The Pink Satin Jazzy tote!

I decided the "tote" deserved a closer look so here are the close up pics with detail hopefully more clear!

This was a really really fun piece.

The Pink Satin Duo

I have been playing lately and managed to come up with a new blouse. Pink poly satin and some lovely sheer organza print for trim.

Of course, it screamed at me for a matching "fun" bag so scraps in hand (gotta' save them scraps ya know) I went for the felting machine (what else?).
The white canvas tote was one of three in a package purchased from the craft store with a 50% off coupon (hee-hee) and so the package of three cost about $3.50.
I took one of the bags, slipped it onto the Xpression machine, grabbed the scrap fabrics and cut into odd pieces and strips. When finished, I went to my humongoid yarn stash (yep, HUMONGOID it is) and found a ribbon yarn to accent the fabric pieces and felted that on randomly....very randomly, lol.

Here you have the bag; purely fun, fun, fun!

Only wish I had more time (not more fabric, I have plenty)

I'm trying to do better!! Really I AM!!!

I am trying to do better at sewing and posting to my blog. Of course working 55 or so hours every week hasn't left me with much time or energy either for that matter. Actually this is the first weekend I"ve had off in about 6 weeks so I was planning on laying back, being lazy and yep, gettin' a little sewing in. Then I awoke Thursday morning to prepare for the last of a 4 day work week (hee-hee; grinning big I was) and WALLA! UGH! I discovered a spider had bitten me and having experienced two previous encounters with Brown Recluse critter bites, well....off to the doctor I went. So this week-end has been more of rest and recuperation as I prepare for the NEXT work week!
Not to be outdone by a pesky Brown spider tho', I did manage to get in a tad of sewing. Seems like lately I've been into "re-purposing" as DD Tami calls it... you know, making things out of other things that were originally used for a different purpose. Make sense? Well it works! Really it does!!
Here are some pictures of my latest RE-PURPOSED pair of little girls pink jeans. I cut off the legs, opened the crotch seams and squared off the fabric. I observed that this would make a cute purse but NO WAY would it be big enough for ME so I dug into the humongoid fabric stash and came up with a bright plaid that was cute-sy and made lining, handles and the bottom half of the bag out of it. The little thing was kind of cute but it SCREAMED at me for some LOUD trim so I dove back into the stash (trim stash this time) and came up with the lime green fuzzy stuff. Anyway, it was fun to make.
I'm working on a sweatshirt jacket (yep, another RE-make) and it has been on
"GERTRUDE" the dress form for quite some time now but I decided to post a couple of pics of the "work in progress" anyhow. Not working on it right now as it is TOO HOT in HOUSTON to even think of sweatshirt/jacket stuff.... when it cools off here....about December (LOL) I'll get back to it. This jacket is made of drapery samples cut into odd shaped pieces and applied to the sweatshirt in no particular pattern but done with the Janome Xpression felting machine. Then I decided to free-motion quilt it so thats where I'm at with it... BUT, with hot weather, I've got another two or three purse ideas to tackle before then **VBG**
Here's the pics

Has it REALLY been that long??

Wow, has it REALLY been that long since I posted anything to my blog? UNBELIEVABLE!!

I started a new job in January and moved into a new residence at the same time (now talk about a glutton for punishment (!) yep, guess I must be! Anyway, it has taken me mucho time to adjust to the demands of working a full time job and at my age that ain't no easy task, LOL!! Then there was (ahemmmm, still is) the task of setting up house and home at the same time. Now anyone who knows me will tell you that I can't get my creative juices flowing until I am organized (OVERLY-organized according to DD Tami, she nicknamed me the QUEEN OF ORGANIZATION!!) Little snip, she is. Anyhow, thats my story and I'm stickin' to it (for NOW)!

So here I am, Memorial Day week-end (WOO HOO, three days off) and I'm actually posting pics of my latest two handbags (yep, I FINALLY found time to play a little) and just thought you all might get a kick out of the "Camo Skort Bag"..... this was a little girls ruffled skort I rescued from the thrift shop for under a dollar. Then I took out the crotch seam and trimmed the bottom off evenly, created a bag from the inner shorts portion, added webbing handles and WALLA!!; INSTANT PURSE!.... this one has been a real conversation piece when I carried it (YES, I actually DO CARRY IT!!) and at least three people have tried to purchase it right off my shoulder!! Who would've thought THAT would happen? LOL!

The other new bag is made of two squares of upholstery/drapery sample fabrics from a HUMONGOUS stash that was gifted to me about a year ago and the design is basic and simple with exterior pockets which I embellished with LARGE buttons corresponding to three of the colors in the multicolored fabric. This was quick and easy and fun to make too.

I will take pictures of my new sewing space (since I moved) and post soon.

