Glory, Hallelujah!

This past month I was on a crafty kick which also means I was frustrated, in creative overload and hating my husband because I don't have enough money. 
Of course, all these things past, but as much as I love crafts and creating things, it always comes with a price.  It cost to do them and my house pays the cost of neglect.  I've gotta get a better system.
I'm not poor, but I live on a budget.  Being creative is not easy to live on a budget even with the DIY projects.  It's why in most cases I avoid doing too many crafts or any project because the moment I walk into a Hobby Lobby/JoAnn's/Michaels, I leave wanting it all and thinking what can I sell on craigslist to get more money.  It's never a good thing.  I feel guilty for wanting.

On a happier note. . . I still craft regardless.  I've decided if you hold a creative person back and don't let them use some of their creativity juices, they will explode and you mine as well had put them in a mental institute.  :)  Can't hold me back.

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With this past project, it was a little unexpected and probably the most challenging project I've done in the tote bag world. 
My mother-in-law asked for one of my bags for here birthday.  I wasn't sure if she was serious.  I hesitated.  Then I panicked.  She is one of the best seamstresses I know and she is very particular.  She may say she isn't but I've watched her sew!  I'm not a good seamstress.  I don't follow patterns.  I just like to do color combos on something useful.  As long as she could look pass all my stitching, we would be good.
The challenge began.  I wanted this bag to represent Gloria and still have my touch to it.  The colors she loves were easy.  Finding that perfect color combo was not.  She likes things with bling but she never wears anything with bling.  She loves to quilt but never seems to buy colors that she is purely satisfied with.  I needed to find something in the middle--not too bright, with bling, pattern but conservative and style.  Once I found the perfect fabric it was smooth sailing from there. . .not so much.
I felt like I was on some kind of design TV show and my next design was going to keep me or cut me.  I changed the layout at least four to five times.  Gloria loves blues and purples and reds but more in the burgundy department with the reds, essentially all cool colors.  I finally realized this purse needed something to balance it, something. . .warm.  I could not resist I had to add some gold.  It was in the fabric in little spouts throughout the design.  Once I added it I finally felt satisfied and was ready to sew.

 This navy fabric I found was so cute that I had to buy it!  I was aching to use it somewhere on this bag but it never seemed to work.

 The navy fabric finally got cut.  It will show up eventually somewhere in one of my projects.

I changed it about three or four more times.
In the end, I was happy with the result and Gloria seemed to love the fabrics I chose which was what mattered most to me.  The bag turned out larger than I planned (I've really got create my own pattern).  A lady of only 4'11", a big bag is not ideal.  I added a pocket and an extra piece at the top to give that binding look you might see on a quilt.  The pocket I thought would be simple but trying to blend it in with the fabric was more difficult than I thought and I know have a great appreciation for people that work in upholstery.  I was grateful for this challenge.  It opened up the Pandora's box of my brain with new things and ways to go with my bag designs.  Though it took me almost two months to make this bag, I am so glad I did.

 

 

As I heard the Battle Hymn of Republic strum through my mind when I finished this bag, and felt like I had won the war, there was no doubt this bag was getting named Glory, Hallelujah!

The other project was Pinterest/mother inspired.  I went to help my mom make a door hanging for her visiting teacher and it turned out so cute I decided to do some.
It was one of my sister's that I visit's birthday this past month. As I've been getting to know her I knew this would be something she liked.  I was so excited to give it to her! 
She was so cute and surprised when I gave it to her.  She said only one other person ever got her anything.  I was so glad then that I had done something to let her know that I think of her and that she is loved.

 

I was thrilled with how this turned out!  Now I've thought of about 20 more I would love to do for others.  Now that, I don't have the money for!

Better Late Than Never

My life seems to be backing up, piling up and I'm somewhere lost in all the mess.  I admire all those super punctual, organized people who have it together and they have these wonderful systems to get through life without lacking behind.
 I'm not one of those people. 
Not even close.
A matter of fact, my mind runs so fast I can't even keep up with my own thoughts.  This may be a sign of a mental issue, it may be normal, regardless it's me.  I'm pretty sure the world of technology and ideas for just about anything at my fingertips, does not help my case.  Maybe one day it will get better.
Until then, I will remain a gazillion days behind on all my thoughts and projects and hope that my duty of motherhood is a fair enough excuse for all the lagging.

Now that I've got that out of the way. . . refocus. 

Last school year I decided to attempt my teacher bags again.  I wasn't quite as enthused but they turned out.  Several things had piled up into this last week of school.  One was our house had officially gone under contract and we were in the process of possibly moving with a very close deadline.  Then we decided this may not be the right decision.  I was emotional stressed and distracted.
On the bright side of things,  I was more involved and got to know the teachers a bit better this year.  This helped in the process.  I cannot make a bag without some inspiration from the actual person.

