Mornin' readers!
What a lovely April Thursday it is! My, oh my! The last ten days or so have been nothing less than incredibly stressful in my corner of the world. We have had some tremendous spring weather over this past week and a half. It all began on the weekend before last with some storms and whatnot that, thankfully, amounted to nothing much at all. We were in a 3 out of 5 risk category, but fortunately, it all went around us and we barely got any rain at all from that. Then, last Wednesday evening into Thursday morning, we were in a 5 out of 5 risk category for storms, tornadoes, hail, strong wind, you name it. My anxiety was through the roof...spring weather and risk of tornadoes does not set well with me. I've lived in the same place my whole life, and thankfully, we've never had any really horrific weather. But we do have several episodes of warnings and watches throughout the spring, and it makes me incredibly nervous every time. I spent about 8 hours straight watching the local weather Wednesday evening and another hour or so in the wee hours of the morning, when I was kept awake by tornado sirens going off in the distance, loud thunder, and heavy rain hitting the roof and windows. While we were very fortunate and are very thankful for how it all turned out for us, some towns not too far away did have destructive tornadoes destroy much of the towns and many home and buildings and schools.
But it wasn't over yet...then began the flooding. And ever since our area has been experiencing historical floods. Our sunroom flooded partially on Thursday evening, and we became best friends with a wet/dry shop vac. (Thankfully Lowe's was having a good sale on them! And they were selling out of them, too!) Our garage was flooded inches deep, and we couldn't get out unless we had our tall rainboots on. Friday was a break day as no rain fell...and we spent the afternoon at our local library book sale, which was loads of fun and a much-needed reprieve from the previous two days. But the rain returned on Saturday, and we tended to our sunroom every 15-30 minutes for most of the day, using the shop vac to get any water up that came in. Sunday brought some rain, and as much as I do love rain, this rain was incredibly stressful. We couldn't wait for it to stop! And on Monday, lo and behold, the sun came out and I don't think I've ever been so glad to see sunshine in all my life.
So...that's how our April started...how's your April going so far?
In late March, I decided to get back to some crafting and projects. And sewing was first on that list. I've been wanting to make a purse for some time now. I've been using the same two purses for probably ten years, and they're both starting to come apart...and they're my favorite style, too. I haven't had any luck finding a purse that I like in the stores. So my sister suggested I make my own...I'm so glad she gave me that idea.
I knew exactly what I wanted...so I began searching online. I looked and looked until I found "the one". This is a boho style crossbody. And I decided to make it patchwork, because anything patchwork has my heart. You can see the patchwork curtains I made for my room a few summers back right here.
Most of the fabric I used was already in my stash, so I only needed to pick out a few fabric designs to compliment the others. I wanted floral patterns along with complimentary patterns, lots of colors, and a warmer palette. I added a ribbon and button closure as well. This project took me just under 8 hours, as much of that time was spent cutting out many, many squares of fabric. And it was the very first project I did by myself without having to ask for help in understanding the pattern. My sister did help me in arranging the different squares of fabric according to pattern and color...she is much better at that than I am.
(Oh, and I only had to use the seam ripper once in this entire project...and my lovely sister kindly did that for me.)
I am so pleased with the result, and I definitely want to make this purse again in a couple other color palettes for different seasons. There are a few things that I want to adjust on future bags, but overall, I really, really love how it turned out.
To be creative is to let little pieces of your heart go and place them into each project you make.
~ Pat Bravo ~
I am obsessed with the fabrics I chose...florals and patchwork just go so well together.
I am planning on making a few drawstring pouches to keep things in to put in my purse. I'll share those once I get around to making them.
My sister has also been working on quite a few crafting projects, and the very first one she completed was a foldaway tote for me to keep in my purse. I've been wanting one of these for awhile now...and I just love what she made me.
I specifically wanted a tote that wasn't too big nor too small. It needed to be easily rolled up to keep in my purse. And I wanted it to be colorful!
I am obsessed with this tote...I think my sister did a fabulous job. I chose fabrics that we already had in our stash...pretty pinks that are so happy and cheerful to look at. This tote is the perfect size for holding books I pick up at the library or used bookshop or a few snacks for the go and even my journals and pens and camera. It's practically perfect in every way. {{smiles}}
Sewing my purse brought me so much joy and fun. It made me realize that I really need to sew more often! And I can't wait to begin using my purse once I get my two pouches made. There's something so satisfying about completing a project for something that you've wanted to make and having it turn out successfully.
Have you been working on any crafting projects recently?