Dear Baby Jane

John went back to work today after having a week off. I wish I could say I had been more productive when I had the extra set of hands, but instead I lazed around. Oddly enough, this morning I was up early, made a to-go breakfast for John, cleaned up the living room and got a start on our piles of laundry. I guess it has something to do with everyday routine.

I did have a little panic attack when I realized that my upcoming craft show is less than two weeks away. I really wanted to get a lot of things done while John was home, but it just didn't happen. Now it will be crunch time and I'm hoping to have enough for the show. The last one I did was only one day, but this one is two days! Yikes.

Meanwhile, I did finish my blocks for the Dear Baby Jane project. Some of them are a little wonky, but I am liking how they are coming out. Hopefully I can keep up with making these! I'm wondering how long it's going to take to put together though ;)

Log Cabin Goodness

Oh, you have no idea how good it was to read all the comments from fellow crafting slobs (as Kirsten put it). I am glad I'm not the only one with piles of fabrics and scraps. You never know when you might need such things!

I was able to push through the creative block and sew a little yesterday. As for the piles of fabric, they are still there. And I don't think they're going anywhere anytime soon. They may very well be there until the craft fair too.


I did finish the outside of this bag. I had the idea to make this bag for probably a year. For some reason or another, I never got around to sewing it. I was thoroughly inspired by this bag by Pink Lemonade Boutique. I love love that bag!


I am very happy with the way it came out. I just have to hand sew the lining in tonight while John's at work. You know, because I can't sew in my room when he's home because I'm a scaredy cat. Hand sewing is perfect for those times.


I am most proud of my very straight quilting on the back. Actually, I'm really impressed with myself, if you don't mind me saying. It's amazing how easy sewing straight lines is if you draw them on first! I hope the back isn't too boring compared to the front. What do you think? It does take a while to do the log cabins, so I was pretty much doing just the front to save time. I had originally intended to do the quilted panel for the bottom, but ended up doing a print. That was just suggestion and I rather like it. I see many more of these bags in my future!

Today we have wonderful, gorgeous warm weather. So, I'm going to enjoy that and some sewing this weekend. I hope you all have a good one!

Messiness

I'm finally getting back in the swing of things. We had a nice extended trip to Rochester to visit my sister and other family. And boy was it cold! I think my sister wanted to kill me for all the complaints of the weather. Although I felt especially validated in my complaints after coming home to 60 degree weather from the 30's we had felt when we left!

John has off from work this week and I'm trying to catch up on some much needed sewing. I have a craft fair in less than a month that I am totally unprepared for! It always seems that my brain goes into overdrive when I need to sew, making it more difficult to actually sew. Does that make sense?
I also need to tackle this mess in my sewing room. I can probably attribute my lack of productiveness to this. But, this is how I work best. I need to see all my fabrics out, be inspired by them, and then put them all away at once. And of course, repeat that cycle again. Anyone else do the same? I hope I'm not the only one ;)

Alright, I'm off to take advantage of having daddy home during the day. Hopefully I can get some things accomplished!

Another Project

Ah, you guys are amazing! Thank you for all the suggestions and well wishes for my dryer. (And for Isaiah). As it turns out, the bleach and towel trick did not work exactly. I ended up spraying Clorox Clean up in the dryer and then running it a few times with some towels. Most of the pen came off, but more than likely the rest will permanently look like a smurf took a nap in there. Which is fine, as long as it doesn't come off on the clothes.

