Busy Bee

I've been doing some sewing lately :)  This past Saturday, Viv has been with us for a whole month, and I wanted to make her something as a "congrats" for surviving 1) us and 2) Boston for a whole 4 weeks.  I didn't get to her present on Saturday :( but I was able to finish it by Tuesday.

A homemade apron (material and pattern sent to me by Renee!) 

No, it's ok--you're not seeing things. There is a pink elephant patch on the apron.  I snagged the material as I was cutting it out and didn't have enough to cut another apron, so I pulled out my very eclectic collection of patches (courtesy, mostly, of my grandmother's 50s style patch stash) and Viv thought the elephant looked best.  :)

The last night, T had a lot of work to do (and it was trying to snow outside) so I sat down at my machine and sewed all evening.  (Viv and I have started reading the Lord of the Rings out loud to each other. We take turns reading, so she read while I sewed, and I read while she got ready to go out last night!)

See, my Seester, Summer, wanted a "mini purse" (like I made for Lydia, Caellainne, and Giulia), but she wanted a fancier one so it could be her evening purse.  A couple weeks ago, she and I chatted about what materials I already had (thrifty women we are), and what would work well together for a purse.  I sent her some pictures and she picked out her fabrics.  So last night, I got to work.  I cut and ironed and pinned and sewed and, in just a couple hours (!), I had finished this cutesy little evening purse. [It's reversible!]

Viv was looking at the first purse I made and asked "why don't you put a button hole in the back so you can close it?"  Genius! So I added a button hole to Summers and it turned out very well. I emailed Summer the pics last night and she's excited to get it!  [Mic, you now have no excuse not to take Summer to a nice dinner and the opera!]


But it was still early in the evening, and when Summer picked out her material, I picked out some material for myself as well.  So I got the pattern out again and cut, ironed, pinned, and sewed some more.  Soon enough, I had another pretty purse, with a few extra features.

The maroon fabric is a dupioni silk remnant my friend Eleri (check out her sling blog, too!) sent me, and the yellow fabric is leftover from Bethany's mei tai.

Just like Summer's, the solid side has pockets on the back side.  While I was cutting out the pocket piece for my purse, the idea to make multiple pocket layers occurred to me.  (Brilliant? I think so.)  And I think it turned out pretty well (hey, any purse that has a pocket just for chapstick is a winner in my book).

Then I added my own little button hole and finis!

Taylor says I'll be able to use it Saturday morning for a small Two's-Day (also an early Valentine's day) he's planned.

Sew exciting!

*Also, if you want one, and if you want me to use material I already have, I can sell these cute little purses for only $25.