Just got an update on Dan’s uncle. Looks like he’s going to be okay. He’s breathing on his own and actually joking. A couple of weeks in the hospital and two months of downtime at home with lots of loving care from his wife and he’ll be almost good as new. Thank God. Thank you for all your prayers and well wishes.
More Shetland pictures to follow. Just didn’t want everyone to think I’d lost all my creativity and would just be showing pictures from our trip forever.
I have a confession to make. I haven’t been knitting much this Summer. There. I said it. I have been sewing though. I decided that I don’t care how it looks and set up a little sewing corner in my dining room so I could get to sewing and finally put my machine to work. There’s absolutely no place else in the house with enough light and space to do it. There’s a huge walk-in closet (unusual in Germany) upstairs but it’s dark and full of wool. With Dan gone we don’t entertain now, so who cares what it looks like.
Having to pull everything out and put it back again when I feel like sewing something really puts a hamper on my creativity. I have this awesome machine and I use it so little that I have to reinvent the wheel whenever I take it out because I can’t remember how to do the gazillions of cool things it can do. So when I’m actually sewing, the dining room table is covered but it’s easier to clean up by just putting stuff neatly in this little corner than to haul everything up and down the stairs and I find I’m sewing more now. Which I like.
A neighbor girl (her dad also works in Dan’s office) is turning five tomorrow. I have all boys. It’s a treat when I get to make something for a girl. I went all out girlie-girl because once-upon-a-time in a far away land I was a very girlie girl and I miss it. With some inspiration from Autum (Creative Little Daisy) and the Amy Butler “In Town” pattern, this is what I came up with for her gift:
I used the main purse fabric for the pocket on the back side of the little zipper bag (which I used this pattern for). Yes, I messed up and somehow ended up with the pocket on the back instead of the front. Worked out though because I also cut it wrong and if I’d put it on the front the pocket would have covered the zipper. So when I screw up it’s kinda like a double negative. lol. It erases itself and no one would ever know…. except you.
I bought a handmade tissue pouch at the local fabric store and tore it apart to see how it went together. There are plenty of tutorials on the web so don’t ask me why I didn’t just go the easy route. The edging in red was also an accident because I had to use the scraps as I could. Just turned out that way. I was using a set of fat quarters and didn’t want to cut into another set just to make a little tissue pouch. Really funny because the fat quarter pack is called Serendipity. Guess it’s true to it’s name.
I was so excited about it that yesterday I told the birthday girl that I couldn’t wait until she saw what I made for her. She said, “I hope it’s not a baby present!” LOL. I assured her that it was very much five-year old style, in fact, people would probably think she’s six! She was very happy to hear it. You’d think she was 36 the way she talks. It’s hilarious. The ensemble will go very well with her beautiful red hair. I also put a little tube of kids hand creme I found in the German apothecary (the tube is the perfect shade of orange) and a tube of cherry flavored lip balm (also German) that matches the red in the bag. And it’s bad luck to give a wallet without money it it so there’s a $1 bill in the pouch. I hope to hear squeals of delight this afternoon.
Wonderful colors. Very happy bags:)
Hope to see some knitting soon, too!
Nice bags! I hear you about putting the machine away each time. I bought one a few months ago and the only action it’s seen are ACUs and attaching cord to sheets to make curtains. I kinda have to put it away. As with everything…
It’s adorable! I’m sure the girl will feel like she’s 36 and gorgeous 😉
OH.MY.GAWWWWWWD. You should hear the squeals of delight all the way over here in Vermont! That little girl is the luckiest little thing EVER, and you couldn’t have made a better present to make her feel so!
Oh the bag set is really lovely! The fabric is just so happy 🙂
how absolutely special of you to make her such a great set! Happy birthday to her. 🙂
You took apart a tissue holder to find out how it was made??? A girl after my own heart! The presents are lovely.
I’m sure that little girl will be positively thrilled with her gift. I love the fabric. Did you get it here in Germany, or is it from the States? I haven’t had a whole lot of luck finding fabric here, so I’m not inspired to break out the sewing machine.
What an adorable gift!
You can sew, you can knit, you can just say hello – it is just so nice to hear from you again!
Beautiful bags! My almost 6yo would love a set like that (her name also starts with “m”) so I guess I’ll be pulling out the fabric stash. She already has a collection of purses (incl. 2 knit/felted Sophie’s) and totes, but a girly-girl can’t have too many accessories.
What a nice gift. It is all lovely and I think I would like the pocket being on the back of the pouch better. I bet that was one happy little 5 year old. Watch out bringing that sewing machine into the dining room, that’s how mine started out, a little corner of the dining room. Now it’s officially a sewing room.
That’s a great little girl gift! That is also I great sewing machine you have there. I am going to learn to sew too one of these days. Did you tak any lessons or are you self taught?
HOLY CRAP……that is an AWESOME sewing machine and what you have done with it is so cool! I have 2 young girls who would swoon to have that bag! Very cool!
Forget five, I think it’d be a great Turning 29-again pressie 🙂
Absolutely Gorgeous!!
Those turned out so well! I still haven’t advanced past baby blankets. Really, I should try making something else one day.
Oh, I think that makes a lovely big-girl purse too! I would like that myself! Very cute!
— Janel