Ooh, Pretty Fabrics!

In the mid-month of December a co-worker of mine visited Egypt for a couple of weeks.  What was my request?  Fabric.  She brought it to me today.  Her daughter-in-law started looking in advance and was able to use her Arabic-speaking skills to do some negotiating.  All I know is that I love what she selected for me.  The four fabrics to the left are cut pieces, but the one to the far right is actually a skirt and/or dress.  It has unfinished edgings and no back seam, but it has an elastic bodice.  I already know how I want to sew this piece.  Oh, to have a dressform would be so nice right about now.

Calling All Designers, Writers....

So you like to design patterns?  Maybe your passion is writing stories?  Well, look at what I stumbled across today?  An up-and-coming magazine that is looking for just those things I mentioned.  I sent for an inquiry to get the details, but what I saw looks very interesting.  You should check it out:

My Traveling Scarf is Back

At the beginning of the year I participated in a traveling scarf project with some members of a Flickr CAL group that I belong to.  Everybody crocheted or knitted about 6 inches of a scarf wrote a little in a journal and sent both to the next name on the list.  Each month (or so - things happen, you know) someone was writing in your journal and working on your scarf.  We had some bumps along the way, but we had a great time.  I'll admit that it got harder to match yarns and styles as you got further down the scarf, but I think everyone will be pleased at their final product.  I know I love mine to pieces!  I wore it to church tonight with my brown peacoat and got many compliments!  Thanks, gals.  :-)

Don't you just love this?

Opal Twist Memory Handbag

I wanted to let you know that I finished the custom handbag tonight and had it delivered.  So, yes, I made the deadline!!!  Now I can take a few moments to relax before it's....Christmas Day!

This handbag is my own design.  On the front there is a place to hold 3 photos, as requested.  The inside of the handbag is lined with an Egyptian print material.  I hope the recipient enjoys this bag.

Messenger/Laptop Bag Giveway

This is a very cool giveaway sponsored by Fox & Locket, IMO. 

Note: Fox & Locket has a "one for one" policy/mission - for every bag sold a book bag with a 2nd hand book is donated to an under privileged child in South Africa AND for every dress sold, a dress is donated to an underprivileged girl.

So how do you win this very cool bag?  Head over to Being Brazen's blog and enter there.  Best wishes! 

Deadline:  January 4, 2010

Tigerlily's Hosting a Giveaway

Visit Tigerlily's blog for a chance to win your very own snackTaxis set (one sandwich sack and one snack sack).  These fabric sacks are the great alternative to the oh so familiar plastic sandwich bags.  So, go on over to Tigerlily's spot to get the guidelines and enter for your chance to win!

Deadline:  December 27, 2009.  The winner will be announced on December 28th!

2nd Handbag Update

Today I've been busy cleaning out this junk storage room.  Thankfully I had the help of a master organizer/cleaner neighbor.  She literally went to town in there.  She shoed me away so that she could get busy and I worked in the kitchen.  Let me tell you this also - the antibiotic is really working!  I've had more energy and felt better today than I've felt in the past two weeks!  Also, my brother got home safely around 2 a.m. this morning.  Yay!

Because of the schedule, I couldn't get back to the handbag until tonight.  I've got a bit of the idea for the front but I didn't want to waste too much time contemplating over it, so I did what I knew I could do - starting the lining process.  I picked out this ethnic print I bought this summer - something Egyptian.  (When I take the official pictures I'll be sure to show the lining better.)  The lining is pinned on three sides, leaving the fourth side open so I can stitch the front part of the bag.  So far, I'm pleased at how the bag is coming together, and I hope to finish it tomorrow. 

Toodles!