Day of the Dead Bag: Done and Done!

Finally, it's finished! I've been hoarding these Day of the Dead prints for awhile, wanting to make something special for myself. I'm a huge fan of this kind of imagery, especially when it focuses on La Calavera Catrina, "the elegant skull."

I knew I wanted a bag, and tried out a couple of patterns ... with mixed results. I finally went with this one, Serendipity Studio's Rita Reversible Bag. It's a tad bit smaller than I'd have liked, so if I make it again, I will change that. I have some other changes in mind, too -- particularly the strap. But basically? Great bag!! Pretty time-consuming, but of course I did the most complicated version, with front and back pockets, and contrast edgings, both inside and out.

One of the things I played with on this project was deconstructing the red fabric, and then putting it back together as it originally been ... "the same, but different." I've always been a collagist at heart - bringing things together (in art as in life) is second nature to me. Usually, I am combining different prints/colors/whatever. This time, I decided to just stay with the same piece of yard goods, and see what resulted.

Okay, no more words, just some pix of La Bolsa de Catrina: 

And, perhaps most fun of all, the bag is reversible. I'm totally crushing on this retro lamps print!

I do have some more Day of the Dead fabrics, including an amazing toile print featuring skeletons instead of humans, and some fun skull prints, so some new things may pop up at the Etsy Shop in weeks to come.

Letting the Cuttlefish Out of the Bag!

It's not a "sekrit" anymore, so finally I can disclose my recent stealth project.

On Ravelry, there is a very active board called "Yarn Hoars." No, it's not just a mispelling of "whores!" It's a loving reference to stalking and hoarding exceptional indie yarns. Our mods (who are marvelous and multitudinous) are quite indulgent of our antics, our obsessions, and our quirks and eccentricities. They "rule" by benign neglect -- we are a fairly irreverent lot, and when we title a thread "Random Chatter," you'd better believe that's what we mean!

It's a hilarious, supportive group of gals of all ages, all means, all walks of life, all political and religious circumstances, all 'round the world. Most of us have never met each other -- and yet, I tell ya, some of those hoars know me better than my own best friends!

From time to time, as a group or individually, we undertake some fundraising. For instance, we had a very successful raffle, and an auction, to benefit relief efforts related to the tragic Japanese earthquake.

Recently, one of our Texas hoars let us know about the destruction there, in the wake of massive forest fires. Some Austin-area LYSs (translation for non-knitters: "local yarn stores") banded together in a project called "Phoenix Rising." Fiber artists from all over made personal donations of yarns, project bags, patterns, etc. which were distributed to Texas textile artists who had lost so much.


Long story short: after hearing about the devastation in Texas, another DC area hoar (who shall remain nameless in this blog, tho the Hoars know who I mean) had the idea to do a fundraiser around this disaster. And so our scheming began!

We put together a package consisting of a pattern, the yarn to knit it, and a coordinating project bag. We chose a wonderful colorwork pattern, Emily Peters's Octopus Mittens, and Emily very kindly donated a copy of the pattern.

Two skeins of glorious Sanguine Gryphon yarns were purchased (Casco Bay in Traveller and Gimmizah in Free Range), and the fine folks at SG were kind enough to announce the raffle on their own Ravelry board. 




And then I made a OOAK piecework project bag, using mostly Spoonflower "custom printed on demand" fabrics. In addition to some wonderful cyanotype cuttlefish fabric by Trollop (wonderful name!), and "Inky cephalopods" by Leighr, we also chose Fireflies by Kelly "WeavingMajor",  and Donna Kallner's"Face Off,"

So there you are for now, I just wanted to show you some pics. The raffle is running now, and we're off to a good start, so that feels terrific.

And I've moved on to the next project ... more deets on that another time!

Trendy Critters? Cuttlefish, Owls, Birds, and Foxes

There was an interesting post on today's Spoonflower blog. If you're not familiar with Spoonflower, it's a wonderful group of folks in North Carolina who do custom-printed on-demand fabric. Their "catalog" has a kajillion fabric prints that you'll never seen anywhere else - ranging from the inspiring handiwork of well-known textile artists, to the dazzling doodles of school children. They'll custom print your artwork, if you want, or sell you some amazing yardgoods -- believe me, spending a few minutes on their site will make you smile.

Remember the cephalopod bag in my last blog post? Much of those fabrics came from Spoonflower; it's their quilting weight cotton, and it's great. I'll have pix of the next bag in that series to show you soon.

