Stockholm Bag by Pink Pony Design

I have once again had the pleasure of testing a pattern for Maria at Pink Pony Design.

This time I find myself utterly loving this tote style bag featuring many pockets, a magnetic closure, and ample room for my 15" Laptop, a couple of notebooks, pens/pencils on the inside.

When you purchase the pattern there is an option for more pockets, but I won't throw my phone in the bag, more likely in one of the outside pockets.

Me and my love of bright zippers! The pattern also instructs the use of the decor fabric in the pocket, which is a cool little design feature!

The outside of this perfectly sized tote features a large front pocket, where I added my tag.

Here you can also see a close view of piping on the top of the front pocket.

The backside has a small (7"-8") zippered pocket, where you can stealthily hide your cash, cards, and phone.

The same pink zipper from the inside, I think it pops perfectly.

Something else I did, that is not specific to the pattern is add piping, which is just something I thought made it look fancy and nice for a writers bag. 

I would say that this pattern is perfect for beginner to intermediate bag makers, and there's all sorts of little ways you can customize it to make it work for any use. Like the Daytona Bag, it is definitely a WIN in my opinion.

Please give Maria a follow on Instagram , Facebook , and on her Blog

Feel free to follow me on Facebook as well!

Thanks for Visiting!
Cate

Pink Pony Design- The Daytona Bag - Pattern Testing

Hey, look at me, updating like I said I would.
Go me!

Today I am fortunate enough to share something really cool. Over the past week I have been testing the pattern for the Daytona Bag by Maria over at Pink Pony Design! Now I get to share pictures with everyone!

I chose navy quilted fabric and marine vinyl for my first bag.

When this bag first popped up on Maria's blog, I was super excited! I have been working on my own pattern, but when I saw this bag I fell in love. I just knew that I needed to make one!

Front View. My handle holder is a little crooked, as I was sewing through many layers of vinyl with an improper foot on my machine.

 The style and size are great for every day use, and making it yourself you can choose how you want to style it. You could be super crazy with print and color, or if you like a more modest style you can go monotone. It could be classy or sassy. Haha!

Overall the pattern is very easy to follow, with lots of great pictures and details. I would say you could sew this bag on any decent home sewing machine, if you are conscious of the materials you choose.

I was a bit confused, those side pieces are supposed to go OUT not IN. I've since fixed it and the sides don't buckle weird any longer.

The inside of the bag is roomy, with a large zippered center pocket perfect for storing a small notebook and makeup, a side zipper pocket where I placed chap-stick and business cards, and an open pocket for your cellphone, pen, hand sanitizer or what have you.  I was able to fit all these things, my wallet, AND my 9" tablet in this bag and still carry it and get into it comfortably. Yet, it's not at all OVER sized.

I LOVE THIS BAG!
I love it so much that I made another one, modified for a cross body strap.

White Quilted fabric makes for an elegant finish.

I give this pattern 5 stars, and I hope to test for Maria again in the future. Maybe when I've finished my pattern, she'll even test for me! 

It should be available for purchase soon, and whenever I've got that information I'll post an update. In my honest opinion, any bag maker should have this pattern in their stockpile.

Thanks for stopping by.

June Already?

Where is this year going, my friends?

And where have I been?

Life is, as usual, hectic. I have basically been sick since we came back from vacation. I've had a horrific case of Mono, resulting in many hours of just sleeping or lazing around.  I'm not entirely over it, but I have been working on a few things...

My Mother-in-law was kind enough to send me some pewter wire for making some Sami bracelets.
I went through 10 meters in just a few days, but I had so much fun making them.

This is one of a handful of viking knit chains and cabochon pendants I made by hand. I will be selling them at my next Preservation Station appearance. 

I made my sisters prom dress. 

One of several cross stitch pieces...

My love of making totes is well known, here's one I recently made with some Paris themed duck and tan canvas.

Another dress in progress for my sister, this one of my own design! No pattern used, and I'm pretty darn proud of it.

Multicolored Lattice Quilt. I was going to sell it, but I have fallen in love with it.

A handmade antler ring with inlay sapphire

Etched sugar skull wine glass, gifted to my Mom on mothers day. 

Tedwina!

This past weekend I bought a dress-form! Finally!!!!
Meet Tedwina!

She is currently sporting my " Whale Of A Time" dress.

Camera Strap Cover: Tutorial

Fitted Camera Strap Cover Tutorial

STEP ONE:

Fold your camera strap in half, lay it over your fabric so that the fold of your strap is ON THE FOLD of the fabric. I should have got a better picture of that.
Outline! I used a sharpie so you could see it a little better.

 STEP TWO:

From your outline, measure out half of an inch and draw that line. Cut around the second line you made. 

  STEP THREE:

Cut two more pieces: One about 1 1/2 inch longer than half of the strap cover and the second one 1/2 longer than half of the strap cover.

