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.

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!