On today's Spoonflower blog, the topic was trends in fabric. You might have noticed that I'm not really a big follower of trends, and I often don't even know what's "hot." (And sometimes when I do know? I don't like it much, so I don't really care or want to work with it.) But in the past few years there have been some trends that have resulted in truly charming fabrics.

For instance, there were (and still are) owls: I've had some fun with owl prints, because really? They are adorable and quite endearing with those googley eyes! But I do wonder how owls got so trendy.

Theses are top-level carnivores we're talking about, with very few natural predators. A study of owl pellets (regurgitated remains of their prey, indigestible and coughed up as pellets) can be quite fascinating (don't ask me how I know.)

Ummm ... ok ... wait ... let me rein in my tangent. I really didn't plan to write about owl pellets today!

Where was I? Oh yes, birds in general are very "haute" in textile and jewelry design. As a bird brain bird lover, I've always sought out bird-related fabrics. I guess that makes me a bit of a trendsetter, given that I started this behavior, oh, 30 or so years. But I do love bird prints; in fact, a few posts back, I showed you a pile of bird fabrics ... some of which have now become this ...

Another trend I've really enjoyed the past few seasons has been Dia de los Muerte imagery on cloth, particulary those prints featuring La Calavera Catrina. I'm almost ready to show you how this project worked out, so someday soon, I'll post more about my love for all things Day of the Dead, and the inspiration I have found in Mexican textiles, particularly those from the state of Oaxaca.

Yay - this is well on its way to becoming a bag for me!

I'd have to say the knitting community agrees with Spoonflower, and is trending towards foxes, so if you're looking for inspiration here are some patterns to consider:

http://www.ravelry.com/stores/katie-cunningham-designs

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fox-head-mittens

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fox-hat

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fox-in-the-snow

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/roxy-fox--pups-kit

I'll leave you today with this pic from the Spoonflower site, and will wonder out loud if they are correct ... are foxes going to be the next happening critter to take the textile world by storm?

Want to read more and see more pix? Spoonflower Blog!

PS: There will be a small update tomorrow at the Etsy Shop. Here's a little sneak peek:

(L to R: Loopy Lulu $25, Med. Cinch Sack $35, Loopy Lulu $25)

(Three new Snapdragon Pouches, $10/ea.)

I hope your weekend is full of fun, friends, and creative endeavors!

Cephalopods: Love 'em or Leave 'em? Discuss!

I just wanted to do a quick "drive by" blogging, to show you something I just finished that I am really pleased with! A lovely local knitting pal and I pooled our resources to create a donation for a very worthy endeavor. We picked out some of Spoonflower's wonderful custom-printed fabrics -- www.spoonflower.com/ -- and I made a piecework project tote bag. The finished bag is about 11.5" x 11.5" measured flat, plus a 4" base. It's ample for a large shawl project, or many other kinds of WIPs (translated for non-knitters: "work in progress").

We loved the inky cuttlefish cyanotype-style fabric, which I used on both the front and back of the bag, combining it with a variety of water-inspired prints.

On one side, and the handle, there's also a fabric called "Face Off," by Donna Kallner, which I love. (It's on the upper left section of the bag above at right.) It is reminiscent of the textile art of a dear friend's mum, we'll just call her "Mother-of-Cynthia."

Here's a peek at the inside, just for fun. The lasso is handy for guiding yarn, or can be used as a keyfob or to hook a pair of scissors or phone onto.

So, yes indeedy, it's been a productive Sunday here! Now, I'm off to try a new recipe for Bourbon Corn Pudding (Well, maybe it's actually more like "Corn Pudding with a little bourbon in it," but doesn't it sound better my way?)


And after dinner? Time to kick back and do a little knitting! I'm still hard at work on my Catkin Shawl by Carina Spencer of Sweet Mama - Small Sugar. You can see her patterns on Ravelry at: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/catkin. Or check out her website: http://www.sweetmamasmallsugar.com/.

Here's a peek at my progress thus far, just a few rows away from finishing Chart #1. And yes, that IS Madelinetosh merino light -- again! (I love it. I use it. Simple, right?)

I'm just asking: Another set of arms, please?

No matter how much I knit, my project queue grows and grows. Now that it's just moments away from actually becoming "autumn," many talented designers are busily releasing wonderful new patterns. There's no way to keep up, really. I just have to pick and choose how to spend my yarny money and my precious knitting time.

