...and then life throws you a curve ball...

This is my first post in several weeks and I just wanted to update you on what is going on with me.  It is not unusual for me to post once or twice a week to show you what I have been working on.  That is the problem.  I am an everyday sewer.  I was an everyday sewer.  Up until 2 1/2 weeks ago.  I have always had the usual aches and pains, but they were getting more frequent and occurring in more parts of my body.  When the pain got so bad that I was having trouble walking and could not get up from a seated position, I knew it was time for the doctor.  My hands hurt so bad, I could not even hold a scissors.  I had only sewn a couple of days out of the last 2 1/2 weeks.

I got the results of my blood work back on Wednesday.  All of my inflammatory markers are off the charts.  The doctor believes it is the auto immune disease, rheumatoid arthritis.  There are still others things it could be but she feels this is most likely.  The goal is to decrease the inflammation and control the pain until I can get in to see the rheumatologist on Nov. 5.   Some days I feel like I have been hit by a car, other days are better.  My sewing days will pick me for the time being, I will not pick them.  I tell you all of this so that you know where I have been.  Be patient with me.  I will fight to sew even on days I don't feel up to it.  I know that once I get put on a treatment regimen from the rheumatologist , I will have more good days than bad.

That is enough about that!  Let me show you one of the things I made before all of this started.  I have sewn several Swoon Bag patterns and saw that they had a new free pattern called Ethel.  Ethel is a teardrop shaped open tote with a large slip pocket on the front.

The back of the bag is one piece, great to display large prints.

The inside has a zippered pocket on one side and a slip pocket on the other.

This is a fairly simple bag.  The hardest part might be the gusset but it is a large gusset so if you take your time you should have little problem with it.

Trying to sew today...I am behind in my orders and I need to start a tester bag that I am doing.  Hands don't fail me now!!!

Bikes and Firemen Drawstring Backpacks

At the last craft fair I did, I sold the one and only Bigger on the Inside Drawstring Backpack by Dog Under My Desk.  You can get the pattern here.  As holiday bazaar time is approaching, I felt like I needed to make a few more of these.  And make them equal opportunity.  Boys should have something to choose from, too.  So, I chose bikes and firemen!  I had interest from all age groups with my last one but it went to a girl that was about 8-10.  You can see that bag here.

I didn't get a good picture of the inside but it is the same fabric as the straps.

The inside matches the straps here, too.  The fabric has ladders on it to go with the firemen fabric.  The color is more vibrant than shown.

The bottom of these backpacks is where the difference comes into play.  It allows you to get a lot of things in these bags!

I want to make a couple more but first I have to take a trip to the fabric store.  I don't have enough SF 101 to make even one more thing.  Does anyone else go through a whole bolt of interfacing as fast as I do????????

The Necessary Clutch Wallet X 5

The first time I made the Necessary Clutch Wallet by Emmaline Bags, I fell in love with this pattern.  I have made several of these wallets in the past but it has been a while since I made the last one.  A couple of weeks ago, I sold the rest of the wallets I had left at a craft fair.  Time to make more.....

As I was preparing to cut out a handful of these wallets, I got word that the person that I made the flame bag for (you can see it here), wanted a wallet in the same flame fabric.  OK, so I'll cut out 5 of them.

The wallet goes together fairly quickly compared to a full sized bag.  The instructions are clear, concise and accompanied by great photos for all of us visual learners.  And then I find out there is a facebook page dedicated to this wallet.  It is a star!!! And many people think so.  So here they are.

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5 

I made a wristlet strap and shoulder strap for each wallet and used one of the new placements on the facebook page to attach the small D rings for the strap attachment.  I am done for now but if I get my inventory up in other areas, I may be back to make more.

Bingo Bags and a Missing Customer

I received an email from a woman who had googled "bingo bag" and a picture of a Zip and Go Bag that I made in bingo fabric came up.  She followed that picture to my blog and looked through some of the bags I had made.  She asked if I could make a Bye Bye Love Bag out of that same bingo fabric.  I knew I had enough of the fabric left to make one so I agreed.  She then decided she wanted two of them...uh oh could be a problem but I thought I had seen this fabric  at JoAnn's a few weeks ago.  I started out on my mission to find at least another yard of this fabric.  First JoAnn's, no bingo fabric.  No problem because this is a small store and they don't carry as many fabrics as most of the other stores.  Second store (a very large store), no bingo fabric.  They could help me find it if I had the SKU, but I didn't have that.  They called a third store, no bingo fabric.  It seems like there is a pattern developing.  I know I just saw it a couple of weeks ago.  One last quest.  I traveled 35 miles to another store and did not see it in their novelty fabrics.  Before I left, I looked at the red tagged clearance fabric and what do I see??.  Three yards of bingo fabric!!!!  Yayyyy!!!  So here is the result.

The insides are different.

 

The backs look the same.

 

 

 

Now that they are done, I am having a hard time reaching the customer by email.  Maxine, if you are reading this...please contact me so I can get your bags to you.