Pink Camouflage Wristlets

I have a dear friend who loves pink camouflage.  Seriously loves it.  For Christmas, I surprised her with a tote bag  (which I forgot to photograph) out of pink camouflage and, as anticipated, she loved it.  Really, really loved it. 

Pink camo - who knew??

Now, personally, I'm not a huge fan of pink camo (really, of any camo);  I don't understand it.  Are you hiding in the Barbie aisle at Toys R Us?  I just don't get it.  Still, it was a labor of love and she truly loved her Christmas present, which was my goal, after all.  I decided to use the leftover fabric to surprise her with another gift and I ended up having enough fabric to make a little something for her daughter (another fan of pink camo), too. 

Mother - Daughter gifts...

(I always by extra fabric when I'm making something specific...I'm terrified to run out of fabric.)  Anyway, it turned out that I had just enough fabric to make two of Dog Under My Desk's "The Essential Wristlet". 

Spiral bound from my local copy shop.  Lays flat for me to flip
through the instructions as I sew along, one step at a time.

If you haven't discovered Erin's patterns, you're in for a treat.  Her instructions are so detailed, and her photos so clear, you just can't go wrong.  Since I've been making her stuff, my skills and my confidence have increased tremendously.  Plus, I love that her  "thing" is that she loathes exposed unfinished seams, so you always have a nice, polished result when you make her patterns.

Pocket detail on the inside of each.

So, back to my project.  Two Essential Wristlets with boxed corners.  I also decided to embroider each woman's name on them, for a little added touch. 

Awesome pattern nets awesome results!

I think they turned out really well.  The wrist strap is detachable and the bag measures 8.5 x 5.5 x 1.5 inches, so its a really nice size.  I think my friend and her daughter will be pleased.  Best of all, no more pink camo in my fabric stash...it has all found its rightful home.

 

 

 

An Old Standby Gets An Athletic Update

I've been using this backpack pattern for more than a year now and I just love it.  When I found out our gym was having a gift exchange as part of the Christmas party, I immediately thought of this backpack.  The real problem?  Finding the perfect fabric.  I logged on to Spoonflower, where I sourced this Doctor Who fabric, and found this amazing kettlebell fabric!  Perfect for Crossfitters, wouldn't you say?

Then I headed to Hancock Fabrics, got some coordinating fabric (solid grey, in this case) and made two of these bags...one for someone at our gym and one for my sister!

I love the way this turned out (both times!)

Isn't it cute?  I love it!



Nice big pocket which zips shut.

It is the perfect combination of looks and function, with a zipper pocket on the outside, and it is washable.

See, not nearly as bright as the image would have you think!

Drawstring opening at the top forms the black straps so the straps won't show dirt.  The perfect little backpack!

Gratitude...

The doorbell rang last night and, as I ran for the door, I had to wonder who had braved the weather to end up at our doorstep. (Two feet of snow in 24 hours is a lot of snow so it required an intrepid person to make any trips, that is for certain.) Imagine my delight when I discovered Mr. M and his daughter on my doorstep, bringing us this lovely wreath and some home-made Christmas candies. Mrs. M is so clever and her candies are awesome. (I really like the bird-nesty one with marshmallows!) I was tickled when I saw it and immediately ripped the fake wreath off the door and replaced it with this amazing real one! (I think Mr. M was a bit taken aback by my enthusiasm!)

Where she found the time to do these things this year, I don't know. In addition to her wife and mother duties, she's added full-time student to her many hats...and they are finishing up a huge basement remodel. Oh, did I mention that her husband is active-duty military and keeps disappearing with little notice? In the midst of all she has going on in her life, she got us this lovely wreath (you should smell it!) and made her terrific home-made candies. I feel so special and I have such gratitude in my heart. These are the things that remind us it is truly not the money we spend, but the thought we put into our gifts that makes a lasting impression. So, to Mr. and Mrs. M, thanks so much for such wonderful gifts. We love them! We are so grateful that we have friends like you in our lives.