I'm knitting as fast as I can, and recently finished something I am enchanted with. So I thought I'd take a moment to show you my latest FO (aka "finished object" in non-knitter English).

I've mentioned Laura Aylor before, I'm sure. I find her shawl patterns to be very well written, ever-so-knittable ... and stunning! You've already seen my version of her Litchfield Shawl but heck, here's a second look:

Laura Aylor's Litchfield Shawl -- http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/litchfield-shawl

I recently finished another of her patterns, the beautiful Stella Luna. Here's a close-up of the colorways, at an early stage of knitting. Once again, I'm using beautiful Madelinetosh merino light (aka "tml") in William Morris and Mineral. It's astonishing how lovely these colors are together; the rich brown has flecks of the exact mineral green. Quite a smashing color combination, really, if I do say so myself.

Which (cough, cough)  I clearly just did!

Here's a pic of the now finished Stella Luna, still on the blocking board, but looking pretty good, I think. I'll get some "glam shots" later; but I have to say, this may be one of my favorite FOs yet. I look forward to a bit of a cool evening, so I can prance about town wearing it.

Yes, I said "prance." Get over it!

Laura Aylor's Stella Luna Shawl -- http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/stella-luna

To learn more about Laura's patterns, please visit her blog. You'll find a link in the left sidebar, or just take it from here: http://tossingthestash.blogspot.com/.

And if you're interested in more info about one of my favorite yarns, Madelinetosh, here's a link to get you started: http://madelinetosh.com/

That's it for now! Time for some lunch, and then back to the sewing room I go. I have a personal project I hope to finish up today, and I'll be doing some cutting for a new batch of Loopy Lulu small project bags for http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThatCleverClementine.

I hope you have a terrific weekend!

Losing Track of Time ... Again ...

Sometimes I lose track of what day it is. When you work for yourself, everyday is a work day. (Actually, every night can be a work day, too, if you let it.) But while all my days are  muchly the same, at least in some respects, there is still a definite rhythm to my week ...  even if only I can hear it!

One high note that adds to the rhythm of my week is my new-found love of our local park district pool. For all my Piscean characteristics, I've always ... always ... been truly and deeply (pun fully intentional) afraid of water. Never mind the "why" of it - we're not going there today.

But when my "day job" and I disconnected, I gave myself a challenge -- kind of an "old dog, new trick" situation. I enrolled in (of all things) a deep water aerobics class. Deep water. Me. Hah! I still don't know what I was thinking.

Anyhow, a few blogs back, I showed you a photo of this charming little girl's dress that I found in a local thrift store. The photo doesn't quite capture the vibrancy of the purple and acid yellow, sorry 'bout that! It was beautifully made with terrific attention to detail -- and there it was, hanging on the rack, looking forlorn.

I guess the fabric is what you would call a Dutch wax print; though I'm by not means certain of all the distinctions regarding what are commonly called "African Fabrics," I do know that this dress has the words "Guaranteed Super Deluxe Java Print" on its selvage.

I knew as  soon as I saw it that I wanted to upcycle the dress and its accompanying wrap into some special bags.  I estimated that I could do a couple of Snapdragons, maybe one or two pieced tote bags ... and have some goodly sized bits left for other piecework.

The first bag in the series is shown at right: a sweet little Snapdragon Pouch for my abfab water aerobics instructor's birthday. Being around Carroll (even when she is working us half to death) is always fun; she has the knack of creating a community out of a bunch of random strangers in a swimming pool. She loves purple, and yellow too, so it seemed like a good match. With my usual loathing for absolute symmetry, I fussy cut the print slightly off center ... and look forward to working with this fabric again soon(ish.)

In other news, there was a small update at http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThatCleverClementine  this morning; just a few Snapdragons Pouches to start the week off! There are a couple more in the darling grey and yellow fabric, and another couple  owl pouches. I think this will be the last item in the popular tiny owls fabric, unless I locate more. (Owl lovers, please note: I do have some different owl fabric on order, so stay tuned!)

Ah, well, "Owl's well that ends well?" (ducking and running now ... see y'all later!)

Do I have "Birds on the Brain?" or am I a "Bird Brain!"

First up, I must admit that it doesn't look like I've added many hexipuffs to my collection this week, but let's take a peek at my progress, shall we? I love the way they look in this supersize wooden bowl.