SHARP
She was an outgoing and easy going person.  She loved Liam.  He loved her.  She loved bright colors I could tell just from being around her.  Then she said her favorite colors were pink, red and lime green.  When I saw this fabric I couldn't resist.  I lined it with lime green.  The front I added some 3-D effects that flowed with the flowers.  I loved this bag so much I almost kept it for myself!

DAVIS

This one was easy.  Mrs. Davis is the perfect example of Southern, classy lady.  Sweet demeanor, soft spoken, always smiling and stylish.  Favorite color was a teal green.  I saw this beautiful material with all the soft colors, BINGO.  I made this tote smaller than my normal bags.  Enough to hold a book or two but not large.  The bottom was something new That I tried.  It wasn't going together as smoothly as I envisioned, but it ended up with the result I wanted.  Chevron is a beast to work with, I might add.  I chose a flower with points instead of round like the previous bag to flow with the bohemian pattern. The sash was something I decided at the last minute to throw in to create a simple finishing touch.  I couldn't decide which side to put it on.  What do you think?

 

CHRISTOL
This bag just turned out cute and the response from the teacher was worth every minute put into the bag!  This is probably the simplest bag I have ever put together.  Not ruffles, flowers, or 3-D extras.  This was plain and simple.  This bag was large because I knew the teacher still had little children.  We need large bags with small kids!  Her favorite colors were the school colors--red and blue.  I had to be very careful to avoid a patriotic bag.  I also have a rule to never use just two colors-- never.  I needed a third color.
She decorated her class with Snoopy and I kept thinking of the yellow bird like things on the cartoons.  Mrs. Christol is also one of those people you meet and know she teaches elementary school.  So, when I came across this awesome gold polka dot fabric I knew I had to use it with something.  Her bag.  I was pleased with how it turned out.

Leslie

I have so many things I want to blog about or at least get some of my thoughts down and never do.  I wish I had one of those magic feathers like in Harry Potter that wrote down everything while you spoke.  I need one of those while I'm doing dishes and cleaning when all these little thoughts come to my mind.
Until then, I at least wanted to post some of my most recent projects. 

LESLIE
This bag was not easy for me to do.  I couldn't be satisfied with the fabric and then I kept changing the design of how I wanted it to look.  I knew I wanted to get this done in time for me to deliver over the holidays.  Leslie was our neighbor that let us stay with her and her family while we were in transition of moving.  She helped watch Marshall for me while I made bags for the teachers.  I knew then I wanted to make her one I just didn't know how I wanted to do it.
She is one of the kindest people I know, who is a good mother, strong faith, loves pink, looks lovely in purple, sentimental, thoughtful, loves babies, works hard and enjoys gardening.  And with our time together at her home I learned she liked ruffles.  She's very girly.

 With this bag I was going for a different shape.  At first the bag seemed so big and it was big!  She likes the  big kind of bags, I've heard her say but I was still kind of leery about it.  (Later I realized it was big because I had made the bag with the leftover fabric not the part that I had originally cut out.)

 I also tried my seams in different places.  I did one in the back and one on the bottom instead of two on the side.  I also have to do this so that I don't have upside down fabric anywhere.  I didn't think it would make to much of a difference but I was wrong.  I still liked it.

 I always do something vertical or horizontal on the front of the bags I make.  With this particular fabric I couldn't seem to find anything that coordinated the way I wanted or didn't hide/take away from the pattern.  Then I thought I would try a 3-D effect going with the leaves and flowers, but I knew I needed the flower to pop and that's where I put a completely different color, purple. . .because I think Leslie looks beautiful in purple.

I was pleased with the outcome, but doing this bag differently than my others I realize several things I will do differently if I try this design again.  I just hope her bag doesn't fall apart.

Webb and Schumpert

Another thing on my bucket list was to make the boys' teacher totes for their teachers.  I work on getting to know the teachers all year so that I can make them these bags.  This time with moving I didn't think I would get them done.  I made sure to not pack my sewing machine and I sewed while we were living in our little one-bedroom abode.

Webb-ster

Mrs. Webb's favorite color is blue.  She is laid back and traveling constantly with her daughter's softball team.  We talk about books all the time.  As-a-matter-of-fact, she recommends my reading recommendations to other teachers in the school and realized I have a "book club" of about 8 or 9!  Wish I had taken advantage of that and known, at least I recommended clean books, whew.  She isn't frilly at all and has a bit of a modern side.  You just think of summer when you see her.  So, as I browsed the fabric over and over at the store when I saw this one I knew it was just what I wanted--on sale or not.

