Hey there! I’m excited to share with you a new collab with the gorgeous Victoria of Vida Lifestyle!
You can find custom Vida tote bags exclusively at Vida Lifestyle NY tonight at 7pm EST.
// All photos courtesy of Vida Lifestyle Inc. //
My Spring/Summer ’23 Collection is almost here! Had so much fun working with bright colors and florals.
I will have a selection of Rifle Paper Co floral mini baskets as well as matching tool cases for this update.
Newsletter subscribers are always first in line to limited edition updates. The shop is password protected until 2pm EST, where it will be open to the public. I hope to see you there!
Hello 2023!
I’m excited to be officially back in the studio and explore new ideas to share with you.
INTRODUCING
SEASONAL COLLECTION
Available while supplies last.
Similar to my limited edition updates, I will have a finite amount on hand.
The key difference is it’s only one batch per season so when they’re gone, that’s it until the next season. My goal is to select quality fabric that is here to stay.
There are of course, no guarantees but I hope to bring these back time and time again.
My first Winter Collection is all about tartans!
Hunter brown and Blackwatch oilskin constructed with waxed canvas and new leather colors from the same Full grain, Italian veg-tan family: Whiskey and Black.
Coming soon!
Newsletter subscribers are first in line to these updates.
Sign up here to be notified when they go live.
Check out the interview I did with Pom Pom Magazine!
Thank you so much to everyone at Pom Pom for this article 🙂
For the past 2 years, I’ve been playing around with some new materials and equipment. Today I’m taking you behind the scenes throughout this journey as I share some projects I worked on.
I’ve been a long-time admirer of waxed canvas fabric. Waxed canvas is strong, durable, and waterproof and I love how it looks paired with leather.
My first project is the Fremont tote. I purchased a kit from Klum house since this was going to be my first time working with leather and waxed canvas, I thought having materials pre-cut and pre-punched would be a great place to start.
I ended up getting another strap of 1″ leather so that I could try preparing the leather myself.
I wanted the longer strap to be adjustable so I modified the pattern by adding a button stud and spacing 3 holes about 1/2″ apart.
I wanted to try sewing with waxed canvas using my machine – the Janome HD-3000. The fabric is fairly light weight, about 6-7oz so sewing it with this machine was doable. But, as I discovered more options for waxed canvas I realized it would be best to invest in an industrial machine if I wanted to sew with heavier options.
After months of research, I finally found a reasonably priced industrial machine. In March 2021, I brought home a new-to-me Juki DNU-1541. This is a powerful beast that can handle sewing thick layers of fabric very fast! It definitely has a learning curve and it took some time for us to get acquainted.
Add a couple more months to figure out the correct thread I should be using with waxed canvas (and leather) and sourcing it. Once I had everything in, I had the perfect project in mind:
My husband has been asking me for a murse (man purse) and the Sandhill sling by Noodlehead came to mind.
I used a heavier weight black waxed canvas for his bag (about 10oz) and modified the pattern to have an adjustable leather strap instead of webbing. I picked gunmetal for all the hardware.
Sewing with curves was a challenge for sure but like anything, practice makes perfect! I attached the leather strap with rivets and made it adjustable by using a wide mouth strap slider.
We discovered a brilliant hack by accident while hiking in California. He was able to carry his water bottle hands free by attaching the strap to the lid thanks to the swivel hook and d-ring on the bag.
I had so much fun putting these bags together and knew I wanted to be able to offer new products in the shop with these materials. I started doing more research about leather and came across a well known tannery from Italy that produces premium, full grain, vegetable tanned leather.
This leather is their top grade and has a nice balance between supple and firm. Vegetable tanned leather will age with you and develop a beautiful patina adding uniqueness to the finished piece as you use it, telling a story of who you are as time goes on.
I brought in a hide so I could learn how to cut and prepare the straps myself. Once I got the hang of it, it was time for another project!
This is the Factotum by Merchant and Mills. It’s a small but mighty cross body bag. It has 2 pockets in the front and a zippered closure that can hold my essentials with plenty of room for more.
Once I figured out my leather + canvas combo, it was play time in the studio!
I made these bags to be used for our trip to California back in December 2021.
In addition to my cross-body bag, I wanted to make a reversible tote/backpack for traveling. I also wanted to try sewing with leather using my new-to-me Juki, and this is what I came up with.
The leather pocket was easy to sew. The size is perfect for what I need to carry during an outing: A water bottle, a small project bag, lots of snacks, wipes, hand sanitizer, scarf, toiletry bag, etc.
I’m proud of it even though it didn’t quite turn out how I wanted it to in my head. I wasn’t exactly able to carry it as a tote bag and the straps need padding for support. A work-in-progress design that I can’t wait to re-visit as time permits.
If you made it this far thanks so much for reading! Which bag is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below.
My Terrazzo sweater is finished just in time for the fall season.
This is a worsted weight top down knit sweater designed by Petite Knit.
The yarn I used is mYak in Baby Yak Medium.
mYak is an ethically sourced fiber born in Tibet and crafted in Italy.
Baby Yak is a worsted-spun yarn that is lightweight and feels luxurious knit up.
I love the naturally dyed heathered tones they offer – in particular, mustard, which is the colorway I chose for my sweater.
The sweater is designed to include approximately 5.5″ positive ease. I knit mine in XS and had plenty of yarn left over to make a matching hat. I’m still not very good at gauging how much yardage I actually need for my size. I don’t mind having the extra skein though – I’d rather that than have anxiety playing yarn chicken!
Here it is!
The turtleneck, hem and cuffs are knit in twisted rib.
The pattern called for a particular bind off that I’m not familiar with and was too impatient to learn.
Can’t remember if I went with just a regular bind off or JSSBO but either way, very happy with the results!
My favorite design element has to be the shoulder shaping!
Here’s a close up:
There are no words to express my gratitude for your continued support over the last 5 years. I’m excited to offer a loyalty program to show my appreciation.
Create an account on our website to get started.
You must be logged in before making a purchase to collect points.
Points for existing customers have been allocated retroactively. This means anyone who made a purchase – from our first launch through October 12, 2022 – will find the corresponding points balance reflected on their account. Be sure to sign in with the same email used at checkout and start redeeming points today!
It’s my anniversary!
I launched Pearadise Island 5 years ago- when my youngest, Aaron started school. Time flies when you’re having fun! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your continued support 🙏
I came across this fabric appropriately titled ‘Birthday’ and knew I had to make bags for the occasion. 3 paint stroke canvases in Cotton Candy, Water, and Black Metallic are available now!
NEW IN: BASKETS
A beautifully structured basket to store a variety of items. Yarn of course, but also great for diapers, stationary and more!
This is a modified Divided basket pattern by Noodlehead. It features two small pockets in the front, premium vegetable-tanned leather from Italy that will produce a gorgeous patina, and rivets.
