Friday 15 February 2013

Accessories after the fact

The good thing about working for yourself is that not only do you get to set the agenda (well, most of the time), but that also you can choose your own footwear and wear a voluminous cardi to work (several cardis in my case, and when I am working at home probably a coat, scarf and mittens).

Accountancy was always out for me because of the whole suit thing (although I do rather like dealing with figures) and anything so executive that it involves power heels, painted nails and well-groomed hair. (I would fall off the heels, and am sadly slack on the whole grooming front [dogs and all are rather unkempt round here].)

And I do remember commuting to London for a week and being totally depressed by the ocean wave of black coats, black bags and black briefcases spilling off the train and into the Big Smoke.

Very businesslike
 So when it comes to executive accessories I am afraid that I sadly undermine my executive credibility by carting them around all wrapped safely in flowery cosies - the padding is essential for the inevitable outbreaks of butter fingers and associated muscle spasms which see me dropping breakables on the floor at regular intervals, or even just missing the table when I put things down, the cause of many a mug fatality in our house. (Not to mention my endearing habit of missing my mouth with the glass of water, the source of much amusement to the Head Chef [which is why it is good to wear more than one cardi at a time as you can just remove the damp one without further ado or kerfuffle].)

Cosy cover

So I have had a bit of fun this week making a very comfy cosy cover for an iPad, using the Tablet Sleeve pattern from Michelle Patterns. This also provided the opportunity to use up some of the leftover quilt wadding mountain which is building up at one end of my office - it is growing apace, but the problem is that the leftover pieces are never big enough to use for another quilt, not even a baby one. The answer is definitely to step up production of comfy cosy covers for iPads, iPhones and assorted executive accessories.

Executive

The pattern comes in two sizes, so you can make your iPad case big enough to accommodate those lids and covers with the little triangular prop-up bit if you want (I rather like these ones from Lente Designs, particularly as they come in all sorts of colours other than black, and are less than half the price of the very smart covers that come from a certain fruity store). So it is quite safe to make pretty cases for friends with boring black Smart Covers - they will not have to eschew their Smart Cover in order to make their Tablets cosy (I am afraid that the word 'Tablet' still evokes a vision of large white elephant pills in my mind, and is not one which is at the tip of my tongue when discussing technology. Alas, I am surely A Digital Immigrant, as I hear so often on the wireless ...)

Tabby

You might notice that I have a bit of a ribbon tab fetish at the moment - I seem to be putting them on everything I make. Why on earth would you want to attach anything to a phone case? (I am pondering on the significance of these tabs, and seem to be returning to Baudrillard and redundancy.)


An Apple pincushion from Amy

The phone case was a pattern of my own making - it took me three goes to get it to fit the phone in question, in the course of which I found that I had made Princess Bunchy an iPod cover and a Blackberry-a-like case, neither of which she uses, because gadgets belonging to teenagers don't stay out of their hands long enough to be put in a comfy cosy case. Next time I will use Michelle's phone case pattern - I think it is worth paying $2 to save the useless prototypes and cursing and swearing as I try to wedge a phone into a case a millimetre too small all the way round.

Thrifty
And to impress you with my domestic economy, all my very executive accessories were made with leftovers - the iPad case is leftover quilt backing (an American Jane fabric, I think), and the notebooks and phone cover were various orts and scraps - oh, so very thrifty indeed.

I am now thinking of making my own comfy cosy case to snuggle in when I sit at my computer in my office - the question is, where should I put the velcro?







24 comments:

Isisjem said...

Great fabric choices!

Katy Cameron said...

Upon starting the new job the other day I was presented with a laptop. My manager asked whether or not I'd been given a laptop bag, because if not I should just go and buy myself one and claim it back on expenses. I wondered aloud if I could expense myself for making one. 'Make one?!' said he, incredulously, 'Of course you can't make one, it's a laptop bag.' Which was when I let him in on the little secret of my double life ;o) Obviously he hadn't read that line on the CV...

Indigo Blue said...

Lovely fabric! I was lucky to be given a Kindle for my birthday and Christmas and it is crying out for a handmade cover.
Have a good weekend.
xx

Elizabethd said...

Very pretty. When I first bought a kindle I decided not to pay outrageous prices for a cove and made a patchwork one.
So important to keep the little dears warm and cosy!

Little Blue Mouse said...

Well there you go, I hadn't even heard of Digital Immigrant but after Googling it, it seems I am one!

