the next batch

Another batch of purses... almost ready to go, or I should say- with their faces on.

Scribble sewing on a few...

Waiting to be washed, for a more weathered looking face.

It's time for a vacation, which just means bringing my sewing machine to a different place. Going to the beach, and sewing at the beach is ALL good.

getting it together

Purses, put together (but without their handles, yet). It's been so long since I've made purses, and I'm not sure why- moving, procrastinating then running out of time before a deadline- you know- stuff like that. I've enjoyed the process, more than I thought I would. I should make bags more often-

For the dog lover, more Heather Ross fabric that I only have left in bits and pieces, so I have to try and make the most of it. I put some city fabric behind it, Hudson Bay to be specific (I can't remember the manufacturer...).  Loads of whimsical silliness in this batch- dogs, monkeys, elephants, unicorns, loteria cards, owls, birds and bikes. If you want to get your eyes or hands on these bags you've got to come to Swiss Days in Midway Utah (Sept. 2-3) where we will making our big debut, with other sewn goodies as well, stay tuned to see just what else I'm making.

making purses

For the first time in what seems like forever, I am getting a batch of purses ready to be sewn together.  It's one of those things I procrastinate because it feels like such an overwhelming project-- but once I get rolling, I can't stop. Another idea strikes me and I have to design just one more...

Occasionally, I have a panic attack thinking that I am running out of fabric, which is completely ridiculous and would likely never happen even if I didn't purchase another yard for the next 5 years. But, I am running out of the bicycle fabric going into this purse. I think it's from the Heather Ross Lighting Bugs and other Mysteries line of fabric from a few years ago. I only have a few little strips left. I kind of want to hoard what I've got left, maybe I'll hang onto a bike or two. I'm almost out of VW Vans and goldfish fabric from the same line- for those of you who remember. So stinkin' cute.

So, whoever gets this purse should feel super lucky...

It's all about the circles (and bikes and flowers), this batch of purses is full of them.

new goods for the bazaar

smaller messenger bags

drawstring backpacks

ahh, the details...

and a few more drawstring bags 

scribble sewing and swirls

a nappy bag

Just finished this specially ordered diaper bag for a local gal. I haven't made any bags since the move.  I had to fumble around the new sewing room looking for all the elements of bag making for quite awhile before I got everything organized, lots of muttering "now, where did I put those... magnetic snaps, zippers, straps and hardware, plastic canvas..." going on.

I've been recently deciding to mix up the fabrics and colors on the outside of the bag, no more "party in the back, business in the front"---> now it's party everywhere/all the time.

This canvasy striped fabric on the inside is super duro, for outdoor furniture I think. You could probably wipe it all down with a wet cloth daily if necessary. Like if your precious little one spit-up in there, baby food spill, diet coke mishap, dirty nappy temporary storage...  

a bit of recycling...

This winsurfer sail has been in our garage for years, ever since, in fact, Steve O fell into it ripping a nice big hole- honestly, this sail is from way back in the day before the sport of windsurfing killed itself by becoming too specific and technical- morphing into kiteboarding and kitesurfing and could only be done in a handful of places in the world with enough consistent wind. After a amazing windsurf specific trip to Maui in 1994 (or so) we dropped out of the sport, mainly due to the fact that we live in Utah where the wind blows very inconsistently except at Rush Lake in Utah's West Desert where I'm not really interested in hanging out, not to mention the whole family thing... But enough about the history of windsurfing... I've been meaning to cut this sail up and make it into something for eons.

An so, the big reveal... the one and only item (so far) to be made from the sail- a messenger bag with many recycled sail aspects. I put the sail with this super sturdy brownish upholstery fabric that is so heavy duty, it could probably be used as carpet in an office building. I hate working with it, it has cost me much frustration and many sewing machine needles- but I love the end result.

It's kind of cool looking, backlight and all. I just listed it on etsy, along with many other bags, garlands and felt dolls. Check it out, and get details here.

September

This time of year is simply delightful. Here's my top ten for September 3rd:
1. everything in bloom
2. in the 80's
3 windows open all day
4. eating something from the garden for every meal
5. kids in school
6. peaches
7. tomatoes
8. mountain biking
9. soccer games
10. house- sold

I'm getting some sewing done now that the kids are back in school and we are getting back into a routine. These cut out- a few completed- messenger bags are on their way to Salt Lake City Bicycles next week.

