rhymes with spoon

Presenting Bag #4: The "Equestrian"

Bag: "Equestrian" Messenger
Pattern: my own
Fabric: plaid wool suiting, Heather Ross green ponies fabric, khaki duckcloth, brown piping, cotton webbing
Dimensions: 9" high x 12" long x 3" wide, 1" wide cotton strap 43" long
Price: $40.00 (+$4 shipping domestic or +$6 shipping international)
SOLD! Thank you!

The front:


The interior:

Lots of fun little details, including fully lined pocket and handy key fob. I love this Heather Ross fabric and I think it really fits in here.

Rear pocket:


Perfect place to slip in a journal or little notebook:

If you're interested, leave a comment with your email address or email me directly at poohba02(at)yahoo(dot)com.

I'm very happy to report my first sale yesterday. Thanks for all your support!

Labels: bags for sale

Presenting Bag #3--the "Norma" messenger bag:


With the flap up, there are two shorter pockets, which wrap around to a larger pocket in the back of the bag.


Several neat interior features, including a pocket, magnetic snap closure, and a key fob so you're never left fumbling.


Here are the details:

Bag: "Norma" Messenger
Pattern: my own
Fabric: IKEA twill, black canvas, cotton interior, cotton webbing
Dimensions: 9" high x 10.5" long x 3.5" wide, 1.5" wide cotton strap 44" long
Price: $40.00 (+$4 shipping domestic or +$6 shipping international)
SOLD! Thank you!!

If you're interested, leave a comment with your email address or email me directly at poohba02(at)yahoo(dot)com.

Labels: bags for sale

Presenting Bag #2--the "temari" messenger bag:


Here are the details:

Bag: "Temari" Messenger
Pattern: my own
Fabric: temari kimono fabric, brown fine wale corduroy, geometric Japanese print, nylon webbing
Dimensions: 12.5" high x 8.5" long x 2.75" wide, 1" wide adjustable nylon strap
Price: $40.00 (+$4 shipping domestic or +$6 shipping international)


Fully lined, including a lined interior pocket. The perfect amount of space for a magazine, a wallet, keys, phone, and something else...


There is also a split pocket on the exterior of the bag under the flap. A perfect place to stash away some keys or a pack of gum for easy access.

If you're interested, leave a comment with your email address or email me directly at poohba02(at)yahoo(dot)com.

Labels: bags for sale

Last night I went back to the sewing desk to make improvements on my last messenger bag. This is version #2, using some Echino fabric, green duckcloth, cotton webbing, and a geometric reproduction print. I took a very different approach to making this one and am much happier with the results. I used some Timtex to make a stiff bottom and some medium weight pellon to give the bag more structure. No rivets this time. I'd like to reincorporate them into future versions of this bag but didn't think they looked very good here.

Here are some more pictures:


More details of the exterior:


And the interior:


And guess what? This one's for sale. Yes, that's right, I thought with all this time on my hands and no legal employers calling, I'd try my hand at selling some bags.

Details:
Bag: "Balancing Act" Messenger Bag
Pattern: my own
Fabric: Etsuko Furuya fabric, green duckcloth, geometric print, and cotton webbing
Dimensions: 8" high x 11.5" long x 2.75" wide, 42" straps (1" wide)
Price: $38.00 (+$4 shipping domestic or +$6 shipping international)

I will be making five more messenger bags with different fabric combinations, in case this one is not to your liking. All of them will be listed here first; I'm shooting to have a new one up every other day. If there are no takers, I'll throw them up on etsy in a few weeks or I'll have an even more ridiculous collection of bags at my disposal. :)

If you're interested, leave a comment with your email address or email me directly at poohba02(at)yahoo(dot)com.

Labels: bags for sale

How many bags does a girl really need? How about two more than I already have??

Exhibit 1:

Pattern: Pleated Beauty Handbag from Bend the Rules Sewing
Fabric: Grey wool + Japanese kimono print
Project notes: Pretty much followed the pattern as written although I had to redo the pleats because I didn't read carefully enough. I ran out of the grey wool so I used the pleat fabric for the lining as well. I think I like it a lot more because of the contrast it creates.

