D Whynn Designs

What's In A Name?

A lot.  And  I need one.

In my last post I showed these kid marker/drawing/carry bags that I had been working on.

 

All during the design and creating process I kept referring to these as Doodle Bags (because the word "doodle" was on the front of the drawing tablet).  If you Google Doodle Bag there are about 7,000 hits for it so that's out.

My sister, the Queen of all that is words, reading and letters, the sister who considers Scrabble and Banagrams a contact sport, was just visiting and I asked her to think up a name for me. But she was too busy doing all the other things she did on her trip and left me with my nameless bags.

So now I'm asking for your help.  Help me think up a name for these bags.  The pattern is almost written except for that top part where the title goes which currently says Stick A Name Here.

Please leave me a name idea and if it's the chosen one I'll send you some kind of Name Thinking prize in return.  I don't know what -- pattern, fabric, notions, bag hardware, something.  We can chat and you can give me some ideas.

Oh, and Banagrams - great game. But if you are playing with my siste, just let her win like I do.  It's safer that way.

For The Younger Set

During the school year I teach preschool, VPK level, which means that I spend a portion of my day, everyday, hanging out with the 4- to 5-year-old crowd.

A while back I got the idea to create a bag - a drawing bag that held markers and a pad and that was just the right size for a kid to carry themselves. Something where their stuff wasn't falling out as they were walking. Something that would occupy them at restaurants, car rides, airplane trips, doctor waiting room sits.

So we have this:

 

And these:

 

That open up to this:

 

Or these:

 

But wait - that's not all!  I don't know a kid yet that isn't always carrying around some kind of "treasure" - a sparkley rock, some seashells, a cool leaf, Bakugons, Spiderman -- and so each drawing bag comes with a detachable drawstring Treasure Bag inside the bag:

 

Little treasure bags detached:

 

These bags went through numerous revisions to get to the final product. The first one I made the marker holder would not lay flat and caused the whole bag to bunch up.  I understood the engineering concept of why this was happening but I could not figure out how to fix it.  I figured out work-arounds, a pencil roll in the bag, a pocket for the markers, etc., etc, but that was not my "vision" and I wasn't going to be satisfied until it was exactly what I had in mind.

The seam ripper and I were inseperable.  I can't even begin to tell you how many samples hit the trash. At one point the whole project was tabled and it was weeks before I pulled it out again.  And then one night - one of those middle of the night "that's it!" thoughts. And there you have it.  It worked!

All bags have adjustable straps - tied for the girls and hardware for the boys.

This has been kid tested and kid sized and kid approved.  Obviously the photos would be better being shown off by a kid but I don't have a kid with me at the moment.  I would suggest these bags for the 3 to 8 year old set - using more mature fabrics for the older kid.

These will be available as completed (and filled - markers, pads) bags in my shop as well as a pattern.  Should be through the final revisions and ready to go in about a week.

Thanks for looking!

Disappearing Act

The hubby and I took a vacation.  Yep, a non-work related, for no particular reason vacation. I honestly can't think of the last time we traveled that wasn't somehow work related. No complaints on those work-related trips but there's a lot to be said for a do-nothing trip.

We headed up the coast a couple of hours to Florida's oldest city. We walked around for hours, took zillions of pictures, acted like tourists and ate and drank to our heart's content. We beached, drove around and ate some more.

The kids, well, legally I think they could be referred to as Young Adults, did a fine job of taking care of this highly spoiled crew:

 

keeping the water level consistent in the salt water tank and making sure the house was sparkly clean so Mom-doesn't-have-a-major-meltdown-rash-when-she-gets-home.  Don't know what it's pre-Mom arrival state was and I'm not asking. It was perfection when I walked in the door.

I tried alligator tail and I suppose if something is fried with enough seasoned breading and loaded with enough sauce it tastes okay. I'll never make it; I'll never order my own plate of it; but I guess it was okay. 

I did have a fantastic meal at Saltwater Cowboys. I would eat there three times a week if I could. It was that good!

On the creating front I've got several new designs and projects to show off so check back soon.

Off to the sewing machine.

Pondering on a Sunday

I have this "friend", or perhaps an acquaintance.  Let's call her Cheryl.  Cheryl sews and quilts and enjoys other crafty projects.  Cheryl always asks me to see what I'm working on. I enjoy talking "shop" with fellow sewers/quilters and Cheryl and I will often brainstorm about a project. She offers great constructive criticism. 

BUT at the end of every single conversation Cherly always makes some generic negative comment.  Not specifically about my project but then again it very well could be.  It seems she has to have the last word and it's not going to be a nice one.  It's kind of like you are wearing a new shirt and Cheryl will say "Is that a new shirt?  Not many people can wear that style." leaving you to wonder if you are one of those not many people and are walking around looking like a fool when you think you are looking grand.

I know this is how are conversations are going to end and normally just ignore it. This past week though Cheryl's latest negative general closing comment rubbed me the wrong way. In fact, I've taken it so poorly I haven't even worked on my project, which is almost done and which I know there is nothing wrong with it.  In fact, I'm about ready to put it in the doomsday bin which is ridiculous because I have a ton of time in it. 

Silly.  Really.  I need to move on.

SMART SHOPPING:  The following ad in today's newspaper --- "Breast Augmentation Special.  Buy one breast at regular price and get the second free."

Some purple flowers because they are pretty.

 

Cheryl would say, "Yeah, those grow in everyone's yard."

I think I'll go sew. Really.

Sewing Talent

Recently a friend sent me a photo of an insulated lunch bag she made using this pattern here:

 

And some wristlets she made using this pattern here:

 

 

I think she did a beautiful job on all of them. Love her fabric choices.

