Another Carry-On Bag

Three years ago I cut out and prepared the pattern pieces for a Swoon Vivian carry-on bag. I carefully and adeptly inserted the interior zippered pocket, when I realized I had placed it on the exterior. Rather than just go with the flow, I determine that fabric would become the lining rather than the exterior, and I would buy some more fabric for the exterior. I went to JoAnn’s and got some navy cotton duck, and this became that bag. I used it a few times, then decided I didn’t really love it. Little things were not right, but when … Continue reading

Swoon Ramona #4

About two years ago I made a Swoon Ramona crossbody bag for my younger grandchild. I don’t think they have taken it off except to sleep in all the time since receiving it. With that much use, it’s now threadbare. And all the ScotchGard in the world cannot guard against that amount of wear. It’s feeeeelthy!! I begged and begged for my babe to take it off and give it to me so I could wash it. When they refused, I just ordered fabric to make another. Happy grandma, happy teenager. This is the third Ramona I’ve made. Number 1 … Continue reading

The Third Time is the Charm

I haven’t made much time to sew lately. Eight hours each week is taken up by chauffeuring my elder grandchild to her high school, 35 miles away. Preparing for and recovering from a yard sale ate up a couple of weeks. Having my car stolen and replacing it took another week. And I got stuck on a bag I was making for my [new] great-niece (the 30-something granddaughter of my newly discovered half-sister). This is the third week I’ve devoted two hours each Wednesday afternoon to my younger granddaughter, Ridley. I pick her up from school and take her to … Continue reading

A Second Bag to Meet My Needs

A year ago I had started a new job and was overwhelmed carrying my iPad plus binders of music back and forth from home to school. I made a Swoon Patterns “Alice” bag out of music-themed fabric to keep everything together and manageable. Sidenote: As I was pulling the Swoon link for “Alice,” I noticed it was a free pattern. If you’re thinking a bag like this would be fun to make, here’s a great way to start Swooning. There’s a private Facebook group you’ll want to join, as Swooners are really nice people and sewists who like to share … Continue reading

A Carry-On for Me

This summer has been filled with carry-on trips. My mother’s memorial service near Asheville, NC, required a Saturday morning flight down and a Sunday afternoon flight back with a knit dress, a pair of heeled sandals, and my cosmetic bag tucked into a carry-on bag. The next weekend I flew to Dallas on Friday afternoon and returned Sunday morning—another carry-on trip with the same knit dress and sandals so I could play a half hour of old hymns for my girlfriend’s husband’s memorial service. And a fleece jacket and closed toe shoes so I could watch my firstborn son play … Continue reading

A Bag to Meet All My Musical Needs

I’m currently working four different collaborative pianist jobs, which means several binders full of music, plus my iPad and Bluetooth page-turn pedal, and a calendar on which I attempt to keep my life organized. Since the first day of class, I have been trying to figure out the best way to keep track of all this music and transport it back and forth from home to performance space. When I made Swoon Patterns’ Alice for my grand-high-schooler to use as a bookbag, I started thinking maybe Alice was the bag I needed to schlep all my music. I have a … Continue reading

A Little Bag for a Little Lady

When I arrived home from Interlochen in early August, my DIL-Equivalent, Leslie, arrived a day after me for a stay of several days before heading back to Amarillo to start the school year at her university. I had hoped to quickly make a little wristlet clutch for her darling 5yo daughter, affectionately known as Meme. I printed off the Swoon Coraline pattern at 80%. Using the small version (11″ wide), that 80% printing meant the finished little bag would be 8.8″ wide. I had read many posts in the Swoon Patterns Facebook group where sewists talk about printing the patterns … Continue reading

Almost Makes You Want to Get Old(er)

The distaff side of the couple we frequently vacation with has a significant birthday tomorrow, so I’ve spent this week creating a memorable gift for her. She’s an artistic genius. Every trip we take is scrapbooked like no scrap project I’ve ever seen. She loves to garden and frequently posts breathtaking floral pictures on her Facebook page. She takes watercolors with her on trips and comes home with pieces I want on my wall. Her brother is a lampwork glass artist, and she uses his beads to make jewelry that all her friends clamor for. And two years ago she … Continue reading