I'm in a Treasury!!!

Woo Hoo! This always makes my day. Thanks Peacox!



And from a lady who makes great stuff like this...

Wordless Wednesday

What I Have Been Doing

Well, it does not feel like much. And yet I seem to have all my time full. I think it will be more difficult than I thought to get sewing completed while the boys are home for the summer.

I have gotten some bags done, like my clutches, pink skull handbag, a couple Venus handbags and of course the bridal order. Then there was the picture taking - which led to much ibuprofen taking. The pics always have a yellow glow, even with the full spectrum lights. I really, really, need to make a giant light box. Giant because of the size of many of the bags.

update: listed the pink bag too here

And then I listed these...



..plus some of the clutches from Clutchapalooza...



So, I guess that is pretty full. But my Not Mandatory embroidery is still half done, my paperwork is not caught up, and I still need to finish rearranging my fabric & possibly where it will be stored. Let's see how far I get this week with the little guy in summer day camp 2 times a week.

Freedom by Carried Away

My Etsy team, Carried Away Bags, is doing a Summer of Freedom challenge /charity event. Participants will make a handbag that represents what "freedom" means to them. It can take any form that you personally feel represents "freedom", be it your national flag or national colors, something recognizing your country's military veterans, a symbol of some type that says "freedom" to you.

I think I have finally decided what my bag is going to be. I am going to make my large Twist bag because of the simplest definition of freedom...hands free. The bag slings across your front from side to side letting you have full use of your arms. This is the bag (well, the style anyway):



I am not yet sure what will be decorating the outside of the bag. It will either be hand embroidered, painted, appliqued or some combination. The image is going to either be an eagle - the nation's bird...also freedom of flight...or our flag - but not necessarily straightforward. My son suggested a cubism style .

The lining has already been purchased thanks to JoAnn Fabrics for always having their patriotic novelty prints on sale this time of year.


The bag is supposed to be completed by July 15th. I'll update you with the progress and ideas as the weeks go by.

Wordless Wednesday

Recycled To Market

I have a couple slipcovers that were given to me sometime back - never used. The fabrics are really fun...but not so much for my couch. Maybe if I were in college.
Anyway - I decided to make some bags for the market. I use my own totes when I shop - for more than just the grocery store. Some of my totes are too small for some things and I really like the basic Target bag size...so...I used one as a template.
I have only used one of the slipcovers so far, but I was able to get 9 bags from it. The first one I kept for me because, well, it had some flubs.
I hope to have them all sewn up by the end of this week & I'll show them to you - hopefully as a tutorial if I remember to take pictures.

Lots on the To Do

I'll start with the easiest, well, to show anyway. I have another Whedonverse embroidery project all hooped up & started. Anyone know where this one comes from? I think I may do a contest involving guessing where my stuff originates - could be fun.

Reminds me - I have a question for you. Aside from the bags I am putting the embroidery stuff on - what else do you like? Framed, hanging art like pieces, towels, pillows, your uncle Sal, clothes, journal covers, ...anything? I want to do more than just bags with the embroidery, and custom ones too.



My To-Do just got bigger early this week. My inbox had a request for a batch of clutches for a bridal party. And it is a bit of a rush job...like by next weekend. This should be fun...they have been so far.
The bridesmaids are wearing a deep purple and she is looking for coordinating fabrics - each clutch will be a different print. I looked through my stash and realized I have no purple. Zero. Nada. None. I decided that when I run to the store for her fabrics, I'll pick up some for myself too.
These fabrics are a mix of those she picked & some alternate ideas I gave her. I decided to make pretty much all of them into clutches. I'll show you the bridal party bags once they are complete.

Wordless Wednesday

Don't'cha hate it when this happens?

Clutchapalooza, Grr Argh and a Pink Skull

I had a craft show in Ann Arbor yesterday ... thus the every night sewing last week. On Friday I spent the day making clutches. They were one of the most looked at items at the show...along with the messenger bags. I think I will make another batch of these for my next show...whenever that is.

note: these pics were taken before ironing...thus the wrinkles...

I finished up the Grr Argh messenger bag Saturday. That bag helped bring in a sale ...from the male half of a couple. He is a Whedon fan and stopped to look at the bag ...then brought his wife over. She went home with one of my clearance bags - the Red Grosgrain Ribbon handbag.


Bye bye Red handbag....


I almost got this bag done Saturday night, but I was afraid that if I spent any more time on itI would be up way too late double checking my stuff for the show.

Iron, Sew and Go Go Go

Four hours. FOUR hours!!! That is how long it took me to fuse all the interfacing onto the bags I cut last week. Last week? I think it was last week. I steamed my brains, so not sure anymore :P I wonder if a newer, better iron would help...or if all that interfacing would just take that long anyway. I think it was like 15 bags worth or something. But it is done. And I am only a week'ish behind. Not bad for me.

I did sew another messenger bag and some other odds 'n end finishing touches on stuff. The Sunnydale embroidery piece is also complete.



Now I just have to decide how much, if any, I want to try & complete before the show on Sunday. Or do I just want to make sure I have all the final touches done & all my stuff together & up to date....plus figure how to price the messenger bags. Those alone take me hours...usually the day/night before. Guess it depends on the little guy.

I also fixed the fix for my Zombie Worker. The bag is a tad shorter top to bottom than I originally planned, but I still like it. At least the flap is no longer too long. It's a great size for sketchbooks or other craft stuff since it is more like a wide rectangle than tall or a square. I may just keep it for myself if nobody likes it :)


Now I just need to step away from the computer & go go go....

Wordless Wednesday

Done and To Do

My progress from last week's to do list...eh, not so much.

• Bike ride was a go, twice
• Library - check
• Clean upstairs - check
• Embroider - check
• Playground - check & check
• Sew bags - half checked
• Iron interfacing - nope

Not too bad I guess. I plan to do the ironing tonight while (re)watching Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

So...the bags: The first one had lots of problems & still needs some reworking. Thankfully my "problems" led to a neat idea. Since the bag's image is a zombie - I did the bag purposefully patchy so the ends looked frayed...although it's on the back side, so you can't see it here. But in the process, the sizing got out of whack. So I need to "trim it down". You can see it in the front view picture...the flap is too long. Should be an easy fix.



I went back to the messenger bags I had already cut and fixed the gusset lengths...turned out it was an easy fix. I still don't know how I cut them the wrong length. Oh well, the measurements are now correctly noted. This is the Firefly bag:



Both bags still need to be ironed - they will look less puffy then. I plan to do that when I am ironing the interfacing I did not get to last week.

So... embroidery: It's turning out pretty good. It took a while to find the right quote. The first few were too long. I liked

• "This being Sunnydale and all, I guess we can rule out something good" ...not too long, but not quite right either
• "...you gotta stand up and salute their death rate"...needed something more, although looking at it now, it would have worked. Maybe I'll use it on something else later.
• "…he's some kind of demon looking for an all-powerful thingamabob and I've got to stop him before unholy havoc's unleashed and it's another Tuesday night in Sunnydale." ...much too long

This is what I ended up with:


So, my to do for this week....


I think it's doable.