Around the World Blog Hop

Welcome to the Around the World Blog Hop making a stop today on shades of BOLD.  I was tagged by Daryl of Patchouli Moon Studio to participate today in this blog that is travelling through the blogosphere.  This is a place for you to discover more about me and to find some new blogs that just might make it onto your Bloglovin list.

If you have never been to Daryl's blog , you should really go there.  She works with so many different artistic mediums.  She sews, she quilts, she appliques, she crochets and so on and on and on.  Check out her blog here.

If you don't know much about me, let me fill you in.  I live in Northeast Ohio and sewing is such a passion for me.  I, also, love bags.  They have always been a weakness.  Then the day came that I started making my own and I haven't stopped since then.  I quit my job 2 years ago and making bags is now my "job".  I know...you are feeling really sorry for me aren't you?

Participating in the Around the World Blog requires that we all answer the same questions so here goes.

1.)  What am I working on?

       Normally, I am very structured.  I work on one thing at a time.  I finish that project and then jump right into the next one.  That is not happening now.  I am currently working on three orders at the same time. (I don't recommend this).   Let me tell you about the orders.

While at the festival last week, a young lady came to my space and was looking through things, looking for something.  I asked her if I could help her and she said she was looking for anything with red lips on them.  I knew there was a story there.  Her name was Melissa and she told me the story of her grandmother.
       "My grandma was a very humble woman who was the rock of our entire family. She always put everyone else's needs before hers no matter what. The one thing we all can remember about her is the fact that every year on her birthday she wanted the same thing. To go to dinner at Don Pablo's...and have a margarita. But the one thing you would never see her without when she went out, is her red lipstick. She would even reapply after she ate. ;)
After she died on July 31st, 2006, we decided to start a tradition for her birthday. We would go to dinner every year on her birthday to Don Pablo's, cheer her with a margarita...and you got it...wear red lipstick!!! We all try our hardest to find the coolest "gifts" for each other with red lips on it. We will be celebrating our 9th year Feb 26th, 2015."

                                                           Melissa's Grandmother

 

                        Melissa's family celebrating her grandmother's birthday last year.

 

I found this cute red lips fabric and made eight Get Carded wallets from Dog Under My Desk.  You can get the pattern here.

 

 

They are almost done but I found one more thing to add to them as my gift to all of them....

 

A red lips charm that I will attach to all of the zipper pulls.  When I do that, this order will be done.

 

I am also making a Zip and Go Bag from Dog Under My Desk out of coffee themed fabric for my second order and a cross body phone pouch for a large style smart phone.  No pattern I found is exactly right so I am playing around with a paper pattern to combine a few patterns.

 

 

2.)  How does my work differ from others of its genre?

 

I use patterns from great independent pattern designers.  I love professional looking bags and I want to see pockets, hardware and design in a bag.  Some of my favorite designers are Christine at Chris W Designs, Janelle at Emmaline Bags, Erin at Dog Under My Desk and Samantha at Sewing With Mrs H.  I also like to play with color.  Putting the right fabrics together can make your bag.

 

 

3.)  Why do I create what I do?

 

I love bags!  I love to sew!  It is as simple as that.

 

4.)  How does my creating process work?

 

It depends if I am making something I want to make or if I am making an order.  I follow a customer's preference with some guidance from me when I am making a bag for someone.  When I am choosing the project, I pick the bag first and then I pick fabric.  Fabric has to match the bag style to me.  Certain fabrics will look like a specific bag.  I like to have some bold in there.  If the bag is tame then the lining is bold and vice versa.

 

And now the Around the World Blog Hop goes on.  I have picked two great bloggers to be my tagees for next Monday:

 

Janelle from Emmaline bags is a great independent pattern designer.  She has one of the best wallet patterns of all time...The Necessary Clutch Wallet.  I'm sure many of you have made one.  She also has a good supply of hardware for purchase and some great engraved "handmade" labels.  Her blog is here.

 

Kathy of Running With Rocket describes her blog as a "rambling snapshot of her life".  You never know what you will see here.  One day it is a photo tour of the fair, the next is something she has just sewn.  Not to mention her garden and her love of all things airplanes.  Check her out here.