More Bags! I Thought We Were Done

I just finished three more of these crossbody bags.
They are rather addictive and a quick sewing project
to use up scraps. After watching a few videos of other
bag crafters, I decided to try changing the placement
of the D-ring tabs. I think they look much better at the
top of the bag than on the side. What do you think?

We are also loving our snap pliers made by LIHAO.
The snaps are very easy to install. I am looking
forward to upgrading to metal in the future. 

While we are having fun mixing and matching scraps
from our stash, the batik bag may be my favorite one
yet. Finishing at 8 inches wide, it may be just wide
enough to carry a cell phone, keys and wallet. Still
doing some tweaking. The next size will be a little
larger with a boxed bottom.  

A Special Gift for A Secret Pal

It is the holiday season. There is gift-giving and trinket-swapping all around. For the first time in five years, I participated in Secret Santa at work. It is such a warm feeling to look in your mailbox or walk into your office to discover a small gift waiting for you. In some cases, there are things you really need. I've been meaning to stop by the feed store to pick up a new package of gardening gloves. These kids are always using mine, and I hate it. They never put them back where they belong, and they seemingly feel different when I slide them on after someone else has worn them. So, I buy a pack of 10 for the kids, and I have my own to tuck away.

So.....I haven't had time to stop by the store, but my Secret Santa managed to eek out a few minutes to stop by a local retailer to pick up not one, but two brand new Mommy-sized gloves with cute little flowers on them! Just what I needed. Now I can throw away the two pairs I have been hanging onto. Each has at least three holes where my fingers poke through while I'm working. Totally pointless, right?

Back to the story. My eleven-year-old participated in a Secret Santa gift-exchange with her classmates. The only difference between hers and mine is that middle schoolers cannot keep secrets. Each of them revealed themselves before they were even dismissed from class that day.

With all the week's deadlines and activities, I had been burning the candles at both ends. Kids had to be dropped off and picked up from schools activities. I had meetings at work all week. There were last-minute craft projects to complete just in time for Christmas. My lack of sleep brought on a series of tremendous headaches, so I couldn't go to the store to help my daughter pick up a gift for her classmate.

Normally, my kids bug me repeatedly when they need something, and they can't get cooperation from the adults in their lives. Ironically, my daughter had compassion. Instead of repeatedly asking about the store visit, she disappeared into her room after asking me to assist with cutting a few rectangles for her. She came out thirty-five minutes later with the cutest little wristlet.

It's not perfect, but it was the greatest gift in the whole class, she said. Several of her friends were upset that she didn't make more. But she only had one secret pal. What a lucky little friend.

I am pleased to know that we are raising creative, problem-solvers.

Dabbling with Crossbody Bags

I have been dabbling with sewing various bags and zipper pouches over the past few months. I weave them in between my quilting work. Even my 10-year-old has grown an interest in making bags. I watched a few videos online and scratched out a quick pattern in my design book and went to work. The pattern goes together quickly, and it wasn't long before people started asking about them. The first few were safe- simple black exterior and lining with an accented pocket. 

Now that I kind of know what I'm doing, I wanted to jazz them up a little. I really love piecing quilts from crumbs and strips, so I decided to design a few crossbody bags with strips I purchased from an Etsy vendor to see what they would look like. Here are the beginnings of this project. I'll post the finished products in a day or two. I'm still pondering what the pocket will look like. 

The next area is working with batiks. A client asked for a bag just a little wider. As I was cutting some batik fabric for a different project, I discovered there was just enough fabric left to experiment with a larger crossbody bag, so I went for it. I may add a double zipper to this one. 

About My Blog

So, I'm at it again. Trying out blogging as an outlet to channel my creative side. My first blog post appeared more than 4 years ago following the birth of baby number 4. But then, I went back to work and so went the blog. I find that when I am working, I am so focused on putting my heart into my work, that I don't take time to create. This is why I have made a conscious effort to sew or learn about crafting or chickens or something each day when I get home. There is so much about our day-to-day lives that can keep us from connecting with the world and doing things we really love. We forget who we are....or used to be. At least I did.

Our family traveled to Charleston in September to see our oldest daughter sing in a concert. Being there in that event hall watching the lights dance across the stage reminded me of so many shows. The LeConte's I've know over the years. I missed Charleston. I missed the stage. I missed performing. I missed writing. I missed poetry and music. I missed storytelling and ghost walks. I missed walking on The Battery at night. I missed eating cornbread and honey with good friends after a full day of fun. I missed me. Who I was back then. Who I am way down deep- before I became this person I've been forced to become to conform to the world of the working adult. I am so much more than that.

So....I've created this blog to capture this journey of discovery. Over the past three years we've started a hobby farm where we raise chickens, honey bees and a variety of edibles (blueberries, blackberries, scuppernongs, muscadines, apples, peaches, plums, cherries, mulberries, figs, apricots, peaches). I think that may be all. We've probably experienced way more failures than successes over the years, but with each failure Herm reminds me that it is a "hobby" farm. At one time we had over 18 blueberry bushes, and now we don't! We've learned a great deal about droughts and fungi and all sorts of other things that affect our animals and plants. Yet, we press on. I'd like to take you on this journey with us as we continue to learn and grow and raise our kids.