Sorry I haven’t been posting much.  I’ve been making things like crazy, but they’re mostly Christmas gifts which keeps me from publishing them here.   I’ve been spending way too much time making things, really.  WAY.  I’m wearing myself out.  So I decided to give myself the weekend off, and what did I do?  Made stuff that wasn’t for Christmas.  I guess I just can’t help it, I’m going to make stuff even when I’m taking a break from making stuff.

I made a few patchwork wristlet purse from a great tutorial I found on Pink Penguin.   This was my first time sewing with zippers, but Ayumi’s tutorials are so clear and nicely illustrated that I didn’t have a bit of trouble.  Thank you, Ayumi!  The wristlets have three interior pockets to hold debit cards/ID, business cards and a Chapstick, plus are large enough to hold a phone, makeup and so on.  You can add a little tab to hook your keys right on, too.  (I’m thinking I’ll use mine a lot going to the gym!)

The wristlet at the top of the post is mine, thrown together from a mix of fabrics that made me think, “I’m going to miss that one when it’s gone.”  Funny that I ended up with some pairings of near opposites like a ninja and pirate, rose and a dandelion and a fish and a bicycle.  I’m not going to dwell on what that might say about me.  The other two wristlets are going out in the mail tomorrow to friends.  I thought about holding them until Christmas, but the very idea made me tired.  Sometimes gifts are best if they’re “just because.”

The pink purse is made from mostly vintage linens, so incredibly soft it’s hard to imagine they’re as sturdy as they are.  (If you’d like to buy some vintage fabrics of your own, these are from Whimsie Dots and Deloria Jean, both on Etsy.  They both have great selections.)

I won’t be selling these in my shop, but Ayumi does allow her patterns to be used for fundraisers.  So if you’d like a patchwork wristlet, hang in there!  There’s talk of a special fundraiser for a favorite charity of mine, and I’d love to make a stack of these to help out.  Look for more information sometime after Christmas if you’re interested!

And now back to my regular schedule of crafting before work, after work and for a big chunk of the weekend … *Yawn!*