I find that I sew best when there is a movie on. Being a huge movie buff, I’m addicted to the two hour glimpses into other worlds and other lives. I prefer to sit in front of the TV in the evening and cut out the pieces. Then when I start construction, I like to be at home with a TV in the front of the house and a TV in the back of the house synchronized to the same movie channel while I move about from cutting table to sewing machine to ironing board. I did not realize until this bag that certain projects bring to mind the movie that I was watching at the time.

I was cutting out this bag last night while watching The Cutting Edge: Fire and Ice. I think this wonderful Indonesian Batik from Batiks by Design could go along with that fire and ice theme. It has deep red for fire as well as navy blue which could be thought of as an frigidly cold dark color. Also, there are parts of the design than could be similar to fire “licks”. The movie that was on while I sewed was The Flight of the Phoenix, the original best version. Elements of the motifs made me think of the ancient Phoenix as it rises from the ashes (fire again). So there you have it.

The pattern is nothing special…..something from a commercial pattern manufacturer, but a shape that I wanted to try, none the less.

Making bags, for me, is like eating potato chips for most people. You can’t stop at just one. And this week has been not different. After the hoodie project was finished and blogged, I couldn’t stop. Next came the recycled jean bag that can be called nothing but “Hot Lips”.

Jeans are the main staple of my wardrobe and it truly hurts me when I must give up a pair as unsuitable for wear in public. So, remembering fondly the jean purses my mother made me in the 70’s, I recycled my latest cast-off pair of denims. There was not pattern, simply an idea of size and the best use of the pockets on the jeans. I couldn’t resist the lining fabric with the pink, purple and orange lips. It was a piece that I picked up on a fabric shopping trip with no plans in mind. The shoulder strap is the inseam of the jeans, backed with lining fabric.

I love Ed Hardy designs and hearts and wings and could not resist sticking this little heart “tattoo” on the front.

At long last, the dark days of winter are over. I worked so much with my hands for the holidays that I had to take a break for a while, but I am now back and have tons of ideas and supplies. Even though I was not crafting, I was still shopping and creating in my head. Here is the first of what I hope are a flurry of new items.

In my continuing effort to perfect my own purse/totebag/accessory patterns, I have been working on some sweatshirt purse patterns. Being larger than a 2X, I always struggle with wanting the t-shirts and sweatshirts that market our life interests and accomplishments but know that they are never available in my size. I long to support breast cancer, my favorite music group, my latest tourist stop or festival event but the shirts never are large enough. But I buy them none the less in smaller quantities than if I could wear them. I hope some day to be able to wear them or use them in some way. And I finally came up with a way!

I’ve developed a sweatshirt purse. I have not displayed those prototypes here due to their need of tweaks, but this one I could not pass up sharing. A very dear couple were expecting a baby and she works at the same institution as myself as the Athletic Director’s Administrative Assistant. So what better way to use the sweatshirts that I crave AND make her a serviceable gift than to make a sweatshirt diaper bag! After a week of deliberation, sketching and thinking then 2 weeks of careful cutting and construction, I finally completed it. And it is absolutely wonderful!

The sweatshirt came from the local Walgreen’s, making it reasonably priced (should the project end up on the sewing room floor) and the lining fabric from Hancock’s. But the rest is all me.

Notice the extra design elements:

• the sleeve embroidered logo displayed on the base of the strap
• the use of the chest embroidered logo on the front flap
• the use of a sleeve cuff on the bottle pocket
• the use of the hood (embroidered with the team name) and accompanying drawstring as the front pocket
• the use of the kangaroo pocket on the back

This was incredibly fun and I hope to develop this idea more and some day market my patterns.

P.S. I love, love, love Picnik and the ability to edit and collage photos on the web.

What do you think? All comments are welcome.

I finally reached a decision on what to do with the treasured yard of green Indonesian Batik purchased from Batiks By Design at the Paducah AQS show. After much deliberation and study, I chose a bag pattern borrowed from my mother. It was a “fat quarter friendly” pattern purchased, but never used, from several years ago. I forget the name of the company at the moment. My greatest concern was to use a bag style that would show off the whole border print to it’s best advantage. Even though this pattern was written for fat quarters, I was able to adapt it to regular yardage and had enough left over to use the batik as the lining as well.

The bag pattern was very easy and was a simple shape. I created my own pocket on the back side (not showing) and didn’t use the velcro closure on the tab as instructed. Because after all, its against my principles to duplicate someone else’s items. The whole fun of crafting and sewing is to add your own personal style to each item. I’m all about one-of-a-kind and unique items.

Batiks By Design recently opened a retail store in my town. I’m pretty excited about it. I had to purchase a couple more batiks at the grand opening along with this fat quarter in red. I picked up the idea for this key chain off a blog that I read about sewing, CraftGossip.com. One post was about creating keychains with fabric and elastic and if it is one thing I like better than bags, its keychains.

So, be on the look out for more posts as the holidays are coming up and I have been busy churning out home-made gifts and as always, the post-holiday season includes time off. Plans are already turning in my creative mind and supplies are being stockpiled. I made a huge discovery at Rural King. I’m leaning toward bags for that. Wait til you see!

And I have also been inspired by portrait quilts seen on Quilting Arts in the past couple of months. Hmmm, now to figure out whose face/picture to start with.