Taxi, Taxi!

It took me two weeks to design this bag pattern, adapted from my original bowling bag design from 2010. I kept the shape of the top part, but widened it at a slight angle toward the bottom. And instead of two short bag handles I opted for an adjustable crossbody strap. I've been asked several times whether I sell my bag patterns - currently not. Mine are messy and full of scribbles only I can identify!

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Zwei Wochen habe ich an diesem neuen Taschenschnitt gearbeitet. Er basiert auf mein Bowling Bag Entwurf von 2010, jedoch habe ich die Form zum Boden hin breiter gemacht und statt zwei Henkel habe ich mich für einen langen verstellbaren Gurt entschieden. Immer wieder werde ich gefragt, ob ich meine Schnittmuster verkaufe - momentan nicht. Die sind nämlich chaotisch und meine Kritzelei kann keiner lesen außer ich!

I always add a mobile phone pocket and a zip pocket on the inside of my handbags. For this one I added an exterior zip pocket to the back of the bag (great for keeping receipts) and a flap pocket on the front of the bag (closes with a magnetic snap button).

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Meine Handtaschen haben innen jeweils eine Reißverschlusstasche sowie eine Handytasche. Diese hier hat zusätzlich hinten eine Reißverschlusstasche (praktisch für Kassenbons) und vorne ein Fach mit Klappe welches mit Magnetknopf zu schließen ist.

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This NYC yellow cab fabric is new in my fabric shoppe. I like that it's small scale - the cars are about 2 inches long and have fun signs on top. This fabric is directional, like a stripe made up of cars :)

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Dieser NYC gelber Taxistoff is neu im Lädchen. Ich mag, dass die Taxis nicht zu groß sind - ca. 5 cm lang mit witzigen Reklameschildern obenauf. Die Autos liegen quer zur Webkante in einer Richtung wie ein Streifen :)

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There were many steps involved to complete this bag (four days). I never know till the end how new designs turn out, but I'm pleased with this one - it has a kind of retro feel to it :) The only thing different to sewing my other bags was that I constructed the main body with my serger. 

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Vom Schneiden bis zur Fertigung waren es unzählige Schritte (vier Tage hat's gedauert). Ich bin mit dem Ergebnis zufrieden, wobei ich beim nächsten Mal (wenn überhaupt!) den einen oder anderen Schritt vereinfachen werde. Ich finde die Tasche hat ein bisschen Retrofeeling oder?

Concluding this post I'd like to extend a HUGE THANKS to everyone who commented on my previous post helping me with the daunting task of ordering new fabrics! If I get in my order quickly I might receive them early next month. Fingers crossed :)

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Abschließend möchte ich mich GANZ HERZLICH für Eure hilfreichen Kommentare zum letzten Post bedanken! Und wie die liebe Ute schon sagt, sollte man (frau) seinem Bauchgefühl vertrauen :). Trotzdem, ohne Euch wäre mir diese Aufgabe noch schwerer gefallen. Mit viel Glück bekomme ich die Stoffe schon nächsten Monat. *Daumen drück*

p.s. it was more or less a tie, so I chose the most vibrant ones from each colourway!!!
p.s. es war mehr oder weniger unentschieden, also habe ich mich für jeweils drei ausdrucksstarke Stoffe pro Farbe entschieden!!!

Dunibagz Clearance Sale continued...

Hi everyone!

as mentioned in my previous post I'm closing my Dunibagz shop and the sale is still on. All of the items are designed and handmade by me with dedication and attention to detail. These are all one-of-a-kind; made from designer fabrics in 100% cotton and are normally priced at approx. USD 22,- to 24,-. International shipping for all items is USD 6,-. Please contact me at dunibagz (at) freenet (dot) de if you wish to purchase any of the remaining items:

SALE PRICE USD 12.00

 SALE PRICE USD 8.50

SALE PRICE USD 11.00

 

 SALE PRICE USD 12.00

 SALE PRICE USD 8.50

SOLD

SALE PRICE USD 11.00

The fuchsia cosmetic pouch from the previous post is also still available!

New directions and new doctor!

I have been dawdling the last couple of days...not doing much of anything, really. This is so unlike me!
I am taking an unusually long time to recover and I've already prepared a whole list of questions for my doctor when I have my check up early next week. I changed my doctor, btw. I was getting increasingly annoyed by my old doctor's attitude. I have been very patient so far, but there comes a point where certain things just can't be tolerated anymore! The new doctor is a young(ish) woman and I hope we will get along!

