The Train Bag is finished!

Between customers at the store, along with this-n-that, I finally finished the train diaper bag this morning! All I need to do is wait for the purchaser to send the greeting card to include and it will be going to its new owner!

I made the handles a bit longer, so that when worn on the shoulder, the bag rests at the hip area. IMO, that makes it much easier to reach in and get something when you're holding the baby.

Today, I tried my hand at this little wallet. I used the tutorial so generously posted by ReFabulous on her blog. I have been admiring her paperback cover wallets for quite some time.

I didn't have any suitable paperbacks, so I improvised.

I fused fabric to cardstock, and then followed her directions. This wallet is nowhere near perfect, because I messed around and let the vinyl slip a little on the folds. I didn't have the actual written directions at the store with me, and I forgot to use the tissue paper. Oh, well! It will still work for me!

Here's the inside! This was a fun little project, and I do thank ReFabulous for sharing her tutorial with us!

More Stuff That I've Made

Our youngest grandson just turned a year old, and I wanted to give him something that I think every little kid needs...a little red rocking chair. I found an unfinished one at a local furniture store (ON SALE!) and gave it a few coats of bright red paint. I was planning to paint his name and some kind of cute design on the back, but then I thought, "I want to do something DIFFERENT!"


So, I went out to my arts and crafts and sewing shed, and made these little padded sleeves for the back of his chair. I used my embroidery machine to embroider his "name train" on one and left the other one plain. Here is a close-up.

His mom, our teacher DiL, had her birthday a few days later, so I made this tote/purse for her. I was inspired by the cute totes at http://hello-refabulous.blogspot.com/ You should check it out; I think she is an amazing young woman. She has eight children, homeschools, and still manages to find time to create beautiful items! This is my first try at ever making a purse, but I think it came out pretty well. I had some wooden apple cutouts, so I drilled a couple of holes in one to turn it into a button and painted it. It's on the closure, which is backed with velcro.

Here's one of the inside pockets, and the lining coordinates with the school print on the outside.

In June, I had the opportunity to get together for a weekend with 6 of my online friends and the mother of one of them in Pigeon Forge, TN. We all chipped in and rented a big log cabin on the side of a mountain, and we had a blast! It was as if we have known each other all our lives!

I made a personalized drink huggy as a small gift for each one of them. They are really easy to make!

What do YOU like to do?