Buying the fabric is the hardest but my favorite part.  I really try to study "my subjects" and find just what's right for them.  Make it personal.  This was a heavy duty fabric that could handle those softball games and traveling.  It has more white than I would like but it should wash well.  It's hard to tell but the stitch across the yellow is a leaf pattern that mimics some of the pattern in the fabric.  I also didn't do any finishes on the edges so that they could fray over time.  The worn look will be natural and handle her busy lifestyle.  I gave her a book as well to kick off the summer.

 

Suzy Schumpert

Liam's teacher I didn't get to work with as often and it was hard to know what kind of bag she would need.  But when I saw this fabric I immediately thought of her and what I wanted to do.  I knew I would do ruffles for her.

She loves to garden and travel.  She is classy, girly and loves the colors blue, red, and pink.  This was a no-brainer.  This fabric is gorgeous and it had her written all over it.  I thought "this will be a quick bag."  I love when I know just what I want to do.

Talk about a nightmare!  The fabric pattern went a certain way so I had to sew it more like a pillowcase instead of the normal way.  Then I had to determine where the bottom would be and how wide so I could judge how many ruffles I should make (because that all had to be sewn on first).  The math was getting complicated on this one and I was starting to lose it.  When I finally figured that out I had to decide what size I wanted the ruffles, which was trial and error.  There is no easy way to measure ruffles.  Thank goodness I have a ruffler--yeah right, I only broke one needle, apparently was trying to sew with a bent one causing ALL kinds of problems, and lots of knotted stitches.  It was about a day just with ruffles and I had no phone to call my sewing machine guy for help.  This is why you always keep the manual by your side!  I finally got it all figured out and finished the bag.

It was huge!  So big I thought I might have to redo it.  I had my friend test it out to make sure it wasn't too large.  She thought it was perfect and convinced me to keep it that size. 



I miss her (our neighbor we were living with).  I need to make her a bag.

Queen Jen

This bag was for one of the "Bonus Brother" wives.  She's such a fun person that just amazes me.  And she laughs at my jokes.  Bless her soul.  Her original pet name was She-Diddy (long story) but considering that can be a mouthful, for obvious reasons I renamed her "Queen Jen." 

Purple is her favorite color.  That's perfectly suitable for a queen since purple represents royalty.  I couldn't just go with purple though so I coordinated a few other colors that I thought were attractive on her and made the bag mature looking.  Unfortunately, the bag was a surprise and I didn't have time to take a picture earlier and so while trying to hide and get a pic at her house, I couldn't manage to get a decent one.  These will just have to do.

It didn't turn out quite as I would have liked, though I still like it.  However, Jen I'm more than happy to make you another one.  This wasn't my best work, I felt.

Hot and Cold

So I guess I've kind of started a tradition by making bags for my kids' teachers. This year I decided to take the boys with me and let them pick out the fabric. I told them to pick out what made them think of their teacher the most.

Lesson #1: Do not go fabric shopping with four boys.

Lesson #2: I love that my boys have a love for color as I do. But arguing with an 8 year old over what matches best can be exhausting.

Over all they both had a great eye for what looked good and suited their teacher best. Their teachers were both excited and loved their bags. (It was also a nice report to get from last year's teacher that she still uses her bag, has washed it, and it's still going strong. That's a relief. I always worry about them falling apart.)

These bags I call HOT and COLD. One, the boys are polar opposites in everything they do and their teachers pretty much are too. But I also chose these names because the colors of the fabric that were chosen.

HOT--Ms. Sherrod

This was picked out by Tipton. His teacher loves all colors but Tipton said she loves Tennessee football. What's more appropriate, right? I almost wouldn't mind having this bag for myself considering my favorite color is orange. Especially the fabric on the strip and handles. . .I need to find a place for that fabric in my house. I loved it! Tipton approved my design and requested that it have a ribbon. I randomly came across this hot pink gingham ribbon on my counter. He thought it looked great and I have to say I liked it myself. But it was still standing plain so I decided to add a simple pink flower to finish it off. Normally, I like to add some cool colors to balance things out but the two purple strips were just going to have to do I felt nothing else was needed. So we loaded it up with some chocolates, and card and story written by Tipton. He could not WAIT to give her her present. COLD--Mrs. Ownby

Blue's her favorite color. She and her husband are TN football season ticket owners. I knew just where to go with this bag after Liam and me finally came to an agreement on fabric. Liam put a lot of thought into these fabrics. He thought of her lunch sack and clothes that she wears. He was very pleased when he found this fabric. I think it's quite beautiful myself. His teacher is a little more frilly, traditional, reserved. I wanted to put all that in this bag. She also loves to read and scrapbook so I knew that I needed this to be a deep bag to fit all her goodies. I couldn't resist adding some purple just because and I needed just a little pop of warmth to be satisfied with this bag. . . surprise! I chose orange. It just seemed fitting.

