1.13.12

a custom 'alvin' tote for ali.

12.29.11

i make bags, conifer sells them. check them out!

soon to be up and running and mine: great grandpa's industrial macheen, formerly used to make/repair parachutes on the alameda naval base.

10.14.11

sewing sewing sewing. i've been designing and fine-tuning a batch of new bag designs. this here is a prototype (one that i'm keeping for myself, stitches are crooked and gappy). the purpose of this project was really to get acquainted with the leather. it's bison leather, the best quality i've worked with, and my machine has a hard time with it. much to my surprise and joy, my grandpa has an industrial sewing machine in his garage just waiting for me to use that belonged to his dad. i'm looking forward to fine-tuning this pattern, imagine it in a tan suede and black leather combo...
i've also sold a few purses at conifer, a classy well-curated boutique a doorstep off of union street. check them out!

murder!

does anyone else remember that scene in reality bites when ben stiller is listening to rap in his car? its one of my favorites... anyway... all black design, normally in regards to automobiles, is referred to as "murdered-out," or so i've been told. my own version in bag form, made with all black everything, and probably one of my favorites to date now available at bernhardt handmade (there are a few sales too)...

midnight oil

i was commissioned to make a bag for my ex-office. they have a sleek, skinny new overhead projector and needed something equally sexy to tote it around in. so after getting specifications and ideas from my ex-boss at my ex-conference table, i set to work purchasing solely black materials, sketching a design, and cutting a pattern.each piece of vinyl had two pieces of canvas behind it: one for lining, and one for extra weight. i found that the three produced a trapped-air effect that will help cushion the expensive cargo as an alternative to filling the bag with batting.the one section that does have batting is the center divide that separates the speakers from the projector. the metal clasp shown below was taken from a vintage suitcase. i love the logo, though you cannot see it clearly. i like to think it lends the bag a 60s air...though the design looks simple, this took me a little while to create. each side of the bag is surged separately before being attached to each other. there is also a good deal of hand stitching involved, to avoid extra seems. i rarely work with vinyl, but i may rethink that, being that i LOVE how liquid this bag is! slick like oil...

sexy back:

nice trip, have a good fall..

summer stopped by a few days here in san francisco, and who knows, she may rear her flighty head again. in the meantime though, the air is crisper, and leaves are turning to gold. which is fine by me, as my cozytime activities are taking over. one such is this baby quilt i just finished for mr. august miller cockrel, born september 10. it is constructed with pieces of vintage fabric (the bar cloth, the gingham), and some cozy baby-friendly material, like soft gray velvet. in keeping with quilting tradition, the patterns chosen are symbolic: the palm pattern for florida, where dad is from, the gingham for maine, where mom is from, and the gray velvet for the san francisco fog, where baby is from...

more projects to be posted! and a few new items in the in the shop...
currently listening to active child

latest and greatest

she's there in the shop, check her out....

bernhardt handmade

i've opened a new etsy store with a better name, and better attitude. ha. mainly the new name. the items i'll be posting are the bucket bags i've been working diligently to perfect (is one ever really satisfied with one's creations?), and will be selling them at what i feel to be, though no one has to agree, fair prices. each bag was an experiment in some manner, so they will all be unique and special...
a quick note about the name and i'll be done. my grandma used to tell me when i was little that i was named after sarah bernhardt, the french actress, because i was so dramatic. she's quite an interesting character, if you're curious, read up...

leathuh

at the suffering of my now leathery man hands, i've created a few bucket bags that i'm genuinely proud of. the right tension on the drawstring, the right amount of studs/grommets, the right length of handle... though i'm still refining the pattern, 'wonder woman' or 'majorette' is my favorite, until she's replaced by the next creation. now i know what motherhood feels like...

the whole horny gang. i want to start posting these back onto my much-neglected etsy store.i bought this leather at discount fabrics on 11th- it reminds me of a keith haring print. i also saw a magenta version with electric blue shapes that is beckoning me back...this slimy reptilian bag is made of real leather, and has leather tassels, which were quite easy to make. sidenote: ironing the soft, suede side of leather makes it flat! test it out with a low temperature first...on to the next batch...

sewing projects

i finished my tea dress, and decided the sleeves are a no-go. instead, i rolled the edges and hand-stitched them in place. i'm going to come clean and admit the inspiration was karen elson. her sweet, haunting vintage frocks always look wonderful and i'll be damned if she didn't inspire me to be more girly.

