More MiniBags

More tiny bags:

They're only about 5" tall. The children thought they were very cute (as did I). They belong to the same project I mentioned in the earlier post about the other undersized bags.

Don't worry - this is the last of the elfin bags. After this, I'll be making normal-sized bags (and the pattern for them). Because look what I bought!

I won't lie to you: it was exorbitant (shudder). 

But if that isn't beautiful print, I don't know what is. It's Orla (and not just some regular fabric designer).

With print like that, I don't even need to try to make a gorgeous bag. It will just happen, with no credit to me. And if I throw a KMax CD into the production... well, then- the sky's the limit. See ya soon!

Took My Breath Away

I don't usually blog about men's clothes, but I saw this today and my jaw dropped. What a fun way to start the day! Never mind the men - the clothes are beyond spectacular! Speaking of Jamie Bell, I can't forget how incredible he was in Billy Elliot years ago. And still is now. And why, in the name of all things fabulous, isn't Kevin Spacey in this lineup? OK, I know, I know: this is a sewing/craft blog, so let's get back to the point at hand, shall we? Right - the clothes... I'd forgotten how a good a well-cut suit looks. Of course, it's Prada, but... still. Delicious. 

One dozen bags

I made some more bags this past week -

in teal,

grey

and yellow.

I made quite a few of them, actually (as usual).

They're just regular totes with hem facings, straps

and french seams (because I don't serge bags and I didn't want to line these).

So nothing out of the ordinary.

Except for one thing (and let's see if you tell from this next picture):

They're small -

-er than

you might have thought.

See? They're teeeeeeeny!

And they are part of a much bigger project I've been working on since March. It has soooooooo many parts and I'm only about a third of the way through. I'm excited about it, but only when I'm not naughtily taking hiatuses to wander off and start new things. Which I seem to do regularly as a personality defect, almost.  

You'll see them again soon. They have my labels on them, so you can tell they're going into the shop - sometime (one hopes) this year. I can't wait till I'm done!

Analyzing Sewing

Jenna sewed some towels for Bearaby today.

She told me at bedtime that Kate wanted to sew more towels tomorrow because they were "so easy to do".

Then she grew introspective about her sewing experience today, summing it up thus: "My favorite part of sewing is the sewing. My least favorite part of sewing is the cutting. My middle favorite part is choosing the fabric."

Nail on the head, Jenna. I concur.

Speaking of cutting and sewing - I finished that project today.

It took me almost a week, including copious amounts of time-wasting. I am happy to say that I've exorcised myself of all of last week's disgusting efficiency* and am once more back to being amazingly, prize-winningly superior at procrastinating!

* but I will let myself lapse into efficiency long enough to finish that Bag Pattern for you. I even bought new fabric for it! What fabric? I'll give you two clues:

1. Stem
2. Get ready to drool.

Cardboard Guitar

Have I shown this guitar to you guys before? I can't remember. Or maybe it's because I've seen cardboard guitars all over the internet that I think I've shared this already. Anyway, we made this guitar a long, long time ago. Although not as long ago as this guitar (circa 2005 - and yes, that's Emily, age 1):

Back to the present:  if I remember right, Emily designed this modern version. All I did was help her with the construction. 

As you know from the previous post, we're spring-cleaning. While those halloween costumes aren't going anywhere (except to a different, less-crowded closet), a lot of our cardboard toys are going out to the recycling bin. This includes this guitar and that greengrocer shop. Don't scream, guys. I know that shop has fans among you, along with the entire eco-friendly internet community and some home-design sites but it's huge. Which our house isn't. So it's time to say goodbye, to make space for new cardboard architecture. I'm not as sad as I thought I would be. 

Anyway, back to this guitar. It was still in such good condition that I thought it was worth taking some photos of before we tossed it out.

We started with a smallish cardboard box, with most of its top flaps cut away, leaving just enough material to glue on a guitar-shaped facade on top, with a hole in it.

Then we rammed a cardboard tube (probably came from inside of a wrapping paper roll) into the top of the box for the neck. Notice that we didn't cut a circular hole for the tube. Instead, we cut an "x" and pressed in the flaps of the X to form a collar onto which glue could be applied to secure the roll to it.

We let the neck/cardboard roll protrude some way into the body of the guitar, for stability:

Then we cut short slits in the top and bottom of the guitar-shaped piece, to loop rubber bands around them for strings. Note that the cardboard could fold and/or buckle under the tension in those taut strings/rubber bands. So make sure the flutes of the cardboard are parallel to the strings. See this post if you don't know what 'flutes' are.

The head of the guitar was simply an appropriately-shaped piece of cardboard, slotted into the flattened end of the neck/cardboard roll.

The amazon box we used provided a nice acoustic chamber for the rubber band strings. 

All The Pretty Dresses

We're spring-cleaning today.

We have so much stuff. Even good stuff - like the lovingly-handmade sort - is still stuff.

Today we reorganized, threw out, re-homed, took away, put back, repaired, recycled.

And in the process, I re-discovered how manic I've been over the years.

And these are just the halloween costumes in the past 4 years. They don't include the boots, the shoes, the tutus, the chiffon skirts, the crowns, the tiaras, the scarves, the morphing wings, the transformable tails, the hats, the masks, the wands, the capes, the vocational uniforms, the bags..... 

.... or the toys

(which are still my favorites),

as are the sleeves - of any costume I've made.

And it's still not over. 
Halloween costuming, I mean.
(Part of me is secretly relieved, because it means my girls aren't teenagers yet).


Spring-cleaning is over, though. 
Not because we're done (will a person ever be?).
But because we're wiped out.
Plus I think I need to go biking.
Stuff will have to wait till another day.

Crisis .... Averted

9:50 am 

Crisis: Kevin Max CD missing. How to continue sewing this?

How to sew anything in the future, really? Must conduct emergency search-and-rescue if there is to be any hope of a sewing future.


10:05 am
No sign of CD on sewing table, under sewing table, under various sewing machines, in between stacks of fabric on floor, in the fabric buckets containing random haberdashery, in all existing music players in the house (and car). Heavy sense of doom settling like a filthy blanket on a damaged soul - it is a sign that I must give up sewing forever. 


10:38 am
Have given up sewing forever. Bundled all the children and one backpack containing food and iPod (has two KMax tracks on it, thank heavens) and drove, despondent, to the zoo. 


10:39 am
Emily counsels, "At least you imported it into iTunes."
True. Hm. Maybe my sewing career isn't completely shot.
But.... without the liner notes, there are no lyrics to harmonize to iTunes tracks! I will have to make up my own nonsensical lyrics and annoy the family/neighbors within earshot. Yes. It is the only way. I may be shunned and disowned by my loved ones and they might even call the police for disturbance of the peace but - and I will be grimly determined -at least the sewing can go on.  


4:12 pm
Exhausted from zoo. Still moping over CD-at-large. Attempt to drown sorrows in pungent zoo animals failed. Decided maybe CD fell into the trash with the remnants and bent needles and empty Gutterman spools and got tossed out. Sniff. I should just let it go.


4:13 pm
But I paid good money for that CD!!!!!!!!


4:26 pm
Hey.......................... what was I saying earlier about lyrics? 
Liner notes!
Jewel case!
What if........?


4:27 pm
KMax found. Nestled safely in its own jewel case. Where I'd evidently put it myself. On the ledge with the other CDs-in-their-jewel-cases. What happened to brain? Should I be relieved? Should I be ashamed? Should I clean up the sewing table more regularly? Should I kick myself hard in the behind? Should I get a brain transplant?


Well................. I guess now I can keep sewing. 
(Bah... and I was so close to succeeding at procrastinating).