Meanwhile I've been thinking.
I was browsing through my old sketchbooks and came upon some ideas I had for lounge wear/home wear/pyjamas. I got excited all over again and so I sat down and developed the pattern - for pyjama bottoms first, because they're the easiest. Here's a sneak peek at the pair I made with some pretty fabric I had in my stash. There is an endless variety of embellishments that could be added. I settled on a ribbon at the waist and a bit of lace trim at the bottom.

I'm still developing the pattern for the homewear top. I want it to be loose-fitting yet feminine and flirty. I will post the ensemble here on my blog once it is finished. That may take some time though...

Thank you for stopping by and wishing everyone a relaxing weekend!

Cupcakes anyone?

When I purchased this adorable cupcake fabric I knew I was going to be making an apron with it, but I hadn't quite decided which style. This vibrant print is quite busy, so I wanted to counterbalance that with a simple shape. I made a few sketches, did the math, then drafted the pattern. What I really like about this pattern is that it can be altered easily - longer, shorter, ruffled at the bottom, pockets - depending on the design and scale of the print.
I made the waist and neck ties from a cute polka-dotted fabric in raspberry that picks up the deep pink on the main fabric. It is fully lined in cream because I felt it was a bit sheer. The apron feels more substantial now.

Weatherwise we are experiencing cool and rainy days and this, unfortunately, is reflected in the quality of my photos, so please excuse the grey-ish tinge. At least when I'm wearing this I'll brighten up the kitchen with a bit of colour!    

Slimline Eye glass Case

I always follow up big projects with smaller ones - partly to avoid overstraining my eyes (being myopic and all) - and also because it's satisfying to see something completed in a relatively short time!
These slimline eye glass cases are made with mix-and-match designer fabrics and have an easy button flap closure. They are lightly padded and measure about 20 x 9 cm. These are suitable for regular eye or sunglasses, not the oversized ones. I will be listing them in my giftshop soon. They retail at Euro 10,-

Website update 2

Thank you for your helpful comments regarding my new website! I have already heeded and applied some of your advice. Unfortunately, I cannot change the sizing of the template - it seems to be 'fixed' - and I'm aware that the main panel looks a bit narrow on a wide screen computer. Also, it is absolutely not mandatory for you to rate/review my products...but is much appreciated by anyone who does make that extra bit of effort!
Anyway, as I mentioned, it's an ongoing process and I still have a bit of tweaking to do here and there. Bear with me! Eventually I hope to be actually selling my products from this site in the near future and maybe take it to the next level...and I already know who to approach then ;-)

until next time,

Welcome to the World of Dunibagz ♥

Hi everybody!

before I introduce you to my new website, I'd like express my admiration to all professional people who build websites/online shopping sites for a living. Wow, once is absolutely enough for me! And a word of advice to any non-professionals (like me) contemplating building one: plan months and months ahead! It is an ongoing process!
When I started out in January of this year I naively thought I could fix one up in a jiffy, much like a blog really. Well, I know better now. I probably should have started working on a product line before setting up a site, instead of the other way around.

Anyway, on to the important news...

I would very much appreciate if you could spare some time to take a look at my new site! Feel free to comment/advise/critique or give me a couple of pointers. I'm still learning, after all. As mentioned in my previous post, there is the option of rating and reviewing the products (note: some products sold already), but you will need to log in to do this. I know it's a pain, and believe me I fiddled around with that quite a bit, but the shop section won't allow that to be removed. Oh well.

So, I have a special prize for one lucky person who makes the effort to actually log in* to the shop section and rates/reviews any of my products! The prize will be a beautiful, handmade clutch similar to this one, and will be revealed on my Facebook Fan Page. One review = one entry. Chances are good, since I doubt a lot of people will make that extra bit of effort...Winner to be handpicked by me this Saturday, 4th September.

Thanks!!!

* your log in details will be removed once this special giveaway is over

Modern Hippie

I came up with a two-in-one design for this large carry-all featuring the funky Vintage 70s fabric I mentioned here. In the above photo the bag is shown in its hand-held version - the band around the top part can be pulled out and upward to from two short handles, resulting in a drawstring-like tote. I probably should have pulled out some more to demonstrate, but I only had time for a few quick snap-shots before the next onslaught of rain!

This bag is one of the largest I've ever made. I used up most of the Vintage fabric for the lower part and combined it with a honey beige cotton twill. It is fully lined with three deep pockets on the inside and closes with a large magnetic snap button.It has a very wide bottom which is not visible in the photos.
Attach the shoulder strap to the brass D-rings and it becomes a spacious carry-all - perfect for a weekend away, beach days or yoga class. This bag is fun and functional and will surely stand out wherever you go!