Exhibit 2:

Pattern: Messenger Bag, my own pattern (although I can take ZERO creative credit for it since I pretty much followed Tania's genius design)
Exterior Fabric: Green corduroy leftover from my (still unfinished) coat + awesome alligator fabric from Lynn
Interior Fabric: Denyse Schmidt (Katie Jump Rope) + Joel Dewberry (Aviary)

Project notes: There are a number of things I'd change about this bag on a next attempt. (I generally do very little planning when I make patterns up from scratch, working only with the mental picture of what I want the final product to look like.) Still, for a first try, it's not bad. I love the green corduroy with the gator fabric. I've been thinking for a long time about how best to use it. (Lynn, I hope you think I've done it justice.) The size is just right; I started with 12"x15" rectangles. Still, I wanted the bag to have more shape to it so I think some stiff interfacing is a must. I just used some light weight fusible that I had laying around and it's a little too floppy for my liking. I like the riveted straps and think they would look better on a bag with more structure. All the pockets though, are great.

Especially this one. :)

Thanks for all the doggy input. Still many things to think about but contemplating dog ownership has been a welcome distraction.

My small living space continues to evolve. The desk that was in the room was driving me NUTS. The glass work surface was totally impractical and there wasn't much space to keep things stowed away. After a part of the desk simply snapped off, I headed over IKEA in search of a new work surface. Much improved I think:


Everyday life continues to be a big challenge, but life must be on the upswing because I think my crafting mojo is coming back. I've started not one but TWO quilts.


I'm seriously in love with fall colors.


One's for me and the other's a gift. After swearing up and down that I was not going to make any holiday gifts, I changed my mind. I figure between unemployment, rainy weather, and a ridiculous fabric stash, I've got nothing to lose. (The pattern can be found here.)

I'm alive...but just barely. Never wonder if your life can get worse, because that's when it does. Suffice to say, some recent events have put life into perspective--making a speeding ticket, a disappointing breakup, and everyday arguments with my folks seem like a walk in the park. Not much more to say, other than I'm trying to think happy thoughts and put one foot in front of the other.

But anyway...isn't that a cute dog? I've been really fascinated by corgis lately. I met a really cool one at the animal shelter last week but she was adopted almost immediately. But since I know there are some dog lovers out there, I was wondering if I could get some opinions? If you have your heart set on a particular breed, is it a terrible crime going to a breeder for a dog rather than getting a mutt from the shelter? Any thoughts would be appreciated....

Believe it or not folks, I knit. Yes...it was knitting that first brought me into the craft blog world but for the last year sewing has consumed all my time and creative energies. Poor neglected sweaters and balls of yarn. I've been trying to keep the moping to a minimum so I've been creating ways to get out of the house more. Today, I joined a knitting group at the local yarn store. I dusted off my needles and dragged out one of my neglected projects, the Essential Strip Sweater from Knit & Tonic. I'm using five different shades of Rowan Felted Tweed that I picked up at a yarn sale last summer.
I'm a huge fan of the pattern since it's knit from the top down and requires minimal seaming. I am a real loser when it comes to finishing knits. I have about four sweaters right now that need to be steamed and blocked. I think one of them is three or four years old?

Something funny I learned at the yarn shop today--Between 75 to 80% of knitters use the exact color and yarn type specified in a pattern. In fact, the shop owner once tested this theory out by knitting a sweater in the ugliest color of the yarn called for and that's the one that almost everyone asked for. I can't imagine that?! I have rarely if ever used the yarn type specified in the pattern and never the same color. I used to feel really lame following knitting patterns as written (aside from the yarn type/color), too afraid to deviate from it. But I guess it's nice to know now that at least in one respect, I'm not a blind follower. :)

Apologies for the absence + cryptic blog entries. I kinda thought I was actually taking this whole "breakup/OMG my life is in complete transition" business really well and then it all sorta caught up with me. Sleep has been sporadic and fitful so my energy levels have plummeted. Even running hasn't helped that much. Accordingly, crafting has all but disappeared from my life. I'm completely tapped out on any sort of creative energy right now. :(

That said, an idle mind is a dangerous thing so I've tried to occupy my time with something that feels "manageable" for now. Lately that's meant a lot of reading, napping, thinking, and driving.

