In the Bag

Oh hello! Where have you all been? Honestly, I've done, like, a million blog posts this summer and just, like, quite simply, no-one's been to visit! Where have you been, hm? I've made 4 bags, 3 placemat sets, a coffee-jug cosy, 2 tea-cosies, 5 quilts, a cot-quilt, 34 napkin rings, 87 pencil rolls and 129 double-sided interwoven photo-frames and written 14,670 words in total to accompany them.
Ahem.
Ok, that's porky pies.
It's not just me though, is it, now. I have noticed in my blog perusing that there is many a lingering post gathering dust, and beginning to look a little frayed round the edges.
In my case it is the presence of the 2 and 4 year old and this god-forsaken malingering workshy hideous annual thing they call The Summer Holidays. I'm sorry to be a curmudgeon but I'm sick of it.

I'm cheered by the new washing machine. The old one broke just after we had come back from our holiday, which was quite excellent timing. The new one has a massive drum, a load of eco features, and is a very quiet young lady. Gorgeous she is.
Do you think I need to get out more?

I'm not cheered by the routine-breakout tantrum behaviour being exhibited by the smallest of the daughters multiple times a day. Her soul has been replaced by that of a fiend, whose aim is to have an almighty explosion over such significant issues as a) a pair of socks b) a pair of scissors and c) a drink of orange juice, as was the case yesterday. This morning so far - pants, cereals, and popcorn, or pippy pop pops as she seems to call them, which was the only point in the day so far when my Sense Of Humour Failure temporarily lifted, only to be swiftly dropped back on again when the pippy pop pops tantrum erupted and showered us all with its full fiery glory.

I am equally gloomy about the extreme lack of sewing time I have on my hands.
I am, in short, feeling just a little worn at the knees.

I am brightened however, by the knowledge that the one thing I have got round to making, in probably 8 sessions over a period of 2 weeks (it really is a sewing drought isn't it?) - an Anna Maria Horner pattern shoulder bag for 'Er Nextdoors - has been noticed whilst out and about. She was stopped twice on her shopping trip with enquiries about her bag. One lady practically had her nose in it, so eager was she to see it. 'Er Nextdoors said she was asking her all these questions about the fabric (which was Amy Butler and Kaffe Fassett, from some fat quarter bundles I bought, although 'Er Nextdoor wasn't acquainted with these facts) and she was just going red and saying "Er...um...I um...don't know I'm afraid...my neighbour made it for my birthday..."
Well, horrid holidays or not, that is very cheering isn't it?
Maybe I should run a few up in my spare time and sell them at a fayre, or really, get a Folksy or Etsy store sorted. The bag is from one of my favourite books, Seams to me, by Anna Maria Horner. Her patterns are very easy to follow - they must be because I have now made 4 things from her book. The bag took me probably 6 hours in total, but as with all things makey, whether you're talking wallpapering walls or planting trees or baking a cake (mmm, cake. Sorry, I'm now on post-holiday where-did-that-half-stone-come-from de-fatification) at least 2 hours of that must have been preparation - fabric selection and planning, pattern tracing and cutting, fabric cutting and pressing....
My favourite bit of the bag is the plaited fabric straps and the bits of ripped froo-froo on the corners. They serve no purpose whatsoever except to look scrappy and pretty and there's no harm in that. My favourite bit of smugness about making the bag is that I willy-nilly ignored all instructions to cut fabrics on the grain, because I am always using up scraps, and trying to make patterns squeeze themselves cleverly on to pieces of fabric, grain or no grain. Or trying to make stripes go in the right direction like those ones there, can you see? Consequently, quite a few of the fabric pieces are cut on the bias, which is the kind of things sewing teachers used to dock marks for and frown. All that grain, knap, weave, weft, warp business - ha ha, in your face.
And talking of in your face, the big daughter is now getting in the small one's, on the matter of a scooter, as far as I can make out. That, and a massive load of washing which requires drying begs me leave of my computer.
Who knows when I will see you next?!
Adieu!