Seat Of My Pants

Snooze Out For Summer

2010-04-14T06:07:00.001-07:00

So last night I watched "Smooth Talk," the movie based on the Joyce Carol Oates short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been." I'm showing it in class today. I'm gonna have to say the book was better, but there are some stunning acting moments (both stunningly good and stunningly bad) and family moments in the movie that are not in the story (and that the story does not miss). I'm hoping that we will have some vibrant discussion about it, if only for a few minutes.

This morning, after I'd carefully selected the "snooze" option on my phone's alarm clock more than a couple times, I fell back to sleep and had a dream that I was waking up in class. Like, with the whole class assembled. There I was, sound asleep, and nobody in the class bothered to give me a little nudge. I looked at the clock and it was already 1:05. I hurried over and tried to figure out how to work the DVD player of my dream.

This is all to say I did not get up early today.

But, yesterday was a good bagging day: I deleted a bunch of pictures on the lappy so new pictures will fit, I finished 3 zippies (I think?) and stitched the zippers (which involves lining up the outer fabric, the lining fabric, and the zipper, sewing, ironing, and top-stitching both sides--still working on a more concise verb for that process) for another 3. I have to say, when I ordered "lime" zippers, I was not expecting them to glow in the dark--as you can see, they don't photograph like construction vests--but they are working out in a cool and unexpected way.

I counted yesterday and I'm up to 30 zippies, including the 10 or 12 new ones from the last week or so. This is great: I have only 20 more to make to meet my goal for the July show. Maybe I have learned my lesson: staying up until midnight and then tossing around for another hour is not a good way to be sun-shiney at 6. Before The Pie was born, I would get up by 5 or 5:30 every day and hit the sewing machine. I'm not sure what it's going to take to get back to that kind of diligence! Maybe an air-horn...

Where in the World have I Gone?

2010-04-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

...you know, vicariously, through the stuff I've made?

I have wanted to buy a map of the world and pin the cities where my bag creations (I nearly said "bag children" right then, and that is just not right) reside. It was a thrill when I got my first international order--Seat is definitely better traveled than I am!

So, here's my list of states and countries so far (and thank you for this little indulgence):

Ohio
Washington
Florida
London, England
Missouri
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
Australia
California
Indiana
Massachusetts
Colorado
Florida
Alabama
Michigan
Arizona
Vermont
Maryland
Virginia
Wisconsin
Montana
West Virginia
Lisboa, Portugal
Haifa, Israel
Georgia
North Dakota
North Carolina
Illinois
Louisiana
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Washington, DC
New Mexico
New York
Oregon
Texas

...to be continued!

In other news: 4 new pouches finished and photographed. Very cute birds on perches fabric, and one random, wonderful surprise combination.

A New Leaf in Seat of My Pants?

2010-04-11T06:55:00.001-07:00

That sounds terribly uncomfortable, doesn't it?

So for the 3rd summer this year I am doing the Folger Home Summer Market show in Avon Lake. I have been planning projects and buying up supplies--fob hardware, zippers, purse frames, the most adorable birdie fabric (among several others). I decided that some sort of reporting on my SOMP productivity might help me rise before my children and get something accomplished. I'm hoping this will be a couple-times-a-week thing, at least while classes are still happening (just 3 weeks to go, and I will have survived my first year of teaching college!).

Among other things, I'm hoping to make 30 new zippies, 10 medium totes, a handful of frame purses, some thumb drive keychain thingees (a better name is in the works), about 100 fobs (these are super-easy and a big hit at shows!), and some calendar covers. And of course, the second I get that list in writing last week, I get the urge to figure out how to make zippered accordion wallets... I'll keep you posted on that front.

This week so far I have completed 4 zippies--Amy Butler Wallflower and Full Moon Dots in cherry (love these!), and I cut fabric and sewed zippers for 4 others. I'm hoping to get those other 4 finished today, maybe, and posted in the shop this week.

There. A goal, a report.

This is not just about me running a successful small home business. It's about me getting out of bed and getting something accomplished before my CEOs wake up, feeling like I've done something that fulfills the creative part of my soul before the mothering part of it takes over for the day.

Don't get me wrong though--if I did not have kids, I would not even know how to make bags. I didn't even figure out how to make a bag until our son was 6 months old. Our kids have freed up my creativity in ways I did not see coming (grad school, bag business), and I am really thankful for that. So now to do something on a regular basis about it...

2010-03-04T09:03:00.000-08:00

It's been a while, hasn't it.

The short story: Shortly after I finished up being an MFA student at Ashland University, they hired me to teach a little composition. I feel extremely fortunate to have a job in my field (sort of--we do discuss poetry sometimes), though my working part-time has been a huge transition for our family (and also for my sewing schedule... and blogging schedule... and life schedule, evidently).

Why am I popping in now? Because the other day I got a convo from a fellow Etsian, Sarah, who is organizing an auction for her friend Katie, and I want to get the word out. Says Sarah:

Katie was diagnosed with lymphoma a little over a year ago. She's not letting this thing kick her and she's doing everything she can to fight back with a strength and determination that is just inspiring. Unwilling to let it change her life, Katie still travels, sees friends, works, and lives the most normal life possible under the circumstances. Rather than let it get her down, she'll take a chemo treatment and then head off to a weekend with friends if she wants to. In October we went to a party together and despite the fact that she'd taken chemo that afternoon and was in incredible pain, she was the one pulling me out onto the dance

floor. She's just not going to let cancer stop her. It's really amazing to watch. Katie's husband is a musician, and Katie is a freelance artist. Medical bills are piling up and the cost of medicine alone is overwhelming. We don't want them to have to choose between medicine and food.

So, we're stepping in to help. The basic concept of our event is to hold a huge silent auction to benefit Katie. 100% of the proceeds will go directly to her medical bills. The auction will take place online, a few weeks from now. Right now we are trying to gather donations of items for the auction itself.

Here is their website: http://donationsforkatie.blogspot.com

And here is the zippy I made for the auction. (Note the sunny day in the background. Spring is coming!)

My 2nd Etsy Birthday

2009-09-16T03:03:00.000-07:00

Today's my 2nd Etsy birthday! It is hard to believe, a little, that almost every day for the last 2 years I've checked in at Etsy.com to see what's going on in the handmade circle there. I've met a handful of former Etsians, and I've networked my way into a couple pretty cool show venues. That's exciting! But the most happy part of this day is pondering the sheer knowledge I've gleaned since I began bagging about 3 years ago: selecting fabrics, mitered corners, finished seams, awesome straps, really straight zippers, new fabulous and functional designs. Whee!

A friend of mine yesterday told me that he wasn't sure how kids impact a person's writing career, since they almost always need you to do something like peel an orange, and that kind of constant tending to interrupts the writing process. True enough. At the same time, had we not had our son, there's no way I would have even considered going to grad school to get my MFA: I was a teacher, and I had to teach. Which meant I was not really writing with any seriousness, and also that I was not reading Poets & Writers and wouldn't have stumbled upon Ashland University's MFA ad. Additionally, had I not decided to stay at home with the kiddos for so long, I would not have had the actual time, even after bedtime, to pursue crafting in any serious way. So really, in a way I don't entirely get, our kids have given me 2 of the biggest creative opportunities of my life.