My friend used to live here way back when our girls were little. We were sewing fools -- making all of our girl's clothing, swapping patterns, finding the latest and greatest in fabrics, the hottest sales.  We had the best dressed kids in the preschool!  They had matching nightshirts and sundresses and a zillion bathing suits from when we were on our bathing suit making kick.  Somewhere there is a photo of the two girls taken on Christmas Eve wearing their matching polar fleece capes and singing Christmas caroles.  Maybe they were about 5 then.

But then my friend moved away and our girls grew up and life just keeps moving on.

The funny thing is though, whenever she sends me photos of projects she has made they are either made from fabric I already have in my stash or fabrics that I have lusted after. 

Even after all these years...

Fabric & Pattern Bundles -- For Free

Well, except for the postage.

PATTERN BUNDLE A -- Mostly women's clothing; summer type dresses, tops and skirts.  Medium size.  I don't think any of them have been cut.

 

PATTERN BUNDLE B - Mostly bags from the 3 baggies.  Majority not cut.

 

PATTERN BUNDLE C -- Miscellaneous; Stuffed animals, doll clothes, apron, placemats, etc.

 

FABRIC BUNDLE - First quality quilting fabrics.  Various yardages, cuts, etc.

 

If you see a bundle that you want, leave me a comment.  I should be able to stuff any of it in one of those flat rate boxes that are $8-something or $10-something.  I will be shipping by US Mail.

More cleaning  sewing on the horizon.

Gift Giving: A Turtle Tote

Along the East Coast of Florida, where we live, are many of the beaches that the loggerhead turtles use as nesting gournds.  These enormous turtles crawl out of the sea at night, walk all the way up to the dunes, dig a nest, lay eggs, cover the nest and then head back to the ocean.  When the teeny-tiny hatchlings hatch they somehow (or often not) make their way back down the beach to the water's edge and out into the ocean.  It really is an amazing process and quite something to see.

This miracle of nature also means that our area is full of turtle restaurants and turtle bars and turtle neighborhoods and turtle street names and turtle 5K's, etc., etc. 

A friend and co-worker of mine is really into the turtles and so to thank her for many of the work "extras", I made her a turtle tote.

 

I used lots of jewel tone batiks, which are her colors and remind me of the ocean.

 

Obligatory inside pocket and key hook.

 

My Cleaning; Your Gain

We recently had a big graduation party for my youngest who graduated high school. To accommodate the party, I took apart my whole sewing world.  In the process of putting it back together I have spent hours cleaning, sorting, purging, re-arranging, etc.  Tiring and messy and not much fun but looks great now that it is done.

In the next day or so I will be posting a bunch of patterns and fabrics for anyone who wants them.  All I ask is that you pay postage to ship from my house to yours.

Stay tuned.

Gift Giving: A Quilt

This quilt was given to my son's girlfriend as a graduation gift.  She was thrilled which always makes me happy!

 

This is the same quilt from a few posts ago where I finally mastered the perfect binding start/stop point.

Gift Giving: A Random Tote

I made this tote for a friend as a thank you for the many things she has done during the school year.

I used random cuts of fabric from the Darla fabric line by Tanya Whelan, pieced them, quilted them and then cut out a bag. I usually like most of Tanya Whelan's collections. I like the romantic florals mixed with the modern.  I especially like the brand new one, French Hatbox,  and am trying to justify why I need yet more fabric.

One side:

 

The other side:

 

I really debated about using one fabric for the handles or piecing them but the Queen of All That is Fashion said piecing would be too much and since I was already sewing into the 11th hour that sounded like a good enough reason to me to go with a fast finish and use one fabric handles.

Inside with pleated pocket (because, of course, there has to be pockets):

 

And a key hook too (because, of course, there has to be a key hook as well):

 

The recipient seemed to really like her gift and was using it right away.  Always a good sign, right?

Yesterday was my last day with my little class.  Rather sad really because none of them wanted school to be over and kept asking me why we had to be done.  Someday, soon enough, they will be counting the days until summer vacation.

Now I'm off to clean the classrom from top to bottom and pretty soon it can be summer break for me too!

Doing The Happy Dance

and all because of this . . .

 

Yep, the pressure washer.  Saturday was pressure washer day at Chez Bag.  I grew up in the north and we never had pressure washer day but down here in the land of wet, heat and humidity we have pressure washer day about once a year and the decks, sidewalks and porches are cleaned. Pressure washer day is loud and messy and hot. 

By Saturday afternoon I was anxious to go take a shower and run some errands but I couldn't because on pressure washer day the pressure washer uses all the water.

So while I was thinking about how much I wanted to take a shower I was sewing - making progress on several projects that are slated as gifts and need to be finished. Really it was good that it was pressure washer day.

One of those projects was sewing the binding on a quilt (that I hope to gift this Saturday). I've never been thrilled with the start/stop connection of my quilt binding and have tried several times to finish the binding as shown on the quilt binding tutorial on Heather Bailey's blog (link) without any success.  I have been unsuccessful ibecause I am impatient and because I'm a visual learner. I can't just read something and do it -- I have to have a project in hand while I'm reading -- and because I'm impatient I try to finish it from memory sitting at the sewing machine.

BUT since it was pressure washer day and I couldn't go anywhere I actually sat in front of the computer with my quilt and binding and guess what -- I did it!!! It's not hard, just follow the directions and the diagram.  I was thrilled with my success.

See that ---

 

You can't, right?  It's a perfect join.

I'm happy that I finally took the time to learn this technique and will use it from now on.

Now if I can only get this binding sewn down by Saturday . . . .

And, oh, yeah, the decks look great. . . . and just for the record, I'm not the one that actually does the pressure washing - I just watch out the window.