the next act

Back to real life- after a few weeks of vacation 'real life' will always leave one breathless. Lots of catching up to do- yard work, grocery, school shopping, cleaning, soccer practice, kids on a better schedule so they can get up without too much trouble when school starts next week... blah, blah, blah... boring. What I should be doing is sewing. I need to get busy making up some messenger bags, like the one shown here. It's not that I don't enjoy the process, it's just the getting started part that is so tough. Too many summer fun distractions.
One would think I have plenty of motivation for locking myself in my sewing room, I have a stack of media ready to go to while I sew- Glee, season 1(and another 90+ movies in my Netflix queue), then Anna Karenina (audio version) that I've just barely started- I've never read it before, Dragonfly in Amber (audio and book version) the second book in the Outlander series, I cannot wait to start it. I spent my weeks at the beach entirely submerged in Outlander, I happily left the real world behind- and lost myself in this book, great read to get lost in by the way.
I've also just started Little Bee (our book group book) so far it's very good, but I only have the print version, and now that I'm back in the real world I need the multi-task version (audio). What I really need is a Kindle so I can go back and forth between listening and reading (the old fashioned way) and focus on one book at a time.
There are just not enough hours in the day.
So, here's to motivation, let me see if I can pull it off making some messenger bags this week and get my kids into bed before 11 pm every night.

featured

Ooh look, my 'Sunday Stroll' purse was featured in this Etsy Spring Picnic gallery today. To inquire about the pictured items more completely- or browse a little Etsy click here.

March- so far

Here's my Art by Nikki MaClure calendar, that I got for my birthday (thanks Molly!) The March image seems especially relevant, since it seems like I've done nothing but stitch (and sit at the computer...) so far this month... and February- truth be told. I'm trying to avoid the word busy, it seems like such a cop out or easy excuse for getting out of tasks you really don't want to do anyway. Just sigh, pause and drop the words, "Well, I'm just so busy right now..." and you can weasel out of whatever you don't really want to do- (and sound important at the same time). So, I avoid the word, put my head down, and don't look up until I've made a dent. But the fun, the sleep, the play, life has passed me by- and I'm still working away. Something's got to give- I want a break...

Here's some evidence of busy hands at stitchery... luck for me I really do love sewing. I've listened to about 10 books in the last month, and been running through the Netflix queue at top speed, just to pass time in the "sweat shop".


These purses (and other snazzy goods made by a few other local artists) and many other handmade treats will be purchase-able a special event coming up April 1st. Beehive Bazaar is teaming up with Deseret Bookstore for a Ladies Night party/shopping extravaganza- Conference weekend. If you're local- you for sure want to check it out.

some purses

-been making purses all week, wearing my puffy nonstop because this week's theme was back to winter. I guess I wasn't missing much holed up in the studio or sweat shop as I lovingly refer to it one month before the Beehive Bazaar. As you can see I've been loving making the cut up fabric collage purse in bright colors. My favorite is the tiny purple owl amidst all the fabric in the first picture. Why it 'tiny' so funny to me?

Messenger bags... revealed

Ahhh, personalized messenger bags for the children. Just below 'Nintendo DS' on the Christmas wish lists were messenger bags- not from the store, but made by me. Kids- requesting handmade gifts, from me? aww shucks.
I've been playing with the Amy Butler High Street Messenger Bag pattern. For these bags I added extra width, a couple of inches across the bottom to accommodate books and lunch boxes.
I took out the floating pocket panel suggested in the pattern and added two internal pockets, one sewn to the front of the lining, one on the back. I divided up these internal pockets for pencils, pens and other little things that need a home.

Everyone got a little personalized detail on the front flap.
This horsey is made with felt and hand stitched on with embroidery floss.

I mixed a little felt with cotton fabrics to make the owl and branch he's sitting on. To save a little time I machine stitched on the branch, most of the owl and just embroidered on the details.

I mixed up a few different fabrics for the lining. I love this Alexander Henry skateboarding fabric that is used for the inside of the bag. On the inside of the flap I used a sturdier striped canvas- trying to keep it manly looking. On the two front outside pockets, I lined them with the striped fabric and skipped the pleats on the pockets- keeping it simple for the masculine feel that's so important in 5th grade.
They have given me some good feedback so I can keep perfecting the finished product. Mostly suggestions on strap length, width, adjustability. That is the one part that still needs perfecting.

They have used their messenger bags nonstop since unwrapping them on Christmas morning (a pretty good sign I think) lots of compliments and special order requests too. I need to get to get back to work in the sewing room. For more pictures of the messenger bags look here.