Mrs. Micawber said...

Why DO so many Londoners black? Last time I was there I felt positively garish in my leaf-green jacket and lilac scarf. (Cheerful, but decidedly out of place.)

Beautiful cases all. The ribbon tabs add a look of polish and efficiency - if you ever wish to dangle a phone case from, say, a bag or backpack, just slip a carabiner through the tab and dangle away.

P.S. Nice work on the parentheses. :)

P.P.S. I think you need one of these:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/do-it-yourself/snug-sack-zmaz80jfzraw.aspx#axzz2L1NLSmRw

Thistle Cove Farm said...

those are so cute! I think city people wear black because it doesn't show dirt as much.

gilly said...

These are all truly fab , and soooo much nicer than the dreary, expensive run-of-the-mill shop bought ones. Thanks for the inspiration - I definitely think my kindle needs a new cover now ;-)
Happy weekend,
Xx

Sue said...

What a lovely selection of fabrics, lovely to see a bit of colour.

Yes, the 'black army' is a pretty depressing sight. I guess they save time at the weekends by being able to bung everything in one wash load :-)

Sue xx

Karen L R said...

Love all of your fine craftiness!

Folks who live in New York City are also very fond of wearing and carrying black. When they come out to the country for a weekend, we all recognize them in a flash.

Pomona, did you know that if you butt two straight edges of quilt batting/wadding up next to one another and join them with a zigzag stitch you can create larger pieces? I have made many a quilted item using pieced batting/wadding. Very thrifty indeed.

Have a wonderful weekend!

andrea creates said...

these are so cute! love the ribbon details :)
i'm totally with you on the
wearing of sweaters and no heels :)
have a super weekend~

Canadian Abroad said...

I'm with Karen. I do the zigzag thing. In fact it works so well and I have used up my wadding so much that I had to piece together scraps just to get enough for a cushion the other day. Love all your makes and you have been super productive. Hope your wounds are healing though.

Unknown said...

Love the fabrics you used for your lovely 'makes'. Such a small world! Look forward to meeting you in person when you are next down this way. Let me know when and I can let you know what day I am there. Thanks for popping by!! Karen :))

Sweet Posy Dreams said...

What wonderful,cheerful fabrics!

Frances said...

Pomona, New York City is another busy place where black clothes dominate. I admit to having my daily work outfits based on basic black, but so love adding on color layers! "Off duty," I wear lots of colors, too.

Black just makes for a an easy base.

Your colorful cushioned accessories look wonderful. You are reminding me of how long it's been since I've threaded the needle on my little Janome sewing machine. Rich now, every extra minute gets devoted to fair isle knitting.

Do you ever feel as if you might put an eighth day of a week to good use?

(Confession, no i-anythings hereabouts just yet. I'm sure this will evolve some day.)

xo

Nicky said...

I have to counter your M. Baudrillard with William Morris "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

Sounds like you want a onesie!? And the velcro goes up the tummy I think!

Quinn said...

Those fabric patterns and colors are just my cup of tea. Lovely work!

Gillian Roe said...

I like the way you've made these necessary and useful objects unique by creating these pouches. So individual, and such a jolly selection of scraps and off cuts you have in your collection.

Gillian x

Annie Cholewa said...

Don't get me started on jobs that require suits (mind you the Mr. has one but at least it's out here in the sticks) ... I once worked for a company that required me to power dress. Never. Again. Shoulder pads still make me shudder ;)

Nice covers :)

Becks said...

Love the fabrics you used. Quite like idea of a person cozy, only I would need a couple of handy flaps for elastibaby ;) love your patchwork on the other post too, very envious of other people's sewing skills.....

xxx

Carol said...

I used to wear a suit for work, not always black though. One of the first things I did when I retired was send the majority off to the charity shop.
Fabulous choice of fabric. I made a cover for my Ipad and I just love it. http://smileattheflowers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/just-couple-of-old-boots.html.
No, you certainly don't need boring accessories!
Carol xx

Old Magnolia Tree said...

I love these cases. The co.ours are so colourful. They would cheer up and dull day. After seeing your post on notebook covers, I too went over to Michelle Patterns. Thanks for the link , her patterns are great. Sadly my notebooks didn't look as perfect as yours!!
Rosie

Arianwen said...

That is such a cute little case, I love the fabrics and they are completely made by the ribbon tabs.

Lisa said...

I love the fabric.. it looks great...

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