New Bags

I have been making some new bags but as usual, I am very slow in posting them. I wonder if this is because I secretly want to keep them for myself. This is the everyday messenger bag. It's a little smaller than most of my bags but big enough to fit all of the daily essentials. I love the simplicity and the pleated corners that give it depth. I only have one in the shop right now but there will be more coming.......eventually.

Finished Baby Quilt

I finished this quilt quite a while ago but couldn't seem to find the time to take pictures. It was really easy and I really like how it turned out even though I wasn't crazy about it at the beginning. I was originally going to back it in solid brown, then I came across this dot fabric in my stash that matched perfectly. I free motion quilted it and actually had a harder time with the smaller quilt than my queen size quilt. I will be making more of these for sure. I already have a lap size one in mind with just random scraps, for my couch. I have one problem now and that is that I won't be seeing the person I made it for anytime in the near future so I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. A giveaway perhaps? I will have to think about it for a bit.
Here are some pictures, sorry they're not very good. If anyone has any ideas on how to take pictures of quilts in a small apartment, feel free to let me know.

Quilt Top

I have finished the baby quilt top. It came together very fast. This is the kind of quilting I like! I think it took me longer to cut out the blocks. Here's a not very good picture of the top. It turned out a lot cuter than I expected it too. Now I'm going to have a problem giving it away. The back will be a polka dot fabric that matched these fabrics very well. I will show you that in the finished product.

Work in Progress

I should really be working on some bags and wallets for my shop but I felt like doing something different today. I cut out charm squares to make a baby quilt for a girl I work with. I am using Michael Miller fabrics and this tutorial from Oh ,Fransson! who in my opinion makes some of the best modern quilts I have seen. It looks like a fast and easy quilt for a baby which is good since I am still working on my quilting skills. She is having a boy and I am using mostly blue but had to add some of the purple in due to a shortage of fabric. I think it still works for a boy.

New In Shop

I have been sewing. Really I have. It might not seem like it since I haven't been listing much. I just really hate taking pictures and editing them. I would rather just keep sewing. Here are a couple of new bags I've just added to my shop. I know I always say this but these are my favourite so far.

New Dress

I bought a new sewing book a few months ago called Chic and Simple Sewing but haven't gotten around to making anything out of it. I really don't like to make clothes very much. I always find that nothing fits right no matter how much you try. The sizing really annoys me as well. I normally wear a 4-6 but find I have to make around a 10-12 in regular patterns. Anyway, I was bored the other night and decided to make the back to school dress. The pattern was really easy to follow and I sewed the dress in only a couple of hours including the cutting. I used a purple twill fabric because I wanted a heavier dress in a solid colour. I was really happy how it turned out. The only change I made was to the pockets. I wasn't crazy about the plain and somewhat big pockets that the pattern called for so I fooled around until I came up with ones I liked. The dress is wearable now but I think I'm going to take the bottom half of the dress in a bit and maybe take up the hem a little. Overall, I was very happy with how it turned out. I will definitely be making more from this book.

Plans for 2010

I did this last year in place of resolutions and it worked fairly well, so I've decided to try it again. I have taken what seems to be a very long break from both blogging and my Etsy shop. This was mainly due to a sudden move that took longer than I anticipated and before I knew it, the holidays were here. I have still been sewing but it has mainly been items for my new, fabulous (I think) apartment and holiday gifts. So here is a list I have been somewhat been forming in my head of things I need to do to get back on track. I will probably will add some and take some away but I hope that blogging on it will help keep me on track.
1. Finishing organizing my new sewing room/closet so it is more functional.
2. Post the new bags and pouches I have already sewn in my shop.
3. Work out a sewing schedule that works with my full-time job schedule to better utilize my
time.
4. Finish the new bag design that has been in my head for a couple of months that I haven't had
time to try out and write.
5. Try and blog at least 3 times a week.
6. Try to list or renew new items in my shop daily.
7. On a personal note try to get back to running at least 4 times a week. This gives me the
energy and motivation I need to get through my busy days.

Please feel free to add any tips you have to manage your time and keep organized. They are always greatly appreciated.