back...

I'm back! It's been a really long time. I have no excuses except LIFE and LAZINESS, or lack of desire to blog. So, moving on...

When my sister Lynette and husband, Anthony moved to Corpus Christi last summer, she got a job at The Quilt Cottage, a cute little shop with REALLY cute quilting fabric. Needless to say, I was a bit jealous of the discount Lynette would receive, and just the plain fun of working with all that fabric. But I was really excited when she called me one day and asked me to try out a bag pattern for the owner of the quilt shop. When finished, the owner would display the bag, so others could touch, feel and really see what the bag would end up looking like. Of course I said yes! So she mailed me the supplies and pattern, I made the bag (which was not a bag I would ever carry around, but it was fun to make just the same), and mailed it back. (Sorry, no picture). So, for Thanksgiving we went to Corpus, and Lynette and I got two more bag patterns and fabric. We weresupposed to sew up these bags during their visit for Christmas/New Years. But, due to complications with Lynette's pregnancy, they didn't make it, so that left me to make the two bags.

The patterns are by Pink Sand Beach Designs:

This is the Manhattan Handbag #102. It's fun with all the different fabrics. This turned out really bright and would be a fun one to carry for Spring, I think. It's a lot bigger than I thought it would be. It has two pockets inside, and a magnetic snap closure. It feels pretty sturdy, even though it's made with quilter's cotton and not a home decor fabric. If I were to make this for me, I think I'd interface the handles better. The pattern was easy to follow, with step by step instructions and pictures. Oh, it would be nice if the pictures were in color, but they're still really helpful.

And here's the second one: the Tahoe Tote #109. This was a great pattern too. The 3 different fabrics on the outside of the bag is really fun, and it's also fairly sturdy. This bag has a flap closure, with a magnetic snap closure too. It would also be a really fun bag to carry around.

So, off in the mail tomorrow. Thanks for letting me try out these patterns, Lynette. I'm bummed that you can't work at The Cottage (hey, that would be a good horror film title), anymore... but maybe you can mention to the owner that I'd still love to sew up bags for her!