August Lately

Quarterly Blog Posts

Really, I do intend to post more often. But I've found that I'm a binge-blogger, rather than a little every day kind of blogger.

I have a few updates- First, August Lately, LLC has a new division. Introducing fiberphile.

I love natural fibers, I love color, I love creating. It's not difficult to imagine how I made the leap to adding a hand-dyed yarn and fiber division to my handmade business. My crafty muse tends to drive things around here, so when I felt the familiar tug toward a new medium, I didn't argue. It has been a very natural expansion for me, and the immediate success of the endeavor has been all the confirmation necessary.

Also, I've added a new bag to the August Lately line. Meet Baby Belle:

 
As you can see, although I have been quiet, it's not because I haven't been busy. I continue to fill custom orders, dye yarn, and to design new items whenever possible!

Updates

I'm sorry to report that there still is no word on Nicholas Francisco. I continue to hope for a good outcome for his wife and children. If anyone is in the Seattle area, please continue to keep your eyes open. The reward for information leading to Nicholas is now $15,000.

As for August Lately, I've been working on orders and sneaking a few new designs in between.

Meet the roomy shoulder bag:

This particular bag is made from the Amy Butler Belle collection and is a bit livelier than I intended.

The same design looks incredibly different when made with dark brown ultrasuede and a classic floral print:

The ultrasuede is gorgeous in person but what a challenge it is to photograph!

In other August Lately News- The Belle bag is now also available as a design-your-own bag at August Lately:

We're battening down the hatches for yet another snow storm here in Vermont. What a winter! Hopefully I'll get some extra sewing time in.

Sewing Serendipity

What if I added a piece to the top of the hobo template? That's what led to the creation of this bag:

I love it when things come out beautiful on the first try!

It's Cold Outside

Which makes it that much more appealing to work on new designs for spring. I have a gigantic stash of fabrics that I don't use in my for-sale products, but instead use them up when I'm working on new designs.

Here's a sneak preview of what's to come for Spring 2008:

Flare Tote- Pleated tote bag with choice of recessed zipper or magnetic snap closure:

Bolsa (means bag in Spanish- guess I retained something from high school!)- A roomy shoulder bag with pleats and darts. Choice of recessed zipper or magnetic snap closure.

I'm not entirely sure what to call this one, or that the design is finished yet, but this is where I'm at so far with this pleated hobo:

Apparently I'm hobo challenged because I've been having a heck of a time working the shape out!

I'm planning to roll these out on the main website some time in early March. In the mean time, keep your eye on the etsy shop!

Still Here

Well, I did have a nice post all ready to go until firefox decided to crash on me. Typepad, why don't you save autodrafts for me? It would be ever so helpful!

January was the month of The Flu in the Hadley house, which is why I never got to that handmade holidays update post. The gifts we gave were gratifyingly appreciated and it is definitely something we'd like to continue for years to come.

That apron I designed? It came out so nicely, and I got such good feedback from it, that I decided to add aprons and matching dish towels to my product line. It's an idea I had been toying with for some time, and the enthusiastic response I received from the recipient sealed the deal. I'll be adding several reversible fabric combo options later today.

In January, I spent much of my time on the couch with one arm around a sick child and a sketchbook on my lap. Now that things have gone back to normal for the time being, I will be working on bringing my 2D imaginations into 3D reality. Stay tuned!

It's a Blog Happy Day!

I'm a crafting hero. Well, I'm not so sure about that, but Lisa over at Craft Boom called me one! She was very kind in asking me to do an interview, and it was posted today! I must say that I feel a bit out of place among such incredibly inspiring women as Amy Karol and Amanda Blake Soule, but am very, very honored. Thanks Lisa!

And, when I came here to log in, I noticed that Rare Bird Finds, one of my absolute favorite blogs (run by some of my very favorite indie ladies) is the Typepad Featured Blog. Congratulations Sharla and Mei-Lynn!

Wow, that was a lot of exclamation marks. No more coffee for me.

Cyber Monday

It's that time of year again- cyber monday! To kick off the holiday shopping season, August Lately is offering free USPS Priority Shipping on all US orders over $50 through December. Just enter code HH07 at checkout.

Happy shopping!

The Perfect Gift

A unique twist on gift certificates! Order any Design Your Own item for the holidays and I will send a beautiful paper certificate to give to the recipient.

Here's how it works:

You purchase a certificate for any Design Your Own item from the website. When you check out, you will be charged for the item, as well as the shipping. The lucky person who receives the certificate can visit the website, choose her favorite fabric, and enter her shipping address. Two weeks later, her new custom gift will be shipped directly to her.

Easy, right?

In the Works

I'm always thinking about new items that I can add to the Design Your Own line, and two more are soon to be introduced on the site.

The first, just in time for cooler weather, is the design your own scarf. This will be available to coordinate with any of our bags and accessories. It's not super bulky, but the flannel backing makes it just snuggly enough to keep the chills away.

The next, which will also soon be available, is the Design Your Own Pendant. When you sew handbags for a living, you end up with a lot of scraps. I'm always trying to think of ways to make good use of them, and I think this is one of the best ways ever! Each one is unique, and I will make sure that each one is special and lovely.

Another New Addition

Yep- my new baby. I spent many months doing my research for a new machine and settled on the Pfaff select line. No frills, but an incredible workhorse. Please excuse the bad night-time photo- she's much prettier in person.

The only problem is, I can't decide on what to call *her*. I feel that she is definitely a she, and I'm so fond of her, she needs a special name. My first thought was Bessie, but for some reason that just didn't seem to fit. Any suggestions?

The bag in the photo is a prototype for a new design I'm working on. I have a tendency to design small bags and I'm trying very hard to expand (pun intended!) the line to include larger bags.

Why do I have a clock on the wall right in front of my sewing table? I have a tendency to get absorbed in sewing projects and I've had a few close calls when it was time to pick my preschooler up at noon. This way it's almost impossible to lose track of time!