Lately the mornings here are quite nippy, and it barely warms up during the day. I guess it's goodbye summer, hello autumn. Maybe it's a little early, but I'm already thinking hot chocolate, cinnamon rolls, fleece blankets and wooly scarves. And of course I'm thinking about sewing stuff for Oktoberfest and Christmas - all manner of holiday-themed fabrics are available in the stores already!
But right this moment I'm enjoying looking at my newest bag creation...I just LOVE this Vintage fabric, it's so cheery! It's so special I'm not sure if I want to put this one up for sale. I'll think about it while I'm hanging on to the last trace of summer...

Sale in my Gift Shop!!!

Just wanted to let everyone know there's a sale on select items going on in my gift shop! Just click on the 'sale' category and the items with marked down prices will be listed!

*Bloggers - for those of you who haven't seen the new spam detection I mentioned in the previous post, you can read about it here.

Antique style evening purse

This chic upcycled leather evening purse is all glitz and glamour!

I've had this antique style kisslock frame forever, but couldn't decide what type of bag to attach it to - until I cleaned out my closet and re-discovered the long, black 30s style gown that had been hanging there for ages and that I have only worn once. Inspiration struck!
I drew a couple of sketches, settled on an old-fashioned round shape and drafted the pattern. The purse is made from genuine leather cut from a skirt sample. It's small, but the rounded shape helps to 'expand' the interior - enough to fit lipstick, powder, mobile phone and some cash easily. The front is adorned with a glittery butterfly and it has a short detachable chain.
Hmm...with a formal dinner coming up in two months I think I just might slip on that black dress and accessorize it with this purse...

Puffy Purses

I finished the Russian Roulette (top) and Midnight Stroll (bottom) puffy purses last weekend. These versatile frame purses go well from day to evening and their 'puffy' shape are the perfect size to fit all your essentials. They are made with a slimline silver frame and the fabrics are padded for extra puffiness!

Unfortunately I will need to leave off sewing (and typing) for a while since the carpal tunnel syndrome in my right hand is back in force since yesterday :(

Lovely Lavender

I hauled out my fabric scraps box the other day and played around with the various patterns and colours.  I finally settled on combining large and small patterns in a two-colour scheme, i.e. brown-pink, green-pink etc. The scraps were quite small - just enough to make  4 x 4 inch dried lavender- filled cushions. Stacked up in fluffy piles of three they are a fabulous decoration for your bed or bathroom! Used individually they can be placed in your drawers adding a bit of  'old fashioned' scent. These cushion stacks make great gifts too!

Reminder: you still have a chance to enter my bag giveaway!!!

GIVEAWAY - Win a Handmade Bag!!!

Hi everybody!

Here's your chance to win a OOAK messenger bag designed and entirely handmade by me! This giveaway is open to everyone across the globe and ends on Friday 9th July. The winner will be announced the next day!

  sunglasses for demonstration purpose only

The bag is made from high-quality, pre-washed medium-weight and interfaced cottons. The main fabric has an all-over print of yummy strawberries, cherries and tiny flowers on a black polka dot background. It is fully lined and has multiple pockets inside. There are two pen-holders on one side panel, which doubles as a sunglass holder too. The shoulder strap is adjustable - wear it traditionally on the shoulder or across the body if you prefer! This messenger is a compact size, yet spacious enough to carry all your essentials - perfect as an everyday bag!

Nice, compact size - great for the office too...and inside shocking pink. Pink rocks!

Here's what you need to do to enter - it's easy:

1. Leave a comment on this post = 1 ENTRY

2. Join my facebook fan page = 3 ENTRIES
    click on the 'like' button on the facebook widget to the right
    or (if you can't 'see' it, try in Mozilla Firefox) My facebook page is Duni Buesken Handmade

Note: those of you who are already on my facebook page will automatically be entered 3 x.

That's it. I told you it was easy. GOOD LUCK TO EVERYBODY!

Cosmetic bag/Sponge bag in brown-pink

I have not made this shape of bag in a long while - until I found this gorgeous ornament print in brown-pink. This fabric reflects my new website colours perfectly. This sponge bag is perfect for traveling. The tall shape and slightly narrower bottom will keep your bottles and tubes all lined up in a nice row without tumbling over. It is fully lined with a coordinating pink mini-polka dotted fabric and interfaced for stability. The icing on the cake is the button from my personal Vintage collection. I love this button and I'm so happy it matches the main fabric perfectly.
If you look closely, what animal is hiding at the bottom?