 STEP FOUR:

Fold the ends about 1/3 of an inch over and sew.  Do the same on BOTH ends of EVERY piece.

STEP FIVE:

Put your pieces right sides together so that the longer back piece is under the shorter one

STEP SIX:

Sew down each long side, and then turn it right side out! 

I put a safety pin in the end to make it easier to pull through :)

STEP SEVEN:

Put your strap in, put it back on your camera, and enjoy!!

June's Obsession

People, I'm not even joking. 

I recently make a lovely mother of the groom's dress for a long time family friend.

 It was the perfect opportunity to practice sewing satin and sheers.

To top it off, I got to sew something for someone else's body, and it was inspiring to say the least.

It is made from champagne colored satin, not the high end stuff so it wasn't always so cooperative.
The bodice has an sheer overlay with a meandering pattern of sequins, which was interesting to cut and to sew.
The sash is just a plain black satin, to kind of bring the whole concept together.
I had a LOT of trouble with the lining, so much so that only the front and sides of the bodice got fully lined.
I just could not get the pieces to fit snugly together.
I don't currently have a photo of the back side, but it does have a 21 inch zipper.
The arm holes are bound in FOE, to keep the sequins from being scratchy on the arms.

Sewing this dress has had me looking at gowns on pinterest like a MAD WOMAN.
Specifically rosette gowns.

COME ON! Tell me that these are not stunning! I dare you!

Every time I would go to Joann or Hancock's and see rosette fabric, I thought that the rosette's on sheer fabric looked so... Childish...
Boy, was I wrong.
I only wish that it weren't so expensive, because I would love to have a knee length dress with a rosette skirt!
Not that I have any occasion to wear one.

On a more personal note, I really haven't been doing too much, aside from making that dress, and hemming some pants. I have been down with a kidney infection and some debilitating back pain for nearly three weeks now. I can barely put any pressure on my tailbone, so sitting at my sewing machine or cutting fabric in the floor has been a no-go.

Whale Of A Time

Several weeks ago I found this adorable whale fabric at our local Joann Fabric, and fell in love.
It's just so cute! My mind automatically began thinking of what I could do with it, and I thought of how cute it would be as a dress.
I really love the style of the 50's. Wavy hair, circle skirts, winged eyeliner, so when I took the plunge to buy fabric for my ideal dress, I knew the whales would be perfect. 

Now, I've made dresses before, but honestly this is the best one I've made yet for myself. 

I didn't even use a pattern! 

I feel very creative. 

Diapers, Delight, and Depression

Well, these first two things are related.
I don't want to jinx anything, but today was an interesting day that could lead to a great opportunity.
What I have to share is this ADORABLE reusable diaper!!

Isn't it sooo cute?
Economical, and so much nicer than disposable.
My favourite thing about these is how long they can be used.
A 'small' size, can fit up to 15 lbs or so, because of the velcro front!
I have to say this is not something I ever thought I would make, but they are cute, and people seem to love them.

Now the last thing...

 I try to keep my blog upbeat and relatively impersonal, but lately I've been really down and frustrated.
Dealing with depression is hard. It takes a toll on your mood and on your body.
I feel so tired all the time, and just plain 'blah'.
Sometimes I find myself in tears or angry for no reason, and sometimes I'm so sad I don't know how I can go on living.
Depression and mental illness is an issue that is close to my heart, and I think it's important for people to know that mental illnesses like depression and bi-polar disorder really change who you are at your core.
The best way I know how to describe depression is like having dual personalities.
In your heart and deep in your mind you know you have no reason to feel this aching sorrow and anger,
but your body and your conscious mind don't get the message.
My body fights against itself for power.
Who will win?
The me who wants to smile and be productive, and enjoy everything in her life?
Or the me who wants to give up ?
I fight hard to make sure it's the good me.
I am a happy and kind person, but when I am in a 'downswing' like I am now, I don't feel like doing anything I enjoy.

 I get irritable and anything could send me into a fit of tears.
So,with that said, I apologize to any readers and followers on Facebook if  I am not as active as I'd like to be.
Right now I am in that downswing, and I know some people will understand that, and some people won't, but I can only hope that sharing how I feel will encourage someone else to seek help.

Thank you, dearest readers and followers!
<3

February Project

Here is my completed February project, on this, the first day of March. 

I realized yesterday afternoon that if I was truly going to stick to my goal, I needed to finish this. 

All that I had left to do was bind it, but that's my least favourite part of quilting. 

Well, next to ripping seams, that is.

It was a challenge binding something so large, and the sheet backing was impossible to make stiff so there are a couple of spots on the back edges where the sheet ''buckled'' on me, and I had to put in a few extra stitches to keep it down.
So frustrating. 

This was also a hard quilt to work on for other reasons.
Normally a simple design like this wouldn't have taken me months to complete, but it's made from my Papaw's shirts.
There were times when I would start to work on it, and I just couldn't shut my mind down.
I miss my Papaw very much, but I was so honored to be able to make this.

