Handmade Monday Bucket Bag

Well what have I been up to this week?  Handmade Monday always helps me see what I have achieved each week - but in truth I'm beginning to realise I may have been on a work avoidance for the last few weeks.  You see I'm still playing with fabric when in truth I should be back at the jewellery drawing board by now!

So here is my final make with fabric.  I really wanted to make a bucket bag in minature, I think it is more of a flower pot bag!

just 20cm across and 15cm tall!

Or perhaps a cup cake shape.

My wirework jewellery along with my newly completed bags are at the RSPB Ynys-hir craft fair.  This runs for a fortnight in the Visitor Centre - you set up your table and then leave it for the staff to run. 

Way back in April or May I decided I couldn't do craft fairs and ensure childcare so I have only done a couple of events since then.  But what have I been missing out on?

Talk about a moral boost!  I couldn't set up my table as other crafters kept dismantling it to inspect things!  I eventually came away with a bag commission but on a very big high!


By Saturday morning my emotions came crashing back down to earth - I have lived in Wales since 1993, and I am mad on sport, so my Saturday morning was organised around THE GAME (rugby world cup semi-final to you disinterested others).

Fairbourne beach

However Saturday afternoon allowed me a reality check of what is really important in life, and I spent a wonderful hour at the beach with my OH, and two children, and reminded myself that it really was the 15th of October!

WOYWW - Back to bad habits.

I seem to have lots of un-answered questions from last weeks post for Whats on your workbench Wednesday.  So I will try to keep this brief, but I'm sure I will slip into bad habits.

Oh good grief - why can't I see the chaos when I'm there, it is only in the photos that I spot it!

I am always looking for new ways to display my jewellery, I've even experimented with beer bottles in an attempt to attract / keep more men at my stall.  What ever I do, colour seems to be the key.

On Saturday Polly Polkadot jewellery will be at RSPB Ynys-hirs annual craft fair.  It runs for a fortnight, and I just have to set up my stall and then the staff run the shop and take a commission at the end.

So what am I doing with all that fabric? Well, I thought I would make a few bags to go on my stall.  But then I realised the shoulder bags are too big.  So now I have two stalls at the craft fair: Polly Polkadot jewellery and Polly Polkadot Textiles!

Did I buy the cloth labels for the bags? No I decided not to make more than a few bags, and then immediately set about making hundreds!

Poor light sewing at night? I don't start sewing until the children go to bed (7pm), so I just have to cope with the lighting!

The Pfaff machine? I could probably dedicate a whole blog to my Pfaff machine.  My parents bought it when I started my GCSE Textiles at 14 (yep, I am qualified to make a bag!), and when I left home, they gave the machine to me. 
Last night saw me with the instruction manual as I could not remember how to make the needle sit on the left hand side of the foot - no doubt tonight I will have to read it again to put it back.

Not too long?  Well certainly an earlier post than usual for me (OH home sick, so he can look after the youngest whilst I sit at the computer).

Handmade Monday - the herbal option

Well, I had a great idea last week.  I would plan my Handmade Monday posting well in advance, this would not only mean I could get my photos taken in the daylight of the weekend, I could write the blog on Sunday night too.  Heck I might even try out the timed posting option.

Well?  Do I need to bother telling you what really happened? Lets face it, you know me by now!  So here we are at 8.30pm Monday.

Herb Shopping Bag

This week I have been a bag lady. I have made three types of bag, but today I am only revealling my herb shopper bag.  I thought it would give me a warm up routine before embarking on more complicated patterns.

The lining

A lined shopper includes all the options you need on a more challenging bag, but in a less confined working environment.  I pressed my seams, turned my handles, practised my edge stitching (still up to standard), double stitched the stress areas, and fitted my lining.  Before awarding myself the 'Fit to Continue' Award and moved on to my next shape!

I am currently in the process of re-stocking the range at Polly Polkadot and decided to return to textiles myself.  I am hoping over the next few weeks to manage to keep both the Polly Polkadot website and Handmade Monday up to date with my progress (if you see me beginning to talk about gardening etc. you'll know I'm avoiding work)!