It's June

 After about 3 weeks of spring weather, we suddenly turned to summer. We have been having weather around 30C. I am not a fan, and it makes my sewing space much too warm. We have a couple more days of heat, in the coming week, then it is predicted to be more moderate.

I have nearly finished my Sunshine Crossbody Bag, and it ended up bigger than I wanted.  I love to look of it, but I wanted something just for making quick trips and errands.

This is the front.

The back has no zipper.

Lots of pockets, for a phone, cards, and other necessities.

It also has a leash for keys.

After I finish the pressing and add a strap, it will be off to its new home. 

Emmaline's Bags has a new wallet pattern, and when they offered a kit with everything except the thread, I just had to get one.

You buy the pattern separate, because you can use it again and again. The kit is a great idea if you don't have a lot of vinyl or cork scraps and want to make one. The pattern looks easy, so I can see making more than one.

I finished my baby socks.

The yarn is leftovers from a pair of socks earlier this year. I was surprised when the socks turned out to be identical.

The new Quilt The North box arrived today. I am among the first to get it, I expect, so I'll wait to post my unboxing, however, one item in the box is exciting.

There is a zipper! This won't be the usual Quilt the North Project.

I have a couple of handbags to finish in the next while, but I am excited to do this project, too.

Apple Blossoms

 

The apple trees are blooming. The backyard is perfumed in the late afternoon. Hopefully, we have lots of bees to pollinate them and give us food for the birds over the winter.

The weather has been crazy. We have had frost warnings with near freezing nights, after a couple of days in the high 20's. It's hard to know how to dress.

I started a shawl, when we first got Daisy and the Olympics were on TV. It was slow going, with a puppy to keep an eye on, so it pretty much got forgotten. Last week, I decided it was time to let it go, so I frogged it, and will use the yarn for a different shawl. 

I started a new one, and it is going much better.

The pattern is easy to follow, and I'm enjoying it.

I've also been working on a new purse for me.

This is the front. I showed the alterations I was making to the pattern on my last blog. Things are mostly fitting together. It's amazing how the bright rainbow zipper just blends into that fabric.

I was asked for baby socks. I need to keep a pair in stock at all times, apparently. I discovered that I had started a pair, for waiting room knitting, that I had forgotten about. I'll finish them and start a new pair for the stock. My friends keep having grandbabies and great grandbabies.

I will close with Princess Daisy, sitting on her throne, looking very regal. The only thought in her mind is " I think I smell BBQ'ed chicken."

Daisy and I wish you a happy week.

Try Not To Make The Same Mistake Twice

 I finally decided on the fabric for my new bag.

That feels right. I haven't had a cat bag for awhile, so it seemed time. In my sorting, I found two pieces of the paw print fabric, so I thought I'd use the smaller piece for the lining of this bag. The cats have been in my stash for about 6 years, I think. It was recently re-released, in darker shades. I like mine better.

I'm going to make the Sunshine Crossbody Bag.  Its a free pattern from Bagstock Designs. 

https://www.bagstockdesigns.com/collections/pdf-sewing-patterns/products/sunshine-crossbody-pouch

As I was preparing the pattern pieces, I had a couple of memories, of bags past, that I need to consider for this bag.  This bag has a front pocket, and I like that for my phone. I made a bag and then got my current phone, and the phone didn't fit in the front pocket. So I checked the zipper size, measured my phone, and thought there wouldn't be a problem.

Then I remembered a passport wallet I made for a friend, where after careful measuring, I discovered that I couldn't fit the passport in, because the zipper pull shortens the opening. So I marked the seam lines, and then marked the length of the zipper pull and slide.

Then I laid my phone on the seamline, with the bottom at the mark for the sipper pull.

I think that needs a little  more fabric.

i added 2 1/2" to the front piece. Now it looks like the phone will fit. Now I just need to find all the pattern pieces that I need to 2 1/2 inches. I'm so glad a remembered that before I cut anything.  And, yes, I decided to go with the bright colored zipper instead of the pastel.

Daisy had a puppy party this week. She invited her litter mate, Luigi, and his family for a playdate. It was a beautiful spring day, and everyone had so much fun.

The children had fun, and can't wait to do it again. I think there will be more puppy playdates, soon.

Where Did You Get That Bag?

 I have carried bags I made for myself for a very long time. I like that they have the pockets that I need, the bag is a suitable size for me, and the fabrics I use are a reflection of my personality. 

However, out in the wild, I get the most interesting response. The conversation goes something like this:

"Where did you get that bag?"

"I made it."

"You're kidding!"

Very weird. Why wouldn't I make it? Where do they think bags come from? Magical elves?

Oh, well. I recently looked at my everyday clutch and decided that it was looking a little worn. Apparently I made it 3 years ago. So it is time for a new bag. Something bright for the spring that is still playing hide and seek.

I was playing in my stash. I recently sorted my fabrics again, to put themes together. At the same time, I pulled some fabric to give to a friend for her latest charity project.

In this box are cats, EMS, animals, Laurel Burch, and crafting themed fabric. I have another 2 boxes this size, though the second one isn't full.

I started putting fabrics together, that I liked.

Take 1:

 It has potential, but that isn;t quite it.