 Actually, I think some of the puffs are already feeling a little crowded, and are starting to make their way around the house, seeking adventure. A few of them made their way upstairs, to where I was trying to photograph some of this week's finished projects.

See what I mean, suddenly they're everywhere!

Earlier in the week, I posted a pic of some adorable tiny owl fabric. I've done up a couple of bags with that fabric, which will make their appearance in the Etsy shop in a day or two.

I've done an extra bit of piecework and applique on this bag, because it just seemed to  call out for it. I also added some antique pearl buttons for eyes, accented with orange beads.

On the left is a Loopy Lulu Small Project Bag and on the right is a Snappy Snapdragon Pouch.


In addition to the tiny owls, I seem to have birds-on-the-brain in general this week. It might have started with this old time Appalachian song I've been humming lately, "Little Birdie." There are lots of versions, but the one I hear in my head is Ola Belle Reed, singing and playing banjo.

Little birdie, little birdie,

Come and sing me your song

Got a short time to stay here

And a long time to be gone

I couldn't find a video of Ola Belle singing "Little Birdie," but here's her signature song for your enjoyment, "High on a Mountain," It touches my heart every time I hear it, I hope you love it, too!

Anyhow, I've been working on a large, pieced project bag incorporating two of my favorite
bird prints:

 And I'm working on some projects using these adorable bird line drawings, which I have in these three colors, plus a yummy cocoa brown. These prints are such fun to play with!

And finally, I still have enough of my little owls left to do one large pieced bag; I'm thinking of using these prints, as well as some autumn leaves fabric from my stash.

After I'm done with my bird phase, I wonder what will catch my fancy next? Hmmmm, is anyone besides me looking ahead to Día de los Muertos? 
 

What a Hoot!

It's a dreary Monday, we're just waiting for more rain. That's kind of hard to even imagine right now, with so many people still struggling with post-hurricane clean-up. Instead of sitting around waiting for the next downpour, I decided I needed a new project to get my mind off the weather.

So here's a little look at what's on my sewing table -- I bet some of you can guess why I have tiny owls on my mind!


That's right, like so many members of the knitting community, I've started hexipuffing.

No, that's not some weird and obscure druggie thing!

 It means I've started in on a Tiny Owl Knits pattern, "The Beekeeper's Quilt." I'm not really aspiring to a quilt, but we have a beautiful twig chair made by my lovely MIL, and I think a seat cushion and side pillows would be perfect.



This will be a long-term project; it's designed to use up odd bits of fingering weight yarn, and is perfect for when you just have a few minutes to knit, and need something simple and portable.

Here's where I am so far; use your imagination, stir in several dozen (hundred?) more puffs of all colors, some striped, some embroidered. Will eventually make fun pillows, no?And what a good use of all those small-yardage scraps!

For more info on the quilt, or any of Stephanie's other patterns (did I mention her deer-with-atlers hat, or her hopsalot slippers -- oh my bob!) check out her Ravelry page http://www.ravelry.com/designers/tiny-owl-knits-2 or blog: http://tinyowlknits.wordpress.com/

Labor Day, Oh Labor Day!

"Labors of Love," isn't that what it's all about? Well, make no mistake, art IS work ... it just looks like play!

I have deep respect and regard for all the working artists, musicians, and dancers I know; in fact, very shortly we're heading out to Brunch-and-Tunes, a monthly get together. Good food, fine friends, more music than you can shake a stick at ... sometimes I wonder how I got so lucky in life, this time around?

But first, there are a couple of pix I want to show you!

For the Multi-Color Project KAL on Ravelry's MadTosh board, here's proof that I have actually started my Catkin Shawl. Yes, I had originally planned to cast on for a May KAL. So ... yes ... I am just a tad bit late on that. Whoopsie!

So in the "better late than never" category, here's the 1st section, completed last night. I love the colors; Norway Spruce & Chambray, in MadelineTosh http://madelinetosh.com/ merino light (aka "tml.") Do you see how the chambray is a good bit fuzzier than the dark yarn? That is going to make this so cool!















Both skeins came from Knitty City:  http://www.knittycity.com/blog/home. On my last trip to NYC, I discovered these skeins lurking on the shelves. Both are quite a bit different from other skeins bearing their same colorway names, so they caught my eye ... and seemed destined for each other

The "scary" part comes next ... this shawl is not "mindless knitting." Fingers crossed that I can stay on track!