So to celebrate, today I'm offering free shipping on any order from my Etsy shop.

How Far By the Seat Of My Pants!

2009-06-18T05:21:00.000-07:00

I'm about to update my shop profile, and I thought it would be appropriate to comment on my first Etsy profile.

I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. After college, I found myself living in Wooster, Ohio, where my college sweetheart and I were married in 2003. I taught English and writing in area schools for 3.5 years before our sweet curly-haired son was born. When he was a year old, I returned to teach one more class in the high school setting.

I love being at home with my little guy now. I can't imagine it being any other way, and I know we are fortunate to be able to raise him this way.

* His hair has turned out to be more wavy than curly--I'm sure that won't drive him crazy when he gets older. And he has a sister, who is 9.5 months old. They get along swimmingly! Recently I've taken on a couple at-home jobs: freelance writing for www.handmadenews.org and serving on a volunteer basis as an associate editor of The Artful Dodge.

Since I don't give homework anymore, I have some time to fill (you know, naptime, bedtime...), and I fill it with SeatOfMyPants.etsy.com and grad school courses. In 2 years, I plan to graduate with my MFA in creative writing. Who knows where SeatOfMyPants will be then?

* Ha! I think the big guy must have stopped napping altogether about 5 minutes after I wrote that! He hangs out with me in the workshop while the babe naps, though, which works out well most of the time.

And the end of those 2 years is upon us! My thesis is Bloomington Avenue, a book of poems, and as I've mentioned here before, my reading and defense is July 31. I am SO glad to have been a part of the MFA program--I thought I knew a lot about poetry when I started, and I have learned so much more. I hope to get on board at a college to teach some creative writing.

As far as where SeatOfMyPants is now--if my estimation is worth anything, I have made over 200 bags of various sizes in the last 2 years. Here's another area where I have gained mountains of knowledge! It's amazing what a vintage resale shop sewing machine can do once you get to know its intricacies.

My hobbies besides mommying and sewing include reading, writing, swimming feebly, hanging out with my husband, taking and enjoying photos, and playing the piano. I also love home improvement projects and paint your own pottery places.

* ::sigh:: I haven't been to a paint your own pottery place in ages... sadly... in place of swimming I now have bike riding, and in place of playing the piano, I have being climbed on when I attempt to play the piano. Reading and writing remain solidly.

My favorite food is one I can't buy in Wooster: pierogis! Yes, pierogis, the things I miss most about Cleveland, besides my buds from high school and public transportation.

* Oh fine, you CAN buy them here after all, but frozen does not begin to compare. Can you even CALL those pierogis? We had some mind-bendingly beautiful pierogi in Chicago this spring. They began to compare.

I always dreamed of having my own business--I never thought it would start out as easily as sending an email to all my friends and posting pictures on Etsy.com. I'm so glad to have found Etsy. I hope you enjoy my shop!

* I've given this a lot of thought. This spring I applied for and was not offered a high school teaching job. I had prayed all along that if it wasn't the job for me--that if I was to be doing something else (like making bags for people), the job wouldn't even be offered. When it wasn't, I prayed again, something like, "OK, God, I hear you--but if this is going to work, I'm going to need some customers." And you know what? They have been steady since then. Since I started saving for the big guy's preschool costs no more than a month ago, I have saved over $500--that is 6 months of tuition--profits only!--and it's only June.

And I HAVE always wanted to have my own business! In the 1st grade, I tried to sell tent-making instructions. Throughout elementary school, I opened my own beauty salon (complete with a gigantic sign on our front porch that announced "SALOON" to the neighborhood), my greeting card business--J & J Cards, run with my buddy from day care--oh, and my bracelet making business (I even typed up order forms--on a TYPEWRITER--and brought a box to my 8th grade classroom)--and a handful of others, too. So it's fitting that I'm where I am now.

Starting out was easy. Anybody can open an Etsy shop. Now I know that it takes awesome pictures, a good network--real-life and online--of friends and fans, CONSTANT sewing--and for me, a tremendously supportive family and a prayer--literally!--to make it work.

So here's SeatOfMyPants--

--then

--and now!

A Fun Feature!

2009-05-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

I've been posting about 3 items a day in my shop for the last few weeks. Fellow Etsians, this is a fabulous way to be contacted by wonderful bloggers who want to feature your wares!

Several days ago Laura contacted me and wanted to know if I would like to participate in her blog's giveaway (do I?? Of course!). So I made a cute little zippy for her and in return--check this out!

The GiveAway Tree

Pretty sweet, huh?

A Few New Things

2009-05-12T12:20:00.000-07:00

A few new things to share, in no particular order:

www.heritagestudioandgallery.com/blog
Amy my photographer friend who is consigning a bunch of bags for me has written a lovely blog post about my shop (and my tendency to get lost while driving to a new place). In addition to having a beautiful studio, Amy has a sweet blog--check it out!

* Last night [dance of joy] I learned that my poem "Animal" will appear in Chopper Poetry Journal 4. (Incidentally this link is where I first learned about Chopper--I appreciated their somewhat sassy editorial note--and I think it is an important resource for every writer to know about.) I am so pumped! My publication history: in the 11th grade I won an Ohio Young Poets contest and was published in their very nice (and very legitimate) anthology. In college, one of my poems that I unfortunately titled "(untitled)" was published in the College of Wooster's student publication The Golia rd. And now this! I am so pumped. Even my mom (who does not especially like poetry) wants a copy when it's out. :) Though I haven't double checked this fact yet, I think that "Animal" did not make the cut in the final draft of my thesis book. Isn't that funny?

* I have a new and very fun design that I think I will call the Pod. It was a commissioned design, and the first one was so cute that my friend who commissioned it wants another one! It's a little tiny thing, about a 3.5 inch square that has a magnetic snap flap and a hook on the back that you could hook onto a belt loop or any bag hardware. I am hugely inspired to make a bunch of them for the Open House.

* I also have a new design for a mommy-and-me passport cover, inspired by another friend of mine who makes frequent international trips with her family. With an extra pocket in the back, it comfortably holds 2 passports. I am pleased with how it turned out. I used a loop / tab closure, which I think is perfect for the design.

* I purchased an ad at Majaba.org. I am told that they get 20,000 individual visitors a day, which is amazing. So far it has increased traffic to my shop, but no new sales. That is OK--it is less than 1 day old. Majaba.org is this fabulous tool for Etsians to quickly see how their wares are faring--you can see shop hearts, item hearts, and new hearts all very easily.

Featured!

2009-05-07T13:54:00.000-07:00

Today one of my cute little zippies was featured in a treasury:

Thank you, Scrapscribe!

