Sew Motivated

                        

      I am both proud and exstatic to say I completed my second handbag and I love it even better than my first. Not to mention I actually finished this bag the same night I started it without a single hitch (yay - silent cheer)! Ok so maaaaybe a couple human errors but I am becoming more and more comfortable with my sewing machine.
      I love the pattern of fabric I picked (JoAnn Fabrics) - perfect even for the upcoming winter months! Total project took about 3 hours but it was worth it in the end! Mission completed - and boy does it feel good! I even have a potential "customer" who wants me to make her one. I'm thrilled!

Here's a cute poem I found about a woman's handbag! I think it's very appropriate for this entry.

The Handbag

The handbag is a rare delight, it's like Aladdin's cave,

All sorts of things are hidden there, that females like to save,

It's black and big and heavy, with a nice long shoulder strap,

Its weighted down with odds and sods and other stuff like that.

But the lady finds just what she wants deep down amongst her treasure,

Of keys and pins and leg hair wax and a metric rule for measure,

The remnants of forgotten ills with aspirins held so dear,

Birth control and other pills with labels quite unclear.

Calorie counters, cotton buds, old lottery tickets too,

Handkerchiefs and white tissues for visiting the loo,

A book of stamps, a tube of glue, letters from I don't know who,

Horoscopes with personal star, petrol vouchers for the car.

Perfume loaded by the box, knitting needles, pairs of socks,

Bank statements and counterfoils, sachet samples, body oils,

Cassette tapes and eye mascara, postcards from old Connamara

Itineraries for keep-fit classes, lipstick and a pair of glasses,

Emery boards, a pot of Vic, silver tweezers, half a brick,

Screwdriver, spanners, ball of wool, ancient notebook partly full,

Bristle brush for long tresses, photographs and addresses,

Polo mints and a mobile phone just in case they stray from home.

Cheque book stubs, leather gloves, insect spray for the shrubs,

Driving licence, bingo card, cuttings from the paper,

Favourite verse, loaded purse and a windscreen scraper,

Credit cards, safety razor, golden buttons off a blazer.

All these things are lugged around and many more as well,

It could be that you need them, you really cannot tell,

So come on fella's don't take the mick - out of the lady's handbag

You never know there could be a flood and you could use it as a sandbag.

But best of all it is a friend, that's with them every day,

Slung upon the shoulder in a casual way,

And don't forget it is a club - not of the member kind,
But the bag itself when wielded right could change a mugger's mind.

by Joe Earl

Sew Inspired

I can still vividly remember the day my friend Kate walked into work with her adorable new handbag. When she told me that she sewed it herself my jaw must have nearly hit the floor. I knew from that day forward I wanted, no I needed, to learn to sew!

Kate so graciously invited me over her house so she could teach me how to make my very own hand crafted bag. Before we began our sewing endeavor she introduced me to the most darling little fabric store called Sew Inspired. Well, I was quite inspired just browsing through all of the different styles of fabrics - floral, polka dots, stripes, solids, bright colors, soft colors - you name it, they have it!

Back at Kate's we were off to a great start - we had selected our fabrics, measured, ironed... time to start sewing! And then the troubles began...
My stubborn sewing machine just did not want to cooperate. In fact, it decided it wanted nothing to do with my aspiration of creating my project. After a lot of fiddling and fussing we gave up and decided to just share Kate's machine. Needless to say this slowed down the process.

Long story short...

After encountering a couple more obstacles and a second visit to Kate's house, the bag was finally finished! A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into this sewing project. I am now able to display my handbag upon my shoulder, feeling quite pleased (and a little bit impressed) with the final result. Nothing beats the sense of pride achieved when someone asks, "Where did you buy that?" and you simply answer with a smile - "I made it!"

I can't wait to see what future projects I will undertake and, hopefully, succeed at!

Oh and please do not fret or lose any shut-eye worrying about my poor sewing machine. She is up and running again; waiting for her next challenge.