laptop case and bag to tote the monsterous beast around in. i spent most of sunday working on the case and, as it came together, realized i hadn't really planned all that well after all, resulting in some dodgy binding finishing on the front flap and the realisation that the button closure i had planned wasn't too practical on a heavy quilted piece:

laptop case closed

laptop case open

in the end though, i'm pretty much in love with it. i took it into work and had the genius suggestion of using two buttons and a tie for the old school envelope closure - i just need to sew the chosen button on and pop into spotlight for some linen thread i've been eyeing to finish it off. almost every piece of fabric i used has been printed and/or dyed by me - below shows a pale grey leaf print on raw silk, and rough turquoise circle goccoed onto hand dyed linen.

fabric closeup

i also dyed the linen fabric at the top of the front, the heavy cotton binding and the raw silk on the back. so satisfying! and this was my first quilting and binding experience, both of which i'm keen to do more of soon. i used a thrifted wool blanket as the batting and it worked wonderfully. now i just have to finish working out (and i mean REALLY working out this time) the logistics of the bag to carry it around in...

21 comments:

  1. Beautiful, Leslie! Well done! And I love those goccoed turquoise circles on the linen....very organic :-)

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  2. Anonymous5:24 pm

    You have really taken my breath away with this one! The bag looks beautiful. I love that you've had so much input into the fabrics (ie: the dying and printing) and I absolutely LOVE the idea of the envelope closure... Well done :)

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  3. this is gorgeous. simply. the prettiest thing i've seen in a long time. the texture in the fabrics is fab. well done. well done!

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  4. I think it's delightful!

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  5. thats awesome... great work... and your own fabric to boot... wow... I am sooo impressed
    luv Abby

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  6. Oh Lesley! I'm sooo coveting that!

    It may have been a big old mistake - someone will steal your laptop just for the cover. ;)

    Amazing and perfect. :)

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  7. Leslie! not lesley...... Ooops.
    Love it.

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  8. It came out sooo well!I have to tell you your color sense inspires me sooooo much. OH....what dyes are you using? MX?
    Oh and another thing..."oobee" as we call him in our house has become a favorite of Gabe's. He totes it everywhere...it's so cute it kills me!

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  9. Anonymous12:02 am

    great design, beautiful and inspiring fabrics.
    that laptop of yours is lucky to be swaddled in such loveliness!

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  10. Anonymous1:07 am

    Love your bag. Very cheerful!

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  11. really pretty - i would totally buy one of those if you ever decided to sell them! my ibook wants to be as cozy as your macpro!

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  12. oh, you guys are making me blush! and smile from ear to ear : )

    stephanie, i usually use your basic variety dylon dye and sometimes kool-aid (imported). i've been looking into and would love to try some natural dyes but they are so expensive to order online. i'm hoping i can source some when (if) i get to canada next month.

    and libby, i've been thinking about making a few to add to the shop next month. now that i've learned from my mistakes on this one, i'm keen to make perfect the pattern. i'll drop you a note if i do make some.

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  13. Have lots of fun getting to know your new gizmo!
    Love the patchwork case...that is great!

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  14. lovely work! hand dyed fabrics are the best x

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  15. Can I join the queue of those who would love to buy one if you add them to your store?!?

    It's so beautiful!

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  16. I don't have a laptop.... but maybe you could make one big enough for a lady to sleep in?

    I keep soming back to look at it! hee hee

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  17. Anonymous4:29 pm

    Wow - it is trully beautiful!!! The tones of the fabrics and your prints are delightful - what a great bag to be carrying about!! Stunning!

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  18. Great cover - nicest one I've seen.

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  19. Anonymous11:12 pm

    it looks lovely - you know other's don't know they are mistakes unless you tell them - it's all part of the design.

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  20. Wow it looks absolutely lovely! (And no one would know that there are mistakes unless you told them!)

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  21. Anonymous12:40 am

    Leslie that bag is amazing. Im glad you were able to the buttons. I really need a new case, the handle on my old one snapped a few days ago. One of my friends has a nice MaxwellScott one but I can't really afford that right now, unless your willing to make one for me Leslie?

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