Is it Really Thursday Already?

Wow....this week seems to have flown by and what do I have to show for it?   A NEW BAG!  Well, almost a new bag.  Actually, Briar is on Fall Break (don't even get me started on this stupid "break" thing) and I have not been feeling all that great so most of this week has either been spent following him around trying to figure out what he is doing or in bed.  Bed is only good if my hubby is home (oh la la) and not when I feel like death has knocked my door down.  One of these years I am going to get used to this pain or I will die for sure trying! :)  I have to share pics of course as I always love to do because it gives you a glimpse into my crazy world I call life.  Today is going to be kind of random cause that is the kind of girl I am.  Let's start with the new bag.  I showed you the one that I completed on Monday (yes, I know, fantabulous) and I used it for the first time on Tuesday.  There are some minor adjustments that I will definitely be making when I make this bag again, because I am a perfectionist and I want to get the stupid thing right in my eyes.  First....the dumb thing needs a pocket on the inside.  How could I have forgotten to include this or better yet, why was it missing in the instructions?  What do others do with all of your little "junk" like business cards and reward cards and well, stuff too small that shouldn't just be floating around in a big bag?  This girl needs at least one pocket!  Next, I have to say that I LOVE carrying this bag because it hangs just right and most of the purses that I have had in the past few years have had handles to only carry them on my arm and not my shoulder.  This is great and seems so much lighter.  BUT, cause you know that there always is one, even with the suiting material that I used as well as the flannel, the bag was kind of flimsy when I sat down and put it on my lap.   I know that sounds like a stupid thing to be a turn off but I guess I am used to my big, sturdy leather Michael Kors bag or my Vera Bradley and thought it should just hold its shape a little better.  That also can be fixed easily and will be with the next one.  Besides that, I love the shape and again, how it hangs.

The bag I am finishing up right now is below and if going to make an excellent laptop bag that I can throw my puter in and on my way I go.

Pic from book

Both side panels and liner

My first flat bottom....yeah!

view from other side.

Now all that it needs is handles and it will be finished.  Can't wait to throw my laptop in it!

Help me decide on the next project from my book.  Leave me a comment and let me know which one of the two below projects YOU think I should make.

Weekender Bag

Side View

Felted Corsage Bag

Bag with the Copper Canyon felt I want to try

Until Next Time,
Mamalou

Newest Project.....Purse

I was inspired by my friend Dawn and her cool bags that she makes but I had to give it the "Mamalou" touch.    We are into really different fabrics which is cool in my book.  While I love and swoon for the Shabby Chic, floral look, she is into the modern/artistic prints.  While my first attempt didn't stay in either category, I love the mix of browns I used and love even more, the mix of different material types.  I love it so much that I am going to use it today :)

The template that I kind of went from, but mixed it up some, was from a book called "The Perfect Handmade Bag" by Clare Youngs.

I picked it up this past week at Barnes and Noble and it contains some of the coolest designs that I have seen and it was so easy to understand, which I needed!  The template that I used was for the Wool Bow Bag but I did some modification to it because I wanted a longer handle and I didn't really want to put a bow on it.  Also, I wanted to use a few different materials on it instead of just one plaid throughout.  OK, so here we go.

Outside and liner cut and tapered

Accents

Burberry Plaid <3

Finished product 

Love my little green "tag"

That's it.  Had I not have been distracted by Grey's Anatomy episodes that we are trying to catch up on, I probably could have made this in a matter of a couple of hours but it took about 1/2 a day since I did make a few errors that I had to correct and I kept changing my mind on the fabrics but essentially it was easy and I can't wait to make more of the bags in this book.  I am so stoked that I didn't get rid of my sewing machine like I thought about many times! :)

Until later,
Mamalou