This Cracks Me Up

2009-05-05T19:40:00.000-07:00

Yes, a cat next to a gigantic Cats bag is funny, but the description is what is truly hilarious if you ask me:

"You loved the play now own the tote bag! Black vinyl measuring 19" X 14" and ready to go on your daily prowl.

"Linda not included."

Thank you for that perfect bubble of joy this evening, Pawedthrough. And Linda.

:)

Less Abstract, Zippers, and a Treasury!

2009-05-04T14:45:00.000-07:00

Did you ever notice that when big stuff happens, sometimes the only way you can talk about it is in giant, sweeping abstractions? That would explain my last post.

I applied for a job that I would have enjoyed, and the other day I learned that I did not get that position. It was so disappointing, mostly because I had been mentally preparing for the job for about three months.

But life does go on. Let me tell you about that.

My zippers came in the mail today! Woohoo! I love my zipper lady. She has opened up a new shop just for zippers, and it is called ZipIt. If you need zippers, Jennie is your lady. So during naptime, I made the first 3 of 100 planned zippy pouches. They turned out pretty nice. I am so happy with how the zipper pull charms look on them. I was starting to think I'd never use all the beads I bought!

Today I discovered Twitter, and I tweeted some new zippy pouches--I was totally amazed at how quickly the views came in! More quickly than without twitter, that is for sure. My twitter address is www.twitter.com/custombags. "SeatOfMyPants" was taken already!

This weekend I bought a really insightful guide to improving your Etsy site. TheBuzz offers lots and lots of helpful tips--which I will not reveal here, since TheBuzz has a whole collection for sale at her shop. I am glad to have read through it, and hopefully by following some of the tips from TheBuzz, I will be able to get my Etsy shop to be more busy.

And one more tidbit:
Today I snagged a Treasury!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=56235

2009-04-30T12:36:00.000-07:00

I made this little beaut this morning. I am pretty happy with how it turned out, though next time I have a pattern this big, I will pay more attention to pattern placement.

A philosophical moment from Seat Of My Pants:
Sometimes things work out in ways we don't understand. Other times thing work out in ways we thought would be a cinch, and we are surprised at how non-cinchy they actually are. At those times, we have to remember--I have to remember--that no matter, I am being watched over and cared for. Maybe it's hard to remember that, but it's true.

Fast!

2009-04-29T11:37:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I sold this super cute mermaid zippy pouch--it couldn't have had more than 4 views! That is some kind of record!

Naptime today allowed me to make two pouches like this one, and two fabulous Kaffe Fasset card wallets. I'm pleased with how they turned out.

I have finished the written part of my thesis. The revisions went well and easy last night. Printing--now that is a different story all together.

Poems

2009-04-28T17:49:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I will be submitting my thesis book, Bloomington Avenue.

What a tremendous sentence that is! Do you know what this means? This means that I am DONE!

Well, not quite. I am very nearly done though. This evening I am doing some final revisions (I feel like "final revisions" have included revisions that were far from final!) and preparing a draft to send off to a contest. In particular, there's this one poem about a tree that used to be across the street. One day a couple of summers ago, it started changing into its fall foliage in the middle of July--obviously it had died, or had been slowly dying over a long, long time. It was pretty remarkable to see a tree change that quickly in the middle of summer. Anyway, the poem has felt about half done since I wrote it and did initial revising back at the beginning of my MFA program experience. And last night, as I was contemplating a panel of instructors reading through my book, I realized that the poem was still very far from being done, and that if I turned in that draft, I would regret it. So I wrote some more! I think I took it a little bit too far--I have, evidently, this tendency to wax a little sentimental, particularly about the demise of things in the natural world--so I will be cleaning up a little excess from that poem tonight.

Then there's the task of page numbering. I somehow made it to the end of grad school without knowing how to properly format the page numbers in a paper where the first page needs no number, the table of contents need roman numerals, and the arabic numerals don't begin until page 4 or 5. I hate to resort to this, but I am not too proud to make a document that contains strictly page numbers and print them onto the already-printed draft.

I have high hopes for Bloomington Avenue. I think it is pretty solid as a book. I went with sections, which is something that I didn't think I would do! I had a working order of poems for quite a while, and as a strict academic exercise, I decided to shuffle them in to sections. What emerged were three sections that give the book some structure for its somewhat whimsical--and sometimes very short--poems.

So--off to revise. And then maybe sew.

So Close!

2009-04-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

Check me out!

Evidently, on April 9, I was not featured on the front page of Etsy. But I was close!

Three cheers for majaba.org. What a lovely and useful tool for those Etsians who are a tad obsessive.

I love it when this happens!

2009-04-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

This morning I was attempting to make a bi-fold card wallet. I made cut the fabric about 3/4 of an inch too narrow, though, which made it too narrow to hold a card. So I stitched up the sides and voila, glasses case. I prefer "spectacle case" though. I think it is more musical.

The design is not quite perfect--it was an accident after all--but this is a nice start.

Giraffe Bag

2009-04-26T18:29:00.000-07:00

This is the messenger bag I made for my friend Lisa. It's made of a brown corduroy and (obviously!) a giraffe skin print. It's about 11 inches wide, 3 inches deep, and 12 inches tall. There are 2 big pockets inside.

I love that it is sunny enough outside to take these kinds of pictures again.

Fix It or Leave It?

2009-04-24T05:57:00.000-07:00

I wonder if this would work: unsew the bottom stitches and the bottom pocket stitches, turn the thing inside out, unsew the sides halfway up, turn it right side out again, move the bottom pocket, turn it back inside out, sew the sides back up, turn it right side out again, and sew up the bottom once again.

Yes, that is how I would fix a checkbook cover whose bottom pocket is too high. Now, to test how long it takes to make such a repair. I would guess almost as long as it took to make the thing in the first place.

Darn Half Inch

2009-04-24T05:50:00.000-07:00

It's really more like a quarter inch, but that little space has made the difference, I discovered today, between a sweet checkbook cover and one that doesn't close right. How annoying. I don't know how many times I am going to have to learn a lesson like this, but listen up in case you are like me: if you get the feeling that you should give it a good, thorough measuring before your proceed, you are probably correct. Stop what you are doing, go find 2 checkbooks, and make sure the thing closes all the way BEFORE you make 9 or 10 of them.

This has been my public service announcement for the day.

Even though this (repeated) mistake is irritating, I discovered a solution to my 1/4 inch dilemma, and the covers I made this morning turned out very nicely. I will need to do something about the ones in my Etsy shop. I'll probably deactivate them and see what can be done. "See what can be done," that sounds so dire. It isn't dire, just annoying. And I have become a better seamstress because of this error, so it's not a complete wash.

Today I'm ordering the invitations to the Open House. Yay! They are SO stinking cute. I'll put them up here when they arrive. Purple, but that's OK.