Isaiah is feeling fine now. I'm not sure what was going on with him, but a few tylenol and a couple of swigs of Mucinex and he was " all better" (to quote him). He is back to making messes for me to clean up, which is just wonderful considering the amount of laundry I needed to catch up on. But, I'm sure I'm not the only one with a laundry problem.
After all this happened, I needed a distraction. Which of course meant a new project. As if I needed another project. So I started the Juliet. My friend Stephanie has been working hard on hers and I've been envious ever since she started it. After the dryer episode the other day, I bought all the supplies and have been working on it ever since. I really like the color of this yarn. It's more purple than this picture shows. It's Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. The only problem is that this yarn is very stretchy. I'm having a hard time deciding what size to make because I have a feeling that it'll only stretch more with wear. So, I'll probably try the medium. We'll see if it can fit a nice busty girl. I'll be taking this on our car trip tomorrow. And maybe I'll take Isaiah's sweater with me. Yet another project I haven't finished. I haven't quite yet figured out how to do the sleeves. That may require another trip to the yarn shop ;)

A good start to the day....

I could have entitled this "10 Reasons I shouldn't kill my husband" or "Why I hate doing laundry". But, the anger is subsiding. Sort of. Can you see all those spots in my dryer? Yes, that would be a pen that exploded in the dryer. By the way, our dryer is only about 3 months old. So this all pen. And I didn't get a picture of the little spots all over the laundry. John apparently did not take a pen out of his pocket before putting the pants in the dirty pile. I suppose part of it is my fault for not checking the pockets. But when you're tired and not wanting to do laundry anyway, who has time to check the pockets? Right. Am I right??

Anyway, I've tried magic eraser, and it's taking way too much elbow grease to get even the smallest stain out. I've googled and found some good answers. It seems like the best thing to do is soak some white cloths in water and bleach and dry it. Although I don't think I have any bleach.

And it looks like I have a sick kid on my hands. He's laying in my bed as we speak, with no signs of getting up. Very usual for a child that is usually up by 7:30am. I'm hoping he's just reeling from the long weekend we had. Fingers crossed.

Where has the week gone?

Phew, that was a little unintended blog break. I've spent the last two days dealing with a sinus headache that never seemed to disappear. One day, I even had to take night time Tylenol Sinus because that's all I could find. Luckily, Isaiah took a four hour nap and I was able to rest. Today is feeling like a good day. It's supposed to be a high of 63, which is just perfect for me. I'm happy it's Friday and I'm looking forward to a weekend of sewing.

I did finish 7 clutches this week. Can you tell I'm really loving this pattern? I've had several people ask if I'm going to be selling this pattern. The answer is yes, but it is taking me a while to get the pattern pieces drawn up and directions figured out. I'm in cahoots with Stephanie to get her pattern out there too! Does anyone have any advice for us? We'd both like to know a good printing company that won't cost us an arm and a leg, or require us to order a minimum of 1000 pieces.

I'm also working on my first knit garment for Isaiah. It's going to be a hooded cardigan, hopefully. I've finished the back, and almost finished one sleeve. I do need some help, experience knitters. On the sleeve, I'm having a gap problem where the DPNs meet. It's not huge, but any suggestions on how to prevent this from happening?? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Shop Update

Good Monday everyone. I am thoroughly enjoying this extra hour of sunlight and the promise of spring upon us. Now only if it would warm up a little!

I've spend a good time updating my shop and sewing today. So, if you'd like to take a look here are a few things that I've uploaded today. Perhaps you could help lighten my load a little. I'm trying to destash and sift through all my thrift finds. I know I have a whole bin in the attic that I keep meaning to take down. Anyway, here's what you can find over there (including the teacups above):

And I'll even throw in free shipping if you mention you read my blog in the message to seller.

Another Wristlet

Well, I'm definitely in the sewing groove. I have been sewing everyday and it feels so good to be continuously inspired. I finished another wristlet today. It's just so happy and bright. Perfect for spring and summer. Of course I used some more Ginger Blossom and Amy Butler. At the rate I'm going, I may be making another GB buy soon. Although I'm hoping all this inspiration and hard work will start to spill over on all the other piles of fabric I own!


I may do an etsy shop update tonight. So if you're interested in anything I've shown in the past week, check it out!

