Yvette's Mini Bag

I promised myself I would blog at least one item a night to try and make a dent into everything that I would love to post but that is not coming to fruition.....so I feel quite accomplished this evening as I'm getting at least this post up! On the contrary, I feel quite a failure as I look around my house and see the endless amount of Christmas decorating that still needs to be done after spending a majority of the day on it. Although now that my two oldest kids are getting to the age where they can help in the decorating this seemingly endless task has also been one of the best days we have had all year.

I started making these mini bags several months ago when Yvette had an awesome idea to make camera bags for a Mommyista (http://www.themommyista.com/) event that featured photographer Courtney Vickers (who did the spectacular work on the right side of my blog!!!I I LOVE her!!!). I guess I didn't realize how many people would be at the event who had "real" cameras- not little point and shoots like my own that I can carry with me incessantly to catch EVERY detail of my children's lives. Needless to say I didn't sell any of the first batch that I made.....so they sat.

Earlier this summer we headed out on vacation and I thought I would take one of the little bags to use for myself when I wanted my camera protected on the beach and voile- this little beauty of a bag found the life it fully deserved!!

I fit my cell phone, my keys, my debit card, any cash that I need and my camera all in this compact case and it fits perfect on my arm- so perfect that I often forget it is there and worry where the heck it is. I throw this in my usual big purse and just grab and go whenever I only need my essentials and not my entire purse. It is heaven! It closes with Velcro- super easy to get open yet stays shut- and has a little front pocket for your license, cards and cash.

Now I sell a ton of these and I always wonder why it took so long for me to figure out how ingenious a little bag like this is!! These are great for Christmas gifts and very affordable too ;).

xo-

Holly

Yvette's Mini-bag is $18

The Marcy Satchel (in laminated fabric)

Ok- THIS bag takes the cake as the hardest bag that I have made as of yet ;). That being said- I was thrilled to have the chance to make it because it taught me a lot and I was super happy when it finally came together.

Marcy is a stunning girl who has her degree in fashion design (gulp) so she is more than handy with a sewing machine (double gulp). She has gone back to school- this time medical school (did I already mention that she is stunning as well?!! How can you be pretty, creative, driven and smart all in one? Not fair!!) and she had a great bag that she carried a CRAZY amount of text books in. She could stuff herself into her bag and it wouldn't be as heavy as those books. She loved her bag but wanted it to be a messenger strap style so it would be easier on her to carry and since she is well versed in fabric designers she already knew she wanted it done in Amy Butler's laminated Love fabric.

So I looked over her bag, took a ton of notes, made some sketches and set off to try to recreate it with her new specifications......all with the nervousness of making something for her when I know darn well that she can sew it herself.

This thing has pockets- lots of them. There is a big snap pocket on the outside and on the inside is a really cool flap that contains a small, zipper pocket and two little pockets for a cell phone or camera for example. There is another large inside pocket on the opposite side of the flap and the bag zips closed. This bag is wonderfully huge!! It is about 15 inches high and 18 inches wide at the top.

I was more than relieved when she was pleased with how it turned out ;). I am so excited that I have this large, wonderful bag to offer now as well!

Thank you Marcy!! Xoxo-

Holly

The Marcy Satchel is $75

The finishing touches on my favorite apron order!

I just wanted to post these aprons finished and all ready to go! I could have made 20 more ;)- LOVED it!!

full apron $34

half apron $27

"P"'s party apron preview!

I have a ton of new work that I'm chomping at the bit to post but I am caught up in the rapture of making these adorable aprons as party favors for little "P"'s 2nd birthday and I need to post a preview for "P"'s mommy so she can see just how cute they are!

I know birthday parties can become run of the mill and to come up with a cute idea for a party is HARD.....but "P"'s mommy is hooking it up for this one! The party is at a paint your own pottery place (clearly with my art background I am already in love with the idea!! Can I come too??!) and every little girl gets her own handmade apron to take home- I'm not trying to pat myself on the back here or anything but can you get a better party favor gift?? "P" gets an extra special apron for being the birthday girl of course ;)- I will post that one when it is finished.

