Bike bandanas and hankies preview

It's so exciting to see these products come together! I love the colors, fabrics, and styles we've chosen and I can't wait to use them myself and send them off to you to enjoy as well! Today I'm working on some thin cotton bandanas/scarves/hankies that are perfectly versatile for the changing season! Wear it under your helmet for some rain and mist protection (or to keep your ears warm!); wear it tied around your neck as an extra layer of wind resistance, or tuck it in your pocket for those downhill sniffles! This thin colorful scarf packs down small, can be thrown in the washer, and is just the right size for a grab and go Fall accessory on any commute or quick trip.  Embroidered by hand from an original drawing of a vintage bike, each one is different and unique! Scarves in color combos to complement our wallets and bags will be available on the Etsy site next week! Check out the current product list here, happy riding!

Echo Bike Products Sneak Peek!

Dana and I have been hard at work putting together an amazing new product line concept for lady bicyclists! With her awesome sewing skills, my bike commute experience, and a whole lot of amazing fabric, the Echo bike accessories will be the perfect alternative to the mass of pink and flowery things that you currently have to choose from! 

Above is a sneak peek at some of our fabric choices. A sample of products we are currently mocking up include a bike seat rain cover, a handlebar/side pannier bag, a super-packable wallet with clear phone holder, and bright embroidered hankies for those Fall sniffles. You can currently purchase the handlebar bags and wallets on Dana's Etsy store here. We can't wait to show you more!

-Betsy

Hankies!

These hankies are surprisingly sturdy and can  be washed in the machine!

Here's the back. I'm a pretty novice embroiderer, but I try to keep it neat! I love my rolled hem job though!

I love using hankies. They're especially great when I'm riding my bike and need something that will last through the commute and not disintegrate or fly away when I grab it out of my pocket! I have a few packets of Sublime Stitching embroidery patterns that I've been using to decorate squares of hand-hemmed cream linen. The one pictured above is almost done, it's my second one. The first one had a great bird on it but I accidentally left it somewhere while changing for work, rats! Hopefully someone who found it is enjoying it! I can't wait to make some more. Hankies will also be a feature in a cool new project that Dana and I are hatching. More details on that soon!

Embroidery - meditative or frustrating?

I've been working on the Split Personality bag for the last week or so. I had to plan this thing out carefully because I have a tendency to rush through the preparation and get straight into the cutting on sewing projects, especially smaller things like bags. I was all set to dive into my fabric stash and start cutting out pattern pieces willy nilly. But I want this one to be special and last a while and be able to stand up to my constant fickleness with my bags/purses. So instead I took a deep breath, walked away from the box of fabric, and made a plan.

I planned one side to be gray and plain, with cream piping that is the only embellishment. And the other side has grayish blue and white striped ticking at the bottom with a bright green twill at the top. I have been dabbling with embroidery lately and I wanted something to spruce up the plain fabrics of the bag so I decided to use some of the many "Sublime Stitching" embroidery patterns and stitch a cool design on the "fun" side of the bag.

Now I love needle arts. I like the methodical way the thread goes in and out, and how you can make different stitches and patterns with just a needle and thread. I love how you can construct an entire garment with two blunt needles and one super long piece of yarn. I love how hand stitches have that slight irregularity to them. But I do not like when thread gets tangled, needles poke my cuticles, and yarn balls get twisted and knotted! It makes me want to throw the whole project on the floor and go for a bike ride. (Maybe I should try that). But instead I quietly curse in my head while trying to unknot the yarn or thread or put bandaids on my fingers. It can get to be a little too much though. I love the part of embroidery when I'm actually doing it and it's going along great and the image is appearing beautifully before my eyes. Then I make all these plans to embroider everything and just can't bring myself to start the projects because it's just a little too tedious. Do you ever feel that way?

Anyway, I love the way this bag turned out and can't wait to flip flop it when I get tired of one side or the other. And I'm really glad I un-did those knots and stuck with the embroidery!