Today I noticed...A finished product really encourages me to try something else.

I've been playing with my new sewing machine and learning to make different items. It is such fun to create something from a few pieces of fabric. Then, having the opportunity to personalize what I create and really make it one of a kind is also rewarding. 

I just finished my third bandana tote bag. I saw an advertisement for one and then saw a blog post tutorial and decided that I wanted to make one for myself. 

My First Bandana Tote Bag

I'm really partial to a red purse. So, the traditional red bandana seemed to call my name. I lined it with a navy bandana. I also added a handy zip pocket and a recessed zip top closure. I'm probably going to remove the closure because I'm finding that I rarely want to close it up and that sort of gets in the way. All in all, though, I am really happy with my tote bag.

I decided that creating personalized bags would make good gifts. So, I've started down the path of making the girls in our family a tote bag. I've done a bit of tweaking on my method and I'm still not perfectly satisfied with how I want it. The bag below has traditional red bandanas as the lining.

My Second Bandana Tote Bag

Yesterday I finished another gift tote bag. It really made me smile in spite of the fact that I had to pick out the stitching for the lining because I had made a mistake putting it together and the fact that the bandanas I used were a little off-square and I had to wrangle with them a bit to make it work. 

My Third Bandana Tote Bag

The finished tote bag is just so cute and eye-catching. The brown one above is lined with bandanas that have boots and hats intermingled with the paisley print and has a pink background.

I love how the different prints coordinate and really do make each bag unique. At this point I have completed the three using slightly different techniques for each one. I think I am honing in on exactly what steps and methods work best to create just the bag I like! 

Even though I had a couple of hurdles to jump with this particular bag that I finished up today, when I hung it up on the closet door, I really felt encouraged to make another one. It is exciting to see how each one turns out and anticipate how the recipient might enjoy it. I don't know if I will start another bag tomorrow or will delve into a smaller project. One thing is certain, I'm looking forward to giving some sort of stitching project a try!

Early Delivery!

Since we are staying home, our family Easter gathering has been called off and we are hoping for a family get-together later this year.  I'm not sure if an egg-hunt will be involved but I am sure giggling and high-jinks will be if everybody can come together because that is just what happens when the ten grands and their parents are together.

We turned to online order and delivery for the treats this year.  When I was ordering, the companies were telling me that delivery might take longer for non-essential items.  Well, evidently chocolate coated cookies are deemed essential for some of the grands.  Abby Lee seems to concur with the early delivery!

By the way, I think one of the big brothers is enjoying one of the treats in the background as well!  I tried to capture the looks on their faces by getting a screenshot from the video. They all seemed to think the treats were a good deal.

Merry Christmas!

Today should be a quiet day for Mike and me.  We've been scurrying round to get gifts and get them wrapped and get them under the tree for the grands and our children.  We will be sharing some time and love with them on the weekend.  For now, though, we can enjoy the pretty paper, pretty ribbons, and sparkle of Christmas.  We hope your day is full of joy and peace of the season.

Merry Christmas!

A Little Touch Up for an Antique Frame

Mike's mother recently gave us an antique painting that is in a beautiful frame.  It once belonged to one of his father's ancestors.  Over the years, it had gathered a few nicks and dings and I felt like they sort of distracted from the overall beauty of the frame. 

The two photos above show how there were these white spots that just seemed to jump out to me and were distracting from the painting and the beautiful frame.  I wanted to do something that didn't alter the integrity of the painting or the frame.  So, when I ran across a post on the blog, Edith and Evelyn, where Cindy shared her secret Homemade Glaze, an idea tugged at the corner of my brain.

So, I mixed up a bit of that glaze and did a few little touch ups.  I didn't even remove the painting from the wall.

There were a dozen or so little dings to which I added a light coat of glaze.  The total time it took me was about ten minutes and that counts the time it took me to find the paint and thin it with water.

Above is a grainy phone picture showing the finished product.  The painting is a bit dark and the paint has cracked a bit but it is a relaxing pastoral scene with a house set in a meadow surrounded by a copse of trees. I am wondering if it could be cleaned but for now, we are enjoying it and the beautiful frame adds some class to our den!

 

Baby Gift

Bridgette and I collaborated recently to give a personalized baby gift for a young girl with whom I work.  She is a Big Orange fan as a graduate of The University of Tennessee.  So, I decided to go with that concept for a gift for her soon to arrive little fellow.

With Smokey as the mascot, we figured every little boy needs something with the dog's sweet face on it...and we thought we had better do that times three - a onsie, a swaddling blanket, and a burp-cloth.

Then, Bridgette decided that since little babies are often peeking over mom's shoulder, maybe a bit of personalization to make the outfit more like a jersey on the back was in order.

Included in the mix was a bit of orange-and-white-check to keep that UT flavor going.

So, baby Josiah will have a soft swaddling blanket with orange check and Smokey on one side and soft grey flannel on the other, an outfit with Smokey on one side and his name on the other, a burp-cloth with Smokey and his name on one side and orange check on the other, and a burp-cloth with the big orange T on one side and UT orange on the other.  Everybody will know he's a fan!