Little Projects

Since I've decide that it's all a joke and this baby is never coming, I mine as well get a few things done, right? Nothing major but gotta stayed occupied.
Recently, my little niece was baptized. I want to make her a little scripture tote for her new scriptures. I wanted to do something a little different than your normal tote. I knew her scriptures would be the small kind and so I made the bag to hold them upright not the sideways option. I wanted to do this for Liam but it's kind of hard to come up with a "manly" bag. I'm gonna have to get more creative. Back to the subject. . . I had some fabric left over and thought it might work. Then I decided I wanted to make it more girly and it needed flowers, not ruffles. I was pretty pleased how they turned out. Thanks Cally for your tutorial. The buttons I just happen to have around the house. I actually enjoyed sitting down and making the tote. It took my mind off of having this baby for once.

This project is posted pretty late. I had been trying to think of what to do with the food storage #10 cans when I finished with the food. I just couldn't throw them away. At the time it was football season and I finally got inspired. . . bean bag toss. On the back of the cans are points for them to toss the bean bags into. It will be great for tailgating next year. They aren't beautiful, but I already had the spray paint and we made the stencil ourselves. This was 100% FREE. Can't beat that! Plus, the kids think they are awesome. Unfortunately, I don't have a great place to store them so now they have become storage for other things. One holds socks that have lost their match decoratively sitting in the laundry room. I love double purpose items.
I've also decided that my extra cans next time I will use to give as gift items. They would be great to fill with sports things, sweet treats or whatever!

Beautiful Burnette

These flowers don't really have anything to do with my following pictures. I just thought they were beautiful and matched the bag I recently made. I call this bag "Beautiful Burnette," not brunette. This was for Liam's amazing first grade teacher. I really did love her. I know it's only Liam's second teacher but as a mom it's been so wonderful seeing someone care about my child and his learning.I chose to make her a bag because she loves to read and every time I volunteered we would discuss books and talk about the characters like they were real people. I love that! I also learned that her favorite colors were pink, green, and blue. I couldn't' find a blue that I was satisfied with so I stuck to the happy combo of pink and green. Mrs. Burnette is also very girlie and I felt I needed to make this bag just as girlie.
I was pleased with the outcome. (Autumn give me your bag back. I'm embarrassed. I will make you a new one.) The only problem that I ran into was that I soon learned after my plan for the bag that she had just gotten a Nook. I figured there wouldn't be much need for a bag anymore and she would need a cover for that cool new gadget.
This led me to the "nook" cover. It was going badly. I couldn't seem to create what was in my mind. FRUSTRATING!!! I had to do it twice. Unsuccesful.
Third time's a charm, maybe? In this picture I am realizing that the elastic is very crooked. I had a much different vision here to hold the nook but that elastic was not cooperating and I had to come up with something.I now have created the trifold cover. I actually liked it better.I don't know what's up with this pic but that one side of the bag really isn't all lopsided.

"Ghostbusta"

Ah, a year later plus some more I've finally finished ONE more project on my list. This project seems like it's been going on for at least 10 years. It was one of my most challenging projects. There were a few days that I was ready to just throw it to the monsters.

This purse is for Autumn. My thought process in this was, well. . . crazy. Autumn is my sister-in-law, who is beyond talented. She can cook, write, dance, (probably sing), make crazy, amazing cards, etc. I was sure the one thing she didn't do was sew. So that was my first instinct to sew her something, but what? (I'll just mention it took me so darn long to complete this project that she started sewing and making purses. Who would have guessed?)

I had no choice but to continually study her blog and learn everything about her. Ok, I stalked her.

The result, Ghostbusters. I renamed it "Ghostbusta" to sound more feminine. Not sure that it really does. The red band and handles is where the design all began. It was inspired by the red symbol around the ghost.

I knew that Autumn liked every color pretty much except purple and I never miss an opportunity to put every color together. I knew just what I was looking for. The blue/gray/green floral I chose for her because it's feminine and all colors that I think she looks good in. The bottom of the bag is gold with flowers which made me think of the Golden Globes, Emmy's and other Hollywood awards made of gold. The side panels are black and whited striped. I immediately associate this pattern with wicked witches and horror films. This was a must for a girl who loves a good, scary movie that is slightly twisted and psychedelic. With that I knew I needed pink in the lining. Because every girl is "Pretty in Pink." It was a must. It was also why this project went on hold for about 5 months. I finally found something that I was satisfied with and Voila! The purse FINALLY finished.

Autumn I hope you like it but please don't feel obligated to carry it. My feelings won't be hurt.