Recylcing for a New Bag

Reading one of my old friend's blog the other day, BUP, I was inspired by the post about CourtneyCourtney, a local Philly children's clothing designer who recycles clothing into new modern day super cute outfits of kids. Her outfits and post inspired me to upcycle a few of the items in my to be repaired stash into a new bag for myself. It's a little kitchey and little retro and probably a little to young looking for this 30 year old but I was pretty proud of my make shift bag. The items used were 1-old wool scarf and 2- old plaid shirts. The pattern was self made design it as you go pattern. So no really pattern at all. Here's a photo of the end result. And BTW my friend Bernadette is an excellent photographer if you're near the Philly area definitely give her call.

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Back to School

It's that time of year again....No not Halloween and not Christmas though the catalogs and stores would make one think so. Back to school time. And for some odd reason this year my sons' school isn't allowing backpacks. So it's up to mommy to create some tote bags for the boys so they won't be forced to use our target or publix grocery totes. I worked on Bayard's today.  He insisted on fire trucks but not having any fire truck fabric and not wanting to spend an money I convinced him to accept fire truck dogs as the main fabric.

My husband says it turned out way too girlie. And well maybe it did but Bayard loved it. It was also a good way to pratice my free motion quilting. Now on make Holden's his will be the states.

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Back & Busy

Well it was an eventful weekend. My oldest son turned 4 and we painted pottery for his birthday.












I got my sewing room semi-clean in anticipation of my new machine and my parents visit.



















And I managed to finish a new purse of my own design for my friend's up coming birthday this Sat.










































A busy and eventful weekend. As for the machine I chose. I went with a Babylock Quest Plus machine.
It is wonderful. It came with 15 feet, 383 stitches and is so very quite. Perfect for a sewer with young children. And since I already own two other Babylocks I benefit from an easy foot exchange. I still love the Pfaffs but this was a better value for the money and Oh I completely forgot to mention. My wonderful loving husband offered to buy it for me. We aren't a couple that is big on gift giving and in fact we rarely buy each other anything as we have just never found that to be important. So aside from my engagement ring this is the only real gift he has ever given me. And I have to say it is the best and I love it. Not getting gifts at every occasion really makes the surprise ones very special indeed.

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Basic Bag

Using up my upholstery stash for a birthday surprise. I love quick projects.

One more from my quilting stash.

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Cleanout and Create

So I was in a mood this weekend to clean out and rearrange all in a effort to void what I really should be doing. It started with our playroom and then moved into my sewing room. I got a crazy notion to trade the armiore in the sewing room for a low book shelve in the playroom in hopes of gaining better storage and viewing of the fabrics I have on hand. The results was a realization that I have way too much fabrics, not enough space and I clearly need to use some of it up or sell. So a few not great items are on ebay and well the rest went to storage except for a brown toile upholstery piece and green and brown upholstery piece that I bought several years ago. Together I turned these into a new tote for myself.

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Some Learning To Be Had

I finished my charm purse tonight. I love the bag and overall I am happy with it. But it was my first time sewing laminated fabric and well my little sewing machine did not like it. I am going to have to research some techniques or use wax paper to help it feed better in the future. Any advice?

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Charm Purse

Okay so it is a boring Wednesday night here in Alabama. The kids are asleep and I am extremely bored with quilting by latest WHIP, so I am moving on for now and hoping motivation will strike soon.

My next creation to be: Charm School Handbag. Pattern by Keyka Lou. Fabric is from Anna Maria Horner's "Good Folks" collection. I am sure to add my on spin on this one.

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