So Many Bags... So Little Time

These are two more projects I made out of Seaside by Riley Blake. I just love this line. I made a woman's sunhat and a little boy sunhat. I am not making an official pattern for this one. Riley Blake is having me come into their office to film a You Tube instructional video to teach people how to do it. There will be a download available then.

This is my Summer Fun Tote made out of Joel Dewberry Heirloom laminate. I love these colors.

I had so much fun making this sturdy bag. It is pretty large too. It is out of Joel Dewberry's Aviary 2 line in granite. I put this bag out at the Holy Cow Boutique that I was in this week. It sold the first day I put it out. So I no longer have it. Sigh. But I might make another one soon.

And this is a little girl bag that I made when I was developing my gathered around purse pattern. I completed it to sell. I think it would be a fun purse for a young one.

So I am not just sitting around, in case you were worried about me. In fact, I was up until midnight illustrating my V Apron on the computer. That was a bad idea. My little girl woke up at 6:45 this morning, and I am paying the price by having a very tired, sort of grumpy, and headachy Mother's Day. Happy mother's day to all of you!

Birdy Messenger

So I have another cover to show you. This is actually my Swallow Messenger Pattern revamped for the Seaside fabric line from Riley Blake. I have this new pattern cover and have included appliqué patterns for a seagull, swallow and songbird. This cover is so fun. It was like a monsoon at the lake in our neighborhood the day I took this. I took my kids' beach toys and built the sandcastle in the background. You would never know that I was on a beach in Utah, right? I found a sucker stick and that ribbon (who knows why it was in the bag) and added the little flag on top. The wind added a nice blowing look. Ha! Anyway, all of my projects are now made for quilt market, which is later this week.

I still have plenty of pattern design to complete for the projects though so that I can deliver my patterns to Riley Blake 2 weeks after market and they have orders in. So much craziness!

More pattern covers and endless projects

My life has been crazy busy lately. I had all of my pattern covers ready and sent off to Riley Blake, along with samples to display at quilt market. Hooray! But I have some pattern writing to complete for these designs and had to prepare for at sit at the Oh Sweet Sadie Boutique this weekend. So busy. This picture was taken at the end of the boutique when my supply had diminished down. So it doesn't look very full. But you get the idea.

Just before the boutique began, I got work from Riley Blake that another fabric line had arrived (the sample yardage). They need projects for market made out of the line. I LOVE this line. It is called Seaside. So my husband ran down to pick up the fabric while I started working the boutique. And he spent an entire day putting together packets for swag bags with headbands in them for the Breathing Space blogger conference, here in Daybreak. He starched the headbands and put cards in and stickers on the bags. He is so helpful. And all along, I was working my headband booth.

So now I have 4 patterns ready to be distributed at market, along with samples to display. I have two more projects to be made out of Seaside (and photographed for pattern covers) and patterns to write. And then I will be done with this mad dash. Crazy!!! I don't know if I will be able to get it all done and be able to sleep. Wish me luck.

Reversible V Apron Pattern

Pattern #1 complete

This is such a fun apron. I love that it is reversible. And it is so flattering. So off to the presses the pattern will go. By the way, making anything that is supposed to go on the human body is always tricky. Big thanks to my friend Courtney who is beautiful and always so great about modeling for me.

Busily Preparing for Quilt Market

 It is like I don't know what hit me. I have so much to do and am slowly getting through all of it. I have completed most project samples for my pattern covers, which need to be done in a couple of weeks. It is so hard to find time to sew and then resew as things need to be redone. But here are a few of my projects:

I made this pattern of a baby bib/smock. This one is done in Vintage Baby, a Riley Blake fabric. I have my little baby, Macy modeling it, but she is too big for this size. I also made a larger one out of laminate, which I haven't photographed yet. So cute!! It is in a boy print. I love these bibs because they keep the food off their arms too. 

Riley Blake has a new line of chevron prints. They are so much fun. I designed this beach bag with an angled pocket on the front and back. It is all in laminates and so perfect for the sand and splashy areas. I need to reshoot it without the glasses. I think they are a little distracting. 

There we go. No glasses but weird straps.

I made the ruffle duffel (which has been selling like crazy) out of Dress-Up Days by Shari Butler. I just love it. And I love the chevron print pocket and bottom. 

I have so much more that I have made but haven't taken photos of yet. I'll post as I do, and I will post as  I have pattern covers available. 

I have also done so much work for Joel Dewberry lately, but I can't really show you because they aren't my designs to publish. But you'll see it all soon when I post his work that is displayed at Spring Market.

Fun stuff that is totally taking over my life right now. 

Too Much At Once

I wish I could say that I haven't been blogging as much as I would like because I have been on a cruise or have been too busy exercising or preparing healthy meals for my family. But sadly, my kids still eat too much pizza and I don't recall the last time I worked out (though some days I considered walking up the stairs with a big load of laundry good enough to call it exercise.) Instead, I have been buried in projects. I have been making samples for Joel Dewberry's pattern covers and working away on pattern design tasks.

I have also been in many fun boutiques recently in our area. I did the Holy Cow Boutique in Pleasant Grove Utah for the first time. It was a great success. I enjoyed it and the good people who came through there. I have more boutiques coming up, and it is very time consuming. 

Now I am on vacation with my kids, and I am working when they go to bed at night. I love my work so I am not complaining. But I wish they would be a little easier to manage since I am on my own.

On a personal note, my younger brother (just 31 years old) passed away in a car accident last week. So our vacation to my hometown was well timed but has had a very sad side to it too. I am learning slowly that filling my life with fun things and things that keep me busy all of the time is enriching and enjoyable but it doesn't always give me the flexibility that I need when tragedy strikes. And strike it will. There will always be sorrow and tragedy and accidents. And there will always be work and play and life. Somehow they aren't always timed to make life simpler when the bad and sad come. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify. Someday I will learn to simplify. We need to enjoy the little things and the day-to-day because we never know how much time we will have with our loved ones.

I Have Arrived!!!

For years now I have tried and tried to get into Swiss Days... a wonderful event over Labor Day weekend in Midway, Utah where there are MOBS of people and more crafts than anyone could ever need. But EVERYONE applies and not nearly as many as apply get in. 

Well, this year I had a breakthrough!! I didn't actually get accepted, but I did get accepted as an alternate. Can you believe it? I feel so lucky! They even said in this letter that I should not be disappointed. That this is a great compliment. And I agree. I didn't get rejected this time. This is HUGE. So I just had to share this news. Hooray for me.