Here's the bag I've been working on! I think of it as my

birthday bag, since I just turned 38 (woo hoo!). The bag

is patterned somewhat after this one, which I enjoyed so 

much that it plum wore out. As you can see, I repurposed 

the strap from the former bag and re-used it on this one. 

I also enlarged this bag a bit and added the darted pocket 

with lid on the front, for additional storage.  I was also

happy to find a place to sport that strand of velvet ribbon!

 

bag pockets

 Since bags generally go together inside-out and upside-down,

so to speak, the pockets are one of the first things to assemble.
I'm excited about this outside pocket, because it has darted
corners (thanks, Lisa Lam!) which make it three dimensional:
good for holding lots of stuff without looking overcrowded.
There are also a couple of tiny, magnetic snaps under the flap
to keep things sleek. If you can get sleek in fuzzy upholstery.

This is the cute little elasticized-top pocket on the inside of the bag, 

also thanks to Lisa Lam's Bag Making Bible. Hers seems to come 

out more rectangular than mine. I think that's because 

she puts a couple of darts in the bottom of her pocket to square 

things off. I'm not pushing for perfection here, though, so 

the curvy shape suits me just fine. It's kind of whimsical, don't you think? 

The finished bag will be coming soon, so don't be strangers!

new project

I'm itching to do some sewing after weeks of sickness 

and the ensuing recovery process. This is the fabric 

palette for a bag I'm scheming up. I found the green 

and gold upholsteries on clearance last week, and that 

lovely slice of velvet ribbon has been in a basket just

waiting for the right project. I can't wait to use it!

ocotillos and other such things

 Believe it or not, this is the same ocotillo that I posted just two weeks ago 

(see photo below)!! One night last weekend, the leaf-cutter ants stripped it bare. 

I rather wish I had seen them do it, because it was clearly a very efficient job. 

Anyway, I am feeling somewhat like this ocotillo. After recovering 

from last week's illness, I came down with a sinus infection that wiped 

me out for this week. Between all that and the sicknesses of my 

familial peeps, it seems the leaf-cutters have gotten to us. 

But we're still firmly rooted, just waiting for our leaves to grow back in.