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 do you carry your Kindle?

I don't have a Kindle but if I did I would absolutely carry mind in one of these cushioned totes.  They are sized to fit a Kindle, or any electronic reader or small iPad, with a sleeve.  My art journal would fit perfectly.  Hmmmm, I may need one for myself.

The bottom carrier is for a boy so of course it needed a drawstring.  I can't decide which one is my favorite but I am leaning towards the pink tote with the grey chevron lining.  Oh ya', I almost forgot... they are also reversible.  Which one is your favorite?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

The Perfect Bed

This is a VERY serious post...

How many of us put off decorating our bedrooms?  I am always shopping for the perfect duvet cover, curtains, accessories, etc. but it is always delayed.  Something more important comes up or there is someplace that we would rather spend our money.  We are big fans of mini-vacations.

I finally bought a new duvet cover.  For years we have had a summer weight down comforter on our bed for warmer weather... with a blanket thrown over it.  I just couldn't find something I liked until we spotted this Thomas O'Brien duvet set at... Target.  Gotta love Target.

It wasn't the perfect duvet cover but Gene and I both liked this one.  It sorta hollers "I am man!" so I wanted to liven it up and add some more color.   I started looking at throw pillows but remembered that I have feather pillows that I saved.  All they needed were new shams so Gene and I picked out the material.

I used my Mother's Day "alone time" to sew new shams.  I love them and now I have the perfect duvet cover and pillows for our bed.  Yahoo!  I am happy.  I wonder if I will go to bed at a decent time.  Probably not!

(I would show them pictured on our bed but we just got home from a mini-vacation and there are clothes all over the perfect duvet cover.) 

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?

Fabric Basket and Crayon Bag

I found on Pinterest a tutorial on fabric baskets and had to try it.  During Christmas time Gigi picked out some material for pajamas and I bought enough to make them... if she were four years old.  So, I have been using that material for "gotta try it" type of projects.

The fabric basket was easy to make but not sturdy enough.  I even used craft weight fusible interfacing on the outside and inside material.  Next time I will put something in the bottom to make it even more firm... maybe a discarded plastic folder cut to fit in between the layers.

Do you have any idea how much noise a plastic bag filled with crayons can make during prayer time at church?!?!  So embarrassing.  Now imagine how much noise it can make when two little girls are racing to grab the same color of crayon.  I can't stop them from wanting the same color but I can make a quieter bag.  The pink zebra material is what Greta picked for her Christmas pajamas, which I didn't buy enough to make them (just like the material I used for Gigi's fabric basket). 

Greta was home sick from school.  She was on day two and almost fully recovered.  You know, too sick to go to school but not sick enough to stay in bed  (she has stickers on her cheeks).

Tote Bags

Three new medium tote bags went to new homes for the holidays.  I haven't made a new purse for myself yet but I have plans for an awesome multi fabric hobo bag.  Someday...

This one was a diaper bag for a friend who is having her fourth baby. Congratulations Chelsey!  The lining it is green with turquoise polka dots.  So fun.

I will be using this fabric in something for myself.  Really, I will.

The model in the pic is my neighbor.  Isn't she beautiful?  She has such a sweet spirit too.

Re-usable Sandwich Bags for Christmas Gifts

Christmas Gifts!

Each year I try to come up with something fun and inexpensive to make the girls' teachers for Christmas that involves the Three R's (reduce, reuse, and recycle).  This year it is the Lunch Kit which includes two re-usable sandwich bags and a lunch sized napkin.  I started making the sandwich bags after volunteering in the lunchroom a few years ago.  I was horrified by all the plastic bags and containers that went in the trash after each lunch.  Where is all this trash going to go in another decade or two?  Now the girls use the re-usable sandwich bags for everything - not just sandwiches.  They are lined with a food safe material and can be wiped out or tossed in with the laundry.  We also use them for car rides or just holding little collections of " kid stuff".   Greta is always wanting me to make her new ones so she can show her friends.  Little does she know that they get examples.  ha ha

Gigi's piano teacher received one after the Christmas Recital  filled with chocolate as a thank you for her hard work and patience.  I can't tell you how many times Gigi went to practice pretending like she had practiced all week.  I am sure Carly could tell the difference but she always give Gigi encouraging remarks after practice (even if I am tattling on Gigi).

This collection of newly finished re-usable sandwich bags ready for new homes. They are $6 each or the Lunch Kit is $15 (two bags and a coordinating lunch sized napkin).  If you aren't local I would be happy to mail them to you with just the cost of shipping.  They are also sold in Ms Effie's Summer Kitchen, along with all kinds of other handmade items from fabulous women.