Hand Dyed Beach Bags

They are finally here! Handmade right here in Colorado! Available at Blanc et Bleu.
Hand dyed beach bags in ocean blue, with leather handles, and a zippered pocket.
Coming soon in sun yellow, orange, denim, and fuschia.
They are roomy, without being too bulky, also great for shopping, going to the gym, or as a carry-on.
Perfect to carry your peshtemals and a few other items!
Find them here.

A delightful little book...

Full title: The Dalai Lama's Cat by David Michie

I just love this book... Wisdom taught by a cat...

The story is funny, touching, and you will learn a lot about Buddhism while reading it. 

In short, the Dalai Lama rescues a kitten from sudden death, and brings her back to the temple. While exploring her surroundings, the kitten learns a lot about human nature, buddhism, and life in general.

I borrowed this book from the library, but I will definitely want to read it more than once, so I am buying it... 

What are you reading these days?

Snow in May

Summer is around the corner, right?

The back deck

The front

Well, I hope it is sunny and dry where you are...

New Shop

Back in October, I was browsing the Internet in search of new beach towels to take on our Hawaii trip. I was looking for something light we could pack easily, something large enough for the guys, and pretty enough for us girls :) Enter the Turkish peshtemals!
It was love at first sight. You know I am a sucker for beautiful textiles.
But then, I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical; I thought, they are so thin, how could they possibly replace a nice, thick terry beach towel?
Like they say, the proof is in the pudding... After a week of beach going, we have become peshtemal converts. These towels are really absorbant. Maybe something about the way they are woven?
The best part is that they are really versatile: you can use them at the beach or the pool, after your bath, of course, and you can also wear them. Yes! Wear your peshtemal as a pareo or a sarong. Out on the beach after the sun goes down? No problem, use it as a shawl!
Going on a picnic? Look no further for a picnic blanket...
Yay for peshtemals!
In addition, peshtemals are light to carry (we took eight on our trip, and together, they took the space of maybe one large terry beach towel), they don't take much room, they are fairly large (60+" x 37-38"), they are eco friendly: they do not take much water to wash, because they are so thin...
...and most of all, they are SO pretty.
Take a look:

In any case, they are pretty hard to find, so I decided to open a store and sell them so that we can ALL enjoy them.
My peshtemals come stright from Turkey. They are hand loomed by Turkish artisans using the finest cotton, organic cotton and bamboo fibers. They are dyed with vegetable dyes.
Find out more by clicking here .

Welcome back!

It's been a while since my last blog. Life gets in the way sometimes.
I have decided to consolidate my two blogs, Once upon a Bag and Blanc et Bleu.
Zakken is doing well. I have a few new bags:

 This is a new take on my original waxed canvas tote. The new totes feature the same luscious waxed canvass, a double contrasting bottom, an organic canvas lining, and a zippered top. The handles are long enough to wear over the shoulder. They  come in various color combinations:

Navy and Red

Red and Navy

Cinnamon and Mushroom

Mushroom and Cinnamon

 

                                                   

                                                                           Green and Tan 

Tan and Green

Let me know what you think!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year all!
After an amazing week on Maui with the family over the holidays, I am rested and ready to sew :)

I gathered a few ideas while lying on the sand on my pestemal. Stay tuned for handpainted pestemals with lovely, Hawaiian inspired designs in my new Blanc et Bleu shop on Etsy- all set up, but not yet open.

Last Spring, after poring incessantly over Natalie Chanin's three books (Alabama Stitch Book, Alabama Studio Style, and Alabama Studio Sewing + Design), I finally jumped over the fence, so to speak, and made a couple of outfits I could actually wear OUTSIDE the house. I made a sleeveless top, a bolero, and a skirt. I actually received a lot of compliments on those...

While looking for fabric last week- what else?!!!- I came upon this lovely dress pattern by a duo of very talented British designers - By Hand London. 

I spent a lot of time (A LOT) looking at pictures of this beautiful dress, and finally ordered the pattern, along with another one...why not...

Sadly the pattern is on back order, but this is an opportunity to look for fabric...I am leaning toward a black and white rayon for the maxi, and maybe a linen blend for the midi, and...

Apparently, you can't just make one of this dress... Yes, I have caught the By Hand London bug :)

Can't wait to show you the results. 

Happy New Year!

Vintage silk kimono clutches

Here they are... Two beautiful vintage kimono silk and leather clutches...
I bought the silk from a store in Toronto. The lining is pure linen. The leather is buttery soft... I just love those clutches.