For the love of Blossoms

Do you know how much I love Ginger Blossom? Perhaps you would have guessed by now. But I do. It's just, well, dreamy. I made this wallet the other night. I really like the design. It's sturdy thanks to some double sided fusible extra stiff interfacing.
The only problem is hand finishing the binding. It's a bit tough on the fingers because of the interfacing. I managed to finish it while watching The Darjeeling Limited with John. Have you seen that movie? I loved it. Owen Wilson is great.


Oh, and one more thing. I'm participating (or will be soon, ahem) in Anina's Dear Baby Jane project and I've been trying to decide what color palette to use. I really think I want to use Reds and Aquas, so my request to you, dear blog friends, does anyone have any scraps that they're willing to part with? They need to probably be at least 2"-3" big, but could be bigger. I would prefer vintage-y type prints, but I won't be too picky ;) I'd be down with a little swap if anyone's interested. Anyway, e-mail me at katiebhandbags@gmail.com if you are.

Definitely a Good Thing

Yesterday I received my swap package from my Martha Good Things swap. My partner was Veronica and I was seriously spoiled. I knew she was talented when I saw this room of hers, so I was really looking forward to my package from her. She sent this cute button stamps, which I've already had fun playing with.
This sewing jar, filled with the cutest vintage trims.

A darling needle book (which I of course forgot to take a picture of). And the piece de resistance : two picture frames decorated with dried beans.
I don't even want to know how long these took, but they're gorgeous. Now of course I feel like a bad swap hostess because I sent out my package very late. And not that I could show you anyway, because in my rush I forgot to take pictures too! Anyway, I'm hoping that you'll like it all Veronica! Thanks so much for all the goodies!!

Bag turned wristlet

Are you sick of my new favorite pattern yet? I thought I'd try it out clutch/wristlet size. I'm not sure how much I like this size, but I may play around with it. I'm having a difficult time with interfacing lately. I hate all the choices of interfacing at Joann's. A few months ago I had a 50% off coupon and I bought a whole bolt of fusible interfacing. Now I'm falling out of love with it because it is very crinkly. It's pretty stiff, but ick. I hate the wrinkles. Maybe next time I'll opt for the sew in interfacing. For the wristlet I tried fusible fleece, which I normally love, but it's pretty bulky in the zipper area. Anyone have any input on the whole interfacing situation??


We're having lovely spring weather today, which I am thoroughly enjoying. It is really windy though. Isaiah made me laugh so hard when we were outside saying, "Too windy, go away wind." I couldn't agree more!

Amy Butler Inspired Bag

So I did actually sit down today and make a bag for the Amy Butler/Craftzine contest. It's the same pattern as the bag from yesterday, except the handles are different. I'm not sure which version I like better yet, but I don't think I've found a handle that I truly like yet. My friend Stephanie and I were talking about this contest last week. Have you seen her beautiful bag? I think she's a sure winner!
At first I wasn't sure that I was going to participate, but I got some last minute inspiration. The thought of winning a $2000 sewing machine certainly helped too. I'm sure that I won't win as there are many other great bags out there, but it's worth a shot. I can't win anything if I don't enter, right? Perhaps I'd have a better shot if I could take pictures at night!! I can't wait for those long days of sun! Anyway, I hope you all have a great weekend!

From Sketch to Bag

Usually when I get new fabric, it sits around for a while before I can bring myself to cut it. But yesterday, after I received all that beautiful Ginger Blossom, I was so inspired and itching to use them right away. I even risked some on a new design that I sketched last night. I had originally intended to use some leather at the top, but I didn't have any of the right color to use. Although this pattern needs a little tweaking, I'm pretty happy with the way it came out. I think it could use a good ironing too. And perhaps a little more care sewing the curves. It's amazing what you start noticing after you take pictures!!
If I can get my act together tonight, I may try to get one finished in Amy Butler fabric for the craftzine contest. We'll see about that.

Oh Happy Day!

It's a good day when your mailman shows up at your door with a box stuffed with this


Don't judge me because I just want to take a nap on it. Now, stop drooling and go buy yourself some. Go ahead, be bad, I won't tell your husbands.

