[ sew much to see ]

MY BRAIN IS spinning with ideas after attending the Knitting and Stitching Show today in Dublin. Held at the RDS, it's a huge venue filled with all things textiles and fibres. Whether you are a knitter, sewer, beader, weaver, felter or textile artist, it's a feast for the eyes! With vendors, an artist gallery, demonstrations and guilds to join, it's got everything you need to complete your hobby.

The best part about the show is that even if you don't have a hobby, I guarantee you will by the time you leave! So inspiring... what should I make first?

lisa

[ anxiously awaiting ]

AMY BUTLER has a new fabric series in the works and I can't wait to get my hands on it! Called Soul Blossoms, it's inspired by her extensive travel in India where she was surrounded by the amazing culture, rich colours, architecture and textiles. There's just something about her fabrics that are so uplifting.

Speaking of uplifting, I'd also like to thank all of you who took the time to leave me such lovely comments on my living room - your kind words had me smiling and feeling great all day!

lisa

[ upcycled from drab to fab ]

IT'S BEEN a little while since I made handbags from suit jackets for my shop so I thought I'd better get out there and source out some more jackets. I've managed to find some great ones in various wool and summer-weight fabrics and it's so satisfying to breathe new life into an unloved suit jacket. And what might be geeky as a jacket is truly fab upcycled into a handbag and I'm thrilled with how these two have turned out so far.

lisa

[ ruffles! ]

IT SEEMS THAT one of this season's biggest detail trend is ruffles. From home decor to fashion, ruffles seem to be making an appearance everywhere.

These pretty examples are from Country Living and while I've been leaning towards a little less girly approach to my home (just out of consideration for my husband!), I find that I'm drawn to the prettiness of them. Maybe a few ruffles in one room?

Ruffles are everywhere in fashion this season too. There were some gorgeous gowns at the Oscars this year and here's what fashion designers have been showing on the runways.

With all of these pretty ruffle details everywhere, I thought I'd infuse some of this feminine detail onto one of my classic purse styles called Grace. I'm quite fond of how it turned out and am thinking of adding a few more ruffles to bags in some spring shades.

lisa

[ i'm in heaven ]

IT WAS A gorgeous sunny day today so I thought I'd head into Dublin and see if I could source out any new fabric shops (up until now, I hadn't had much luck other than The Woolen Mill or Hickeys). And as I was walking through the winding little streets, I came upon Murphy Sheehy & Co., a rather tiny shop (but then I have found that some of the best places are in tiny jewel boxes). Well I think I may have died and gone to heaven. This little shop, family owned since 1940 was overflowing with such a great selection of drapery and interior fabrics as well as Irish wool and linen. There were bolts everywhere but that's what made it fun - digging through them to see what goodies I could find. I'm thrilled with the little bits of damask and wool tweed I brought home and can't wait to get sewing!

lisa

[ seeing spots ]

WITH POLKA DOTS being such a popular trend for the upcoming season, I thought I'd create some new clutches that follow along with the trend. I love mixing patterns and these are just so cheerful. Clutches are such a popular style of bag and I think these would be so versatile - great to add some fun pattern to a pair of jeans or to finish off an outfit for any party, prom, wedding or summer picnic!

lisa

[ in the buff ]

BOTH STELLAR magazine and Vogue are showing a big trend for spring which was also seen at New York Fashion Week for fall/winter 2010. nude. I don't mean naked, nude as a color.

Inspired by these soft skin tones and all the pretty, feminine details, I've decided to design a bag that echoes those trends. I decided to combine the soft buff tone of cotton twill with the feminine touch of crocheted lace, trimmed in velvet ribbon. Not only does this bag have a pretty, feminine feel, the cotton lace lends itself to a vintage-inspired look that would pair well with all the soft boho florals also on-trend for spring.

lisa

[ handbag inspiration ]

I'M ALWAYS anxious for spring to arrive and love browsing through magazines to see what the new trends are. I've decided to add a new handbag style to my range of bags and in the March issue of Stellar, an Irish lifestyle and fashion magazine, they've picked out a few trends to look out for. Dots and bright, fruity colours are big for spring and so I thought I'd incorporate those into the first of a new bag style which i'm naming Gisele after a lovely friend of mine.

I've chosen a juicy watermelon shade of ultrasuede (faux suede) and added a cheerful lime green polka-dot cotton for the lining just to make you smile everytime you look inside.

lisa