steampunk/military messenger bag for the tomboy

We are still using those steampunk inspired pendants.  They were so much fun to make and I have set a few aside to use in my mixed media paintings.  I have so much "stuff"collected for paintings.  My previous post shows how we made them and then turned them into a banner Steampunk Banner.

Gigi is a tomboy.  She doesn't get why girls like to spend time fixing their hair, putting on make-up or worrying about accessories.  (I love all those things.)  I was so excited when I found out that her friends talked her into using a purse.  She refused to carry any type of bag that looked girly or pink or had flowers or had anything that indicated she could possible be a girly-girl.  I showed her a few of the Kavu bags, which are functional, durable, and fun.  I carry one.   She didn't really love any of them so off we went to look through my fabric scraps.

Gigi designed her own small messenger tote by using left over pieces of an Army uniform, chevron canvas, left over military patches and pins from her Dad's collection and some of her steampunk charms and pendants.  It turned out so cool.  Or should I say epic?  I can never keep up.   Now she's not walking around school with her pockets full of her phone, chapstick, pens and pencils, papers... her new steampunk/military inspired bag holds it all.

How to manage time...

There are so many things I want to try to create.  Some are completely full of artistic freedom... I have a stack of canvases sitting beside my painting table just waiting for the ideas to be put into color.  I'm not running short of ideas.  I have a sermon journal/sketchbook full. I also have sewing orders that need to be completed as fast as my little arthritic fingers can move.



Can you hear them calling my name?

Then I look at blogs like this one and I am inspired at Lisa Leonard's http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/blog/diy/diy-dishtowels time management skills.  She has a successful jewelry business, looks adorable, and continues to create for her personal space.  Plus, she has a family who she talks about and the challenges that come with her story.  How does she do it?  I wonder if she feels totally frazzled in real life but pulls it all together for the blog.  I want to make some of these dishtowels for our new house...in my spare time.



these are so simple and cute
 

Poppy Cat Sews is doing well; however, I am struggling to figure out how to successfully juggle all the responsibilities.  Do I fill orders and let my house go to shambles (which drives me crazy)?  I love to design and sew but my heart also desires to paint.  And, how do I manage family and continue with the unbelievably high mothering standard to which they are accustomed (sarcasm)?  It's all a conundrum for me. 

A collection of crossbody bags.

I have one statement that is on my mind... pray without ceasing.  I may not have figured out how to manage my time in the way that I want or with the discipline that is needed but I am thrilled that I am overflowing with the gift of creativity.  I've held it at bay for 20 years and I know I am moving towards living the life God called me to live at this place in time... even if it is a bit chaotic, unbalanced, and messy (just like this blog post).

The Busy Holdiays and Holiday Bazaars

This post is just a bit of thoughts - no pictures - just funny thoughts I am having over my coffee.

The past three weeks have been so very busy.  I've participated in my first craft bazaars... three to be exact.  The first one was supposed to be the big money maker.  Last year it was packed with vendors and people.  To prepare, I made inventory like crazy.  I had over 150 items.  I was sad to see the folks trickling in  - maybe a few customers walked by every 30 minutes.  A friend came by to see me and told me that there were FOUR other craft fairs that day and she was going to them all.  Hmmm, that explained a lot!!!  Needless to say, I have extra bags, wallets, and other wonderful goodies left over but I am thrilled to say that we made a enough to pay for all our Christmas purchases and maybe have a bit left over.

Gene was great.  He set up at each one and sold the daylights out of my stuff.  I love to create but I hate to market.  Gene just lights up and turns on the charm when the tired Mom, who is lugging around a few kids and baby, comes by our booth.  Gene cracks me up... he said he would much rather be manning the booth than be one of the depressed husbands being dragged to the craft fair.  ha ha

It was interesting to see what people would spend their hard earned money on.  I sold out of iPad totes but could barely sell a large tote.  It is easy to look back and see that customers did not come to the craft fairs this year to spend more than $20 on an item unless it was something specific they wanted.  Good to know for next year. 

