The Second Bag

Just a quick post to show you the second bag that I made for my neighbor.  I'm so pleased with the way that these came out; I hope they provide lots and lots of good use! 

Productive

It is a busy time of year for me, and I am having a hard time finding the time for all of the bits and pieces (like keeping up with my blog). Here I will show you a new messenger bag that I just finished. It was inspired long ago in this post by my garden. I named this the "Sweet Potato" Messenger because of the color and the vining, organic nature of the print. The lining is a Civil War reproduction stripe in cheddar.


Today I am working on completing a donation to the YMCA for their charity auction, and then it's back to keeping up on inventory for the holidays. I just inherited a bag of gorgeous wool sweaters that I plan to make up into throw pillow covers. Stay tuned!

In home news, Bronwyn lost her top front tooth. She looks older to me already! Here she is, feeling proud of herself!

Olivia's Garden Bag

WOW, it has been unbelievably hot this past week, and more soaring temperatures are predicted. We don't have air conditioning in our house, so we have implemented a routine of opening all of the doors and windows in the morning and using fans to try to cool the dwelling down. Then, when the outside is starting to warm, we shut the house up and hope for the best. Our best sleep comes early in the morning, but being creatures of habit, Brian and I wake up around the same time in the morning and get started on our day. Bronwyn has been sleeping in, which is lovely. I am finding time to work in the morning while Bronwyn sleeps and it is such a nice experience! I have a large picture window in my studio, and with the window open, I can hear all of the bird conversations and arguments. Anyhow, I guess my point is that I'm actually managing to get some work done. Here, I'm showing you pictures of a bag that I recently finished for my friend Olivia. I custom made it from fabrics of her choosing. The outside is from Amy Butler, and it is lined with a quilting fabric from Michael Miller. Olivia liked the lining because it has "O's" all over it, so she felt it would be Olivia's Bag, and noone else's!

Another Giveaway

Despite my best efforts to take a break, there's just a lot going on that I have to share with you! I'm participating in a giveaway on someone else's blog. And it's a big one! We're giving away this new bag that I just finished! If you're interested in playing, you'll have to do a little work. Head on over to Erin's Blog: Pour Some Sugar On Me to find further details. If you don't want to deal with the tweeting and the following (and if you don't know what I'm talking about, this giveway might not be the one for you), that's okay! You can admire my handiwork here and I will try and offer another bag giveaway sometime in the future here in the safety of my own blog. But this is a really great bag, so it's worth a little effort!

Brian and I had a lovely dinner last night together. We ate at a restaraunt called the Iron Rabbit, which serves really delicious fancy food in a casual setting. It was fun to be "out on the town" on our own (thank-You Melissa and James for watching our girl)! Thanks to our friends here for the Birthday wishes!

Story of a Bag: The End

This is the end of my tiny story of two big bags. Remember in my post a few days ago, I said that I wanted to take some better pictures of the Fireweed bag? Well, I sold it before I got the chance! So we'll have to make do with these cloudy day pictures until I make the next one. And while making these bags I remembered a great little tip that was passed on from my Great Grandmother, Ina. To keep her pins sharp, she would scrape the pin lightly through her hair before she inserted the pin into the fabric. The purpose of this was to put a micro layer of oil onto the pin so that it slid more easily into the fabric. I had purchased some new pins and they were very "sticky" when I was trying to work with them. I tried Grandma Ina's trick, and it really works! She actually would stuff her pincushions with the hair from her hairbrush and swore that it kept her pins in fine working order better than anything else.

I also have a little bit of news from my other shop at Art Garage Sale: there's a BIG BIG giveaway happening sponsored by 16 artists from the Art Garage, including me! You can enter the giveaway at ScoutieGirl for your chance to win ALL 16 items! This is a value of over $600.00 worth of great handmade items, including one of my wallets. HOORAY for free art!

All Done, Part One

Finally, I have finished the Story bags. I will feature one today, and it is the one that will ship off to my Mom. It reminds me of pansies, even though the shapes aren't right, the color overwhelmingly says "Pansy" to me. I have finished the other bag, but I was unhappy with the photo shoot: cloudy days just are the worst, and I can't stand shooting with artificial lighting... sunshine tomorrow, I hope!

Another Bag!

Finally, I finished the two bags that I've been working on. I sold one, and one remains (but hopefully not for long).

My favorite quilt store, Ruby Street Quiltworks, had an April Fool's Day sale, and so I schemed and planned and arrived today with my fabric budget clutched tightly to me. Amazingly, I didn't go over budget because the sale was so great (buy 2 yards and get one free!). So I got a lot more fabric for bags and scarves and wallets, and... you get the idea. I'm exhausted though! Too many endorphines from all of that great fabric shopping!

Sunshine in a Bag

Well, I FINALLY finished a bag to sell (it's on my Etsy site now) and I feel so good! I'm hoping to have two more finished in the coming days. But for now, let's just enjoy one at a time. This one is made from heavy weight cotton twill and canvas. The pretty parts are from Anna Maria Horner's fabric lines. It has NINE pockets and a key fob to keep you organized. Plus it's so pretty to look at!

Little Birdy Bag

Well, I've finally finished the diaper bag that I've been working on for what seems like forever! It came out well, I think, and my girlfriend is finding it useful! I made it using a lovely firm wool fabric, and also fabric from the AMAZING Michelle Engel Bencsko of Cicada Daydream. The fabric is linen and is her original design. Isn't it sweet? It took me a while to get this bag designed the way I wanted, but after using the prototype for a while, I made some changes and I think it's now ready to declare as "perfect!" It features two pleated end pockets, a bank of three pockets under the flap plus a zippered pocket, and three interior pockets. Also, it has a key fob inside the bag (not too long; I hate having to fish for my keys) and a D-ring just under the flap to attach a toy or a pacifier. The cool thing about this bag is that it can be used as a bookbag instead of a diaper bag; it's versatile! I guess I'm feeling a little bit proud of myself. Let me know what you think!

Messenger Bag/Diaper Bag-Prototype

Messanger Bag/Diaper Bag-Prototype
Originally uploaded by BCharmer

Well, my daughter is starting kindergarten this month, and at the same time I got asked to design a diaper bag for a local natural baby boutique. I thought, why not combine one design and make it flexible enough to have two functions. So after much pattern cutting and measuring and thinking, this new messanger style bookbag/diaper bag was born. So my daughter is having her first day at kindergarten BY HERSELF today. I have been there for a week and a half every day to make sure that everyone feels safe and comfortable (Mom, included). But this nifty bookbag is in Bronwyn's cubby, and it makes me glad for her to have such a friendly and stylish accessory that was designed by me and made with my two hands with love for her. After using it for a while, I have decided to make a few small changes to it, but for the most part, I think it's great.