orange flower

Time to move on...

After much consideration, I've decided to end the orange flower blog. (This weekend- May 19). I want to thank everyone who has stopped by this little experimental adventure of mine into the world of blogging. There are many reasons I came to this decision, but one of the main ones is that I just can't spend as much time working on the blog, or even just being online, anymore. I'm excited to try some new creative projects during the summer, and to really be able to devote my attention to them. I'll still be around on flickr (orangeflower) and I plan to keep my etsy shop open for a while. And, of course, I'll still be visiting my long list of favorite blogs whenever I can. I wanted to keep this short and sweet, so once again, thank you so much for visiting Orange Flower :)
-Karin 

a little break

Now that the 30 days challenge is over, I've decided to take a little break from the blog. Back soon - thanks for stopping by!

Sunday WIPs

This is the new bag design I was talking about in the last post.  It was a pleasure to make because the fabrics are so lovely to handle. There are a few little adjustments to make on this design, but overall, I am happy with it. It has a slightly vintage feel to it, which I love.
Inside, rather than gather the fabric like the outside of the bag, I created pleats. The cotton I used is a pale, butter yellow. Also, inside there is a patch pocket made of the green gingham. I hope to have a few different versions of these new bags in the shop sometime this month.

Another project I've been working on recently is a series of items for boys (or girls!). I have a way to go with this project, but here's a look at something I'm planning to work on before the day is over.

Broken needles and a tote: Post #97

I broke two sewing machine needles in succession, yesterday. I know better than to sew over pins, so why did I do it?  I have this fear that a needle is going to snap and a piece of it is going to hit me in the eye. I am slightly farsighted, so I have a pair of glasses which I should wear for close up work and reading. I don't use them very often. I wasn't wearing them yesterday, but I was lucky because a piece of the broken needle missed my face and hit me in the arm. 

I'm narrowing down the list of items for the update tomorrow. My goal for the month of May is to do one update per week. So, a few things tomorrow and more next weekend. I'm really enjoying the process of making smaller scale totes for kids - or adults, who want something smaller than the usual jumbo tote bag.  I made a prototype of a new bag yesterday. I used a cotton and linen blend on the outside and a silky soft cotton for the lining. It was one of those instances where the fabrics are so pretty and have such lovely tactile qualities that the project seems extra special. I felt like I was working on an antique garment, making pleats and gathers, carefully pressing and top-stitching. I guess that's why I love making things so much. It's the process. The down side is that I get very messy when I am in the zone, so to speak. Thread everywhere, fabric in piles, rulers falling on the floor. I don't see it while it's happening, just afterwards. I look around and wonder how I could have made such a mess! This happens whether I am sewing, painting, baking, you name it. I might have mentioned this before, it happens so often. I guess tomorrow is cleaning day. I'll leave you with a look at one of the smaller tote bags that I made recently.

One side is pieced with a floral...

the other side has a small sewn-in bow.

I almost forgot, this is post 97! I'm thinking of something fun for post 100...

Little Orange Houses

Yes, another macro.  I realized that almost all of the photos I post on this blog are macros!  This is a peek at one of the things that will be in the shop update on Sunday. I think this fabric is so cute. Plus, it's orange.

Another detail shot of one of the new bags. I like to play around with proportion as well as unique embellishments. I came up with a few designs, some of which will be in the update on the weekend.

30/30 - Lime Green...

Hooray! 30 days of macro posts completed. I think this set of photos may be my favorite of the challenge. This was so much fun. Thanks to everyone who posted photos, visited participating blogs, and joined the Flickr group! I hope you enjoyed taking all those macros, I certainly did. Looking at everyone's photos was very inspiring!

What's next? I think I will take a little break from blogging - meaning, I won't be posting every day. I want to take some time to work on projects I have in mind for my Etsy shop, as well as catch up on a few other things. If you missed this challenge and are interested in participating in something similar, I am already thinking about another photography related idea/exercise for sometime in the summer - more details in a few weeks :)

edited to add a recap: mosaic made with fd's Flickr Toys !

29/30 - Buttons

I can't bring myself to use these buttons! I like them this way, sewn down to the card in a circle.

One more day left in the macro challenge! I'm on the lookout for something good to photograph for number 30 :)

28/30 - Orange Thread

It's very dark and rainy, so I had to take today's photo indoors, under a lamp. There are just two macro challenge posts left!   

27/30 - Red and Aqua

I decided to go through a few of my containers of art supplies, and I came across many tubes of paint. Luckily, I was able to open most of them. It is very disappointing to pick up a tube of paint, squeeze it gently, and realize it has formed into a solid, worthless chunk of pigment!

*3 days left in the macro challenge!

26/30 - Simplicity

I like the simplicity of this photo. This is a metal drawer pull. I shot this from below. To me, this looks like a stylized mushroom.