Successful Naptime

2009-04-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

I am so happy about our new schedule. Baby naps at 10, and by 10:30 the boy and I are up to the attic. Today he was getting bored of www.poissonrouge.com, and so I am going to have to sneak up and find him some new pages to play with. (Don't worry, he has no idea how to navigate the internet, and I am right there in the same room with him.) Today he was more curious about my fleece-covered pliers (key fob making, of course), my rotary cutter (sharp, don't touch!), the bobbins, and some knitting needles! In the midst of all of that, I made three more checkbook covers. I am really pleased about them, but they do demand an answer to a question: do people even use checks anymore?

I sure don't. Between plastic and the internet, I have very little use for them. I do still carry around a checkbook though, because I haven't abandoned them completely. I write checks for the offering at church, and I write checks to register for things like craft shows. Perhaps there are still some people out there who would like to toss that unsightly vinyl cover that came free from the bank with the checks--no disdain meant toward free things, mostly toward unsightly vinyl things!

I have been inspired. Inspired and busy!

2009-04-22T21:17:00.001-07:00

I mentioned that I figured out how to make a cutey patootie checkbook cover yesterday. I made four of them! They are so super easy... I have been contemplating writing a tutorial and selling a DIY kit of pre-cut, pre-ironed-with-interfacing fabrics. Maybe some day when my Etsy shop is full and busy... although maybe that would help it to be full and busy, or busier. Hmmmm.

This evening I made a lovely shopping tote out of a vintage green tablecloth that my friend Joanne gave to me when she was clearing out her fabric stash last summer. The bag turned out really cool. I made a applique negative space A out of this adorable orange and yellow apple fabric .

Open House Progress

2009-04-22T13:37:00.000-07:00

One of the aspects of my open house this year that I am most excited about is our raffle. Each of my fellow artists and I will be offering a really stupendous raffle prize, and today I finished mine!

(On a side note, I am able to sew during the daylight hours because our son is now able to be in the attic with me--maybe I've mentioned this already, but it is BIG news for me!)

I have made a medium tote, a checkbook cover (first ever!), a beautiful double-interfaced zippy pouch, and a card wallet. (I will be getting a new snap attacher soon. A certain 3-year old got ahold of it one day when I had it downstairs, and the little yellow washer is gone, gone, gone. This is somewhat timely, as I was already considering changing the type of snap I use... we shall see.)

So it was a productive afternoon. I also made a bunch of cute wash cloths for my friend Katie's baby. They turned out super cute. I used 8 inch flannel and terry cloth squares.

Cloth Diapers for Earth Day

2009-04-21T18:16:00.000-07:00

I thought that since I gave this big long speech about how I love cloth diapers about a month before our daughter was born that perhaps I should update on how it is going in real life.

I will not lie: disposable diapers are easier. But let me tell you this. Cloth diaps are about a thousand times less disgusting. How can this be, you ask. Be forewarned--this answer is not for the faint of heart.

Imagine a bag full of disposable diapers. Imagine that you are a normal human and the bag is pretty full. Imagine that it is garbage day. If you have not ever emptied the diaper pail of a heaving bag of disposables, you cannot imagine the stench you are in for. It is just inhumane. And why wouldn't it be? There's probably a couple dozen diaps in there after all.

Cloth diapers are different for a couple of reasons. We use these flushable liners that allow us to flush the solid stuff away--ingenious if you ask me. So all that ends up in the pail is wetness. And you can buy as many diapers as you want, but with the 24 that we have, there is no week-long build up, because after a day and a half, not only is the pail pretty full, we are nearly out of clean diapers! Yes, it is stinky, but it's nothing in comparison. And I said that they are less easy than disposables, but not by much.

Oh--and there's also the blowout situation. I can't tell you how many times a disposable dipaer let me down with our son. Is there any worse laundry-related endeavor than scrubbing out the poo-poos? My answer will always be NO WAY! We have had zero poopy blowouts with cloth diapers, and the wet leaks have been minimal.

So if you are expecting a baby and have been considering cloth, absolutely go for it, friend! It feels so good to wash diapers and know that at least these won't be sitting in a landfill (or festering in the diaper pail till trash day). It feels even better not to thump that big stinky bag out to the curb!

National Poetry Month Celebration

2009-04-20T16:45:00.000-07:00

Today I celebrated National Poetry Month by participation in a community poetry reading event at the College of Wooster. My friend and classmate Joanne helped to organize it and invited me as a community member to share a few poems from my thesis. No sweat, I thought! Since Wednesday is Earth Day, I decided to read some tree poems and some dog poems. (One would think that I would be done writing about trees and dogs 7 years after I turned in my I.S. that featured... trees and dogs... but not so!) I was so nervous. I had no idea how worked up I would be by the time I got there. It was a good warning for my thesis defense this summer, that is for sure! I was trembling a little, didn't know what to do with my arms--ak, it wasn't pretty, but now at least I know what I need to work on. Learning experiences all over the place.

Desperately Good (spoiler!)

2009-04-20T06:07:00.000-07:00

When Desperate Housewives began several years ago, I had an unspoken boycott on the show due to the unsavoryness of the characters' collective integrities. I have to tell you, for the most part, I am glad I do not know these ladies (and really creepy gentlemen). BUT--I have never watched a serial drama that was so grippingly written. I love the dialouge and the plot. I love the development of each of the characters, and how we get little glimpses into their pasts that explain why they are the way they are. Each character sounds like herself. I hate to be critical of anything with Sally Field in it, even Boniva commercials, but everybody on Brothers and Sisters sounds exactly the same--flustered fast-talkers! Maybe that is hereditary, but I kind of don't think it's good for the show. Anyway, I love the variety of DH. I was really irritated when I saw a spoiler on the cover of a magazine at Buehler's the other day.

I like the way they addressed Edie's death. I liked the vignettes about the handyman a few episodes ago too. Maybe using that format is a cop-out, easy way to say goodbye to a character. But I don't care. I think they do it well.

Somewhat related... Edie inspired my curiosity last evening, and indeed there are urns for sale on Etsy.com. I decided that when I die (we all die, I am not being morbid!), I would like my ashes to be scattered somewhere beautiful, and completely scattered--rinse out that container, I say, because they only thing weirder than a full urn is a mostly empty urn.

Amy's bags

2009-04-20T05:41:00.001-07:00

Here are a few of the bags Amy has at Heritage Photography. These are all my Medium Tote size, and they have coordinating key fobs. Can I tell you how much I like key fobs? They are so fun and cute. And truthfully, my keys are so much more easier to find now.

I love these fabrics. Here I have used fabrics from Heather Ross, Heather Bailey, Marcus Brothers, Alexander Henry, and Tina Givens. They rock my socks!

Wheeee!

2009-04-19T19:55:00.000-07:00

How I like to make bags!

This week I have had the distinct pleasure of dropping off a batch of bags for consignment at the studio of a lovely and talented pair of photographers in Canal Fulton, Heritage Photography. I am so excited, so excited, and so happy that Amy found my shop.

On a slightly related note, I am so directionally challenged! Before I got to Heritage, I got to some plumbing-type of place, Route 21, a Canal, and a Burger King. Getting home was colorful! When your brain works like mine does, you are surprised a lot. Even when its something like, oh, the highway signs didn't lie! Woo hoo!

