By now you know that I sew A LOT.

But there are certain projects that I have little interest in sewing. Bags are definitely on that short list.

However, when I saw Ashlee's tutorial for this bag on her blog, My So Called Crafty Life, I had to make it! It's boho and chic and simple.

Love it! GREAT job, Ashlee!!

I have a substantial collection of vintage fabrics and I'm always looking for inspirational projects to use them for.

I had this rose-print table runner that I knew would be perfect.

I didn't deviate much from Ashlee's tutorial; however, I had another idea for my strap.

I had a leather braided cord that came with a Brighton wallet {remember my husband's shopping habit?} and I thought it would be perfect for this bag.

I created carriers out of simple cotton cording (3" lengths) that I had on hand and added a few custom button details.

 

 

Additionally, I reinforced the bottom of the bag with a piece of foam sheeting. I wanted the bag to keeps its shape when it has contents, yet maintain the soft feel.

We'll be traveling a lot this summer and this bag will be perfect for carrying the essentials for sight-seeing and snack-toting and souvenir-collecting.

What do you have planned for this summer?

Have I mentioned how much I love E-6000 adhesive?

{Is that weird?}

This stuff rocks! I've used it for everything from making jewelry to repairing shoes.

I pulled out my tube today to fix a broken figurine and a trophy... then things got crazy. Crazy creative, that is.

I made Dylan some pins for his backpack out of old wooden nickels...

The bacon and egg artwork is not my own.

I made a pretty little ring for myself out of scrapbook paper, a glass stone, and a ring blank...

Read my tutorial here.

And, finally, I worked up these adorable rings from bows that Kellie and I made from Shrinky Dinks when she was here. We used the same techniques as our enameled pinwheel pendants.

I used the bow template that Jessica provided on her blog, How About Orange.

After cutting out the pieces, we shrunk them in the oven...

Painted with nail polish...

Assembled with E-6000...

Added a coat of glitter polish and a rhinestone...

Affixed to a ring blank...

And, voila!

I have to admit, now that this ring complete, I don't think it really fits my own fashion sense. However, it might feel different with another paint treatment. I think this would be a fun mother-daughter project.

Just as an aside, do you know how hard it is to photograph a ring on your own hand? Harder than you'd think!

I'm following up this post with another project that I tackled this weekend.

Stay tuned!

Just a few scenes from the weekend. Enjoy!

 

And... as usual... someone was grumpy.

At least he's predictable!

Suddenly, there was an explosion from the left side of the room! Fabric, pins, and thread were sent flying through the air.

The creature began to destroy everything in sight. None were safe from its tirade of epic proportions.

What happened?! What awoke the sleeping monster and provoked such a reaction?!

Bias tape + a neckline.

**gasp**

Okay. I'll confess. I'm the brat who let a neckline get the better of me.

Welcome to "Fast and Easy" Butterick 5355.

I was delighted to open this envelope and discover that there were only 4 pattern pieces required to complete this breezy top!

I've had two yards of a gorgeous chevron crepe de chine on standby for a few months, just waiting to be used for this project.

I'm not usually a chevron-kind-of-gal, but I loved the bold colors and the diagonal orientation of the chevron bars. Cute, cute!

After my last project with crepe de chine, I was apprehensive about getting started. However, all came together beautifully.

I used french seams to finish the edges because of the open, flowy arms. I think it has a more polished look versus a serged seam.

There were no problems at all, really... until I hit the neckline.

I knew I needed to make my own binding. There were no pre-packaged options that would have looked right with this fabric. So, I spent nearly an hour, cutting, folding, and pressing my own bias tape.

{Well, there went the "Fast!"}

Because of the "easy" nature of this pattern, the included instructions indicated that the 1/4" binding be pinned to the neckline and stitched together through all thicknesses.

Well, it looked just awful. The fabric kept slipping... my seams weren't straight... and, the more I tried to correct my issues, the worse the fabric looked! I lost the fight and decided to give up all together.

I mean, totally give up. Sewing. Crafting. Blogging. Forever! I was done! I didn't need this stress in my life!

Aye-yi-yi... such a brat!

Two weeks later, my husband convinced me to pick it back up and finish it. Knowing I would have the same trouble, I decided to hand-sew the binding on.

It took forever, but the result was worth it. It looks so polished!

I'm so ashamed of my behavior and the fact that I let this "Fast and Easy" top get the better of me! I know that my frustration was actually a culmination of other stresses affecting my temperament. After a good cry and a nice break, I'm inspired and getting back to the business of creating.

Geez... I hope I'm not the only one who cries over the sewing machine...

From the get-go, this room had more personality than any other in the house.

I mean, look at this fireplace feature. It screams at you as you walk in the room.

Not necessarily the "belle of the ball," but sort of cool. Definitely worth embracing.

First came the paint...

Next came a new entertainment center...

We have a WONDERFUL Amish furniture store in town. I would gladly take one of everything! We lucked up with this unit. It was marked down because it was a floor model and they wanted to make room for new samples. The craftsmanship is unsurpassed.

Then came the flooring...

This flooring was a sort of vinyl plank... somethin' or another...

It was hard to get off and it shredded like cardboard.

To replace it, we wanted to go with something durable and sustainable. We decided to go with a bamboo at Lumber Liquidators. We did our research. We looked at samples in the store and finished rooms online before making the decision to purchase.

The sample we saw in the store essentially looked like this:

Nice, natural, variegated... However, we discovered (upon opening the boxes) that the dark tones on every single plank is sprayed on in a fairly consistent pattern. That was a bit disappointing - but also the risk you take when you order flooring online. There is a 20% restocking fee (which equaled a pretty substantial chunk of change) so we opted to go with it.

The end result isn't as terrible as we expected, though.

Yes, there is a definite pattern, but it's still a huge improvement over what was there.

A little unpacking, fluffing, and new window valances (I used McCall's 3632) and we are in pretty good shape!

And there's a place for our collection of lucky little guardians!