Without much thought I hopped into the car on Saturday and took a long (i.e. 425 miles), scenic (if not rainy) drive out to Neah Bay, the most northwestern point in the continental US. Even with a dense layer of fog and clouds, the views were breathtaking. The roads were incredible...scenic byways with lots of hairpin turns and rugged terrain. It was the perfect place to go clear the brain. I only wish I'd started the trek earlier in the day because it was near sunset when I finally got there. All the more reason to go back....

Alas, I got a speeding ticket on the way home (nothing insane, but irritating nonetheless)....and when the stoic state trooper (who was probably younger than me) handed me the ticket, I burst into tears. That's just the kind of month I've been having. Very uncharacteristic of me....I mean this wasn't to win sympathy points or anything. It was clear that he wasn't going to let me get off with a warning.

I'm hoping (really hoping) for some good news by the end of the week. And maybe even a little crafting in between? Who knows?

"I don't know how to repay them. In the end, though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe it's wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices." (Elizabeth Gilbert)

(just smile all the time)

Following the demise of long-term relationship, I find it helpful to keep busy. Real busy...lest one dissolve into a giant pool of self pity and remorse. Indeed, it was in the aftermath of a messy breakup after college that I taught myself to knit and first delved into the world of craft blogging. I'm still trying to figure out what my distractions will be this time. It's gotta be something other than shopping (see previous post)--at least until I'm gainfully employed. One thing's for sure. My desire to have a pet is stronger than ever. I've never been much of a cat person. (Ask Jeff about my first encounter with his two cats.) But I've wanted a dog for quite some time now....here's the thing I like about dogs. At the end of the day, they're about the only thing (that I can think of) that is ALWAYS happy to see you. (Is it so wrong to want to be so loved?) Can't say the same for friends or family--or boyfriends for that matter. I know, I know. Trying to fill the void in my life with a dog is selfish...a bad idea. But LOOK at this face:
This is Jesse--my DREAM dog. A beagle/jack russell mix (who was) up for adoption at a shelter in Longview, WA (about 1.5 hours away). Alas, I called the shelter today and he's already taken. (Sadness!)

Yes, I know that dogs are a lot of work. They're needy. They can be destructive. They shed. They always need to use the bathroom. Aside from that, my parents are NOT dog (or any animal for that matter) people...so I suspect that bringing home a little pup would be a serious violation of house rules. But I suppose a girl can dream. LOOK at that face!

Also, there are so many cute little dogs out in blogland. (Like here and here.) Ack! So. So. So. Tempting. Really. Really. Really. Want. Dog.

Labels: i want a dog

I guess my relationship with Jeff wasn't the only casualty of this move.

A few parcels arrived in the mail today containing things I'd hoped would fit in my car but couldn't. A friend was nice enough to mail them for me after I left and despite my best last minute efforts at packing, one of my favorite plates didn't survive. It wasn't anything special ... just plastic, but it was badass and picked up at one of my favorite Minneapolis stores. Alas, my 15 boxes of books remain lost in the abyss of media mail. What are the odds that the USPS lost all fifteen? Impossible they claim...but with the way things have been going lately, I wouldn't be surprised.

Ok...enough self pity. Thanks to everyone who was kind enough to check in and leave a comment. It's nice to feel a little less alone during a time like this. I'm slowly coming around to the idea that this is best for the both of us. In the meantime, I've managed to concoct some distractions for myself...like picking up the latest copy of Cotton Time at Kinokuniya. (How dangerous is it that I live near one now?!)


Full of lots of neato projects.





Apologies for the crap photos...my new abode is not the greatest staging area for photos. No ISBN # either...I picked it up for a friend and dropped it in the mail before I jotted it down.

Oh. Did I mention I'm training for a half marathon? I've got about 8 weeks. Yeah...I know. Nuts.