The importance of colour.

How important is colour for you?
For me it is very important.
Some examples:
- Everytime I step into a room or house with brown curtains and beige walls, I want to turn around and get out.
- Years ago, when we moved into our house, we had ordered a new kitchen.
From the moment it was installed, I knew the colourscheme was wrong. It had some green in it, which didn't fit. I (unhappyily) had to live with it till recently.
- I don't feel happy when wearing brown or purple clothes.

This illustrates the impact  a colour can have on you.

Yesterday I came across this , the psychology of color by Freshome

 

This article clearly confirms how colour can affect our mood.

It gives advise on how to choose colours for your home.

 

But the same can apply to choosing the colour for your clothes and accessories.

 

 

 

 

Colour is so important for brightening up your life.

Don't you think so?

Have a nice weekend

Kristien

The perfect loop or tube turner.

I found the perfect loop turner!

Untill now I used, or better, tried to use the Clover loop turner.

This one:

I found it very difficult to turn a loop, the fabric didn't stay under the clip.

Especially narrow loops are difficult to turn.
Currently I am working on a new project which involves a lot of tube turnings. I will tell you more about it when it's ready.

Recently I saw this tube turner on Utube:

 

 

 

 

 It has a blunt and a more pointed tip.
 

Turning loops has never been so easy!

This brilliant tool comes with clear instructions for use:
 

 

Here are some real examples: 

 

 

I pulled the stitched fabric tube (wrong side out) over the blunt tip of the tool.

 

 

Here , the tool is closed, 2 tips together. 

 

 



 

 I have pulled the fabric tube over to the other side.

 

This tool is also ideal for forming perfect corners without puncturing the fabric, by using the pointed tip.

 

 

I did an online search and bought mine here.

It is also available in this  online shop.

 

Have a nice weekend

Kristien





A new shop section! Sunglass / Eyeglass cases.

I just launched a new section in my Zest4colour shop!
Colourfull, delicious, funky, stylish cases for your sunglasses or eyeglasses or any other small object that gets lost in your purse.
And... just in time for Valentines day.
This could be the perfect gift (always hard to find) for men too!
To celebrate this launch you get a 10% discount with coupon code LAUNCH10 till February 14th.
Here are some examples of what is coming:

I hope you like them.
Warm regards
Kristien

Inserting a concealed recessed top edge zipper? Part 2

In my last post, I ended with a picture of an installed top edge zipper with a huge , ugly gap at both top sides. How to solve this problem??

After some thinking I found this, very simple solution.
In my view, you get the best result with a gap width which is exactly the same as the height of the zip top band: for my bag 4cm + 1 cm seam allowance.
I also had to reduce the size of the top edge of my exterior bag: I cut from both front and back piece of the exterior, on each side the same 5 cm, starting at the top and cutting obliquely downwards ending halfway ,as I didn't want to reduce the width of my bag base.
After assembling lining and exterior bag I got this:

What do you think?
Warm regards
Kristien

Inserting a concealed recessed top edge zipper? Part 1

One of my sisters (I have 3) asked me to make her a bag to go to work.
She gave me a long list with her wishes about size, pockets etc.
It should have a closed top....
A long time ago, I wrote this post about a recessed zipper closure.
At that time, I was not completely happy with the achieved result.

So, this time I decided to use the "Slimline concealed top edge zip" chapter, in Lisa Lam's most recent book: A bag for all reasons, as a guideline.

 

 

I followed the steps on p.25-26 and first made a zip tab. I made my version:



 

Next, I cut the zip top band pieces. They are trimmed off the top edge of the lining fabric. These top band pieces will also be the top closure of your bag. I didn't want the lining fabric to be seen at the top; so I replaced these lining top bands by exterior fabric.

 

In the book (p. 25) it is suggested to use a top band depth of 4 cm for a medium to large bag. I followed this advice.

The height of the top band determines how deep the zipper will sit in the bag.

Then I had to determine the width of the gap at both ends of the zip.

I wanted the top of the bag to be as wide as the base, so I measured half of the bag base width and added 1 seam allowance. (10cm)

This was a mistake, you will see...

I followed steps 4-5 on p.25-26.

Have a look:

 

This is the result after stitching the zip top band onto the zip and lining (p. 26, fig.e)

I repeated step 4-5 with the other side of the zip, lining and top band:

 

 

 

 

.







Then I completed the bag lining by stitching both sides together WSO.(I didn't add a gusset for this bag.)
I got this:

 

 

Do you see the problem? The gap at both ends of the zip is far to large. It didn't even fit the exterior bag.

How I got this result...

 

I will tell you in my next post.

Kristien