Amy's email really inspired me. This week I made 6 bags for her shop, and my next batch will be made from an absolutely delicious collection of fabrics. Since our son is now a big boy, evidently, he has been joining me up in the attic. It has been joyous to sew with him during his sister's nap time.

I am also inspired about the plans for a summer open house. This year, some other lovely artists will be joining me for the event, so in addition to my bags we will have polymer clay creations, vintage-vogue jewelry, and beautiful and delicious cookies. We have been planning, and it is going to be so much fun.

In other news, I am almost done with my thesis book, Bloomington Avenue. It is a book of poems. This evening I worked on a bunch of revisions and I'm feeling pretty good about it. This summer I will defend, and the it's time to find a publisher. Tomorrow, in celebration of National Poetry Month, I will be participating in a poetry reading at The College of Wooster, and will be reading a few poems from Bloomington Ave.

A Big Week for Us and the Cardinals

2008-09-06T09:31:00.000-07:00

Tuesday morning at 12:08, our beautiful little girl was born. She was 7 pounds and 12 ounces. We got to the hospital at 10 Monday evening, and so thankfully things moved along quickly. She's adorable and content (and the cloth diaps are working just fine!). Her brother is as intrigued as a 2 year old can be, and we all are adjusting nicely.

Evidently while we were in the hospital, the cardinals who live in the bushes between our drive and our neighbors' hatched some babies too. They're such cool birds. I've been watching them for a couple of years, and I'm really glad they live in the bush and not the tree that we'll probably need to have removed before too long.

Anyhow, what a week!

Cloth Diaper Shout-Out

2008-09-01T04:30:00.001-07:00

If I would have known that cloth diapers were so easy and absorbent, I would have used them with our son as well as our any-minute-now daughter. We ordered 48 diapers and 15 covers from monkeytoediapers.com and have been trying out the bigger size on our son at night. At night! He wakes up in the morning with dry clothes. I am totally amazed, and sad that we used disposables for his babyhood.

So, you ask, what makes cloth diapers so easy? They are just as hard to figure out as disposables are, for one. (I had never changed a diaper of any kind before he was born!) And the little covers (we have Thirsties) are so stinking cute--they just go on right over the diaper. And when they're wet, you just toss the whole thing right into your wet bag (I made 2 out of a vinyl shower curtain--one curtain is enough to make like 10!), which you can then toss right into the washer when it's time.

That's all well and good, you say, but what about poopy diapers? Oh, let me tell you! I was so grossed out about the prospect of soaking poopy diapers in our (solitary) toilet that I did not think very hard about cloth diapering before. But they sell these little liners that are flushable and biodegradable--you just lift out the mess and flush it away. Even if you have to toss it, it's better than tossing a disposable diaper into a landfill where it will stay for hundreds of years. I am SO pleased with cloth diapering so far... now if this baby would just come on out and meet us...

But what about the cost, you wonder. I think of it like this: we would be spending between $40 and $60 a month on disposables anyhow. We purchased 24 of each size of diaper, plus covers and these little non-pin diaper hooks called Snappis, and our bill was around $330. (I figure if you have many more than that, the urgency to get them to the washing machine dissipates and then you've got a really big, smelly mess to deal with.) Diapers and cute covers to last a baby's entire diaperhood pay for themselves in 6 months. That is amazing. This should be part of childbirth class!

The Burp Cloth

2008-08-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

I guess I have baby stuff on the mind. (Perhaps because our due date is this week!) A couple of weeks ago, I had the joy of making my first set of embellished burp cloths. I am really, really happy with how they turned out, and also with how I wrapped them up. I used flannel and terry cloth, and then I just zig-zagged hearts onto all of them. I love how these 3 fabrics go together.

These were a gift for friends of ours expecting a baby in October.

Some Fun Custom Orders

2008-08-27T06:36:00.000-07:00

Recently, my Seat Of My Pants time has been occupied with the many custom requests I received over the summer. Here are a few of them!

* a super-funky mini-messenger bag made with some excellent Alexander Henry Pucci Circles. I love the contrast between the circles on the main fabric and the stripes on the inside and the accents.

* an adorable monster wallet, inspired by the custom request of a customer from the Summer Market. I love the monster on the outside, and I think the binding on the edges is a great improvement. She asked for a wrist strap, which was a great idea!

* another lovely mini-messenger made to match a zippy pouch. This bag turned out so fantastic, plus it's really photogenic, don't you think?

* a pair of medium-sized totes

Baby Shoes

2008-08-27T06:24:00.000-07:00

This morning I made a pair of baby booties. They will be a gift for a friend of ours who is having a baby... probably right now! I am really excited to know how to make these little shoes. I do not think I will add them to my Etsy shop, but they will make great gifts.

I found a really simple pattern for them online the other day, and I tried it a couple different ways. I have never used a pattern for anything before, so I think the more shoes I make, the
more I'll be able to make it my own.

Anyhow, here are the shoes! (They match a diaper bag that was ordered as a gift for the new mommy! I'll post that when it's done!)

Handbook to Handmade Volume 7

2008-08-21T07:19:00.001-07:00

My hat is off to the talented Tim Adam of TimothyAdamDesigns, the driving force behind The Handbook to Handmade. I am so excited to see this book--I imagine it will be out soon! And guess what. Go ahead, guess. My purse Wild Wild is on the front cover! Yippee!

This book is great! Think of it. All of the artists' work will be seen wherever this book goes--to shows, to parties--everywhere! And what a lovely way to find out more about other artists, too. So I can't wait to see it!

Here's the link to Volume 7, and here you can find Tim's blog.

It Has Been a FULL Summer!

2008-08-21T05:08:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that it is already back to school time! Our family has had a wonderfully full summer (and some of us are only growing more full by the moment--Baby #2 will be here within the next few weeks!).

Since the Open House, Seat Of My Pants has taken a little bit of a break... sort of. From the middle of July until the end of it, the Summer Residency at Ashland University was in full swing (en bon plein is the French cliche I remember learning for that phrase! Correct me if my memory is wrong!). The residency was completely wonderful. It really is like writer summer camp. In what other setting can you hang out with wildly successful poets and non-fiction writers and just soak it all in for 2 weeks, no other responsibilities? Nowhere!

On July 26th, I participated in a wonderful, amazing craft show in Avon Lake, Ohio at the Folger Home. It was just so lovely, well-coordinated, and so nice to be back to the lake--I forgot how much I enjoy it! My sweet husband even came with me for the day, and the two of us just hanging around does not happen much anymore. I ended up moving right around 20 items or so, which was phenomenal for me. I am still catching up on the custom requests I got that day, but that is not necessarily a bad thing--people were pretty understanding about my current (enormous) circumstances
.
Things that went well at the Folger Home Summer Market:
I was pretty pleased with the set-up of my booth.
I got to meet a couple of fellow Etsians (Hooray Virtuallori and VintageBroochCo!)
The zipper pulls (see the photo with the blue dish below) were a big hit--a thanks-for-shopping gift for customers, and something to keep me busy throughout the day!
I brought along an inventory list that was hugely helpful (as opposed to trying to write down every item that sells, simply checking it off is so much easier).
I ran out of business cards!
It was a beautiful day.