Take 2:

Maybe, but I think I want something a bit brighter. I have some cork that might work. I think I'll keep playing.

I finished some knitting this week.

Baby socks and one adult sock. The second adult sock is approaching the heel.

The flowers are trying to appear.

Snowdrops and crocus on a damp and  grey day. The forsythia is starting to get a yellow tinge.

Daisy is growing, too.

Her days as a lap dog are numbered. 

This is the dining room conservatory.

Six Hibiscus flowers opened this morning. They are obviously ready for it to be spring. 

Begonia

 Sometimes, an idea comes together quickly and easily.

A friend wanted a small backpack with a drawstring top for her spring walks. She asked if  I knew of a pattern. I went looking in my usual sources and found exactly what she was looking for at Blue Calla Patterns, the Begonia Backpack.

I realized that I had most everything I needed in my stash, so I decided a quick little project would take my mind off the snow.

The bag is finished, mailed and received, so let me show you.

I was really pleased with how it turned out.

The zipper pulls line up in the centre, and the fabric is matched across the zipper.

I remembered to add my label. The bottom of the bag is cork fabric.

I added a cork overlay to the interior pocket.

There is a carabiner for her keys. I didn't take a picture but there is Daisy fabric lining the interior pocket.

All of the fabric was in my stash, along with the zippers. 

I also started a new sock, this week.

A plain vanilla sock in some pretty yarn from Area 51 Fibres. 

Not much sign of spring outside, although most of the snow has disappeared. However, my dining room plants think we need some bright flowers.

The weather for this week is forecast to be grey and rainy. A good week to sew.

Fraternal Twins

 I was asked to make two beach bags for a friend's granddaughters. Since it will be awhile before we have any beach days, I went toward a tote bag. My friend gave me some cotton fabric from her stash that both young women liked, and I added some water resistant canvas, that I got from Emmaline Bags. 

https://emmalinebags.com/collections/canvas-all-kinds/products/water-resistant-polyester-2-2-twill-450-denier-polyurethane-coated-back

Here are the finished bags.

The one on the right actually has blue canvas, but the camera turned it, and the wall behind it, grey. 

The bags have recessed zippers in the top.

They have slip pockets inside, a long with a lanyard for their keys.

The slip pockets has a label describing my thoughts as I finished,

I made the slip pockets a bit larger than I meant to make it. I must change the measurements in my book to shorten it.

I also finished my Christmas socks.

Like the bags, the socks are fraternal twins. They nearly match. The yarn is from Area 51, an Alberta hand dyer.

With winter settled in, the cats were thrilled the other day when their bird feeder was visited by a collection of finches and juncos.

there is only a junco visible in the picture. The cats are keen bird watcher in the winter, and remind us if the feeder is empty, or we didn't put peanuts out.

Purse # 4

 After 3 more days of work, I finished the requested purse for my friend's granddaughter. This is the finished bag.

The fabric was supplied by Grandma, and I supplied the hardware, zippers and strap. I needed to deliver the bag, so I forgot to get a picture of the strap, or the zipper. You can kind of see the zipper in this picture.

The zipper and strap are rainbow leopard print. The interior has big polka dots and small ones.

My friend was thrilled with how it turned out. I added a different stabilizer to the flap and adjusted the lining seams to give a smoother fit to the lining. I hope its new owner enjoys it.

I saw a pattern for a tiny sock and decided I needed to do one. I already have a tiny sweater for my tree, why not a tiny sock?

It is very tiny. It is laying next to a 6" DPN, so it is about 3" long.

I started a new pair of adult socks, shown above, then realized that it was December and I needed to make Christmas socks. The Christmas socks are coming nicely. I should have them done in time to wear, this Christmas.

Finally, Emme would like to show you her bestest spring. She hopes you will think it is lovely, too. She is also hoping she gets some new springs in her stocking because her other springs all seem to have disappeared.

A Tale of Three Purses

 I thought about calling this Goldilocks and the three purses, but it has been a long time since my hair was golden.

About 4 years ago, I made this bag.

I liked it, except the front pocket had a zipper that made it hard to get your phone out. It had 6 card pockets inside as well as a place to store your cash.

About a year later, I made this bag.

It had  flap to make it easier to get at your phone, but it was too small. My phone didn't actually fit in the phone pocket. It also had only 3 card slots and no other pockets.

Recently, I was asked to make a phone wallet, and this was my chance to fix the problems with the first two.

This one is the same size as the first one, and has the card pockets and a place for bills and change. It also has unicorns.

It even has a leash for my keys. 

I kept fairly careful notes, and now I am making another one for my friend. I need to have it done by Wednesday, so I hope everything goes well (and I remember to sew on my label.).

i finished a couple of knitting projects.

This is a hat for my sweetie, who asked for a new warm hat. He seems to have worn out his last one.

I used my usual hat pattern, Bankhead. I made the ribbing longer because he likes a double layer over the ears. The yarn is Revival Worsted from Ancient Arts Yarn, in Calgary.

I also used up the remainder of the ball from my most recent pair of mitts, to make some toddler mitts.

Winter has decided to stay, so someone will need mitts.

The other morning, we had fog, which left frost on the trees. It looked very pretty.

Have a good week. I'll be sewing to a deadline.