next on the horizon, aside from fine-tuning my bucket-bag pattern, is turning this hand me down hippy gown into a high-waisted skirt, and making some sort of hooded garment from this crimson velvet...

latest purchase: dried'n'dyed bouquet from fantastico's, a real san francisco gem if you're planning a party or in the market for 50cent plastic jesus', my little pony pinatas, or dried flowers...

currently and forever listening to the white stripes...

hello

i would liken the guilt one feels about not posting on their blog to not flossing. its really only hurting yourself, but who has the time? well, i woke up with stifling guilt, and thought it time to check in. like confession? geez, can you tell i'm catholic...?
a few weeks ago, i celebrated my last day at the office to pursue sewing projects i had piling up, and have been running around maniacally trying to bring these to fruition, in between visits to museums and with friends. not to mention trying to start a girl band. anyway, i realized to be a respectable artisan, i would need a respectable work place. two ikea trips later, this is the result:key phrase: utilize the space. i can't stop smiling, i'm so pleased with our 'office.' paul mounted his guitars and took over the space on the left, and i the right. the branches in the corner are from our wedding. after two months i finally went down to the florist who has been so kindly storing these and upon pick-up, told katherine i'd like to volunteer my services in the shop. this short time i have off, i want to learn a few new things, be it arranging flowers, or rolling posters for sfgirlbybay...

the bookcase for my odds and ends, and jack white and mom for inspiration.on to the projects. i was obsessed with finding a tribal bucket bag a while back and ultimately made my own. well, a friend of a friend is interested in selling them in a shop in santa barbara, so i've been gathering bits to assemble a few sparkling new versions. the leather is from britex and discount fabrics here in san francisco...newbie on the left, original on the right.the last two: i'm working on a bicycle hat prototype with a friend. i love the last one, though the middle seam is too high and makes kind of a horn on the forehead. its cute nonetheless. last but not least is this tea dress. i wanted it to look like it was vintage, with haphazard and delicate seams. i'm not sure how to finish off the sleeves, which is why it's taking so long. that is all my friends!

my wedding

the day was such a blur, thank god for the photos because i can't believe it already happened. miraculously everything went according to plan! there was no hitch in my hitching. the momentary freak out was how my bangs made me look like a kindergartner, but in the end i loved them! there are so many handmade elements in the wedding, so many personal touches. i've tried to include photos of all the details and blurbs about them. my dress, my bridal purse, and the feather clips in my hair are what i made.

my jefferey campbell shoes.

my bridal purse. i was working on this up until the very last minute, and didn't get as far as i would have liked to. the flowers are the same material as the ones on my dress, sans feathers...rebecca getting her hair did.megan getting it done.i loved all the succulents and lamb's ear tucked in the bouquets. the guys had succulents as their boutonnieres as well.. B-maids!amy! megan! rebecca! val! carly! foxiest posse there ever did be.a little help from my friends. this dress took me over 30 hours to make, much of that time was spent on making the shoulder piece. the flowers were cut out of chiffon, and layered about 24/flower, with feathers tucked between layers. there were 7 flowers...
my ride.the guys. the cones on the ends of the pews were rolled with love by my aunties and my mom. they are made from antique sheet music that belonged to my grandma, who's portrait is hanging behind me in the first picture.
dad.flower girls.
donovan.new husband paul. hehemom and dad.blasphemy.my gorgeous wedding party. the florist was amazing (katherine from cherries), she didn't think any of my ideas were silly, and worked hard to make them happen. i like to think she had fun too, the flowers were one of my favorite parts. this is a sewing mannequin, i thought it would be cool to be on the table in the foyer with flowers draped around it.first dance: bon iver's flume, sung to us by friends jason and adrienne...dad chose the beach boy's warmth of the sunthe bouquet toss...bro-outlaws.obviously fueled by lady gaga.magnolia photobooth company set up shop in our cocktail lounge area, and served as our party favor machine. they are AWESOME, they come with fun accouterments, an attendant, and print the photos lightning fast. i don't think people knew these would also be posted on the internets...
i can't believe it's over! wham, bam, thank you m'am! now i need a major project to direct all this organizational zest towards...
xo!
photos: most by guru khalsa, some by ashley, a few by me