Jul 26

· She's Crafty

You like the photo of the car? Thought so. I took that. I actually turned it into a blog design, but I don’t know where it went. I guess it disappeared when Blogger went out of Beta. The photo is from the old car show we happened upon in Westport, WA last year on our vacation.

I’m way too excited! I finished my first Elle original handbag this afternoon. I’ve been making handbags for years, but I’ve always used someone else’s pattern. This one was a Martha Stewart Easter “Basket.” I took the design and modified it here and here.

I did do one original bag here, but it was ugly so it doesn’t count.

Then I got this great book and made this bag and then this bag.

I have a love for kitchy handbags. These are a few of the bags I have, but didn’t make. I bought the “Take-out” bag at a store in Olympia called the Popinjay. The barrel one came from my SIL, Lee Lee, and the striped bag was one of my mother’s day gifts from the trusty husband and the boy. That is, of course, not the extent of my handbag collection. Just a few of the funky ones.

I have some Dick and Jane fabric that I’ve been dying to try on a design, but can’t come up with a good pattern yet. I only have 1/2 a yard of the outside and lining so I might have to make it a little clutch or something. I’ll have to give the Amy Butler patters a look-see.

Anyway… I have been drawing sketches of some bags that I would like to try. Yesterday I got around to giving one a shot. Rather than use up some of my more expensive fabrics that I’m hoarding for other things I pulled out this green stuff and gave it a shot. It is actually a stretch pant weight fabric, but I love the pattern.

Gotta say, this one was a bitch to sew. That bottom is a separate piece and it ended up being a bit smaller than originally intended. But, I’m happy with the way it turned out.

Comments

17 Responses to “She’s Crafty”

  1. Michelle on July 26th, 2007 3:11 pm

    Looks great! And I don’t think the ugly one is ugly at all. I wish I could sew…I have all of these ideas in my head but I’m not crafty enough to get them out.

  2. Mom on July 26th, 2007 4:23 pm

    You always were artsy fartsy. Pretty darn fancy web site you’ve created also! WOW!!!

  3. tacomachickadee on July 26th, 2007 4:31 pm

    OMIGOD! LOVE it.

  4. Jessica on July 26th, 2007 5:54 pm

    The bags are great! What about the books by Linda Johansen for the Dick and Jane fabric? I think I sent you the info? If not, (and for others who might want to try them) they are Fabric Bowls and Fabric Boxes (two different books - I don’t have the knowledge to italicize or underline) by Linda Johansen. The bowls are super easy, but I haven’t tried the boxes yet. I was signed up for the class, but had to cancel for some reason (this was about 2 years ago).

  5. Jenn on July 26th, 2007 7:38 pm

    Super Cute! I could lose all kinds of crap in something like that (I can lose my keys in a clutch.) Did you make your own pattern?

  6. Esther on July 26th, 2007 7:41 pm

    I love the brown one!!! Why do you think it’s ugly? I’ve actually always been a fan of brown. It’s an underrated color. ;o)

  7. Rhonda on July 26th, 2007 8:37 pm

    Ohhh, I totally love the green one. Of course green is my fave color, but I think its so cool and funky.

  8. NEAL on July 26th, 2007 11:02 pm

    Dude, I’m so happy the way it turned out too.

    I mean JK Rowling did such a great job, especially if you think of it as the last chapter of one really frickin’ huge book.

    HUH? Oh, wrong thread.

    Wow. Car in the post below … vrooooom vroooooom.

  9. chou2 on July 26th, 2007 11:14 pm

    OOOH! These are SUPER cool!!

    Please make a groovy diaper back out of you Dick and Jane fabric! I’ll buy it in a hot second, I promise.

  10. Margaret on July 27th, 2007 4:10 am

    You’re so clever. I love, love the one with the green and blue flowers. Too cute!

  11. annmarie on July 27th, 2007 6:49 am

    Nice work! The diaper bag concept should be considered…Elle Diaper Bags, Designed to Clean Up the Crap, Not Be Crap. (oh that was terrible)

  12. kate on July 27th, 2007 7:57 am

    FAB bag!! How long did it take you to make? Just found the book by Ms. Butler today and added it to my amazon cart…

  13. Lauren on July 27th, 2007 8:29 am

    Love that you are also a crafty girl. That is my true passion. I have been making some bags myself just as of this year.

    Keep them coming. Love to see them.

  14. Starfish on July 27th, 2007 9:17 am

    I love the Amy Butler weekender bag - I think I need to pay someone to make it because my thing is string, not fabric. http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/products/patterns_display.php?id=22.

    Your bags are great, can’t wait to see what new projects you undertake.

    And I need to send you a picture of my flowerbed, it’s a weird shape and I need some suggestions of what to put there….you rock!

  15. Jenny2 on July 27th, 2007 11:29 am

    More than Crafty, TALENTED. You are very, very talented.

  16. Dana on July 27th, 2007 5:44 pm

    Every time I opened a new picture I said “Ooh…I love that one” and then I’d open the next picture “Ooh…I love that one, too”! They really are cute.

  17. Life of Elle | The perfect diaper bag on July 28th, 2007 2:22 pm

    [...] got thinking about some of the comments in this post. Mainly the ones about the diaper bag. Then I had an email conversation with Chou Chou about [...]

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