Amy's bags

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!

What's New at Seat Of My Pants

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.

Being a Student Today

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!

A New Bag Rack!

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.

Project Night Night

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!