Open House

2008-07-13T04:39:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I held my very first Seat Of My Pants Open House. I'd say about 20 people came, which is about what I was expecting (you know, because of that old saying: 1/3 of the people you invite will show up). It was blazing hot of course, about 90 out, but it seemed like my guests had a nice time.

I made zipper pulls as a thanks for coming gift, and gave away pocket mirrors as a thanks for purchasing gift. (ChristineRenee's Etsy shop is full of great stuff like that.) And for fall hostesses, I have a really sweet thank you gift that includes a zippy pouch, a mirror, lotion, and lip balm--all Etsy artists--as well as a coupon for 10% of their party total off their purchase. (Ivaart makes the lip balm, and StinkyDs makes the lotion--both are phenomenal!)

One thing I was extremely pleased about was the number of already-made items I was able to sell. I love custom work--I always learn something new when I do it--but I am really kind of running out of time to make stuff this summer! Not complaining--just stating the facts! It was also really reassuring to see some of my creations find homes. It made me think that maybe my taste in fabrics is not as strange as I was starting to think it must be! Yippee!

Speaking of running low on time: today is the first day of my MFA Summer Residency at Ashland University. 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for 2 weeks. It's sort of like a vacation... sort of! It'll be challenging because I am not in the school mindset yet! But it will also be really good to get into that mindset once again.

What's New at Seat Of My Pants

2008-07-02T10:31:00.000-07:00

Lots has been happening here at Seat Of My Pants since the last time I loved my blog. Here's the short and sweet of it:

* Home bag parties--so far they're a hit! I'm pleased to have had five successful bag parties so far. It's a lot of fun, and I am slowly figuring out the rhythm of how they should go. Packing is the hardest part, because my workshop is in the attic and the car of course is in the driveway. I can get everything down in 5 trips, and none of it is heavy at all (although the relative weight will seem much less after I am walking around for one again!) And in a couple of weeks, I'm having my first Seat Of My Pants Open House. Slightly less moving involved with this one. I'm really looking forward to all the froofy, girly food I'm gonna have at that event.

* Updated Diaper Bag design--It's a great big messenger bag with a very sexy front-flap zipper, binding, and super duper pleated pockets. It has a few Katie Straps (which I call that because my friend Katie suggested that I add them), which are straps with snaps on them for hanging pacifiers or other things with hooks, a magnetic snap closure and a top snap flap to keep things under control at the top of the bag.

* The Folger Home Summer Market in Avon Lake, Ohio--Oh, I can't tell you how excited I am about this event. It's an invitation-only event--invitation only, can you believe it?? Erin the coordinator ran across my shop on Etsy. It's July 26, right at Rt 83 and Lake Rd. in Avon. There should be a lot of great stuff to see and do. I will be about 8 months pregnant then, so that'll be interesting. But I am so excited! Click here to see their website.

* Friday With The Artist at Tower City in Cleveland--This is such an awesome venue because it is really busy with people walking. Lisa the coordinator says there's a week of advertising for

the shops all included. And no jeans--very fancy! I'm really looking forward to this one--it is on Aug. 1. Click here for information about Friday With The Artist and other events at Tower City.

* The Handbook to Handmade--an awesome collection of Etsy artisans put together by Tim Adam. The next book is volume 7. It's a beautiful book--Tim does a really terrific job. Each artist has about 4 pictures and the address of their Etsy shop included. The back of the book features little advertising spots for other artists. I think this is such a wonderful idea. Every time we take the books around to various events, each of the artists is supporting everyone who is in the book. How cool is that? For more on the Handbook, check out the blog or the the forum thread.

Just Beachy

2008-05-06T12:06:00.001-07:00

So excited about a new, inexpensive, easy design I came up with last night! It's a beach bag. Nothing's more beachy than a bag made of towel! They are turning out super-cute and they are not terribly time-consuming to make. I think they will be my bag party special.

Another bag party special--I tried my hand at earrings. I only got enough stuff to make a couple pairs of them, but I think they're cute. "Bones and Stones" is what I'll call them, because I used these awesome, light-weight bone beads and some pretty stones. My mom thinks they are cute.

Seat Of My Pants Land: Preparing For a Bag Party!

2008-05-04T19:42:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted anything new to Etsy in several days, but I have been busy, busy, busy making new bags for the bag party coming up this week. The hostess told me that the guests were "big bag ladies," so I have made a couple larger totes that I'm pretty happy with (one of which I want to keep of course!). I also revisited a design I thought I'd retire, but it turned out pretty well too, so I think I'll keep it around.

New... and Let's Party!

2008-04-29T09:03:00.001-07:00

Today I posted that Joel Dewberry diaper bag. Of course I still love it. I just don't need to keep one of everything I make. This is an important realization for someone who makes bags, I think.

Another new endeavor in the last few days: I made my first pair of earrings on Saturday. I like them a lot because of the combination of materials: African amber, ostrich egg, and synthetic blue quartz. I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out. I got all the supplies from a really nifty bead shop in town, The Bead Cafe.

I am having a heck of a time deciding what to stock up on for my upcoming bag parties. I already have a bunch of medium and large tote bags, so I'm torn: do I make a few more diaper bags, or some wallets, or a handful of journal keepers, or something else all together? My husband thinks that people will want to snatch up the wallets. I kind of think I'll have a lot of custom orders inspired by items I've already made.

My first party is May 8. I am SO excited about it. I have these sweet little mirrors and lip balms for people who place orders, and I am almost as pumped about them as I am about the event itself! Christine at http://christinerenee.etsy.com made the mirrors for me--I cut the papers and decorated them, and she did the hard part. And Iva at http://ivaart.etsy.com made the world's best lip balm with a cute little Seat Of My Pants label on them. (I'm serious--I've never tried one better!) For the mirrors, I have made little tiny pouches to keep them from being scratched or finger-printed up. They turned out so nicely. Plus I made them from material I had that I didn't have other plans for. That makes me very happy.

Question of the day: What do you think I should do about my inventory? If you were hosting a bag party, would you like to see more totes, more diaper bags, more wallets, another size of bag, little pouch wallets, or something else??

The Tulips Are Showing Off Today

2008-04-24T11:42:00.001-07:00

... and I just can't say that I blame them.

Diaper Bag #2 makes

its debut appearance today. I like it so much that I haven't decided if I can bear to post it on Etsy. I really just want to keep it. I love the fabric (Joel Dewberry Chestnut Branches in Eggplant), and I am so thrilled with the design!

I've decided that this will be the "standard size" diaper bag that I post in my shop. I can't wait to make another one! It takes about a yard of each fabric (plus a ton of interfacing), and I would like to wait until I sell some totes to buy much more fabric. Though I do have 2 yards of Michael Miller's Chocolate Animal Crackers headed my way... yippee!

