Christmas sewing

I've been sewing and crafting like mad lately, unfortunately, none of it is for sale in the shop! I'll post about it anyway, as eventually I'd like to make more of these items and get them listed. I'd REALLY like to do it before Christmas, but that is so not gonna happen. There's always next year. (Though, if you fall in love with any of this let me know, we can work something out I'm sure...)

First up, I made myself a bag! Crazy. I originally wasn't pleased with the length of the strap, but after using it a couple of weeks I find that it works well.

Then I made one as a gift. I shouldn't even be posting this one online, but hopefully it will still be a surprise. It's actually nicer looking in person, but black is so hard to photo well.

I'm working on some little mitten ornaments. (Surprise, Laurie! one of them is yours...)

I'm doing them assembly line style, here are some of the ones still waiting for cuffs. (This is not all of them, yikes! I got a little ambitious here.)


I've got more bags to make, more mittens. And some other surprise things. Hope everyone else who's crafting for the holidays is making progress as well.

PS. Anyone know an easy way to post pictures on blogger? Having them load at the top and having to drag them down on my tiny laptop screen is annoying.

After a brief hiatus...

I am back with a new bag. This one was a birthday gift for my niece, who is 7. The exterior turned out great! I quilted across the yellow with pale pink, blue, and fuchsia to match the lining, and it looked better than I expected. I added a couple of giant buttons to the outside, and made it reversible like the others. It is hard to tell in the picture, but the lining is brightly colored cats. I think it was a hit.

Girly Bag

This week's bag is a girly little thing. It's pink and brown and white, it's got little dots and a pink handle. What's not to love?

This is a tiny little bag. As you can see from the pictures, it is exactly as wide as a standard checkbook, with room for your phone, wallet, pens, and not a lot more. It's completely reversible and machine washable. This one has no interior pocket, it's just too small to need one!

If you are interested, this tote can be found in my Etsy shop!

Teacher bags!

Are you a school teacher? Know someone who is? We all know that school teachers love tote bags AND that school teachers have tons of old school spirit shirts in their closets. Can you think of a better use for those unworn shirts than a tote bag? Here's some examples!



















See the big pocket on this one (with the magazine slipped inside)? I thought that would make a perfect place for files of paperwork, and keep it somewhat organized. It's a big pocket- the height and width of the entire bag!
Now on the gray one, my camera stopped cooperating so only one picture! It has a darker purple patterned lining, and one small pocket for your phone or keys. It's a bigger bag than the white one too. So if you are a teacher, or know one, let me know at shop.sewwhat@gmail.com and I'd be happy to make some up for you! These bags would also be great for students, just keep in mind, the smaller the shirt, the smaller the bag!
(sorry for the wierd spacing on this post, I can't make blogger cooperate this morning!)

Taryn's Bag

This weekend I made two new bags. This is the second one. (The first one is part of an uncompleted set.) This bag is for my niece Taryn. After an extensive conversation about what she likes, this is what I came up with- hope she likes it as much as I do!

This one has the same shape as a previous bag, and is symmetrical, regardless of how it appears in pictures. It's got a pink exterior and a purple printed interior. The interior is purple, pink, teal and lime green circles and matches the buttons on the exterior of the bag. I included a small inner pocket that also has the purple ribbon and a smaller bunch of buttons. I really like the way this one turned out- it all coordinates as well as I had hoped.

This specific bag is not for sale, but I did end up with a small bit of leftover purple fabric, and may be able to squeeze a smaller version of the bag out of it. Let me know if you're interested!

Hell's Kitchen Tote Bag

I just listed the best bag yet! I LOVE this bag! I almost didn't want to list it, but what am I gonna do with all these bags?? This bag is HUGE. It's very casual, and I can think of a million uses for it. I swear I could fit my 2 year old into this bag no problem!

It's got this great little cardboard piece in the bottom for support. If you want a stiffer bag, put in it, if you want a softer bag you can remove it. The cardboard is covered in a little slipcase of the red flannel which can be taken off if you need to wash it. Or, if the cardboard gets soft with use you can slip out the old piece and replace it! How cool is that?

Here's what I said about it on Etsy:
This is a great-looking tote bag made from a worn-in t-shirt. It has a great graphic of Hell's Kitchen New York and a co-ordinating red and black flannel lining. This is a large bag with a large capacity. It would be ideal for a weekend trip, the grocery store, or a day on the beach. The handles are wide and made from the same fabrics. They have extra stitching for reinforcement. There is one interior pocket made from the t-shirt sleeve for your cellphone, keys, etc.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is NOT included with purchase, but is shown in the picture to give an idea of the size of the bag. You could easily fit all seven Harry Potters, the Little House on the Prairie series and all seven Chronicles of Narnia in here, and still have room for snacks and personal items.

Measured flat, the bag is 21 inches wide (seam to seam) and about 14 inches tall. It measures 8 X 13 inches across the bottom. Handles are 21 inches long with a 10 inch drop. Fits comfortably over your shoulder. Both the t-shirt and the interior fabric have been reinforced with interfacing to give the bag shape and make it more durable. This t-shirt is naturally faded. Both the t-shirt and the lining are pre-washed, but the assembled bag itself has not been washed.

This bag includes a cardboard base for stability. This base is covered in a slipcase of the same lining material and can be removed for washing or if you want a softer bag.

Machine washable on gentle cycle, air dry to maintain shape. Warm iron. Be very careful ironing the screenprint.

The Etsy shop is at http://lharsma.etsy.com Go shop! Buy this bag, it's awesome, I swear.

Business progress

I have taken the plunge and had some business cards printed. They are nice little cards, and I can't wait to start handing them out. I wanted a way to talk about my crafty side without totally making my husband and friends crazy. This blog is on my business cards.

I spend a crazy amount of time drafting patterns in my head. I mix t-shirts with fabric as I'm falling asleep at night. My close friends think I'm obsessing. I am. This is my outlet.

My current plan is to post 2 to 3 new bags a week. This is fairly ambitious, as I also have a fulltime job, a two year old son, a husband, another blog, a house, and a heavy reading habit. I'm finally streamlining some of the processes- for example, all bags have the exact same handle pattern. Well, until I make an across the body handle. But short handles will all be the same. No extra planning and measuring. I discovered this weekend that it's easier to cut a couple bags, then sew them, as opposed to one bag start to finish at a time.

I really hope this pans out for me, if not, I'll have way more tote bags than one person can possibly use...

Test Post

Test post.