Small Updates

Highs always come with lows, don't they? I've been so excited and pleased with being a part of this new community and finishing my quilt top, but on the personal side of things, it's been a little rough. I don't want to get into it all here, but the end result is that it's been difficult to motivate and focus myself on one project. So instead of a finish post, or even a WiP post, this is a small updates around the sewing space post c:

Let's see here, in the past week, I've....

→ Finished a long overdue project! I started this in January, when I first started sewing again. I used this pattern  from NapKittenPattern on Etsy. She writes in English, but it is her second language, so sometimes it seems like the instructions are a little bit confusing. Her clear pictures are a perfect accompaniment, and I had no problems finishing this up. I mostly just want to make another now that I'm comfortable with sewing again, because a lot of the flaws are just beginners mistakes. I'm planning on using it as a travel make-up bag!

→ Started a long overdue project!

This is another pattern by the same etsy seller. I love
 her wallet patterns, they're so varied! I started this in different fabrics in January (around the same time as the zipper pouch), but I felt like giving it a fresh start with my new fabrics. I need some velcro and zippers before I really keep going with this, so it's on hold for now.

→ Had to attempt to save my fabric :( My cats can be destructive in the worst ways, and this time they broke into my craft room and....peed in my fabric box. It was bad. Really bad. It's actually mostly why I've put projects on the back burner, I only have part of my stash, and the fabrics that I'm in the middle of cleaning are mostly made up of my favorites. To try to get out of my funk I...

→ Am starting a scrap project! I tend to say that my whole stash is scrap, which is pretty much true, I buy it all from the scrap bin at a local fabric store (my yardage is saved for and only acquired if it's on awesome sale). But I've never reached into my bag of project scraps to make something, and I've never done improv piecing. I'm planning on making this handbag (pattern bought at the same time as all of the others haha) using improv piecing. Let's see how it goes! I love the bag, it seems so organized and perfect for carrying around craft projects. 

→ Dug out an old project - antique phone that was a hideous yellow and of course, needed some paint before we could use it. Four months later...

I finally ended up with this! Okay, just, bear with me. I'm not a spray-painter. I was horribly impatient and it showed. I don't care. This thing has been sitting in a box for four months while our landline goes unused, and I was just so sick of it!! When I'm feeling more charitable, I'm going to sand down the chipped and dripped spots and give it another spray. For now? It works, and it's orange. By the way, anyone know how to spraypaint a mouthpiece? I didn't want to get paint inside the mechanics because I assumed it would mess it up horribly, but I can't figure out how to get the plastic away from the mechanics at all...also, I think I may have messed up a little putting it back together, but good luck finding a guide online for a phone made by one of  the first novelty telephone companies in the 1970's :|

So that's what's going on around here ♥ Anyone have a favorite Etsy store for bags/purses/wallets? I feel like we've all seen the patterns made by bigger designers (the weekender, for instance), but I like seeing what smaller shops and designers come up with, too. 

Have a great weekend everybody!!