and machine embroidery.

In an effort to simplify things, I have moved the blog to dianacouture.com/ blog – much simpler.

I am going to leave this blog here for a bit but new posts will be going in on the new

blog site!

So…check out the updated website and let me know what you think!

So the Kindle arrives, and I read the manual (I read everything).  Then came  decision time.  What book am I going to read first?  I wanted it to be memorable and worthy of the first time I stayed up all night reading on my Kindle.   When I found Bringing Home the Birkin; My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World’s Most Coveted Handbag  by Michael Tonello, I knew I had found the perfect choice! 

This really is a funny book with several laugh-out-loud passages.  Michael (I feel like we are on a first name basis now) took me into many Hermes stores all across Europe as he brought home the Birkins and raised a few questions, such as just how many Birkins are really made (?more than they say?) and is the waiting l

ist?

 Now, I won’t lose sleep over that, because I will never be on that list.   There are 3 fashion items I can’t have enough of.   In third place is shoes,  second place goes to trinket watches and in first place is purses.  I love my purses, I love other designers’ purses.  I love custom made and mass produced purses, little and big purses.  So I did the math.  I could either have 1 Birkin that costs $3000 (low-end range), or I could have 50 purses that cost $60.00 each.   I will take the 50 and a bigger closet!!!!

 And as far as waiting lists are concerned, here at dianacouture.com, we don’t have a waiting list, and we WANT our customers to buy my handbags!   I offer a small collection of bags; but I do take custom orders, especially for the hat purses.   For those who sew, I also offer something more exclusive than the Birkin —  the chance for you to make your bag absolutely unique.   To me, a one-of-a-kind bag  is a greater treasure than a Birkin and not nearly as costly. 

My Kindle in the Studio.  

PS – My Kindle and I are on our way out the door, headed  to a little town in the Texas Hill Country to take a felting workshop offered by Jill Gully (outbackfibers.com).  Of course I will have to put “K” down long enough to learn some new wooly tricks.  I will  share the fun with you when I return!

In addition to being my sister,

But one of the most enjoyable and enduring links in our lives was needle work.

She learned to crochet when she was in the third grade and I was in second.

I still remember her crocheting until the watermelon colored skein was completely used up, then unraveling it and starting again. We joked in later life that she never finished any of her needlework projects — perhaps it was because of that single ball of yarn.

We learned to knit when I was in 5th grade and she was in 6th, and she had taken it up again in recent years. She had also amazed me by taking up the tedious art of tatting and mastering it! She delighted and inspired me with her creativity, talent and determination, not just in sewing but in every aspect of her life.

We made duct tape dress forms together with our mother. It was perhaps one of the funniest things I have ever done – and it was Mary who made it fun. It was my idea and I was serious about it, but for her it was just hilarious.

We did joke about her not finishing things. But it wasn’t really that she didn’t finish, it was just that finishing one project didn’t seem like such a big deal in comparison to all of the others in progress. One of the things she finished for me was a jacket. I had fallen in love with the pattern that fall.

If Mom carried the megaphone, Mary carried the pom poms in my cheering section when I went back to college to earn my BFA in fashion design. She has been a constant encourager, sounding board and friend as I have started my business and ventured into the world as a fiber artist and designer.

 
When I came home from her memorial, I was only two weeks away from 2 important deadlines – my first magazine article for Designs in Machine Embroidery and my Bernina Fashion Show design.

I made the decision on sheer willpower; but as I began the work, it brought with it a solace that I did not expect.

 
The ability to create when destruction abounds is a powerful thing. As I began the work on the designs, I cried often and thought constantly of my sister. As the work progressed, I was able to smile at my successes, to lose myself in the work and begin to feel that my life would go on, that there could be peace and purpose amidst the overwhelming sorrow; and I believe I was able to honor her through continuing to work towards my dreams. I did meet the deadlines, and both my Bernina design for 2008 and the upcoming project in Designs in Machine Embroidery’s Sep/ Oct issue, are dedicated to my amazing sister.

As time goes on, and even as this year progresses, her absence will shape me into a “new normal” as one of my friends said.

My life and my work will reflect my love, admiration and appreciation for my sister and for my step-mother as well, who lost her battle with cancer on June 22nd.  

 
There are those reading this who have experienced such losses or know of someone who has.  I encourage you –  don’t give up on the things you enjoy or let those you love do so either. Let your creativity and craft bring you solace; find a way to let your creativity begin to bring healing to your heart and soul.