Diaper Bag fit for Quadruplets

2008-04-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

Well, maybe not quadruplets, not that I'd know. It is massive though! A friend of mine asked if I made them, and I said that I could, but definitely wanted to take a stab at it before I ordered and cut her fabric to smithereens. Yesterday, with the only piece of fabric that I had that was big enough, I made my very first official diaper bag.

The thing I'm most pleased with about the bag is its flap. It's messenger bag style, and in the flap I put a lovely lined, zippered pocket. My first successful zipper (outside of tiny felt change purses)!

The design is right, but even for a diaper bag I think it's too wide. At the bottom, it's 18 x 5--and the 5 is not the problem, but the 18 gets gradually wider until the top of the bag, where it's nearly 2 feet across. I suppose it is a good design to keep on hand as an option, but I would personally prefer a slightly smaller bag.

The Silver Lining to the Sewing Blunder

2008-04-17T05:04:00.001-07:00

You know, when you mess up round one that thoroughly, the good news is that it really does only get better from there. (I have to mention this because it's hilarious: shortly after I posted last night, I went ahead and ironed the iron-on interfacing to the ironing board. But it really did get better from there.)

The 2nd journal cover turned out beautifully. It is not quite done--I need to pick up some snaps today--but it is really nice! I am so pumped to show it off at the bag parties. I made another one today with that same fabric as the church event wallet, and it also turned out nicely. It's such a simple, lovely thing--it doesn't take that long to make at all.

My original thought was to offer custom journal covers for any size of notebook, but after yesterday's fiasco, I think that may be more difficult than I first thought it would be! I'd love to get some Etsy book makers' books to put in there.

Up From Here!

2008-04-16T19:06:00.001-07:00

So I am working on a new design that will be handy when I am doing bag parties: it's a journal / receipt book holder, and this way I will be able to keep notes on orders and all the receipts together. There's a pen holder, too. The designing process can only improve from where it is now.

Taking measurements for this thing was an approximation, as I was not sure how big it would actually need to be. Yesterday I cut the last bits of an Amy Butler remnant (the gold morning glory one--my fave at the moment, I think, aside from the pink morning glory!) I had--cut them into the complete wrong sizes. Sigh.

This evening, I tweaked the measurements a bit and tried again. Everything was going swimmingly until I was 2 steps away from being done and noticed that the pocket I'd left for the back cover of a notebook was about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch too small. A pain, but fixable: I flipped it inside out again and stitched up a new seam.

Then I burned myself on the iron, ironed the opening and stitched it up too--twice, actually, before I got it so the dang thing would actually cover the whole notebook inside--yes, before I attached the part of the snap that should be attached before the sewing of that seam.

And THEN I noticed that in the fixing of the 1/8 to 1/4 problem, THAT seam had come undone. This is a prototype, I thought, This does not have to be perfect. This is a first try. So I gave a "decorative stitch" to (somewhat) repair that little error. (Not very decorative. Not very repaired.)

And at last, I went to affix the snap that I was supposed to affix before the stitching of the top seam. I would pay somebody to invent a snap affixing pliers that left more room between the thing that holds the snap and the hinge in the pliers. Because then I would not have to try and bunch up half a planner in that tiny little spot only to--after I'd affixed the snap of course--realize that such bunching would misalign the outer and inner fabrics permanently.

Thus ends the first round of my attempt at making a planner cover.

By some grace of God, I have not broken anything in my workshop this evening, and I also have enough of the same fabric to try again.

I am, however, out of snaps.

I'm Going To Bed Early Tonight...

2008-04-15T20:32:00.001-07:00

... because I was up till midnight writing a paper last night.

That's what the plan was anyway. Then I looked at my clock and noticed that it was already after 11. (At one point in my life, this time of evening would have been early. It is not anymore!)

I made a bag tonight, and learned that one should not think to oneself, "My, this has been the fastest bag I've ever made. How nice," until one is actually done with the bag. I learned that those pearly snaps are actually very difficult to make work on home-dec fabric with corduroy (all reinforced with interfacing). I got it to work, but it was no short or easy task! We'll see if I'm awake before the sun comes up tomorrow morning.

Here is the bag. It is a donation for the booster club. I think I will be more pleased with it in the morning. Ha!

The Blair Witch Photography: A Tutorial

2008-04-15T04:47:00.000-07:00

A short tutorial for those who wonder what the effect of photographing your items outdoors using the "close up" function on your camera will have:

The top photo is taken with the "close up" function on. Notice the creepiness.

The bottom photo is taken without the "close up" function. Notice the lovely new leaf buds popping out of the branch.

In conclusion, if you'd like creeped out photos or if you are trying to get the background noise of your shot to quiet down a little, use the "close up" function. If you want some background noise, don't use it.

This has been a public service announcement from Seat Of My Pants. Thank you for reading it.

PS: I have never seen more of Blair Witch than they showed on network TV commercials. I'll keep it that way, thanks. :)

To Walk or Not To Walk?

2008-04-11T10:57:00.001-07:00

I discovered the answer to that question yesterday when I attempted to sew a bag without my walking foot. The sewing went fine with the wallet, but doing the top of the bag was extremely frustrating (close to impossible!) and the whole thing turned out all slanty.

So to add to the post about the Shark people--yes, turning the screw helped a lot, but getting a walking foot that was not missing a piece and worn out helped even more.

I should get a picture of that little thing on here...

Bag Parties, New Feet, and Baby Kicks, Oh my!

2008-04-11T05:14:00.000-07:00

I am majorly pumped about a bag party in the making. A friend of mine saw the bag I was carrying (a bird tote), and said, "You really should be doing that! I'll have a bag party!" So I have been working on fancying-up my designs a little bit with the various tote bags.

Along those lines, I have some completely awesome thank-you gifts coming soon for the bag party guests. There will be lip balm with a customized Seat Of My Pants label on it (complete with an all-white background photo, a new one for me--see photo), courtesy ivaart (http://ivaart.etsy.com) and some funky little pocket mirrors made with scrapbook paper, courtesy ChristineRenee (http://christinerenee.etsy.com). I just can't wait to see 'em all!

Yesterday I called the sewing machine guy and asked him if he could take a look at my defunct walking foot. He did--all the parts poured out like a cartoon! No wonder that thing didn't work. He gave me a stellar deal on a new walking foot, and my sewing hour this morning went very smoothly.

Our little baby waby has been turning cartwheels this morning. I think it's almost that time when I'll be able to SEE the movements!

Exercized.

2008-04-09T20:25:00.000-07:00

So I called the Shark people this morning and explained why I had a walking foot on the Husky in the first place (the fabrics shifted around a lot without it--it worked great until The Incident). I wanted to get a walking foot for the Shark too, but he said that the problem sounded like the pressure tension was off (or something like that), and that I could fix that very easily by turning this little screw on the machine. So I took the now defunct walking foot off the Husky and tightened the little screw, and voila, it sews like a dream now. I could NOT believe it! In a good way, mostly. So things are moving more smoothly through the sewing machine today.