(Psst: The Catkin Shawl is by Carina Spencer, "Sweet Mama  Small Sugar". You may recognize her name, or the names of some of her other wildly popular patterns, including Whipporwill, and the uber-adorable Convertible Baby Bloomers.)

I've also done a wee small update at http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThatCleverClementine. Four new Snappy Snapdragon Pouches are now in stock!

Stormy Weather ... in More Ways than One!

I know, I know.

This week, I was hoping to show you some of my "experiments" in making itty bitty bags.

But the week kind of got away from me; most of my sewing time this week was spent doing special orders ... and ... well, ok ...  gifts for special friends.

And then, there was all that time that I should have been sewing, instead spent preparing for the impending hurricane. All the outside furniture had to be moved in, or secured to railings. Everything had to be moved up off the basement floor.

Like people all up and down the coast, the anxiety just kept building. An earthquake and a hurricane in one week? Yippee for us!!

So instead of a sneak peek at what's going up new in the Etsy Shop, here's one of my favorite movie clips ever. With the hurricane rains beating down on us, it's particularly apropos. The first few lines break my heart every time -- the pureness of Lena Horne's voice, the look on her face.

 

Honestly, it just don't get much better than this!

I'll check back in a couple of days, assuming we have electricity. And give you a little peek at whatever's new at http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThatCleverClementine.

What's Shaking Here?

I'm glad to report the shaking has stopped! Most of you have no doubt heard about the 5.8 earthquake here in the DC area yesterday. It was scary, I can tell you.

We had lots of minor mess, but no serious damage -- a medicine cabinet popped open and spilled forth a selection of health and beauty aids, several framed photos were jiggled off shelves and dressers, wall-hung prints went askew, etc. A couple of vases were tipped from their shelves, spilling water and generally making a bit of mess.

But anything that broke will be easy enough to replace ... the phones came back online relatively quickly ... and all in all, we were really very lucky and I am seriously grateful.

I was in my sewing room when the earthquake hit, so I thought I'd share a sneak peek at what's shakin' there:

Here's a cinch sack I'm working on, a study in black and white with a French Couture theme.

And here's a charming little dress I'm taking apart to upcycle; I love this vibrant purple and acid yellow Java print, and hope to get a couple of bags from it. It's slow going, the seamstress who made this garment was a fine technician, and very careful about backstitching seams, etc. But if I work on it a little each day, I hope to re-purpose the fabric so it can have renewed life.

And finally, because I can't get enough of 'em, more monkeys! This time, in red and black. And spots. And polka dots. And squiggles. I tell ya, these prints make me feel like I'm having more fun than a barrel of monkeys ...

I hope your day goes well, and that the only rockin' and rollin' you have to deal with is what's coming from you iPod!

Oh, No, Mr. Bill!

Oh, no.

Say it ain't so!

There I was, late last night, plugging along on my Different Lines(by Veera Välimäki.) Loving it, I tell you, just plain loving it. And the end was in sight! I was just going to do two more garter ridges, then switch to larger needles and bind off.

Look how purty! Sure, it needs some aggressive blocking and the edges are all cattywampus (from the ends not being woven in yet, just hidden for your viewing pleasure.) But, as I believe I might have mentioned ...

I. Love. It.

And then ... oh, no, Mr. Bill ... catastrophe hit.

Notice anything odd about my beloved Size #6 ChiaoGoo Red Lace Needles in the next pic?

Right. One end of the cable is sans needle.

And thus, I am sadly sans a finished shawl.

I was able to rescue everything that went kerflooey when the needle separated from the cable ... eventually.

And I will find a way to finish this ASAP, probably using a different needle. I truly love all my Chiaogoo needles, and have never had a problem before this.

And this project, slightly jinxed though it might be?

I. still. kind of love it.

As Promised, a Little Sneak Peek for Your Shopping Pleasure

Hot off the presses!

(Well, hot off the ironing board, anyhow ...)

Six nifty new Snapdragon Pouches will go live in the Etsy Shop on Saturday morning, 10am EST. Just $10 each, and so handy for notions, cosmetics, etc.

I usually end up with at least three in whatever purse I'm toting - one for make-up and a comb; another for candy, mints, and gum; one for my pen and mechanical pencil and (nerd alert) some post-it notes.

Next week, I'm setting aside some time to work on some new design ideas; I'm obsessed with little bitty bags -- like change purses, or glasses cases, or that perfect size for your cell phone, driver's license, and a $10 bill as you dash around town.

