Two

I made two purses last weekend!  One large one for use as a minimalist diaper bag, and one medium one ordered as a gift. I'm very happy with how they turned out :)

First, the large one:

I was able to use a lighter-weight cotton on one side because of the stronger black twill as the reverse.  And I'm so excited that I finally got to use some of my pretty (favorite) yellow buttons!

Custom pockets, of course

reverse--a nice subtle, goes-with-everything black, but with just enough fun in the accents.

Now the medium bag: 

Since this purse was a gift, I had to improvise with some of the details.  I don't mind :) I like to improvise.

reverse

Pockets + key fob.  The fob is sewn into the top seam, so it can be used with either side of the purse out.

And my favorite improvisation:

The angeled pocket

See, it's good for taller, skinnier things (like a small lipgloss tube or a short pen or a nail file (not that anyone would really carry around a seam ripper in their purse (especially unprotected) but it's what I had)).

But it's also great for shorter, less skinny things, 

like a standard lip balm:

Am I the only one who is amazed at my genius?  Ok, that's fine if I am, but I still think it's pretty cool :) 

All in all, two satisfied customers--and that's pretty fabulous too. 

Another One

Another custom purse, for the awesome girlfriend of one of T's law buddies.

Here you go, D--some pictures to pine away the time until you receive it :)

This is one of the three-in-one purses.  Three materials, three outsides, (three straps--just tuck that middle one inside when you're not using it), all in one purse.

Not a bad deal, really :)

D wanted key-fobs, pockets for chapstick and tissues, pockets that close, a few pen slots, and matching front buttons.  Hope she likes it!

Want one? :)

Introducing...

the "law bag."

She wanted a pretty, versatile bag that was still big enough to hold a law school textbook or two.*  So I added a few extra inches on the sides and reinforced the straps and seams.


Button on the inside closes in a buttonhole on the back of the purse.  Ample-sized pockets can hold small notebooks, purse doodads, and the pen slot can hold two pens, to keep 'em handy.

If my law-student husband was a girl (um.. we won't go into that too deeply) ;) he'd want this bag. I know it.  He'd be so stylin'!  Everyone would ask him "where did you get that fabulous bag?" and he'd say "my wife made it."  Or maybe, if he was a girl, his (her) husband would be doing the sewing, and (s)he'd have to say "my husband Anne made it for me."

Hm.. nevermind. That's confusing. 

Back to the purse :) 

contact me if you're interested 

*photo credit to Taylor for his law books :) 

Little Bird Told Me...

that someone ordered a custom purse

From Purses

click for more pictures.

Contact me for pricing and other information!

What's Better

...than a reversible purse?

A reversible purse with three options, of course!

Humbly presenting my third variation of the Estelle handbag.

It's really just a larger version of the original, but.. one day, the idea occurred to me to put a divider inside the purse (for better organization).  With two pockets on the "inside" of a reversible purse, doesn't that lend itself to the reversibility of both pockets?  I thought so.

I thought a lot about this purse before I started sewing it.  I must have looked rather comic--materials and pattern pieces spread all over the bed (and the rest of the bedroom, too), with me standing before it all, hands on my hips, glaring at it.  Sometimes I'd be sitting on the shuttle to or from work, eyes closed, stitching the pattern pieces together in my head, trying to figure out how I'd put this or that area of the purse together nicely.

I even sat down and tried to sketch out some of the seams, but I'm terrible at drawing, especially perspective drawing.  Nonetheless, it all helped a little bit.  Ultimately, I had to start cutting and pinning and flipping inside- or right-side out.

And mostly, it turned out :)  I managed, without shoving, to fit a number of useful items in my bag. Should come in handy when I don't want to wear out my dainty shoes walking home from work.

reversed to green solid


The nice thing about the shape of these purses is that it doesn't look ridiculously full when it's stuffed with all the things I think I might need.  And the pleats in the front seem to add virtually invisible expansion properties.  I can fit so much in all these purses.. it's a little strange (and sometimes heavy, too).  


But it's definitely a "day bag" that one would use for an all-day outing somewhere.  In the city, though, I do that often enough to need a nice-sized purse.  I could take out the shoes and fit an extra scarf and some gloves for cold weather.  Just so you  know, a netbook would fit in this one (the first one I made was too small at the opening) :)  I'll have to see how my new camera will fit, too! 


And what about the Moms out there? Do you think this is big enough for a small-ish diaper bag?  Maybe an "essentials" bag that you take for short trips?  I have no idea how much goes into a diaper bag, but let me know what you think. 

T says this purse would be great if I were on the run from the cops: "No, the lady we want had a green purse, this one's way different. Let's keep looking."  Though I guess if I were trying to be inconspicuous, I shouldn't have chosen such loud materials, right? Oh well :) 

reversed to "hot tamale" 


Check out the album of all three sizes, with "fit-able contents" laid out :) 

Purses

Contact me for pricing info if you'd like one for yourself (or for a friend) :) 

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.