"P"'s mom contacted me and asked if I was able to make the aprons and said that she had already bought the fabric. If you have read my other posts you may know that I have some reservations about using fabric that someone else picks. I don't know why when I live, breathe, sleep and eat fabric so I love almost all of it....I guess I'm just kind of stuck up about me being the best fabric-picker there is! I don't have to tell you since you can see the apron completed that I ADORED her choice of fabrics and I am promptly going to the fabric store tomorrow to buy more of the exact fabric for myself so I can make more of these to sell at the Wiregrass Mistletoe Market in December (more details on that show to come soon).

I hope you like them "J"!

half apron $27

Here kitty, kitty!

I had to put the silly pose of my daughter in this costume because she is such a joker the entire time I take pictures of her......I take 100 and I'm thrilled if I get 4 that are decent.

So, this kitty costume is for little "L". She turns 5 tomorrow ;) and she is a fantastic child!! I was blessed with the opportunity to have her in my summer art program and she blew me away every class. She was incredibly engaged and always pushed her materials as far as she wanted them to go- it was awesome just to stand back and watch her experience what she was making! She wanted to try everything and was like a little scientist trying this and trying that- I can assure you that I loved every second of it!!! She was a joy to have and I'm always after her mother to get her back in my class ;).

At first. "L" wanted to be a mermaid.....then she wanted to be a bat......and she finally settled on a cat that she wanted inspired by her absolutely adorable kitty candy holder/purse thing that is in the bottom picture (I am totally copying that idea for candy bags next year!!). I had an BLAST making it!! I have to admit- making things for a child is more intimidating than for an adult. I'm crossing my fingers that when "L" opens her costume it is everything that she had imagined!!! I know when my own daughter put it on she flicked that cat tail around and around and just repeated "I'm a kitty....I'm a kitty.....I'm a kitty........." .

I'm so tired! Off to bed-

xoxo,

holly

More Yvette slings and a preview for "A"

I am still getting orders for a ton of these slings lately and sadly, still have not had the time to make on for myself :(. Is it normal to be jealous of the person who is getting the item that you are making for them?? The bottom one was for Jen A- who has inspired me to make her own travel line because her ideas are so phenomenal (see the right side of my blog posts for the pieces I've done so far)! I have finally settled on and made the pattern for her weekender bag and I'm hoping to have some time to see it come together soon! Jen let me pick fabric this time and I was nervous!! So glad that she loved it- I miss seeing you more often Jen!

The top sling is for "A". Sweet "A" worked with me through my stint with walking pneumonia and some tough times in our family life these past few weeks.....needless to say when I was almost finished with her purse....just putting the completed lining in- it hit me that I may have made the wrong style! I frantically sent her an email asking what style she had really wanted (totally professional) and thank heavens I made the correct one but.... whew! I promise I am not usually this scatterbrained ;). As for all of you that have dealt with me lately- thank you as well!!! ;) You are very kind "A"- I'm so thrilled with the fabrics that you picked and love how you defined your style sense for me.....I hope it is exactly what you were thinking of!

Xoxo to all of you-

Yvette New York Slings are $55

cute, cute, CUTE clown costume for "C" (holy cow that's a lot of Cs!!)

My poor daughter is SO over me dressing her up in cute outfits only to be told that they are NOT hers and that I need her to frolic around and look happy (!) when I'm taking photos. I bribed her today with a lollipop- works like a charm that bribery thing ;). Can you tell in these photos she is miserable??

My girlfriend's niece is coming for a visit from the Czech Republic (she is 2 1/2). Her parents are on a mission there and they are coming to vacation in the States in late October. Lucky me (because I love "C's" mom!!)- I get to see them around Halloween and I also get the chance to babysit little "C" for an afternoon!! She is totally adorable and I have not seen her in about a year so I am anxious to see how she has grown!

I jumped at the chance to make a costume for her this year and I was secretly thrilled that I had complete liberty ;)- I was able to choose the costume, colors and every other detail. As much as I like making things with every one else's vision included I simply MUST have some orders in there that let me be 100% ME......so working on this was a slice of heaven!

Clowns can be so goofy but I was determined to put the cutest twist that I could think of on this classic, sometimes blah and usually cheesy choice for a costume.

I sure hope that "C's" mom thinks it is as ADORABLE as I do!!! Little "C" is going to rock this costume- cannot wait to see her in it!

Xoxo,

Holly

Clown costume is $55

Just the tutu-skirt is $30