I have a sweatshirt remake that is going to be a jacket and which is on the dressform right now but alas, who wants to work on a sweatshirt when its already 94 degrees here in Houston??? Nada, not me... so that one will have to wait. I'll get back to it later...when it cools down.... in Houston.... that may be December, LOL.

As for now, I watch the sewing, beading, crafting tv shows on PBS on Saturday mornings and wonder how I'll EVER find the time to do all those projects that are so wonderful....and still work.... and I found out yesterday at work that we will now be working 6 day weeks until after a major inspection around the middle of July....so many projects.....so little time... now even LESS time.... need more sleep... LOL.

Okay, 'nuff ramblin' for now... here are the pics of the two handbags...

First Machine Felted Project! Halloween Theme Purse

Well, better late than never they say. Not that Halloween is so close but its just that this project took me so long.....or so it seemed to me, LOL. Like I thought it was going to go on forever plus 29 years!
Finished at last!
This is my very first machine needle felting item and since I didn't have a pattern or design, it was "wing it" out of my head all the way. I'm lucky it even got finished at all!
It was GREAT FUN and I have so many more ideas in my head....now if I can find some more "time" to go with those ideas, it will be wonderful to play some more.

Knitted Dishcloths

Here are my latest little knit projects; two dishcloths I made this week using the Sugar N Cream STRIPES yarn and I love it!

The pattern was a simple one (new knitter I am) but the striping is so pretty don't you think?

Placemat Purses

Thought this would be super easy, fast and fun. It was ALL the above. Oh, I forgot to mention "cheap" (er, economical?) since these were on clearance at Dillard's for about $.99 each! I won't try to monogram on the embroidery machine anymore though, this particular one was just too thick and heavy for that but I was determined to finish it rather than ruin it.

One Knitted Bag!

Walla! One KNITTED bag (at least theres ONE!) LOL

more purses

Purses galore

As much as I love my other hobbies, I LOVE to sew so its no surprise that I have endeavored to create a few purses. Purses from patterns, from garments, from ideas and from placemats... need I continue to babble? (but I do it SO well!)
Here are a few pictures of some of my favorite purses, some are mine, some are sold and some need to be sold (and that's the truth!) so here they are. Everyday purses, holiday purses, you name it.

Remake of an OLD jacket

Had this old jacket, you know, the kind you throw on over your jeans and t-shirt when its too chilly to go out without one but you really wouldn't want to go far in it... plain, everyday, etc.
I decided to pazazzz it up a bit with some Fun Fur knitted (yep, KNITTED) cuffs and a new collar. Of course then after surveying my masterpiece (tee hee) it seemed to scream for a matching scarf so here it is, the new ensemble.

Knitted Scribble Scarf

Wow I actually did something other than a dishcloth; let us not get overly excited here, its just a scarf. But it did have two different yarns, a pattern and was bigger than a dishcloth! YEAH,
I'm moving right along. Socks you say, SOCKS? Nay nay, not yet. And I LOVE the shawls the LSSK girls make, they are such bad ass knitters they are! Some day....some day.... lol
For now, here is my scribble scarf.

A tiny bit of Knit

I keep confessing to everyone that I really don't know much about knitting and its true!
I am KISOJIO when it comes to knitting (keep it simple or judy is out!)so I'm going to be brave and post my first attempt at a dishcloth and unbelievable (even to ME) it has a pattern... please stop laughing, they told me it was a pattern. For the life of me I can't recall what it was called or IF it was called ...anything.
Nonetheless, here it is; at least it proves that I can actually HOLD knitting needles and make them click. Can't wait to get more advanced, heehee.
Soooo many things I'd love to knit, if I ever get to take a course on time management maybe I can figure out how to take all these PSP lessons,embroidery machine lessons, serger lessons, crochet lessons and learn to knit at the same time.... I'm walkin' now....anybody got some gum?

My Fave Handbag (for NOW)!

Here it is; finished this afternoon. I have seen so many recycled denims turned into handbags I decided it was time that I tried one!

This girls overall style mini-skirt was found abandoned in a local resale shop. It was hanging there sobbing at me "take me home, help me, give me a life", LOL. So I did. This was fun to make and you may have figured out already I LOVE GLITZY! Yep, I do.

Here is my first effort, transformed black denim into large handbag. I'm meeting an old friend for dinner tomorrow night and I can't wait to sport this handbag for all to see!

My Sewing Space

Many have talked about their sewing space so I thought that I would share some photos of mine. This is a small room about a 9X9 space and the photos are taken like a scan of the room, panning from Left to Right with all the photos numbered in sequential order.

Bear in mind as you view them that I live in a V E R Y small two bedroom apartment. As you can see, I have tried (and sucessfully!) crammed everything possible into this small space while hopefully making everything as accessible, convenient and practical as possible.... well, I did say "hopefully", LOL!

Here it is.....my little sanctuary.

Sewing Space (cont'd)