Craftiness

Remember that list I wrote out last year for all the projects I was working on?  Should I decipher the code? Do you want to know how the gifts turned out?

:)

Good.

1.  4 of these
nursing covers ordered by Mum for some of her friends at church. Complete with matching bags

2.  5 of these

Calendars (via Shutterfly!) for T's family.

3.  5 of these

Irish cable-knit hats for T and his brothers. I actually  made 6, with one green one for Conrad, but I didn't get a picture of him in it (Nina--wanna do me the favor?). I made T's orange one in November, to see how the pattern turned out.

4.  5 of these

Purses for all the girls in T's family! Nina really liked the pink/jean one I made a while back, so I gave her that one. I made a red one for Mum, a green one for Abby, and "mini" purses (I shrunk the pattern a bit) for Lydia and Caellainne. They've been big hits, so far as I know :)  

5.  3 of these  
Lace-knit cowls for some women I know. Let's just say this project didn't make the holiday deadline. I have only gotten half way on the first one. Maybe lace knitting isn't my thing..

6.  1 set of these:  Partner mittens for our good friends in PA.  *aHEM* I still haven't gotten a picture of them in use (Paul?).  BC colors, of course :)

7.  1 of these

scarf for the office "Yankee Swap"

8.  mail this

my favorite Christmas CD (Holly Cole, of course) for our best friends!  Andrew really likes Diana Krall's voice and I told his wife: "If he likes Diana, he'll LOVE Holly."  No complaints so far ;)

9.  Order these 

family picture prints (taken by Mandy) for my Daddy and siblings. I know you haven't received them yet.. but they've been ordered!

10.  2 of these

was going to do hats for two little girls I know... didn't make the holiday deadline either.  They're flower hats, though, so I suppose there's always Easter :)

And want to know what else I did? 

I made Giulia a purse for her birthday

I made T a yoga mat bag for Christmas

...and a pair of hand warmers for New Years/Spring 2010

I made stars for two nativity sets that didn't have them

and (while I had the clay out) I made some magnets

and an ornament for a good friend :)

I finished Bethany's long-awaited mei tai (remember those?)

I made Lorna's Christmas stocking

and some ornaments for Christmas at Daddy's house

I also made 4 "bitty bags"

to go with the purses I made for T's family

WHEW!  No wonder I haven't done anything crafty since I got back to Boston.

Then There Were Two

I had so much fun making my purse on Monday, and it turned out so well (and I have been so happy with it), that I decided to make another one for my good friend in TX.

I used the last scraps of my pretty flower material, the strap material from Summer's mei tai, and some polka dot material I've had for years (but couldn't figure out anything to use it for!).

R said she wanted something that was both bold and neutral. I think this works alright, huh? :)

Oh, and (of course) it's reversible.

(click on the picture for a larger view)

[I'm mailing it today, R, so you should have it early next week!]

"A Useful [Purse]

...to keep things in."

--Winnie the Pooh, on Eeyore's birthday present

After I made my practice mei tai, I put it away--I haven't been able to try it out so far because there are no babies in Boston :( It will be safe in my hope chest, though, until there is a real baby to practice with, instead of a pillow... :)

But in the meantime, I really wanted to show off the fabulous material I found for it. Since I can't use the mei tai, I thought, I'll make a purse. A girl can never have too many purses, and homemade ones are always so much more fun that storebought ones (after all, if you're going to have something you don't "need" (like a purse to match every outfit and occasion), you might as well be thrifty and make it yourself!). For some reason, no matter how much I like a purse at the store, I can rarely justify buying a new one when I have others at home... oh well :)

Anyway, I downloaded the pattern, cut and pasted the pieces together and then (get this) I actually finished the purse in one night! I was completely shocked when (albeit at midnight) I knotted the thread on the last decorative button.

But here's the other funny thing. I love reversible things. I hardly ever reverse them to whatever-color-is-on-the-other-side, but I love to have things that are reversible. Maybe because I feel like the thing is finished better if it's acceptable for the outside even on the inside? So I made this purse reversible, too.

And don't forget the pocket on the back (that's on the inside when the flowers are out):

Of course, the purse isn't perfect by any means, and I could point out several flaws. But Most people would say that give it "character" (or something). That's fine with me :) I don't mind a purse with character.

Especially if it's so pretty.

-----

This afternoon Taylor and I are wandering up to Cambridge to spend time at 1369 Coffee House and to browse our favorite furniture store, Asian Dynasty Furniture. We're currently saving up (or, at least we're thinking about saving up) for a Japanese kaidan tansu (a step chest). You can see some good examples here (scroll down to read about the history of the step chest--quite interesting, and very sneaky!). What I love about these chests is that they are also reversible (hmm, can you see a theme here?). That is, the doors and drawers and cubbies open from both sides so it can act as a room divider or so you can arrange the steps any way you want. Someday we'll have an awesome (useful) tansu, to keep things in.