Creation and Celebration

There hasn't been a lot to blog about.  I used to blog to keep my mom up to date on my creative ventures while I lived 1000+ miles away.  Now that I see her all the time I feel a little silly saying LOOK WHAT I DID to the few of you who still read my blog.  Perhaps if I created tutorials things would be different.  Today I have something close.  I finally have a project that feels pretty much all me (rather than a combination of DIY tutorials I found online) and doable by others...plus I SCORED today at Goodwill and I need to celebrate it.  My husband did a great job of acting excited for me...he gave me a verbal high five if ever there was one...but I know in his heart he really doesn't understand the fantastic-ness of a great deal on fabric.

First, my project.  My good friend Priscilla works hard to support my creative addiction and love for made gifts.  I love her so much for it.  For my birthday last year she showed up with a few made gifts AND.....a large bag full of leather goods that she thrifted.  I mean....good friend, right?  I have had those leather goods in the back of my mind ever since, just waiting for inspiration to strike.  I almost made some leather bracelets but I couldn't come up with anything cool enough worth making....that's pretty much all I had come up with until yesterday afternoon!  I saw this bag years ago and loved it:

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I used the tutorial to make the tote but in a solid color (best beach bag ever).  For whatever reason, yesterday I got this image of a bag with that fabric and saddle colored leather.  I went to my bag o' leather from Priscilla and found this purse:

Snip snip snip....

I cut the leather bottom pieces of the tote from the body of the bag (each 5.5 x 12 inches).  The straps were long strap of purse cut in half.  I sewed the finished edges of the strap to the outside of the tote and the raw edges to the inside of the tote.  Each side of the tote has a finished edge and a raw edge.  I cut two 11x13 inch pieces of the striped Ikea fabric.  I then cut each of those in half and set them about .5 inches off and sewed them back together.  Once I sewed the fabric pieces to the leather I assembled it just like a typical tote.  It includes a liner.

It didn't take too long and I love it.  if I had a bigger purse to cut up I would have made the bag a little wider but otherwise it is great.  This morning Whitney (my 2 year old) saw it and wouldn't let it go.  She took it to school with her.  My girl.

On to the SCORE.

I went to a fabric store in Valdosta about two months ago and found almost all the fabric I am going to use in Whit's room.  All I knew going in there was was pink and mint.  I didn't have much of a clue beyond that.  Brady's room, however, has been planned since before we had our house but I haven't actually bought any of the fabric for it!  This is my pinterest board dedicated to B.  This picture pretty much sums it up minus the blonde girl:

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Most of the plaids I have found are too expensive or not exactly what I want.

My mom is cleaning house and donating a ton of fabric to Goodwill.  I ended up taking a load for her.  When I go in to Goodwill I scan the furniture, home goods, and art.  Anything made of fabric overwhelms me in thrift stores.  A sea of red t shirts not organized by size...?!! I shut down.  Today I checked the fabric section.  Much more digestible.  I'm glad I did!!!!

Just finding those three in one go would have been a jackpot.  Each piece is of considerable yardage. Jackpot. Guess how much they were?  Guess.  $5.  Total.  $5!!!!!!  JACKPOT!

If it wasn't annoying to have music on web pages I would insert Celebration by Cool and the Gang right here.

This is the plaid I was most definitely going to include in B's room.  It was the inspiration for everything I plan to do in there.  Boom.

This plaid is my second favorite plaid and was probably going to be included somehow.  This is a loose woven fabric...tons of it.

This is just a bonus.  How could I not?  I think it is fleece.  It is thick and soft.

Now I must get started.

DIY Ruffle Bag

This weekend I will be missing the Bridal Shower of one of my best friends because I am about 8.75 months pregnant.  I hardly have the energy to get off the sofa much less get dressed for a party.  Noooo...well, yes...but mostly I just can't be driving down to CT at this point.  I am sad to miss it but I wanted to let her know I really really wish I could be there.  So I made her a gift.  It's a wedding-ish tote....so she can..you know...carry wedding things around in it.....?  Whatever.  It's girly and fun and I hope when she sees it from now until the wedding it makes her happy knowing her wedding inspired it.  I hope it makes her happy afterwards as well...

When I make something FOR someone...as in they inspired it...I get the most nervous about giving it to them.  You would hope that if they inspired it that means they would like it, right?  Well, wait....there are some mean, angry songs out there.  Anyway.  I hope she likes it.  

Hanging

It was the first time I did ruffles.  I don't know if I have avoided ruffles for so long because I didn't have a specific need for them and they seemed like a lot of work to just try for fun or if it was because they just seemed difficult and more likely to end in frustration than success but I wanted to try them for a while.  So what better time to give it a go than when I am making something to GIVE someone...something that I want to be perfect and to be proud of.  Yes...good time to try.  Luckily, it did not end in frustration and failure.  Phew.  There is definitely room for improvement but I am not ashamed of the outcome...in fact, I might make something similar for myself....less wedding-ish, though.  More color! 

Happy Bridal Shower Weekend, Laura!  Love you!  

Made it Monday: Reversible bag.

You can't see it but there is an outer pocket!

I found two awesome things recently.  I found a 1/2 yard of cute fabric perfect for one of my friends and a pattern/tutorial for a reversible bag.  Because there was only 1/2 yard available I tried the pattern out on some cheap fabric so I could make sure I would like how it looks.

Second side....probably going to remain the inside most of the time.  

I was most drawn to the shape of the bag.  I love it.  The bottom uses darts as a way to add depth which I had never done before and like the look.  After reading the comments about the tutorial I decided to make the straps a little longer than the pattern.  As for the size of the body of the bag...some people enlarged it but I decided to go with the given size and judge after.  One problem.  Checking the size on me....8+ months pregnant...tells me nothing about what it will look like hanging on my very thin friend.  Yikes.  I will have to wait a few weeks to judge the size or have another friend hold it up.  In the meantime I have decided the fabric is too playful for a bag and have decided to go in a different direction....stay tuned.

I ironed it twice!  It wrinkles so easily!

Incase you decide to make this bag, here are a few notes!  It did not print to the correct size....it ended up a little smaller.  Instead of reprinting I just made the seam allowances smaller.  It worked out fine.  Also, I think the author of the tutorial used a thicker fabric so it gave the bag more structure.  I used two quilting fabrics and, if I make this pattern again, I will be using interfacing.  Oh..and I added pockets.

Here is the tutorial for the bag if you want to make it!