One of the best parts was... for the first time... I made my paintings available for sale.  They were a hit and that makes me so happy happy.  It is hard to put something so personal out there for the public to critique or walk past without even a second glance.  Plus, I really enjoy painting mixed-media paintings.  I may enjoy it more than sewing but I still love the practicality of sewing and knowing that I may be helping keep the earth clean.  Let's ban plastic bags!  Who's with me?  ha ha

In conclusion, (can you tell I have been helping the girls write reports for school?)  my house is a disaster.  I have all these beautiful Christmas decorations up but we can't see past the chaos to enjoy them.  As a result, I am forbidden to enter my art studio.  I must clean, finish laundry, blah, blah.  My only question is... do I shower first.  I'll have to have another cup of coffee and watch one of my on-line art class sessions, The Art of Wild Abandonment 2.  Then I'll start cleaning.  I promise!

Poppy Cat Sews, the craft show, and turning 40

Fabric cut and waiting to be turned into a "The Kam" tote bag. 

As I was heading into my studio today to sew... in my pajamas, hair not brushed, and barefoot, it dawned on me that I should be documenting this part of my life.  I recently turned 40 years old and I have been doing some reflecting on my life as it stands at this moment.

It can get lonely but I have my best employee with me every day.
 

I am were I want to be.

How often does that happen in someones life?  I always wanted to be an artist, have a career, and have a cozy family that is happy.  So I am thinking about my accomplishments - I have a masters degree in Social Work.  I worked successfully in the field but when I had babies I knew I wanted to be a stay at home mom.  I had seen how cruel people can be and I wanted to protect my children and give them the best start that I knew how.

My Mom worked on the family farm but somehow managed to be standing behind the kitchen counter when I walked in the door from school.  She did her best to provide a loving environment and to let us know we were important in her life.  I want to give that gift to my girls and I feel like I am successful.  I admit, there are moments when I am the dreaded Helicopter Mom but that's okay.  At least I recognize it and back off.

My painting desk is a disaster.  Sewing supplies are spilling over.
 

I put off my dream of being an artist until now for many reasons.  Initially I was focused on my career, then I was focused on my little ones, and the dedication of being a military wife takes a lot of my energy.  I realized this year that I am ready to start my dream.  It is a delicate balance between caring for my family, holding back my fear of failure, and deciding how I define my success. 



A stack of tote bag handles cut out and waiting to be ironed.

An hour of ironing and they are ready to be sewn.

I think this morning was a success... in my pajamas with kids safely at school, a spouse on his way to work, and me ironing countless tote bag straps.  A few months ago I started an on-line store, Poppy Cat Sews.  It is a work in progress.  Last week I entered a few paintings in an art show, and I am currently preparing for my first craft show.  Being 40 years old is feeling good.

"The Viv" Library Tote

Meet "The Viv".  This is a new tote bag designed for a busy SAHM to stay organized and have it all in one tote.  My friend, Tab, is a SAHM to her 18 month old Vivi.  Tab's dilema was that she needed a bag that could carry everything for the day and go from the library to the beach.  Ya' did I mention that she just moved to Hawaii?  Tough dilema, huh? 

 

 

 

It just so happens that I have been designing a new tote that would allow it to be over stuffed with bulky heavy things but not be too large for everyday use.  When I go to the library with the girls my bag is frequently overflowing with books.  I thought that an adjustable flap would be just the thing.  It tucks into the bag when not in use but if you need a few extra inches to pile the stuff up, the flap comes out and ties closed.  If it falls over in the car, the books stay in the bag and don't slide under the seat.  Hmmm, if I had a dollar for every time that has happened to me. 

Tab also needed a toiletry bag to contain her lip gloss collection and keys.