 
My hope is simply that after you read this blog, that you will take some time to think of yourself, your family and friends and the things you/they are going through.

 It is so easy in our modern age to lose that vital personal contact with one another (and experts say that e-mail just isn’t an effective personal contact.)  Don’t let another day go by without letting those you love know how much you care. 

And if you have suffered a loss and let go of the things you enjoy or are passionate about, I encourage you to pick it up again.  Perhaps you, like me, will find the ability to begin to see a tomorrow through the process of creating. 

Diana

I am back to sharing my message of purse love to the world.   A purse can be as unique and special as you are, or it can be mass produced and worn by “everyone.”  I am sad to admit that I have a daughter who has a love for brand-name bags.  Of course I have taught her better.   I say all the usual things a mother says:  Don’t get too much sun it causes skin cancer; go to college; and most importantly, do not buy mass-produced handbags.  She is going to college, but I don’t call 1 out of 3 a great record. 

Now I have another approach.  Whenever I see other women carrying the purse she wants, I tell her.  “I saw your purse today at Wal-Mart.  There were 2 women with the same bag in Wal-Mart at the same time!”   or “I saw your purse at the post office today.  It is amazing how many people have that same bag in my very small town.”  So finally she concedes that, although it is beautiful, knowing that so many other women are carrying the same bag takes the fun of ownership away.   Women’s rights have fortunately changed many things for women, but I think we still do not want to wear the same dress to a party or have the same handbag as our coworkers.  And it is our right not to have to! 

At the risk of sounding like the Tom Cruise of purse-atology, I believe that the right handbag can elevate a mood quicker than an amaretto sour!

Having established, once again, the supremacy of hand-crafted handbags, I must ask, how are you treating your lovely, loyal friend who keeps your secrets and is always proud to stand arm in arm with you, even on a bad hair day? 

Recently I walked into a public restroom.   The first thing I saw was a purse sitting on the floor inside a bathroom stall.  I almost screamed in horror, but instead I averted my eyes like a passerby who does not stop to help an accident victim.  Yet I can’t help but feel guilty.   Could I have done something to have saved her bag from filth?  I do believe it was too late for that bag (the bathroom floor was not clean…to be polite.)  But perhaps there is hope for o

If you are carrying a hand-crafted bag, you stand as an example to all women in the art of purse appreciation.   A purse hook fits in your bag without taking up a lot of space, is easy to use and shows the world that you are a lady who knows how to treat a bag.  If you are going to carry an original purse, you need an original hook to put it on.  I have searched Etsy for you (no charge) and found several sellers who have some wonderful purse hooks.

I actually didn’t have to search for Artsizzles as she marked me as a favorite seller (thanks!) Her hooks are elegant yet simple.  A perfect frame for your artful handbag.  I bought the white one! 

LaRubia only has one item in her shop so far, and it is this interesting fabric-covered purse hook.

?

 Nelsoni Glass has some beautiful millefiori glass purse hooks.

If I had one of these hooks, I think I could hang my purse on the table and just stare into the designs in a deep state of purse tranquility.  

 If you like dogs, this seller also has an interesting pawprint hanger. 

Etsy has other sellers who offer purse hooks as well, but these are my favorites.  While you are browsing on Etsy, check out my Etsy page.  You may find a new purse to go with your new hook! 

I admire quilters…but I am not one.  I would rather spend my time sewing clothing or access

ories.  I would rather sew velvet or chiffon than cotton, and sewing all those tiny pieces together to create an overall design reminds me of algebra (i.e. something I am not good at.)  However, I do like to take quilting techniques and use them for other projects.

  Often, quilter’s find unique  ways of adding texture  or embellishments that translate well into accessories, wearable art and home dec.

My favorite technique is a staple among quilters – the stipple stitch.  While many new sewing machines have the ability to recreate this stitch with perfectly sewn lines, I prefer the meandering unpredictability of the free-motion stipple stitch.    How does one stipple stitch

?  Simply lower the sewing machine’s feed dogs, put your free-motion foot on the machine and begin stitching a meandering path.

  I try to make my rounded shapes look like jigsaw puzzle pieces without closed edges.

  I have heard some people say that they can’t get the stitch to look pretty.  My recommendation is to relax and just let it happen.   Stippling isn’t about the individual lines but the overall effect.   

