Big Plans

A few weeks ago we hatched a scheme for biking and camping up in Sonoma County at the end of John's semester. But then there was the craft fair, and other things, and you know how it goes, it's almost June and we're still planning. Tuesday one of us, fell off his bike and sliced open his hand. To the tune of Three Stitches. I'm not going to name any names of course, but let's just say our ETD was Sunday morning and now it may be a bit further afield than that.

But, ever ready lady that I am, I whipped this little number up on Monday. It's a handlebar bag for myself. For carrying some tools maybe, the map or some variety of snack. Here it's modeling on the front end of John's bicycle, just because his bars are shinier than mine are. And that makes them more photogenic.



It came together from the scraps of some newly shortened Dickie's and some leather scraps that were just lying around. So whenever we do head out on this grandly planned small adventure, I'll be ready to roll.

Alchemy

There's a relatively new feature on etsy that allows a buyer to request a custom item from anyone else in the etsy community, negotiate a price and receive said item in the mail in a timely fashion. They've dubbed this custom order forum Alchemy. It's perfect for that very specific thing you've been searching for but can't seem to find. That by all logic should exist, and simply doesn't.

Since I have some extra time on my hands these days, I began perusing the forum a few weeks back. I love to make caramels, but I also love to sew. And while I can bake something new without a second thought, whenever I try to sew something out of the blue I get stuck. I'm hyper critical of the things I'm going to make and when there's not a specific recipient in mind...I spin my wheels, haunted by the thought of the final object sitting on the shelf in my increasingly cluttered sewing room gathering Oakland dust.

I take direction well, in other words. And so naturally, Alchemy appeals to me. It presents an excuse to try something new, without risk of uselessness. And so it was that several weeks back, I bid on a project for a nice lady named Megan in Pittsburgh. And came to make her some sparkling magenta accessories to hold her various things. I lined them in seafoam oil cloth and seafoam cotton print, coordinated but different. I sent them out in the mail several days later and received the nicest feedback: If we were in third grade, I'd offer to french braid your hair.(!)



I've been Really Busy since I took this first project on and so haven't done anything like this since...also my version of an excuse for the hiatus in posting to this baby blog...but I intend to keep my eyes peeled in the near future for other alchemies to bid on. When sometimes you tend to be a hesitant maker, like me, its nice to have a real live person out there to cheer you on.

Made

I finally tested out Suey's advice and made something from a pattern. Off-season, perhaps, I wore these shorts to a pinups and greasers party last weekend with some tights and they were awesome. I'm particularly proud of the detailing in the pockets and on the little tie ups.