New Baby

Oh, to be 9 months pregnant at the end of August/beginning of September. Ugh...the thought makes me want to grab a huge glass of icy lemonade and sip slowly. I "had" both of my babies (Who came to me at 8 and 9 1/2 months old respectively in the sweltering heat of Southern China) thank you very much and really...if only we could plan these things a little better, ladies. I'd vote for a nice cool day in March just as the spring blossoms are starting to bloom but there is not an 80 degree marker in sight for another 2-3 months. And then, just as you are about to go seriously insane with new baby in the house, why then feel free to walk in the warmth of the sunshine outside in the brand new shiny pram.

But life doesn't always play out like that. Sometimes you just gotta have a baby when it is 106 in the shade. Just ask my next door neighbor. She almost ready to pop. Oh, and she is almost done. I know, I asked her and she said..."I'm done!", as she less than cheerfully rolled her recycle bin into the garage.

Maybe this will cheer her up, that and dropping about 8 lbs of baby any day now.

Of course the dapper "tie one on onsie" is for the newest little Mr. The crayon caddy is for 2 year old big sister. Because I am sure that this one little crayon caddy will completely keep her busy and happily occupied while Mommy attends to the newby, ahhhhhemmm. And the diaper caddy is for Mommy. May she try to squeeze two different size diapers in this little caddy and keep her sanity all at the same time.

Ok little Mr., the cul-de-sac is ready. Come on home.

Measure, Cut, Sew Repeat

Late last week and into the weekend it was a little like ground hog day around here. I was watching lots of little Chinese kids take form. And, no it wasn't Ava and Olivia taking form...although they were running amok much of the time in and out of the sewing room, it was these Chinese kids.
Yes, I know if you watch the blog they might look familiar...but I got another custom order to do several mini totes using the Michael Miller Chinese kids material.

Just when I thought I had done just about everything possible with this material. (I've made twirly skirts, totes, purses, zipper bags, and business card holders, gah!) I was asked to make a crayon caddy too.












It turned out so cute my 2 year old could hardly keep her little mits off of it. I remained firm and promised her I'd make her one of her own soon and popped it in the big box to be shipped. I'm sure the real owner of this crayon caddy would not appreciate gently used crayons and missing pages of white paper.


Normally when I finish a big order like this I am very happy to clean the sewing room and package the goods in their box getting ready for shipment. Good bye, order! Hope the next one involves a change in color scheme or weight of material. But over the weekend I lingered, watching all the bags neatly lined up on the work table. I had a fleeting thought that I might take them and hang them all around the room like Chinese lanterns. But, then I took a swig of Coke and snapped out of it. The Muffin Man bought me a big box and they are off to their new home today. I hope their adoption reunion is big fun, and all those little kids are healthy and happy in their forever homes.

The Leopard Twins

Last week my family went to a yummy cookout at a friends house celebrating Labor Day. It was a nice mix of people from different parts of the hostesses life. My dear friend, the hostess is always helping to promote and market Pink Evita things. Before I knew it she had whipped out a few bags that I had made for her last winter. Two ladies saw one bag and said, "Can we have this one?" Meaning a re-creation of the original. I said, "You both want this same one?" Oh yes, they chimed. My first reaction way didn't they want something different? Of course I was chomping on my second hotdog at the time. But then I had to pause and remember just a few months ago when at my birthday dinner my two friends and I showed up at the restaurant with the exact same bags, different sizes...but the exact same bags. Oh well, who's too good for 8th grade? Not me.

Here are the leopard twins. They are pretty darn cute if I don't say so myself. They are a nice mix of brown and black, perfect for fall and winter evenings out on the town. They are rather smallish at 10" wide by 9" tall. The black material is a durable velvet and the print is the softest most wonderful high end chenille that of course I scored on a clearance table. I loved working with this chenille so much I'm going back tomorrow to see if there is any left.

I hope the leopard twins carry their new bags with panache and have fun with them. I know I had fun eating the summer's last potato salad, watching my two year old slip and slide in the backyard and of course working in a few minutes for business as well.

Tea House Garden Set

This 3 piece set of diaper tote with four huge internal pockets and key latch, diaper caddy, and matching toddler Mommy and Me bag was commissioned last week and went out the door this morning.

