Florine

Let’s take a break…

13 February 2019

My dearest readers, I’ve got some sad and amazing news at the same time to bring to you. At the beginning of this year, I already introduced that I am starting my graduation year from my Masters. I don’t practice leathercraft as a day- or a part-time job but solely as a hobby. So whenever I’ve got some time or am looking for a distraction away from my computer, I love to create some new bags or other small leather products. But soon everything will change…and I had to make a decision.

Boston Again!

If you’ve followed my blog for a year now (or longer), you might know I’ve been to Boston for three months for one of my internships. Well, I am going back!! I’ve gotten the opportunity to do more research in the same department and use this for my graduation project here in the Netherlands. But this time it will be for half a year. Last time, I could prepare several posts, gain new knowledge and practice some leathercraft at the States. Though this was only 10 weeks. The time to prepare these posts would have taken too much time at this moment in combination with all the preparations and therefore I have to give you all some sad news as well.

Let’s take a break

Even though I would love to continue with the posts every week I’ve decided to take a break. If I do something, I want to give it my 100% attention, 100% love and 100% creativity. While I’m in Boston I do have to focus on my project, building a temporary new life, make new friends. Besides, I don’t want to deliver some mediocre posts, and projects on Florine Leather and Style. I want you to look forward to these posts, to get enthusiastic to start leathercraft and to gain new inspiration as I do from other blogs!

Difficult decisions to make…

I hope you all understand my decision. It took me some time, to finally come to this decision since I notice more and more people are finding my little blog online and that is just so rewarding. To see fellow leather and craft lovers gathering, learning new techniques as I do or even start as a complete newbie. When I’m back and have new content to post I will return and hopefully so do you!

Thank you all for being loyal readers even if you’ve just found this blog. I wish you lot’s of love and all the best in your leathercraft adventure. I will definitely miss it but goodbye for now and until then!

LOVE Florine

Travel clutch – Part IV

5 February 2019

You might have forgotten about this bag… It took me quite some time to finally finish this one. Not because it was a lot of work but since I got a little demotivated… I will tell you all about it, but before we continue with the making of, let’s see where we left off!

Where we left off…

In the previous post, this bag was almost done! I’ve learned all the tips and tricks from the brown travel clutch and I knew how to make it in the right order. All I had to do was stitch the fronts to the back-to-backs and attach the shoulder strap. Remember? Well… that’s not what happend.

Clean up your mess

I don’t want to complain or be negative… but every once in a while you screw something up. It is human to feel a little devastated, demotivated and just not in the mood to continue. You have to gain new inspiration, new motivation, new energy. Well especially when you are nearly finished… and you spilled leather dye all over your bag… Whenever it would be glue or a grease stain, I would know how to minimize the damage. But leather dye is supposed to color your leather. Even if you don’t want to. Well, what did I learn…? First of all, close all lits of your leather dye put it in a non-leak-able container, and clean even the drips that might have run along the bottles… Since a single drop of brown leather dye on a green bag will leave a permanent stain.

What’s next…

I was back to square one. I had to cut all the pieces that were stained again. Remove the lock, and place it on the new front of the bag and do most of the sewing again. Well, what did get me motivated… it’s something funny. I’ve been on a city trip with some of my friends to Dublin! Amazing city and surroundings if you’re in Europe and look for a pretty and fun city to go to!! And well, as you might know, everything in Ireland is green. A travel clutch for a city trip inspired by the deep green colors of Ireland…would have been the perfect combination! As you can imagine, right after this trip, I saw the bag and just started! I continued as long as it took to finally finish the bag.

Final result!

I absolutely am back in love with this bag. I am not sure which one is my favorite, the brown or the green travel clutch. The difference in structure gives the bag a completely different look and feel. Which one is your favorite?

Fashion Week Month – Fall/Winter 2019

29 January 2019

I still can’t imagine what a pressure it must be for all those fashion brands to come up with new collections every half year for Fashion Week. To gain new inspiration for winter and the fall while the summer and spring collections have just arrived in the stores. To create a wow-factor over and over again. Although for us, the public … isn’t it just amazing? It is time to get those front row tickets or to curl up on your couch with a healthy salad (since for us spring/summer season hasn’t even started yet) and literally let the latest trends come to you.

When and Where?

You are right in time for the fashion shows in all your favorite cities. As always first up New York, followed by Londen, Milan and the month finishes at Paris.

As always, click on the links above for the full schedule and be prepared for next week!! Click here for the latest bag trends seen on the Spring/Summer runways. Looking forward to all new bag styles, bag trends to spot and new bag inspiration to gain. What are you wishing for the next fall/winter bag trends?