I know he would be proud of it, and happy that his wife has it as a reminder of him.

My March Goal: Use up all this fabric I have for bags!
I have SO much cute fabric, duck, denim, cotton, all waiting to be made into these cute totes I have been doing lately. 

I'm trying to mix them up a little.

You can see the last is just a plain tote , no pockets, or zippers or hardware.

I also did a little organizing in my sewing room yesterday.

It's even more organized now, this was before I put all my fabric away. The two shelves are ALMOST full of fabric. I imagine, to most other quilters, my stash is quite small.

To my husband, the entire closet seems to be stacked with fabric.
I wish.

:)

Tartan Tote

Tartan is very IN this season, and I can see why!
It is quite beautiful in any color.
When I went to buy webbing yesterday at JoAnn's, I saw this tartan print duck and had to get some.

I had some red colored duck at home and instantly paired the two and created this wonderful tote using a similar design as the one I made/posted yesterday. 

I made a few changes from the old one to make it a stand alone bag.

It has stabilizer and 2 layers of batting.

On top of that it was quilted, simply, which helps with the stabilization of the sides.

 Here is the top view with the zipper closed.

 Top view opened. 

Another change in this bag is the additional pocket on the inside.
I just love the red!

The front pocket is nestled between two strips of red. I didn't have any specific reason for this design feature other than I liked the way it looks. 

I feel like it takes away from the 'busy' feel of the tartan, but accentuates the bag perfectly.
I think it's quite beautiful, and I can't wait to make more!

Weakness = Cute new tote!!!

I am weak. I have to admit it. I spent a very reasonable amount of time on my Anthropology exam this week, which consisted of 3, 2 page essays, and a works cited page. 7 pages about monkeys, and bones, and archaeological tools. WOO!
That's not what makes me weak, but what does is the fact that I can't go seven days without sewing SOMETHING. I have to. It's an impulse. It's in my very bones, every fiber of my being says "Catherine, seeewwwww!"
So today I gave in, AFTER doing a little work on another thing for Anthropology.

My weakness means I have this adorable tote bag!!

It's really a simple little (or not so little at 21x13) bag, but it was fun to make, and it came out super cute!

It has a purse zipper on the top, which has two tabs and opens/closes from any direction you wish!
They only thing  am not entirely pleased with, is the handles.
They are very sturdy, just not as pretty as the bag is.

In other, bag related, news I will be selling these totes!

Completely customizable, too!

You can find my current fabric choices on my Facebook page!

I have also updated my GIVEAWAY!
I have been mulling it over for several weeks, considering my options.
I certainly would never cancel my giveaway, but my original didn't seem to be garnering the attention I hoped for.
I'm not out for just likes, but because I want to share my skills and the art I create.
Some day, maybe, I can turn my sewing and creating into a business, which would truly be a DREAM COME TRUE.
Instead of the original prizes of a candy jar, zipper cosmetic bag, and fabric baskets, I will now offer a custom tote.
:)

Stop on by and give me a like, for your chance to win!

Bandana Blanket and a Cozy Valentines!

Hello!

It's been a pretty active week, though most of my activity has not been all that crafty.
My physical therapy for my foot is going well, but I'm experiencing extreme back pain that isn't getting any better, even with hourly stretching. I also spent a few days sick, but that didn't keep me from making an adorable little cake for my Swede for Valentines Day!

It is a 6x2 inch round white cake, with vanilla cream frosting and red fondant.

The heart on top is actually the bottom part of a devil's food heart shaped cupcake, also iced and covered in fondant.
I made the roses using stiff icing colored red with gel food coloring!
It is quite tasty, and not too much for us to enjoy together.
Actually, each day of the week I gave Husband something, everything from cards, to his favourite Monster flavour, to candy.

He got an adorable little plant for me. Potted mini roses!

I love them, and I can't wait for spring to come so I can put them outside in the sun and watch them bloom!

I shared this picture on my Facebook page, and it will be the last photo I share until the quilt is finished...

This will probably not be finished until March or April, so I kind of cheated and worked on my March project... Ok, so I didn't just work on it, I finished it!

I made the bandana top a while ago, 6+ months at least, and have had it in a drawer just waiting to be finished.

I hadn't really planned on finishing it, but my other quilt is very time consuming and I had the desire to get something DONE.

I will either sell it, or give it as a present to someone this year. It's not really my flavour...

Unlike these paintings I did this week.

I haven't painted in so long, but a good friend of mine just got her first apartment on her own,

and I felt that art was the perfect gift!

Who doesn't love some unique, hand painted art works?

I haven't done much painting or drawing lately, because of carpal tunnel.

My hands and arms often go numb when gripping things like pencils and paintbrushes, and sometimes even cups.

Sewing is a much easier activity on my hands, especially when I can use pre-cuts. :)