New Bag

I have been volunteering to do some pattern testing for Kathy at Pink Chalk Studio, now also of Pink by Post. The latest (and my favorite so far) is this great bag that she calls the Mail Sack. I tested it in March and she released the pattern officially last week. This is my original version, made from her original pattern with no alterations or corrections. There were some small alterations made in the final version of the pattern and I am planning on making the final version in more neutral colors ( I have been dressing to match the bag). It is the perfect bottomless bag. I took it to a track meet last week and had an umbrella, sunscreen, sunglasses, a water bottle, a fleece pullover and all my usual notebooks, wallet, pens... in it. I found the bag easy to make and learned some new techniques with it. Kathy does a great job of writing instructions in a way that seems conversational instead of formal and technical. She is also amazingly generous and kind, so go visit her sites.
The outside view. It is made out out hoarded Amy Butler and Heather Bailey fabrics with matching linen.
The inside has a zipper pocket and 2 other pockets for sunglasses, etc.

It is meant to be worn across the body sling style. Unfortunately, this is the only picture I have of me wearing it that way. You can see it in the reflection.

April!

I am not a big fan of April Fool's Day. I do not like to be surprised or tricked, so the day really holds no big draw for me. However, I am married to someone who LOVES that kind of stuff and have 2 little girls who think surprises are great fun. So yesterday we did some minor surprises and just silly things. We did breakfast at lunch which was pancakes. I snuck some raisins in them and we made a big deal about there being bugs in the pancakes. Then I told everyone we were having desert for supper. I found this recipe on the Family Fun website. They are basically meat loaf cupcakes with mashed potato frosting. As you can see by the second picture, they looked totally real. Curt knew something was up, but wasn't sure what. Good fun all around.

This past weekend, I went to a quilt retreat with 12 other ladies. This was part of my Christmas present from my mom. We had a great time and got a lot done but not a lot of sleep. Still feeling it. I spent a big chunk of time machine quilting a quilt that my sister had put together using an IKEA shower curtains and an old sheet... good recycling hey? (You can click the pictures to make them bigger if you want).
This is the aftermath of my quilting weekend. Now I am so far behind on cleaning and the yard is finally thawing enough to do some outside work. It feels overwhelming, but I am trying to just take it all in little chunks. At least this pile is a pretty mess.
Overall, just thankful that it is April and maybe, just maybe the weather will improve and with it my mood.

Because my public (or Sarah) demands an Update

The girls received a real sewing machine for Christmas from my mom. My aunt gave them a bunch of fabric all pre-cut into 5 inch squares and little sewing kits. At this point, Abi is only able to control the foot pedal, but it is a start. She layed out the fabric squares the way she wanted them and we worked together to make her first little quilt for her stuffed kitty. I just used fleece for the back so that we didn't have to use batting, but it still feels like a quilt. We just did a quick turn and then topstitched the edges. Used the zig-zag stitch down the middle of the seams to quilt it all together and in less than an hour she had made her first quilt. She and Emma have each made another one since, as well as 2 little pillows.

Last Saturday was her Princess Party. She loved the outfit that mom and I made for her. We had a princess party for Emma when she turned 4 and have similar pictures of her and Curt dancing. I treasure the pictures so much and understand that all too soon they will pictures of them dancing at their weddings with their daddy.
This is my feeble attempt at a princess castle. There may have been cursing involved. I started out the day thinking how much fun it would be to plan children's parties and decorate cakes as a side job. By the time I was done with this, all of those plans had completely fled out the window. All the Princesses had a wonderful time. They are popping balloons that had jewelry inside in the picture below. We were all quite tired when the party was done, but I think everyone lived happily ever after. The End.

Thankful for my sewing machine

My sewing machine has been in the shop for 3 weeks and I got it back Tuesday. I was getting a little twitchy! So last night I was able to put in a couple of hours of sewing therapy. I finished up my project today and I present you with my new fall bag, just in time for my weekend away. Just like the garden thing, I am so thankful that I can sew because I want to, not because I have to (I have been reading a lot of pioneer time books lately and have a new appreciation for modern technology).




The fabric was a gift from Kira as a thank you for helping with her wedding. I don't usually like pink, but I really like this fabric. It was suppossed to be lined with a green cotton, but that didn't work out, so I lined it with green wool felt with purple felt pockets (you can kind of see them in the second photo). Very appropriate for fall and gives it a nice stiffness. I like the dimensions of it a lot. Did I write them down though, so I can make it again? Of course not!