Inspiration from the past – the 1930s

22 January 2019

Let’s go back in time again. After the previous post about the trends in the roaring twenties, we continue ten years later with our search for trends from the past. Even though some trends might seem familiar from the twenties, the thirties certainly have their own style and signature bags. Let’s begin with the 1930s!

What happend in the 1930s…

First I want to remind you a bit of what the thirties brought us in general. It will sketch a scene and might give us more insight into the bag trends of back then. From the roaring 20s into the early 30s, there was the largest stock market crash in America leading causing the Great Depression affecting not only America but the whole world. This ended at the end of the 1930s when the world war II began.

Besides these two major influences on the life of the people, there were also minor happenings causing changes in the world of fashion. For example the battle of the fly, a battle between the popularity of zippers over buttoned trouser flies. Ofcourse finally won by the zipper as you might see in the trousers your wearing at the moment… Not only did the zipper end up in the fly but it seemed to be a very functional way to close things off, so it was used in bags as well.

Shape and color

Just like in the roaring twenties the bag was mainly to carry a powder box or some gloves although it was more than in the previous decade. So they had to be a bit bigger. Often a single strap was used as a handle, although a finger strap, or no strap at all, like a clutch, was also popular. Soon a longer strap was used so the ladies didn’t have to carry the bag al the time in their hands.

It was the second half of the Art Deco period so still many influences of the distinctive pattern and style could be seen in the design and especially the shape of the bags. The extravagance was mainly seen in the night-time bags made of silk, velvet or beaded while the daytime bags were often made of leather.

Monogram

Just as we recognize a Louis Vuitton bag for its monogram all over the bags in the 1930s not only the monogram of the designer was used, also the monogram of the owner. Just as I like to do in my bags nowadays.

What could we use for inspiration nowadays?

I’ve seen several leather artisans use their logo in an inventive way on their leather. I’ve seen them embossing it or in 3D and I am looking forward to experimenting with those techniques as well! What would your inspiration from the past be from the 1930s?

Graduation gift – inspiration

15 January 2019

Even though I am just starting with my graduation research, I want to do some research for the fun! What could I make myself? What do you need when you’ve just graduated? And what would be a gift to use and remember for the rest of your working life?

For meeeee!

There are a few gifts that came to my mind when I set my New Years resolutions, to make a graduation gift for myself (or for others ofcourse). Selfish? Well, every once in a while you may treat yourself, don’t you think? And besides… it is not completely selfish since I will share with you all how the process will look like from start to end! Not selfish at all ;).

What a starter needs after graduation!

When you’ve just graduated, you haven’t received a big paycheck yet… So your clothes, your bag, your laptop origins somewhere from your time as a student. Though while doing your interviews for the job, they say ‘Dress for the job you want not for the job you have’ (since you don’t have one…). Well, this doesn’t end at your clothes. There are a few items that might make a good impression during your job interviews!

Leather watch straps

That watch you got for your birthday some years ago might still look good, but the straps start to be a bit smelly, old, and worn. Without the need for a new watch, you can make it look like new with a new strap. This is actually a perfect example that something does not have to be expensive to look good. Since watch straps are often quite small, you might find a small piece of good quality leather in the scrap pile of your local leather shop. Often they sell them for a good price!

Leather note pad

Alright, when you’ve chosen your clothes, and maybe even your watch strap you might want to continue the good impression. You’ve done your homework, prepared some questions but you’ve written it down on a wrinkly piece of paper… Not the impression you want to make. So what about a beautiful, classy, notepad. I’ve made one before but it might be time for version 2.0, the female version. It keeps your papers, cards, and notes organized and it shows your excellent taste for leather items as well.

Bag or briefcase

But the most perfect graduation gift would, of course, be a stylish, timeless new bag or briefcase, to take not only your note pad on a job interview but all your work-related belongings with you every day for the rest of your working life. I know, you ladies will need more than just one… So do I. They do have to match your outfits, your new coat, your shoes and whatsoever. So you better start with your collection of workbags/briefcases rather sooner than later.

Smaller leather graduation gifts

Lastly, there are a few smaller items you might think of for a graduation gift. A small leather business card holder, a lovely leather pencil case or a leather mouse pad for your new desk are of course smaller but also amazing gifts to make for yourself or for everyone close to you who graduates. To help remember the receiver of the special occation, a hot stamp or foil print of the date or some initials will make it extra special.

Which of these graduation gifts do you prefer? And what do I need the most according to you? Well, I’m looking forward to your responses!