For Georgia and Betty

I love handbags, tote bags, etc...I buy way too many of them, and now, I am being encouraged to make them! Score!

One of my favorite blogs, Sew Mama Sew, hosted a bag swap this month.  I figured this was a good way to get me to challenge my sewing skills.  So I decided to make a handbag that I would probably pass up otherwise, because it looked way too tricky for me to try. Ever the Capricorn, I decided that a practice round would be necessary, and since my Aunt Betty's birthday is this month, I decided to make one for her as well.

The results...

 I used a pattern I found here.  It is the Erica Bag by Artsy Craftsy Babe.  The gray bag is for my swap partner Georgia.  The large floral is for Aunt Betty.  It was astonishingly easy and fun to make.  I think I am going to try something a little harder next time, but probably not until after the holidays.  I have way too much to work on before Christmas comes around.

Georgia said she likes Anthology Fabrics, and I found this at Sew Mama Sew.  I don't remember the name, but I am pretty sure they are sold out by now anyway.  I am kind of into gray and orange now...actually gray and anything.  Kind of matches the weather we are having.

Betty is getting this really pretty Michael Miller fabric I found at my local fabric store. I will blog about it another day.  I wish I had made this sooner, it is such a pretty summer print. 

The kid got a handbag too....sort of.  This is her Trick or Treat bag, which is originally a pattern for a lunch tote that I found here.  Love finding super creative people on the net...I hope to share a little creativity myself soon!

Happy Monday!

Sew....Where Have You Been?

I know.

It's been a long time. I don't know where the time has gone...but here we are, mid-October and with what to show for it?

So around the last time I blogged, I started sewing again. It started pretty innocently. I stopped by a fabric store to find some ribbon for a cake I was making, and I was bit by the fabric bug. I am, for the most part, a self-taught seamstress. My aunt, who is also my godmother, taught me the basics when I was in high school. I became interested again after finding a couple of blogs that had some really cool projects and it pretty much snowballed since then. So here we are now, and I am thinking about Christmas...it's gonna be a handmade holiday this year!

But first, some housecleaning...

Can you say "meh".  This started out as...I really don't know what,  but I added some Velcro to the back and to the edge of my table and called it an organizer. Ugly is what it is, and it holds way too much stuff.

TaDa! SMS Pincushion Organizer by Elizabeth Hartman.

This sewing machine organizer came from a Butterick pattern that I bought at Joann's when they had one of their Super-Duper Mega Discount sales.  Well, that's what I call them.  The last one had Butterick patterns for 99 cents. Each. I know.

As you can tell by my shoes on the floor...I like gray.

Much better. I need to remove the Velcro from the table, but not until I make an organizer for my scissors.  I don't like having them on the table. I find that if they are put away, no one in the house helps themselves to my good scissors.  If they are on the table, then they are like pretzels and peanuts at the bar. You can't really be sure who has been handling them...

One last piece of advice....PIN! Don't be lazy.  Everything you make will come out SO much better!

Happy Sewing!