In other news--the ultrasound went well. I bought the right color onesie today. :)

I Hearted This Wallet

2008-04-09T04:20:00.000-07:00

...with cream-colored corduroy!

This one is a donation for an event at our church tonight. I really, really love how it turned out, but man oh man do I wish the sewing machine would love me back! I am starting to think that the other day when I saw something whiz by my face, maybe it actually was part of the quilting foot. The darn thing keeps slipping off and scooting around in the midst of things. The guy who fixes machines around here has a 3-week waiting period, and I think that may be bad for my business! My husband is going to see if he can find a shop that's not so backed up in the town where he works.

In other news, I have discovered that if it's over 65 degrees, it is too hot to sew vinyl, so it's back to fabric pockets in the wallets till the fall, I suppose. That's OK though.

It is ultrasound day--I can't believe it's already 20 weeks. Husb felt the kick for the first time last night.

Initially Speaking

2008-04-08T04:10:00.000-07:00

Just finished up a super-sweet initial tote / wallet combo for a lovely customer who found my ad on craigslist. It's made from AH light bright green, with a brown cord on the inside. I am really pleased with how the letters turned out. I have found that my Shark sewing machine (has anybody had any experience with Shark?) does awesome zigzag. I love my little Husky, but he is feeling a little under the weather zigzag-wise. I think there's a combination of things going on with his tension, his quilting foot, and the fact that I need to take him in for his check-up.

Anyway, here are a couple photos of the set. It's going in the mail today!

Being a Student Today

2008-04-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

Have you read any of Yusef Komunyakaa's poetry? Tonight I wrote a paper on "Songs for My Father." I really, really like that poem. The paper is only about 7 pages long, which is not that long considering the poem itself is 5 pages! But I'm pretty happy with my paper. And so I am getting more caught up with school work than I was, and more behind in making new things for my shop than I was, too! Such is life, I suppose, when you are a wife, a mommy, a student, and a bag maker.

I do have a couple of bags to make this weekend: I have a black and white with yellow all over in the plans, as well as my first craigslist order to work on. I can't wait to get to work with those awesome new fabrics!

Today, Relist.

2008-04-03T06:45:00.000-07:00

Today I relisted some items in my shop. The morning has been coming a little too early for me to actually get up the last couple of days, so nothing new today. I did relist a sweet big tote and matching wallet though. I'm really pleased with how they turned out.

I am also trying to be caught up with my distance learning grad school course. It is way WAY harder to keep on top of things than I imagined it would be, that's for sure.

New fabric came in the mail yesterday from catylouquilts.etsy.com. Beautiful stuff--Michael Miller, Alexander Henry, Joel Dewberry. It just made my day! catylou even made a special listing for me. How nice.

Yay Etsy!

2008-04-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

I knew you could do it! Back up and running, horray!

New Photos Today!

2008-04-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

It's finally sunny today, so I took some of my latest bags out to get some brighter pictures of them. It's just amazing how poorly the colors photograph inside! I like how they turned out--the colors are much more true to how they actually look.

The wonders of possessed technology continue... just as I was about to finish uploading the last new photo, Etsy's server stops working. I'm sure they'll get it figured out soon. They are really good about this type of thing.

(Better photos, huh?)

Possessed Sewing Machine? Maybe.

2008-04-01T04:18:00.000-07:00

Is it possible that my trusty little Husky has suddenly become demon-possessed? How ELSE do you explain the fact that, after sewing about 20 bags and wallets, it suddenly has come unaligned? Doesn't unalignment take time??

The problem, I finally discovered, is that the needle is hitting the foot instead of the fabric. (I assume this has something to do with alignment somewhere.) It doesn't hit the foot if there's no fabric under it. That's handy, isn't it? And if I take the Husky in for service, I'll be without him for 2 weeks! What to do, what to do? (Of course, take it in before someone gets hurt!)

On a lighter (non-possessed) note, I DID figure out how to sew a hem in the vinyl I'm using for the wallets these days. With a nod to William Carlos Williams, so much depends on the lower tension.

Our Outing and The Bag Rack

2008-03-25T17:50:00.000-07:00

...was a success, if you ask me. I picked up a couple funky prints I haven't seen before, and they will become a handful of wallets and a couple bags. We hit an adorable little yarn / fabric shop, and then a massive craft warehouse--what a great way to spend a morning... and afternoon!

My husband surprised me and hung up the finished bag rack while I was out and about. It turned out great--I am not surprised by that!

Early Morning Crafting

2008-03-25T05:58:00.000-07:00

I had a bunch of creeped-out dreams just before I woke up this morning, so I was not excited to get up and go hang out in the dark attic alone... but I did. I made a cute little wallet from the same fabric as the Project Night Night tote.

This morning I'm going fabric hunting with my mother-in-law. Can't wait!

Project Night Night Tote Finished!

2008-03-24T11:57:00.000-07:00

Woo-hoo! I just finished the tote for Project Night Night. I am SO pleased with how it turned out. I also experimented with photographing it in different areas of our house. My favorite shot is this one, on the doorknob of the closet by the living room stairs. (I love that this house came with all original door knobs!)

A New Bag Rack!

2008-03-24T10:25:00.001-07:00

I am so excited! My dear husband has made me an absolutely stunning rack to hang my bags on. It's made from a maple board he found in the attic, and some dowel rods. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it in the basement! I knew it would be good, because he's good at making stuff like that, but I had no idea how lovely it would be. It'll go up tomorrow, we think. Such a nice addition to my little workshop.

"My little workshop" is actually in the biggest room of the house--the finished part of the attic. It is kind of chilly up here now, but it's so nice to confine all of Seat Of My Pants to one room of the house, particularly away from curious little 2-year old hands. It's working out nicely, except for the photography. There's the cutting table, the sewing machine desk, a tree-type rack for bags (way too big for this space, but great for craft shows), and the guest bed, which is currently doubling as a shelf for fabric.

Hi There!

2008-03-23T20:52:00.000-07:00

Hello! This is my new blog. It's actually my only blog, new today. It's part of my grand plan to be a successful bag maker.

Other points in my plan so far: To make something just about every day, and to take awesome pictures for my Etsy shop. So far I'm doing pretty well with the making something just about every day, and medium well (also how I like my steaks, not that I eat a whole ton of 'em) on the photos.

In addition to being a bag maker, I also am a wife, mommy, grad student, poet, and former English teacher.

I think that'll do it for now. Let's see how this turns out.

Project Night Night

2008-03-23T19:55:00.000-07:00

This evening I got started on a bag I'm making for Project Night Night. I found out about this wonderful project through the Alchemy feature of Etsy.com, and when I read more about it here http://www.projectnightnight.org/, I was so pumped to make a bag for their silent auction in October. I'm using a fabulous Amy Butler print with a cream colored corduroy. I'll probably finish it tomorrow!