Saturday Night Vintage

She's finished :)

I'm quite taken with this bag: a more elegant fabric purse that reminds me of those excellent vintage "Granny Bags" you can find with a bit of luck in a hidden away junk shop ;P

I repeated the piping detail around the edge of the flap and lined the bag with a gorgeous contrasting bright pink fabric..... i love the flash of colour when you delve inside!

I made the button myself too.... it's actually a five centimos euro coin, with wadding to give it a lovely domed shape and covered with the same vinyl/polipiel as the base of the bag ;P

This handbag and many more are available at my online shop over at Etsy.

Is it time for some christmas shopping already?

This is the store front at Nina's (c/Verdi, 39, Gracia, Barcelona) ... and we're in the window display!!!!!! The red and white striped short-sleeve top on the left ;P

figuring it out .... another bag in the making

I like bags with shape.
So, I've been working on alternatives that give a bag stability (other than interfacing and sandwiching sturdier materials between outer and lining) and that also become an original and interesting design feature,

I've also been trying my hand at "faux-leather" and I must say I'm quite liking the possiblities, mixing it with other more elegant and natural fabrics.

I'm quite taken to the texture on this base ... reminds me of tyre-tracks! and works unbelievably well as a shaping for this little handbag-in-the-making :)

What do you think?

KATSAI is in the shops!!!

Ok, well, just one shop, for now, but what a place to start!

Nina's (c/Verdi 39, 08012 Barcelona) is the most exquisite little boutique and has the most amazing designs... the majority of which are lovingly designed and made by Nina herself in the studio at the back of the shop.

Nina's shop is a classic in the Gracia fashion-shopping scene, and was one of the first designer boutiques to open up in the neighbouhood. I just feel so honoured to have my clothes there!

THANKYOU, Nina, if you're reading this, for all your support ;P







So, these were the four models I've been working on over the last couple of days. Two short-sleeved tops and two 3/4 length sleeved tops, one of each in the black/white colourway, and in the red/white colourway.

They are simple cuts, made out of flowy ever-so-slightly striped fabric, that drape for a casual-chic look, that is topped-off by the contrasting bands around the wide boatneck and sleeves.

I hope you like... and be sure to check them out in person!

A busy couple of days...

Well, have I been busy these last couple of days! Working on new stuff, and adapting another of my designs for an amazing local boutique... i'll "show and tell" when its all finished, but til then just passing through to say hi and then its back to the grindstone for me ;P

I nearly forgot! I also wanted to say how thrilled i am at having some of my bags featured on not one, but TWO "Treasury Lists" over at Etsy!!!!
Each "Treasury" selection is chosen by an Etsy member, so they can showcase items from their favoutire stores. Other members can come in, look around, and even chat or leave comments with others viewing that same selection. There is a limit to the number of Treasuries at one time.... so there is usually a queue to manage to get one!

And the lists only last 2 days.... so if you want to see the ones I'm in you'd better be quick, here are direct links:

Yaelfran's Treasury List
Suebeart's Treasury List

Thanks girls! ... Must get my act together and get in line for my own little Treasury :)


... still haven't worked out what the little speaker is for in the Treasury heading bar..... I don't hear anything :(

OK, so i'm a sucker for a "good" gadget

What are they gonna come up with next? And WHY am I immediately sucked-in by any new fangled gadget fad?!

Spanish electronics and appliances company, Fagor, have just announced their hi-tech answer to the turmoils of giving up smoking: The Nicostopper.

This handy little gadget acts as a dosifier-come-pshychologist, rationing your daily cigarette count and supposedly offering you advice to help you give up the habit.

Reportedly, its creators say that 75% of smokers who have tested it out have managed to give up for the 6 months the trials have been on the go. OK, so its on my christmas list....


Here is a link to the full story, with videos, in Spanish. Couldn't actually find any further details in english.... must be just we spanish-residing citizens who still maintain the ugly habit that is smoking ;P

more behind the scenes at Katsai (a.k.a. My Dream Jacket!)

Thought I'd give you all another peek behind the scenes over here at Katsai ;P
I posted about this jacket and got some lovely feedback over at Craftser (you can see the buzz here...).

It really was a labour of love, as I had such a strong image in my head of what I wanted, that many a pattern draft and alteration, followed by mock-ups and tweaks were the order of the day to get things just right.

So, this is what I wanted...


.... and this is what i ended up with...


...and, heres some of what i had to go through to get there!


My Dream Jacket is also available at my etsy shop, ... with details on sizing, materials, etc...

PS: I was accepted to the Etsy Seller Who Blog ring (see new link on sidebar).... thanks Ubercherry!

v2 unveiled

Well the waiting is finally over!

Version 2 of Etsy was put in place this weekend and all us Etsy Sellers have sparkly-shiny new shops :) Come over and check them out... just, don't ALL come at once, as sweet little "V2" -as she's affectionately known- is still learning the ropes!

And, again, if you haven't come across Etsy as yet, your missing out ;P
To give you a jump-start, here's a link to a little animated spot thats been found on YouTube... really cute! AND, take note, the character's place are in Katsai colours.... that must be a sign!

Enjoy...

Etsy
My sparkly-shiny new shop

Isn't she pretty...?

It's finished! Took me a LONG time to get it done, but I'm really pleased with how it turned out. The pocket works really well, and its a little bit "different", don't you think?

This bag is available at my Etsy store... here

New bag in the making...

Well, while Etsy has been down this weekend, I've been spending my time trying to finally figure out an idea that i've been toying around with for well over a year. I wanted to make the front pocket the "feature" of a bag, and knew how i wanted it to turn out but just hadn't found the time to sit down and figure out the logics of it.

Its just actually pinned together in these pics, but as you can see, the front pocket is a cut-out circle, with contrasting ribbing so it stands out ;P
I'm really pleased with how this bag is turning out... hopefully I'll get it finished today and some decent photos taken.














Theres alot still to be done, eh?!

I'm "claiming my blog"!

It's claimed!

For all you Bloggers out there, go visit Technorati! It's a great site that allows you to search for links to any web, blog etc. and helps you to follow your favourite blogs hassle-free.
Technorati Profile

A little bit about Etsy

If you don't know Etsy, then you're missing out on the opportunity to both buy completely original things, made by some skilled crafter or artist, or sell your own creations to a worldwide audience of appreciative buyers looking for that "something different". The majority of members are based in the US and Canada, but Etsy has an ever-growing International community (me inculded) that are made welcome and catered for by our buddies across the ocean...

I opened my own shop a little while ago, and must admit that Etsy is addictive. There are so many shops and so many great finds and wonderful people that far to many an hour is spent window-shopping and hanging out in the forums...

Etsy is offline this weekend -as the admin team upgrade the site software to the long awaited "V2" - but will be back online as of tomorrow, Monday 13th November. With this upgrade, many features are being added that'll make the site a whole lot more user-friendly for both shoppers and shopwners.

El Estreno

Well, here I am, "estrenando" my brand spanking new Blog.
Whats to come? Now that would be telling...