You Know You Have a Problem when...

The back of your couch looks like this...and you got a library card just to check out these books...and your cutting table (for sewing) now has this project on it....And mind you I have a show that I have nothing done for in a month. I'm glad I'm not the only one with Craft ADD.

Finished Blocks

After knitting all week, I finally took my sewing machine out from hiding. I had shoved it (literally) under a table a few minutes before guests arrived last week for Isaiah's birthday party. I hadn't missed it much, until I realized that I made a permanent dent in our couch while knitting, and it was then I decided it was time to sew again. This afternoon I finished up the last of the blocks for the quilt-along. Now is the hard part deciding how to put it together. Amanda's way looks very nice, but I'm not sure I want to cut up so many squares! I think I'll ponder it for a few days before I do anything else. There are some nice layouts in the flickr group, but it still is so hard to decide. I may just cave in and do it Amanda's way, but we'll see. Sometimes it hard being such an indecisive person!

Oh, Hello There!

Wow! I've been away for so long. John told me that my blog was getting boring, and I needed to update. I couldn't agree more. It's always so hard to get back into blogging from a break because there's so much to say, and no quite the right way to say it.

I had a lovely trip in Florida. It was beautiful, sunny and warm everyday. We had lots of fun activities, including a new haircut for momma. I tell you, I feel like a brand new woman. The end of our vacation was a little stressful. Isaiah contracted croup two days before we were leaving and on his 2nd birthday nonetheless. So we had a night of no sleep, a visit to a new doctor in Florida, a shot, several medications, and a very tired (and sick) child and momma. We had an early flight on Friday morning and luckily we were both able to get a little sleep the night before. By the time we arrived home, I felt like I had run a marathon. Thankfully Isaiah had slept the entire plan ride and car ride home. I think I'm still catching up, but Isaiah is almost back to 100% (thank goodness).

Saturday morning, I met a blog friend for our first knitting class together. Stephanie and I had first met when she came to my craft fair. I thoroughly enjoyed hanging out and learning a new craft with her. What I am less excited about it having a new addiction. I've been knitting all week, practicing for our next class. I started out with a simple scarf (up at the top), but I need another ball of yarn. Since I've been admiring many fetching patterns out there in blog land, I decided that I needed to try it out for myself. Since I've never used double pointed needles, or done cables before, this is quite a challenge for me. I started the first one last night and finished it this afternoon. It is far from perfect, but I think it's pretty good for my first finished knitting project!
I may get started on the other one tonight. Or I may not. I'm starting to miss my sewing machine ;)

Some Very Good Mail

Yesterday I was surprised when I received not one, but THREE packages in the mail yesterday. I was anticipating the package from my Hanging Hearts Swap partner, Chris, as she told me she mailed it on Monday, but the other two were surprises!

Chris definitely spoiled me. She made this gorgeous pom pom garland that made me giggle with joy as soon as I saw it. I had wanted something like that for my Christmas tree, and this just may become a year round decoration. She also made this cute embroidered heart and very sweet heart napkins. Thank you so much Chris!! I love everything.The second package was from Mirre. I had won a giveaway on her blog last summer, and had totally forgotten about it. She sent these goodies, which are going to accompany me on my trip to Florida tomorrow. And yes, Mirre, you can blame the pregnancy for being late!! I know pregnancy makes us lose our minds. But don't worry, you package was worth the wait!And lastly, I had signed up for a PIF on Raesha's blog a few months back. She made this gorgeous doll quilt for my wall. Isn't it lovely? I just adore the colors and the quilting. It'll probably hang next to the one she made me when we were swap partners. Thanks Raesha!! Perhaps now this will give me incentive to make my PIFs!I leave tomorrow morning at 6:45 am for Florida. That is insanely early, and I'm hoping Isaiah behaves himself, because I know I won't be in any condition to deal with a toddler that early. Thankfully I'm going with my MIL who will assist with the child wrangler duties. Have a great week everyone!