New zipper pouch and feature

Last year I mentioned that my blue strawberry zipper pouch was one of my bestselling items in that category. Well, it still is. Since then I have had requests from friends and students for this particular pouch. But now I have run out of fabric and my supplier doesn't know when/if he will get another bolt in or not!

Meanwhile I have found another fabric that is just as cute. It's got little red strawberries and tiny pink flowers on a white background. I hope people will like this one just as much.

Lastly, my cupcake pencil case is a featured item in Forever Denim on Dawanda. It's the one on the bottom far left.

wishing everyone a great week!

Choices, choices...

pre-washed, ironed and ready to cut

There are so many fabrics (wovens, knits, quilting, decorator etc) out there it's sometimes hard to determine what type of fabric to choose for a sewing project. Not to mention all the colours and prints available these days. No wonder sourcing fabric takes up a big chunk of my time!
Believe me, the fabric one chooses to construct a bag, a garment or anything else for that matter, can absolutely determine whether it's a success or a failure. As a general rule I use light-weight (about 160 gr) quilting fabrics for my cosmetic pouches and sleep masks. They come in endless prints and plenty of colours from muted to vibrant. By interfacing them they have just the right thickness and stability to keep their shape without becoming too stiff or bulky. A thicker fabric would make sewing in the zipper awkward.
On the other hand, decorator weight or even upholstery-weight (about 240 - 380gr) fabrics work well with my purses and shoulder-bags. Since these bags are meant for heavy-duty use it's important that the fabric is a tight weave. Under no circumstances should it have 'stretch' , often found in denim fabrics - great for a pair of jeans, awful for bags! Almost all the fabrics I use are 100% cotton. I pre-wash them to get rid of the excess dye and any remaining industrial odour, as well as accounting for the loathsome 'shrinkage'. They are also easier to sew afterwards.
The pink and lilac polka dot fabric you see up there in my stash is a wonderful thick cotton with about 25% linen blended in. I am going to make cute shopping totes with these. Stay tuned :)

Featured in cherry blossoms trends & themes

One of my cosmetic bags (bottom row, 2nd from left) is included in this month's trends & themes on Dawanda. The theme is all about cherries and cherry blossoms and I think it is one of the nicest they have done so far. Dawanda is available in three languages - German, English and French - and this is actually the very first time one of my products is featured in the German version. Funny, since I'm registered here. Anyhow, it's always fun to see my products featured and it sure keeps me motivated!

have a great day,

Hello Sunshine :)

Hello everybody!

Yesterday was the first sunny day of the year, so no wonder the whole town was out and about! You cannot imagine how good it felt to have a little warmth touch my face. Naturally, the cafés were packed.

Above is our little market place (picture taken from official website) and what it looks like in summer. And left is my favourite café where I meet friends and clients alike. Usually, in summer, they set up tables outside which is great for people watching :)
Well, the Easter holiday is over and it's back to work for me. I have a busy week ahead and I'm very much looking forward to Saturday, when we'll be going to see the musical Wicked which made its debut here a few weeks ago!

In other news, Dawanda is having a special promotion now through Sunday 11th: 12% off everything in the participating categories. That means 12% off EVERYTHING in my shop too, but only on the chosen day. This will be indicated on the left upper corner on each item. Although I wasn't informed exactly which day this week bags will be on sale, but I have a feeling it might be tomorrow!

Have a beautiful day!

Zipper pouches are fun

 
In between doing 'real' work, sewing bags for my website and spring cleaning (urrgh) I rather enjoy making little zipper pouches. It's like recreation for me! Not only are they fun to make, they're versatile too: for make up, hair accessories, odds and ends - or in my case I frequently use them as a mini-purse (cash, mobile phone, keys) when zipping round to the corner shop to buy fresh rolls for breakfast. This one's made up of two different prints. Both are small-scale and muted so they work well together. I made a yoyo from some left-over scraps and sewed it on with a 'variegated' button.

Colour therapy

The week started off with temperatures of -6°C (approx. 21°F), then we had two days of light snow followed by heavy rain and gales. Doesn't sound much like spring to me. So here's a blast of colour for all those in need of 'colour therapy' like me...

Frame purse with detachable flower brooch

New sleep masks in fresh prints

p.s. the answer to my last post: the house in its new pink reincarnation -- it was a slushy grey before!