The last addition was the diaper clutch.  It will hold a few diapers and a small package of wipes.  It is easy to find and you don't have to carry the entire tote bag around for a quick diaper change.  I hope "The Viv"  gets years of usage at the library and the beach.

Weekender Tote

Vera Bradley Weekender 

I have had my eye on the Vera Bradley Weekender bag for months.  I almost bought one several times but I didn't want to face my husband when I told him how much I paid and that I needed the matching accessories.   It also drives me crazy to purchase an item when I can probably make something similar.
We went on a weekend trip recently and I carried my old, snagged, sad, poopy brown duffel bag.  It was almost embarrassing to carry it to our nice hotel room.  I mean really, I am at the age now that when I travel and climb out of the car my bag is the best looking thing.  I should have a cute bag that distracts folks from the worn traveler.  I vowed that I would sew my own.  So, this weekend I dug through my scraps and sewed my very own custom designed Sherry Porter Weekender Tote... and accessories.

I love it and it was a fraction of the price of the Vera Bradley tote.  There are a few things I would change and that I learned along the way.  This is the first super-duper big, fleece lined, and zippered tote I have made.  Plus, I didn't follow a pattern. I made it up as I went along and decided on measurements based on the size of scraps I had available.  The interior is small black and white polka dot material and has a large pocket (that needs a snap but I forgot to put it in).  Zippers, arghhh!  After putting in all three zippers it dawned on me why I was not getting the clean finish stitch that I desired.  Oh well, next time.  I just won't let anyone who knows how to sew  look at my bag closely.  ha ha

The picture doesn't show the sizes of the accessory bags well.  The taller bag will hold my hairspray, flat iron, shampoo, and brushes.  This is just a fluke because I just pieced together scraps.  Thank goodness for small miracles.  The second bag is a little larger than a make-up bag. I need more products now to look good than I needed a few years ago. They are both lined with water resistant PUL so when my bronzer spills or shampoo lid leaks, they can easily be wiped clean.

Yea, I can't wait to go on a weekend vacation and see how my bags work.

Tote bags and Etsy

I have been happily busy in my art/sewing room.  Starting my Etsy store, Poppy Cat Sews, has been a long time coming but I just don't seem to be getting enough different items made for listing.  It's not that I haven't been productive.  I've finished several tote bags in the past couple of weeks and one is going to be listed and available very soon.  The rest, well, they already have a new home.  *smile*

I also plan on sewing and listing some fabric cuff bracelets.  Each one I make I end out keeping for myself.  (shame on me)  There are going to be some running wallet cuffs available in a week or so.  I made one at a friend's request and she really liked it.  They will fit around your wrist or ankle and have room to hold a military ID, keys, and some money.

Can you think of anything that you would like to see available?  I'd really like to know what people are interested in.

I made two of these.  One was an end of the year teacher gift and the other was purchased as a diaper bag.  I wouldn't mind having one of these myself.

This one went as an end of the year teacher's gift.

I bet the person who bought this one as a gift ends out keeping it for herself.  She is moving to Hawaii, how could she not keep it?

This tote was fun to make - the person who bought it got to help pick out the material and design it.

Finally, a tote to list on Etsy.  The orange, green, and brown paisley looks really cute with the pink leopard interior.

Cheap Labor and Reusable Sandwich Bags

I might stink as a nurse but I make an excellent task master!    I am completely taking advantage of my husband being home on convalescent leave while he recovers from surgery.  

I have been thinking about opening an ETSY store for so long.  Every time someone asks me if I have a webpage I have to sadly tell them no.  My mind is not business oriented.  I can design, sew, and paint until my fingers bleed but when I try to research how to figure out sales tax or how to get a business license all I hear is Charlie Brown's teacher. 

Luckily, I have a husband with an MBA and he is trapped at home for a month.  He is completely dependent on me to drive him places. (insert evil grin)  So, while he is enjoying his time at home, I am encouraging him to do my bidding by figuring out all the rules and regulations of having a legit business.  He claims that he will send me his bill.

