A tale of two bags

I was asked to make a bag that had to have butterflies on it. I searched the internet and found some very pretty butterfly fabric on ebay. I ordered what I needed and, only after I had paid for it, I realised it was coming from Bangkok and would take a few weeks to get here! I told the person who had ordered the bag and she asked me to try and find some fabric locally (in the UK) as she needed the bag sooner than October. I found some that I thought was suitable and the bag was completed by the end of last week.

I emailed the lady to tell her the bag was ready but she didn't get back to me. Yesterday the fabric from Bangkok arrived, earlier than expected. I set to and made another bag in this fabric and emailed the lady yesterday afternoon to tell her she could now choose between the two bags. I attached photos of the bags and within a couple of hours her husband was at our front door to collect the bag made with the fabric from Bangkok.

It is pretty, isn't it? Fortunately, someone else has expressed an interest in the first butterfly bag, so I should be able to sell it. Next time I order something from ebay, I'll check where it's coming from before paying for it!

Some weeks ago I bought a very big curtain at a charity shop. The fabric has a very nice feel to it and I've been looking forward to using it. I had a pair of bag handles which I bought years ago and they go very well with the curtain, so I decided to make a basket bag. The bag was working out just fine and I had attached the handles and was putting the finishing touches to it when one of the handles came apart! I was so disappointed! However, in a previous life the Great Golfer was the Great Engineer and he loves nothing more than a challenge in that line, however big or small! Off he went with the offending screw 'thingy' that wouldn't screw together and less than 15 minutes later the handle was fixed and I was able to complete the bag. So here is my up-cycled basket bag.

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Bunting seems to be the thing at the moment in my sewing room! I have made three lots now with two more in the making and then some I want to make for my granddaughter's birthday. More photos of bunting to come...

Keeping busy

There seemed to be rather a lot of laundry, tidying, vacuuming and re-organising of bedrooms to do after our children went back to their home in Bahrain. It kept me busy, which helped with the empty feeling inside me and the quietness of the house. In a way, it was good to have our own space back again...

I have also kept at it with my sewing, although I haven't really had a heart for it. Some orders are coming in for Christmas, though, so I've got them done and I've finished the crocheted knee rug I wrote about in an earlier blog. It will go to our local church Victorian Christmas Fair. I'm so pleased that I've used up all the wool that was left over from knitting jumpers for my granddaughter. There's still some pale pink and white wool so I'll make a little baby blanket. The weather is decidedly autumnal and I won't mind working with wool in the evenings. Here is the finished knee rug:

Oops - I meant to rotate the photograph!

A lady in the choir I sing with asked me to make a bright bag for her and this one certainly is bright! She says people comment on it whenever she uses it - I'm not surprised!

I also had an order for some bunting for someone's birthday. It looks very pretty and the person who ordered it has asked for some more, this time in shades of purple. I ordered the fabric online this morning. I make the bunting the quick way: I sew the triangles together with the right sides on the outside and then use pinking shears to neaten the edges. They look pretty and it saves the time it takes to turn the triangles right side out and press the edges.

Christmas is in the air and some people are already thinking of stocking fillers. Despite the move to reusable shopping bags (one I support!!) there are still plastic bags around and a colleague asked me for two plastic bag holders.

The criss-cross coasters are proving popular and these are orders for Christmas stockings:

The care home where I work had a table top sale yesterday. I wasn't able to go but I made four shopping bags for them to sell and these little coasters. I bought strips of little horse pictures a long time ago and thought they would make useful little coasters. I hope there were some horse lovers out shopping!

I have been offered a table at a Craft Fair on 10 November, so I need to get some bags made. I have plenty of fabric and have got started. A very generous person gave me some wonderful offcuts of curtain fabric, which I'm looking forward to making up. If only I didn't have to work and then use up valuable sewing time by sleeping in the daytime!