What I'm doing instead.

I'm supposed to be finishing up sewing instructions for a tote bag for Stitch magazine.  Here's a sneak peak at the project.

...And finishing my daughter's werewolf costume for Saturday's Halloween parade.
...And starting my son's Gogo Crazy Bones costume.  He wants to be Targy.  That's this one:

I still haven't figured out exactly how I'm going to make it, but I'm pretty sure it will involve pleather.  Yes, pleather.  Because it's shiny... and, well, I just like to say, "pleather."

...Finishing a pin cushion for this swap.
...Making gifts for this secret santa exchange.
...Stitching a placemat for this sew along.

I'm behind on all of this because I had my first ever allergic reaction to food this week.  Some really yummy Thai food I ate Sunday evening, in fact.  I ended up in the ER on Monday, and have been in a fog of Benedryl and Prednisone ever since while I wait for whatever it was that my body didn't like to work it's way out of my system.

What I'm doing instead of all these "supposed to's", is sewing a little zipper pouch of hot pink corduroy with a cute little appliqued cloud and raindrops.  Because I felt inspired and it's making me happy.

A bag... for me!

I really should be working on my inventory for the craft shows I have coming up in November (particularly this one), but, instead, I keep making stuff for me.  Can I just tell you how rare that is?!  Invariably I tell people about what I make and then they say something like, "Oh, did you make your purse?", or "...your scarf," or "...your hat."  And I have to look down at the ground and mumble, "Um.  No.  I bought that."  Because the truth is I could have made it... but I didn't.

So, why this sudden urge to make for me?  Well, it's really quite simple:  peer pressure!  Next week I'm attending Sewing Summit, a modern sewing and blogging conference in Salt Lake City.  In addition to all the learning and sewing, I'll be hanging out with extremely talented quilters and stitchers, many of whom will be carrying and wearing their own fabulous handmade creations.  And, apparently, that's the motivation I needed.  (The alternate title for this post, by the way, is "More Sewing Summit sewing.")

So, I finally stitched up this Madeleine bag from Imagine Gnats, with a Jessica Jones home decor weight cotton on the exterior, and Joel Dewberry quilting weight cotton on the interior.  I've had these two fabrics stashed together for a while now... planning to make something with them.  The fabric (with the text) for the folded pocket is, I think, a Japanese import fabric.  This was such a fun bag to make.  Plus, I made an interior zippered pocket and inserted a magnetic snap, both for the first time, and with no tears or swearing.  The only modifications I made were to enlarge the pattern for the bag by about twenty percent and to lengthen the strap.  This made it just the right size for me.

I also needed a business card holder to carry in my new bag.  I followed this tutorial from the Crafty Cupboard.

Finally, I just have to show off my new knit fabric that arrived in the mail yesterday from Girl Charlie Fabrics.  I'll be using the one on the left in my Maxi Skirt workshop at Sewing Summit.  It'll be my first time using a serger -- I hope it turns out well!  The fabrics were all so fabulous that I couldn't order just one.  I'm thinking the stripes will become a t-shirt or two, and I may use the peacock blue solid for screenprinted jersey scarves (to sell, this time -- NOT for me.)

I have to admit that all this sewing for myself does make me feel a little guilty.  But I know it will also feel good the next time someone asks me if I made my bag and I can proudly say, "Yes.  As a matter of fact, I did!"

Go do/make something for yourself today!