This month’s update to the La Pochette 1 pattern club features an easy pieced design that is then stipple quilted.

    As you may know, quilting fabric to batting gives great shape without weight.

   I don’t like this look for all my bags, but it definitely has its place for a soft and relaxed look, perfect for casual weekends.  For more information on the club, visit my website at dianacouture.com

On the bag pictured, I thought it looked very flat once I had it pieced together but before stipple quilting it.  I used red thread to stipple  the entire bag.  That, combined with the subtle texture created by the stippling, softened and blended the colors of the fabrics.

   The heart is a handy pocket.  Another option included in this update is instructions to create the bag without the top ruffle.

  This gives a simpler design and is a snap to sew up!

This past summer I used stipple quilting to create a unique cover for my ottoman.

For the top of

the ottoman, I placed batting under my fabric and pinned the 2 layers together.  I then created a very simple flower motif, cut it out of contact paper and placed the contact paper

where I wanted it – in rows for this project.  I stipple quilted around the flower motifs  and  removed the contact paper.  Next I slit the batting behind the flowers, stuffed lightly with batting and sewed the slits closed by hand to create the trapunto look.

  The motifs on the side are felted wool with details sewn

on my embroidery machine.  The brown felted wool piping is left over fabric  from my 2007 Bernina show garment.  I love my ottoman cover and have planned pillows to bring those vibrant covers onto my beige furniture…if I can only find the time!

to me was talking about her purse.  She had bought it 3 years ago and has carried it every day since then! 

I am the opposite of this.  I change purses based on my outfit, my mood and the occasion… and many of them I have made myself.   Have you ever sat in a mall and looked at the purses that go by?  It is not often that you see a unique bag, and I am often stopped and asked about the handbag  I am carrying.  It is a true pleasure to say “I made it myself” and give them my business card! 

 Obviously I think that carrying a purse should be enjoyable.   A stylish bag that perfectly accents an outfit is therapy.  It can lift your mood and make you feel the world is not so chaotic.

You shouldn’t feel like it is something you carry because you have to put your stuff somewhere.   (My grandmother used to carry her money in her bra, but that is another story.)  So I have come up with a list of 10 things to give you true  handbag happiness.

  Whether you have never been handbag happy, have lost the lovin’ feeling or, like me, just like to talk about purses, I believe there will be something on this list for you. 

 1.  Really look at your purse today.  Think of one thing that you love about it.   If you can’t think of anything, change purses!

2.  Clean the outside of your bag.  We all love things better when they are clean! 

3.  When you are in a crowded place, like the mall, take a few minutes to observe the purses around you.  If you are underwhelmed, start buying from independent designers (like me!) or make your own.  A fresh, unique  look may be just what it takes to find true handbag happiness.

4.  Put a simple, special item in your purse and think about it when you are carrying your handbag.  A tiny seashell from your last vacation, a note from your child… you get the idea.  How wonderful that your handbag can keep such a happy thought so close to your heart (if you carry your handbag in your left arm it will be even closer to your heart.)

5.  Try some color therapy in your handbag.  This is especially easy if you sew your own bags.  If your favorite color is bright orange but you don’t have a place for it in your wardrobe, line a purse with it.   Whether you sew or not, have at least one bag in your closet whose colors or motifs speak to you on a deeper level.  

6.  For unblocking creativity and curing the feeling of being in a rut, psychologists recommend driving a different way on places you go routinely.   Sometimes this just isn’t practical, so I suggest trying a new style of handbag instead.  If you carry a satchel, try a hobo bag.  If you like vinyl, try a cloth bag.   Keep an open mind

and see what happens!

7.  Have an honest conversation with your purse loving friend.  Ask how she found true handbag happiness. 

8.  Leave something interesting in your handbag when you change it out for a new one.  It could be a ticket stub from a movie date, a party invitation, anything that was already in the bag when you changed purses and will remind you of the time you last carried the bag.   It is always fun to take down a purse and be reminded of a happy time.   (Leaving change or even an occasional dollar in your handbags can be a life saver if the tooth fairy is due for a visit and there is no cash in your current handbag.) 

9.  Carry a purse that is sure to garner compliments.  A compliment about your taste and style is sure to bring immediate handbag happiness! 

10.   Buy a purse hook to carry in your handbag and use it.   Treating your handbag with caring respect reminds you what a treasure it truly is, for its fashion sense, functionality and reliability.