Bags of Love

I've been sulking for the last few days. Could you tell? You see, last Sunday I found some really great stuff at the car boot sale and over the last few days I've been crafting away like a nut. Which is all blogworthy stuff and yet there has been no new post. Why? Because the sun died and left us in eternal semi gloom, that's why.
Or, I guess more to the point, it's been foggy and the nights have drawn in and I just can't get a decent photograph. Oh and I may have forgotten to put the memory card in the camera, again, but lets choose to ignore that, ok?

Today, however, promised to be a little more blog friendly. But before I could get around to taking photo's I decided to take Bella out for a walk in the beautiful Autumnal sunshine. Usually we go everywhere with Bella sitting in her buggy, but she's been enjoying walking more and more lately, so I thought we could take a leisurely stroll to the indoor playcentre (about 10 minutes walking at a snails Bella's pace)and then Bella could run around for an hour whilst I drank tea and maybe even sat down.

However, as any parent will tell you, plans are for fools!
The first part ot the walk was lovely with Bella kicking leaves for the first time ever (and in the process making my heart just ache with how grown up she is). But when we arrived at the play centre, instead of the usual squeals of delight, I was greeted with 'No, no,no,no,no'. Rather than go and play (and allow me to sit down) Bella was enjoying her walk so much that she wanted to continue down the road. And I was more than  willing to sacrifice a little respite if it meant watching her kick more leaves and look in little cracks in the walls and shout 'CAR!' at every passing car.
I was even willing to be flexible enough to adapt my initial  plan. This time I thought we could continue the walk down to the train station and then jump on the train in to town (allowing me to sit down for 5 minutes only, but it was still a rest, right?) and then depending on how tired we both were and how well we were coping, I thought we could either find somewhere to have some lunch or we could turn around and get the next train back again - allowing us both to rest our legs again for another 5 minutes and build up the strength for the uphill walk home.
And all of that would have worked perfectly, had we not missed the train in to town. And had Bella not seen the train speed away and had she not then become hysterical that we weren't on it.
The rest of the journey home doesn't bare repeating in detail. Suffice to say, we were tired. And we (she) screamed. And we (she) scratched faces. And we (she, she,she) had to be carried most of the long, long, uphill way home.
Plans schmans.

I made this bag yesterday and I'm really happy with it. I'm not very good in general with bags, but this one just worked so nicely. I obviously didn't use a pattern, I just made it up as I went along and actually managed to make the whole thing from beginning to end in Bella's nap time.
I don't think that you can tell from the photo's but the whole top of the bag folds over to create the flap. I used a combination of Japanese fabrics and a stripy cotton twill that I found at the Embroidery show the other week at a bargain price. The buttons are only for show, because the top folds over there isn't a need for an actual closure but I love these two vintage buttons and they are perfect for the bag.

I made this apron on Monday. It's on it's way to the US to take part in a charity auction.

The pocket is made from a Lecian printed linen that I got for a £1 at the Quilt Festival in August. It was being sold in half yard pieces and I was lucky enough to find 3 pieces in total. It's one of those fabrics that you just don't want to cut into, but hell, it's for charity.

I have two (possibly three) shows on next month (anyone near Leeds fancy coming?) and I'm definitely going to make a few aprons for it. Got the bug now.

And finally (because as I said, I've been able to take photo's today), here's one of my wonderful finds from Sunday.

Love.

Oh and bless her, as payment for the horror of The Walk, Bella had a three hour nap this afternoon. Three. Whole. Hours.

Comments

[Jen]

That's a great bag. I love the foldover top. I've been seeing that on a lot of leather bags this season, but it hadn't yet occurred to me that I could make one of out fabric. Silly me.

[capello]

Three. Whole. Hours.

Awesome.

Of course, it would have been a huge help had she say to you, "mummy, i'm going to have a difficult day. but you will be rewarded with putting up with my awful behavior by me taking a three hour nap. okay?"

[Pam]

Love the bag and apron. Sorry about the yelling and face scratching!

[geek+nerd]

What gorgeous gorgeous fabrics - such fun! Scratching little girls - not fun!

[li li]

I love the bag, especially the fabric that you had chosen! :D

[Kristy]

Had THE WALK many a time.Love the bag and the apron,adore the sandwich tin!Want to see Mandas shows, near Leeds???Sounds like me!

[Katherine]

Love the apron. Where are your shows, my mum might be interested. Not to to say that I wouldn't, but she lives near Leeds and I don't!

[Tania Ho]

The bag is lovely, but that sandwich tin ... wow :)

[dorie]

Your bags are very pretty. Often toddlers just don't see how great a parent's plans are. It was a really nice idea.

[Mama Urchin]

I love the fabric combo on the apron and the bag is very clever with the flap and all.

[pinar]

who can say you are not good with bags.. I liked every single one on your posts..
and the apron.. and your story of the day.. took me back to my kid's earlier times.. beware.. when the get older.. it becomes worse.. so enjoy your day.. and baby.. and all..

[beki]

A three hour nap? Lucky you! Everything you've made looks so lovely ;-)

[lazylol]

I live near Leeds. Where are the shows and when? I would love to see your stuff in real life!

[laeroport]

God, don't you love those three hour naps? Of course after an hour and a half I think it will be over soon and then all productivitiy comes to a stop. Hey Ho.

And I did the "no card in the camera thing" this morning - at the school pumpkin hunt. GRRRRRRR.... at least other parents told me they'd e-mail me pics they took. But will they?

Cheers, Manda!

[laeroport]

And I was so involved in telling you about my own misadventures, that I forgot to say that I love the bag and apron. The fabrics in both are fab!

[Heather]

I love your stories about Bella!! Fabulous apron!!

[meg]

Ah, why can't our days match the beautiful plans we have laid out fot them? Well, at least the story has a happy ending!

[Toni]

oh yeah, that walk sounds familiar :)
love that bag! i just ordered some nautical fabric from superbuzzy. love that shop.

[Suzie Vallis]

I know exactly the feeling of utter flustration when something great turns out such hard work, my three year old is great at it. As for the weather I drove over to Howarth today for lunch with my three year old, the usual Ohh and Arhhs of the breath taking views where replaced with worried sounds from me as we drove into rain, fog and cloud and the moors are all turning a mean looking brown. I am a real summer person and whilst I love the reds and oranges of this season I miss the beach and the outdoors feeling the summer gives me. As for the bag, its lovely. great fabric combination.
Suzie Sews

[Jhoanna]

Wow - you are so good with patchwork, colour and fabric choice! Love the bag! Oh and that walk - can absolutely relate :-)

[bigbucketgirl]

Shows? shows? SHOWS? Where, where, WHERE?

[molly]

i love the fabrics you are using for these projects. and oh, how i can relate to your story about bella. gotta love our plans! and walking home, carrying a fussy baby sounds very familiar.
but a three hour nap...what a wonderful way to apologize to her mother!

[Nancy Cook]

I love the bag and have been wanting to make some new ones for a while. I adore your fabric choices. I can totally relate to the walk experience.
Sadly, the last time I got a nap that long was when my Mother was here to watch my son while I went to the doctor but, wow one can get a lot done in that time.
Cheers