Yoga Mat Bag 2.0

I've been taking Yoga classes - finally - since that was one of my New Year's Resolutions! I have found a great yoga studio - the Motion Center in Providence's Jewelry District - and an even better teacher, Rebecca Donnelly. I "graduated" from the Intro to Yoga class and I'm now taking Anusara Yoga. Now I wonder what took me so long to get started.

One of the things I really like about Rebecca's teaching style is that each week she gives us a little anecdote about her life and ties it into one of the principles of Anusara yoga - last week, our lesson was about humility. One of the ways I've been experimenting with humility is certainly through my yoga practice. Another is my experimentation with constructing a bag for my yoga mat and all of the necessary accessories....

Here's a few photos of our latest version. It's bigger than before, so I can toss in an eye pillow and a towel and any other odds and ends I need. The pockets are smaller, so my ID and tiny bits don't get lost in the bottom of the pockets. Plus, it has a key fob to keep control of the all-important car keys We like it more than our last version, but it's not the best it can be. We are already making improvements for version 3.0. Do you practice yoga? Tell us what you think of our bag....

Thanks to Catherine at Dreamland Crafts

She featured us on her blog in the pet products category:

http://madeforyoublog.blogspot.com/search/label/Pets%20Items

Go ahead, click and scroll down a little to see some of Ginger's favorite Catnip Activity Mats.

Ginger likes to stand guard over (er, lay on top of) the plastic totes that keep them clean and fur-free while they wait for their new homes. In exchange, she gets to be the model all over the internet. Alas, Ernst is immune to catnip.

Sharing the Etsy Love with SpunkByCM

Check out this fabulous bit of promotion from SpunkByCM.

http://spunkbycm.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-i-like-about-youwhat-you-like.html

I'm absolutely captivated by this gorgeous little widget! Go take a look...

I find myself spending way too much time on Etsy being captivated by all of the marvelous creativity of others...

Outtakes from the Photo Shoot

Taking pictures is one of my biggest challenges in listing on Etsy. Luckily, my amazing husband is willing to jump in and lend a hand. The cats also love being right in the middle of the action. Here's a few from our last photography attempt!

Ernst is ready to do some wiring, or maybe bite some wires.

Ginger is terrifically bored by photo shoots, and most things...

Can you see that helpful tail? Ernst is trying to get in on the action, he wants to be famous!

Recipe for a Tote Bag

I've been down and out with the flu or food poisoning, not sure which. Finally feeling somewhat human again, thought I would share this little tidbit with you...

One of the questions I get asked most frequently about Apiary is, “How long does it take to make a _________.” Usually it’s about a tote bag, since that’s one of our most popular items.

I never know what to say since we make them in batches, not one at a time. This Saturday, while I was working on our latest batch of springy tote bags I started thinking about how many steps are actually involved. Here’s what you need to do to build a tote:

Prepare the fabric - cut out the tote exterior, tote lining, and pocket material. Iron fusible interfacing onto the wrong side of the tote exterior to stiffen the fabric and give it body.

Prepare the pocket - Iron the Apiary Designs logo onto the top of the pocket, topstitch the top of the pocket, serge the bottom of the pocket, press up the seam allowance.

Apply the pocket to the lining – Measure for correct placement, pin in place. Sew across the bottom of the pocket and then up the pocket to divide in two.

Sew the body of the tote – Serge the sides of the lining. Then serge the sides of the exterior.

Make a tote “sandwich” – Press the top of the lining and exterior down 1”. Nest the lining in the exterior. Line up seams and pin.

Make the straps – Cut webbing to the desired length. Measure and pin in place.

Finish – Topstitch the top of the tote with two rows of stitching setting the straps in place and triple stitching at stress points.

Voila – now you’ve got a tote! See why you should buy one from us instead of making your own??

Hi there!

I'm glad you've found the new home of Apiary Designs. While we love our workroom we need to take a little time to get out in the world and meet some new people.

So who are we? My name is Megan, and I started Apiary Designs with my business partner (and my mother!) Nancy last year. Our goal is to create practical and attractive accessories and household items. We use a variety of materials including both new and vintage fabrics.

You can look at photos of our products at www.flickr.com/photos/apiarydesigns

If you're in the mood to shop, go to www.apiarydesigns.etsy.com

I'm looking forward to posting more soon...