my echino bag...

Isn't it LOVELY!?!?!? I used laminated linen/cotton, by echino, for the exterior, and the unlaminated echino (in two different prints, a pink and a purple) for the lining and the upper handles (laminate doesn't feel awesome on bare shoulders)

I made my own piping with crochet cotton in some brown bias tape, because at that point it was 1am, and I really really wanted to finish....

so far my biggest complaint is that the side and front owls are so close to each other... this fabric is so expensive, I was trying to be frugal, not design-wise... live n learn...

the shape is based on an echino pattern, and using echino fabric (all from Momen+), but I don't read japanese, so I made up the directions, and added pockets, and all the seams are enclosed rather than being visible....

I put a cell phone pocket, and a pens pocket and a key fob on one side, and

I did it in about 5 hours, (9pm-2am) a few weeks ago.

I LOVE it, but have some personal modifications to make for the next one. I need a BIG pocket to hold my sketchbook against the back side, and maybe an exterior pocket, and I DEFINITELY need a zippered pocket to hide things from my daughter...

I'm gonna use Far Far Away II fabrics on the next one, because i LOVE it so much

Shh, don't look, Christopher!

My hand quilting would progress much faster if I were not being
assisted by this ball of orange fluff.

Project bag for knitting...

I found this super cute fabric at Momen+ a dew weeks ago, just a
remnant, but I med a lined project bag to hold my knitting. The ruler
print is super helpful. I made one slightly larger in brown for my
gram to gift to a knitting friend too. So handy!
I might make one more and post a tute. Writing directions is so much
easier than remembering to take pictures as I work... But start to
finish this one took about an hour... Of course, I used a puppy leash
(from the Pasadena humane society, where we got our puppy, Guinness),
for the strap, and elastic for the pockets, instead of snaps or flaps,
etc. It's a drawstring bag, so if my knitting yarn is inside, I can
cinch it up, and the ball won't flop around while I work.

Slowing down...

I've done my MIL, my husbie, my mom, my son, & father's day... Only
my wedding anniversary is left this month.
Since I'm almost done, I decided to chill for a little while and pull
out my knitting. I havent touched it for a few weeks, but I have the
legs done, just started on the rise, and then I'm almost done! I also
made a new project bag, I'll post about that next.

A farm cake...

D wanted a farm party for his birthday. Obvi, that requires a farm
cake. We put in all the (plastic)animals he sees at the farm, and a
farmer, (him), and a field of dirt to dig in. Of course, the real farm
has chain link fences separating the pens, but piped chocolate wooden
rail fences are so much cuter!

yet another item on my todo list

http://news.holidash.com/2010/06/14/diy-fathers-day-gift/

how flippin' awesome is this!!!!??? maybe for xmas?

Sketchbook shirt and shorts

I use the new(ish) Oliver + S boys pattern, and made this shirt and
shorts. I doubt D will EVER wear them together (unless I force the
issue), but I used some of the Heather Bailey (ordered online) stripe
to line the pockets of the linen/cotton blend shorts (fabric from
Joanns)

D's birthday western shirt

I used the Sketchbook shirt as a basic pattern, (perhaps to my folly, as I haven't tried it on him yet)... the mustard colored fabric is a linen-cotton blend from Joann's, bought to match the Heather Ross print I bought at Momen a few weeks ago... it's called "rabbits in race cars," I think, regardless, it's ADORABLE, and D chose it and loves it...

(still needs snaps, have to go get some tonight, luckily I have till
Saturday)

Paper flowers

I made the pastel bouquet about a year ago from a Martha Stewart kit
bought at michaels. It was so fun that I immediately ordered 2ply
crepe, but it took me till tonight to start making them. It's hard to
believe these are made of paper, they look SO real!

coloring wallets...

Jennifer Casa has these patterns for sale on Etsy (LOOOOOVE the strawberry fabric, don't you?), and since they're sort-of part of my mission to make the perfect note-pad-y thing for myself, and since D's birthday is approaching rapidly, I bought the pattern and whipped it up on Sunday while D was playing outside with C and the Bean

the fabric is from Momen+ (of course)

I followed the pattern exactly (but I don't have any memo pads the right size, will need to make some before I give it to the kiddo)
Since I have so much stiff stuff (it's like that brown stuff that clipboards are made of... not quite wood) from Lowes (they only had a big sheet that measures 4'x8', so I've got enough for LOTS of projects!), I made another one, sans finished-artwork-pocket, but with elastic to hold a larger pad, and with board backing on the pad side. I didn't put board on both, but will next time, as I LOVE the stability for a toddler's ease-of-use...

here're the two together, my design on the right


and here it is open...