Lest you forget (tee hee), you can check out Snappy Snapdragon Pouches, Loopy Lulu Small Project Bags, and Cindy Sue Cinch Sacks at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThatCleverClementine. 

Coloring Outside the Different Lines

We've had a little break from the intense heat this week -- and with it, the rain came! We've really needed rain ... and we got plenty of it this time. There's been a good bit of flooding, and lots of power outages in the area, but we are safe and sound and (ahem) staying out of trouble. 

I've been busily knitting Veera Välimäk's "Different Lines" shawl, and I'm lovin' it. I always think her shawl patterns are exceptional - very contemporary and graphic, not at all like "fusty grandmother" shawls. You can find her patterns through Ravelry, so to learn more, treat yourself to a peek at http://www.ravelry.com/designers/veera-valimaki.

Her original design for this shawl was in two colors. As usual, I'm "coloring outside the (different) lines," so I'm using four colors and switching it up a bit.

Here's a pic of my work-in-progress, using one of my faves, Madelinetosh merino light yarn.  For this one, I picked jade, thyme, and antler, with the skinny stipes in hearth. I think jade and thyme are really interesting together - there's a tension between these two shades of green. Jade definitely incorporates some yellow in the colorway, so it's kind of "warm." (That's the top right color in this photo.)  Meanwhile, Thyme leans toward the "cool" greys. In general, I don't think they go together all that well -- but for colorwork, or a striped project like this, I find it a very interesting pairing.

If you aren't already a MadTosh fan,  check out: http://madelinetosh.com/.

If I get a nice sunny day tomorrow,  I'll be doing photos, and will post a Sneak Peek of Saturday's update. Watch for some new Snapdragon Pouches at http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThatCleverClementine on Saturday!

Here's a sneak peek at the Monday, August 15th Update!

I hope you've been having a great weekend! I just had a nice visit with friends from Virginia, and now I'm looking forward to a soon-to-be-arriving house guest from California.

But even with all that going on, I've managed to get some photos of the four new large project bags that will join the mix at http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThatCleverClementine tomorrow afternoon.

I've had a blast working with these retro fabrics -- space cadets, martini glasses, kooky lamps, and ... well ... let's be generous and call them "homemakers."

I hope you'll enjoy these as much as I have; there will be Snapdragons in these same prints available at a later date.

It's Been a Busy Week, Which Means ...

... that there will be at least two, and maybe even three updates this week!

For Sunday, August 14, there will be three new Loopy Lulu small project bags.

Stop by http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThatCleverClementine after 9 am EST, to see what's new!

I hope you've been accomplishing a lot this week, too. Isn't checking things off your list one of the Best Things Ever?

So How's That Workin' Out For You??

I'm pleased to report that I finished Laura Aylor's "Litchfield Shawl." (See July 29 post for an introduction to the project.)

And I love it!

It's blazing hot here, so there won't be any modeled shots for you this time around. But here it is, in all its MadelineTosh merino light glory: three colors (well water, grasshopper, and antler).

Not the greatest photo (indoors, not much natural light) but I am excited to share it with you nonetheless. If you want one of your very own, you can find Laura's patterns via Ravelry http://www.ravelry.com/designers/laura-aylor, or visit her website http://tossingthestash.blogspot.com/.

The pattern was really well written, and it's making me think that maybe my next shawl will be Laura's new "Stella Luna." What do you think?

Sunny, Summery Handbag

Sometimes a gal's just gotta do what a gal's gotta do. Right?

I am soooo in love with this cheerful yellow caged bird fabric, I decided I wanted to whip up a sunny, summery handbag for myself. (Some of you may recognize the fabric, it showed up in a recent Cinch Sack over in my Etsy shop (http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThatCleverClementine).

I had some fun grey and yellow fabric, and several other coordinated-but-not-matchy-match prints. So, uncharacteristically, I sewed up a shoulder bag for myself!

Purses have been on my mind a lot lately, as I've been experimenting with a few different kinds of clutches, and adorable little change purses that just might be showing up soon in an Etsy update. But a shoulder bag? THAT is something that I haven't done in years.

I had an especially fun time making the bag's handle. Wouldn't that make an adorable belt??

So, important lesson learned: I guess when the inspiration strikes, you just need to run with it ... right?

This bag was made using Anna Graham of Noodlehead's adorable 241 Tote Bag Pattern: www.noodle-head.com.