Shelba

I Got My Craft On!

This bag should not have taken me as long as it did to make, but I was so unsure of what I was doing and so concerned about messing it up that I took it slow.  I still messed up a lot.  The bag didn't turn out exactly like the pattern, but it came out close enough.  I messed up when I was trying to form the bucket part of the bag, but once I did I understood what the right way was. So I ripped it out and did it the right way. 

The cover of the book with the pattern.  I got this book in Chicago last July. 

The pattern with Zorba's blurry little hand on the left corner. 

Voila!  The bag!  It stands 8.5" tall (not including the handles) and 5.5" wide. 

Get Your Craft On has been great for me.  Without the challenge, I never would have made this bag.  Or if I had started it without the challenge, I would never have finished it.  Never.  But I pushed myself to keep going even when I made mistakes and I forced myself to keep on even when I didn't know what I was doing.  Dare to fail!  Right, Amy?  Dare to look stupid! 

To see more bags go here!   

                                                      

Nope, Not Done

My bag is still not finished, but I did hand-stitch the binding that finishes off the top.  Now I need to do the handles.  Tomorrow!  It is on the top of my to do list for tomorrow.  Seriously, I'm even putting it before cleaning my house.

Today went by in a blur.  The morning was spent running errands.  Then we came home and there was lunch to deal with, naps, and then trying to shoot my work for the on-line photography class that GrrlTravels and I are taking. 

Oh, what else.  Ummm.  February will mark month 8 of the wait.  We still have to get to the 19th to be at the 8 month mark, but hey, we're headed that way.  8 months LID.  Dang.  How many more months do we have ahead of us?  A lot.  More than an additional 8, that is for sure.  Right this second,  and for this second only, I'm allowing myself to wonder about this future baby.  Okay, all done.  I can't go there too much, because I don't want this wait to become hard yet. 

Bag Progress

No, I have not finished my bag.  I'm a slow poke.  But I've made progress!  Since I don't read Japanese I had to make the bag using the pictures in the pattern.  I studied those pictures, trying to figure out what to do, and I kind of thought I knew what to do, but I was wrong.  I ended up spending lots of time sewing and ripping out what I had sewn.  But all of a sudden a light bulb went off and I got it, I got it!  I need to tear out the bottom and redo it, but really it is okay as it is.  It is so not perfect and that is okay. 

I am close to being done.  I just  need to finish binding the top and then connect the handles. 

This bag is small.  Too small for me.  I need a decent size bag.  One for all of my and Zoe's junk.  But this bag is going to be a birthday gift for a friend. 

We are going over to a friend's house for dinner tonight, but I am going to finish this tonight. 

I'm  having issues with getting Typepad to recognize my freakin' credit card, so my blogs might go down tonight.  But don't worry, because they can't keep me down.  I will figure this out eventually. 

Update:  I think everything is okay now.

Two Links I've Been Hoarding

I didn't do anything on my bag today, but hopefully will get back to it tomorrow.  Mostly, I stare at the book with the pattern in it.  And then I gawk at my unfinished bag and think, "How am I going to do what is in that book?" 

Amy broke out some inspirational links, so I went to my favorites and found these two links I've been saving. 

Small Hands has a great makeup bag tutorial.  I really want to try this.

I love Tiny Happy's shoulder bag tutorial and this is the bag that I was going to make this month.  Maybe once I finish the bag I'm working on.   

I thought my new camera was broken today.  I freaked out.  And I mean, I freaked out.  I'm not joking.  I hurriedly packed the camera and Zorba into the car for a trip to the camera store. Apparently, my camera is fine.  It is my camera's operator that has issues. 

Dang, I need a pedicure.  A friend just sent me some nail polish, so I think I'm going to have to put it to use.  Pitiful. 

Progress

This is the front and back of the bag!  And the lining has been attached, but I forgot to take a picture.  The bag is quilted to the lining, so it is all one piece,but I'm still working on quilting it.  The difficult part is ahead of me. 

I still need to add the Get Your Craft On button to my blog.  Susan has sent me instructions how to do it, but I still wasn't able to do it.  So I'll probably be calling her to have her walk me through it.  Have you added the button to your blog yet?

Working It

I think I went to bed around 2:30 am last night/this morning.  I really hope that sleep comes easily tonight. 

I've got nothing new to say.  Nada.  Did I mention that we are 7 months LID as of the 19th?  We are.  I like 7 months LID better than 6 months LID. 

Here is a picture of the bag I'm working on for the GYCO project. 

I've finished the front of the bag.  And I've already messed up.  I didn't do a good job of measuring in centimeters, but that is okay.  Or at least I think it is okay right now.  We'll see. The reason I'm posting this is because now you've seen what I'm working on, so if I mess up I'll keep going and finish it, even if it looks like crap. 

Sorry for the bad picture.  I got a new camera for Christmas and I haven't figured out to use it.  I can't seem to put the camera on manual so I can be in control.  I'm at the mercy of whatever it is set on right now!  So sad.

Can't Sleep

It is 1:30 am and I'm still awake.  I couldn't sleep, so I finally got up a half hour ago and decided to work on a project that I had been putting off finishing.  And I finished it!  At least my insomnia is making me productive.  I'm not the least bit sleepy.  I'm trying to decide if I should go back to bed or if I should watch a show that I tivod earlier while I do more productive stuff. 

I've never really been one who has not been able to fall asleep.  The only other time I've had this happen is back before my heart surgery.  But it wasn't because I wasn't tired, because I was.  I was exhausted.  It was because I couldn't breathe and if I reclined then I couldn't catch my breath.  I don't miss those times. 

The funny thing is is that Kallie keeps coming out to check on me.  Every fifteen minutes she jumps out of bed and comes out to see what I'm doing.  I was ironing once, so she turned around and headed back for our room.  The next time I was at the sewing machine, so she assumed her position next to my feet.  She stinks like rotten fish, but she is a good dog. 

Quick Sunday Update

Whoooo wee, I'm tired.  I couldn't sleep last night and was up until 4am.  You know what is on tv at 3am?  Let me tell you, nothing good.  I ended up watching Dirty Dancing the reality show.  It is as bad as it sounds, but I was desperate.

Zorba is big into the MINE! phase.  Everything is Mines!  Mines!  Mines!  Tonight she was trying to grab my measuring tape and screeching, "Mines!  Me, me, me!" All while pointing to herself.  I actually said back to her, "No! Mines!  Me!"  Oy! 

Tonight is the night that I start Getting my Craft On by making a bag.  I'm currently cutting the pattern out of paper.  There are several bits and pieces to this pattern and the pattern is in centimeters, so I want to make certain that my pattern is measured correctly before I cut into my prescious fabric.  I'm not used to centimeters and I find myself wanting to mark according to inches. 

What else?  Hmm.  I have a lot of packages to get out this week.  My KLB secret pal.  My dtc group secret pal.  My agency dtc secret pal.  And I want to start putting together goodies for a Miniswap that Zorba and I are participating in.  If you couldn't tell by how many swaps I'm doing, I really enjoy doing secret pals/swaps.  It is so much fun putting goodies together for someone and it is fun getting mail!  I can't tell you who my KLB secret pal is, or any of my dtc secret pals, but I can reveal our Miniswap pals.  The children of La Belle!  I'm really excited about this miniswap and I always find myself thinking about what little treasures I want to come up with for them.