High Street Messenger Bag... kind of

I've been making some messenger bags for the Beehive Bazaar all week. My kids and their friends each have their favorite bag picked out- this one with the owl is getting the highest score so far.
I've been using the Amy Butler High Street Messenger Bag pattern- not so easy to follow, let me tell ya. And I'll tell you why: instead of printing a picture to go along with every step, there are a few steps pictured and a wordy explanation for the rest of the steps.
It is so much easier to follow illustrations for each step- like a regular sewing pattern. It's like trying to teach someone how to tie knots with only words and no pictures- 100 times harder without the pictures. Maybe it's just me, maybe I've followed too many Butterick patterns over the years.
So, after picking out lots of mess-ups, I finally got it right. Now I have been altering the pattern a bit here and there. I changed it to a squarer shape, added a tiny cell phone pocket on the side, took off the magnetic tab on the front for closing.

fabric, felt and Indian games

I been putting together purses all last week and into the weekend, I lead a real exciting life as you can see. My lovely spouse is on the road again so it is just the kids and I. The kids ran wild all weekend playing Indians in the backyard, smashing berries and smearing the red mush on their faces, then reverting to a red Sharpie when the berries didn't achieve the desired affect. The good thing about being a modern Indian I suppose- resources like Sharpies to fall back on. The Indian braves were even hanging out shirtless (it was in the 50's) for a few sunny hours. The look for the ladies was one arm and their head through their stretched-out shirt neck-hole- Tarzan & Jane style.
Carefully and cunningly (while I ran to the store for a few minutes), the Indian tribe attempted to properly construct an Indian village, complete with a Tee Pee, belt pouches for each Indian, and a fire pit. They tracked numerous muddy tracks throughout the house gathering up resources they needed; including but not limited to- most of the available hand tools and utensils from the garage and kitchen. They each cut up socks to make the essential Indian pouch one must hang from their belt for special small objects, a decision we might all regret the next time some one needs a pair of clean socks. The plan was to sleep in the Tee Pee constructed from blankets and tarps. This didn't pan out- the weather wasn't cooperating and most importantly, the great spirit said 'no'. Once again, another bonus to being a modern Indian- you have a warm bed to crawl into at the end of a hard day whether you see that way or not.
At last, the grand finale- the thing that sets you apart and makes you a real Indian player- the real fire. The actual flames sprung up from still green wood from our recently cut down sickly Aspen trees. Needless to say it was extremely stinky, that is of course, if you don't appreciate super smokey fires. I think we made the neighbors nervous, since the fire was just about 20 feet (on the other side of the fence) from the corner of their house. But they had a great time- the Indian tribe, not the neighbors. Using straightened out paper clips they roasted (or more like smoked) carrots from the kitchen and partly frozen green beans they found still hanging on the surrounding garden vines. In a stew of potatoes, carrots and green beans they carefully simmered up, the Indian chefs even remembered the salt, pepper and a pinch of rosemary for flavor. I was awestruck when they divied it all up into bowls and gobbled it up, I myself, declined a bowl (chicken, bok-bok-bok). While feasting on their stew, I overheard commentary from my 10 year old son like, "I think I'll use some chicken broth next time..."

While all of this was going on, I was in my basement sweat shop/workroom making purses (boring)- getting ready for the Beehive Bazaar (far from boring) coming up here the first weekend in December. Pictured here are the unfinished outsides of a few purses.
I put quite a few owls in the mix, I just couldn't stop with the feathered friends once I got started. Here is my favorite owl before he got sewn on, I think he's my favorite 'cuz he's so tiny (around 3 inches tall).

A little piece of the bright and cheerful New York City fabric put to use here. When I sewed this purse top all together I moved that green birdy over so you can see the all the words, and the cardinal isn't riding the bicycle. Not that there would be anything wrong with that...
Ahh... the city that loves Barack Obama, bicycles, birdies, good eating and shopping and so many other fabulous things. I love NY.

I'm sad to say but this is one of my last little pieces of this fabric. I'm going to try and not freak out about it and spend the next hour or so frantically searching online to find some more. Hmm... that sounds like an admission of guilt, like I've done that sort of searching before. Whatever?!

a new bag

...been doin' a little bit of sewing. This purse is actually for a friend- custom made as a diaper bag. I hope she likes it.
It was fun to get back into the sewing room and do some design work.
It seems nearly impossible to get anything sewn during the summer- just keeping the house and yard tidy seems to be all consuming.
A few weeks ago I was dreading the end of summer; the end of unscheduled days, freedom and all of that. Now, I can't wait for my little cherubs to go back to school. I think they sense the end of summer days- they are getting restless and making me crazy.

purses

Today I finally got some purse up on Etsy. Holy crap it takes a long time.
This little purse is called Blue Lagoon and is dedicated to the last full day of school (today) for my kids. And now it's time for fun in the sun and the water- and getting used to being together all day everyday- yikes.


Here is a detail shot of the Polka Dot Ruffle purse.