While he does the dirty work I am in my sewing/art studio making reusable sandwich bags, totes, and other fun stuff (gotta respect the earth).  Here are some  samples...

Something for myself - a new purse

Hard to believe, but I finally made something for little ol' me.

I bought this fabric months ago with the intention of making something for myself.  I love all the colors and the floral suggestion of the pattern.  When I want to shake things up with my sewing I go to Goodwill to look for items that I can upcycle.  A few months ago, this great military inspired green belt caught my eye.  My waist is not in any shape to draw attention to it by wearing a cool clunky belt but I thought it might make a neat shoulder strap for a purse.

A month or so ago I found the time and inspiration to create a new purse pattern.  I only cut out the body of the purse because... well, that is all I had come up with.  I didn't know how I would finish the purse, I just knew what size and shape I wanted.  Now that I have carried to purse for a few days I know that when I make this style again that the side pockets and the purse body would work better for me if they were deeper.  I carry around a lot of big stuff like books and water bottles.

This past week, Greta was sick and missed a week of school.  You might think that I had an entire week at home to create but not so... I was needed every couple of minutes to sooth and comfort a sick child.  That's my job.  On day five of being homebound, and Greta starting to feel better, I had an hour or so of uninterrupted time.  As a result, I am enjoying my new purse!

On a side note, I work in spurts.  I might sew for a week and then paint for a week.  Then I get bogged down with other distractions.  I like to jump from partially finished project to partially finished project.  Right now, I have an art journal page sitting open on the desk waiting for the last touches of paint and details.  Maybe I'll get to that today.

My next sewing project for myself is going to be a big weekend travel bag.  I have been snapping pics at the stores whenever I see one I like.  I want to remember all the little details.  Hmmmm, I wonder how long it will take to complete the travel bag?

Mini Tote, Hobo Bag, and Ruffle Purse

There are three new bags hitting the market at Ms. Effie's Summer Kitchen just in time for Christmas!

This mini-tote is a smaller version of the big market tote.  It is adorable and the perfect size for a wallet, cosmetic bag, book, and whatever the kids or husband want to sneak in there.

I must say that this is my favorite new purse.  It was inspired by several bags I saw on-line.  So, I found a basic pattern on-line at www.jcarolinecreative.comcreated as a starting point, made changes and additions, tweaked it as I went along, and viola.  It was fun to make because I love to mix and match fabrics.  There will be more of these coming along and one for me in one of the new fabrics I posted earlier.

This was another purse that was modeled after another bag  ( I would love to provide a link but I can't remember it - my apologies) but like the previous hogo bag, I made it my own as I went along.  Being free in the patterns and creating as I sew is my favorite way.  I know it would drive some folks crazy.  It is like cooking without a recipe.

However, this pretty purse was a bit challenging.  I thought it would be a great idea to add a ruffle on the outside, a divider in the middle as well as a pocket, and then have a pleated lining.  It was one of those projects where I had to walk away a  few times and regroup but it was worth all the effort.

Gene thinks it is cool that I try to be waste free and use every scrap I have.  With that said, I am working on a tutorial of a braided headband made from leftover materials.  It is so simple to make and can be done in less than 30 minutes.  I made one yesterday while I was coloring my hair.  I don't recommend that method but with some luck, it all turned out fabulous.

There is a messenger bag waiting in the wings but it may have to wait until after Christmas.  My small local fabric store has some things I need to finish it on order and I am waiting patiently.  Now I need to get busy sewing Christmas gifts for my family and friends.  I have lunch kits to make for the girls' teachers.  They include two re-usable sandwich bags and a napkin all tied up with a bow.  Hey, if you want to get some for the teachers and co-workers in your life I'd be happy to make a few extra. 

The girls picked out flannel for a couple pairs of pj's.  Not to mention that I am itching to paint.  I started a mixed-media picture as a Christmas gift for Gigi last month.  It calls to me every time I go into my art room.