I admit it, I'm a sucker for these Mommy and me sets. Oh, I do hope the Mom receiving this likes orange, they did come out very orange. :) It all did not seem that orange when I was at the wall o' fabric. Drooling - over- all - that - amazing- Amy Butler - material.

I'm off to start working on a few bags that have yummy black velvet mixed with rich fringe and a heavy chenille small animal print. Two matching bags, for two friends. What a switch from the Teahouse Garden set. On deck...it's more Michael Miller Chinese Kids bags.

Never a dull moment around here.

Olivia

I will admit to not usually being "taken" with too much character wear. I sort of cringed when my then 3 year old daughter went through a Pooh Bear phase and wanted to wear a hand-me-down Pooh jacket each and every day for 5 very long months of my life. I'm much more laid back about what my second daughter wears...and quite frankly am pretty darn pleased with myself when she
steps off the cul-de-sac in something covering a diaper and dare I say it...has a clean tee shirt to boot. I'm simply too old and too tired to fight about whether the pink sandals match the dress these days.

In a step away from my character wear snobbiness...I stumbled on some Olivia the Pig material recently. And, yes my little 2 year old's name is Olivia but I was smitten with the material because quite frankly I think it ROCKS. So, I had to have it in not one but two colors.

I have serious doubts whether anyone would have the slightest interest in Olivia The Pig material on a tote bag but on a whim I made it up anyway. Build the bag and they will come right?

I interfaced this bag with this amazing new stuff and boy oh boy...it is super lightweight but fabulously stiff and holds its shape perfectly.


I've also discovered the wonderful world of key fobs. Yes, I know other designers/crafters have been doing this for a while but who am I if not one to follow a trend dreadfully late? So, the key fob in the picture comes with the bag and there is a neato clasp hook directly sewn into the bag for the keys to hook directly on! No more keys dropping to the bottom of the bag!

Because the person interested in this bag might have a child...dare I guess...there are also 4 large bucket pockets sewn into the lining.

Miss Olivia the Pig is 14" x 14" with 25" handles and sells for $60.00. You can get her over at Pink Evita.com or by emailing me.

I am now off to much more dignified work. My girls NEED fancy halloween candy baskets in this incredible witch hat material I scored at a 40% off sale this weekend. Yikes, it is uber cute. Oh, and they don't know it yet but the candy baskets will have huge orange satin bows! See me smile, see me swoon for huge orange bows.

Bags 2 Riches Contest

A friend told me about a contest that benefits an organization that fights homelessness earlier this year. Here, go look them up...http://www.bags2richesindy.org
After reading their website, I decided sure, what the heck I will enter a bag and see what happens. Worse case scenario they get a bag to try to auction off for a good cause.

So I made this one. It is called An Affair to Remember. If you had an affair to remember, wouldn't you probably be carrying this bag? I would. And, I thought I was done.

But then I made this one. She is called A Kiss on the Chic. And, I couldn't decide which one to enter into the contest. So I entered them both today.

I'd like to win. There I said it. I have no idea how lofty that goal is...but heh? It's out there. Wish my little baggies good luck....please.

A Princess Crown

I felt like taking a break from belts and bags today. Mostly because it is just one of those days where the Muffin Man is traveling...out selling widgets to midgets and I'm here holding down the fort. There are precious few days left before the official start of 1st grade. Six days and counting if you must know.

I bought a few plain tee shirts on clearance at Target recently for each of the girls. I've been feeling the need to applique something recently. Why? I have no idea. But when I get an idea in my head...it usually gets stuck and then starts niggleing me uncontrollably, until I do something about it. Like, just applique the little crown on the tee shirt already and then move onto key fobs or something. It is hard to live in my brain sometimes. If only it was as driven to scrub a toilet or wet mop a kitchen floor, if only.

Here is Ava's little princess crown. Does she look like she is merely tolerating my request for photographic evidence that I sewed a little crown on a tee shirt? This is appliqued courtesy of some scrap Amy Butler material. She'll be the princess of all princesses at Forest Dale Elementary. Although, I don't suppose she truly needed the tee shirt for us all to believe that one.