Retro florals and life lessons.

I made myself a new bag today. :) I love it! It's from Simplicity 2396. Sorry for the bad lighting...we had a thunderstorm and there wasn't much sun coming through the window.

The bottom fabric is a bright, retro-looking floral. Here's a secret. When I picked it out, Mom didn't like it. And when she and Dad saw what I was matching it with (which really is a coordinating fabric, according to the colors and the info on the top of the bolt), they really didn't think that it matched well. But now that it's all together, they love it. I'm glad I decided to use the two different fabrics instead of doing it all the same fabric. The top part is a coordinating lattice design. The colors in the bag are beautiful, especially the dark blue, red, and green.

Inside is a coordinating white with black polka dots. I've actually become a little fond of the style of pockets I made for this bag (which is the same pattern as this one...it just looks a little different when it's full of stuff), so I made a huge gathered pocket for mine, too. See how much junk can fit into that pocket?

I love it. It's bright and quirky and slightly obnoxious. It's also a lot smaller than the suitcase that I've been lugging around (the last bag I made for myself), but it holds all of my stuff.

Three Things I've Learned This Week

1. Don't get involved with sewing or sewing inspiration right before bedtime. My next project for myself will be a winter coat. The idea is terrifying and thrilling at the same time, and I've become quite obsessed with it. I've scoured the internet for info about fabrics and styles and colors, and now I know exactly what I want. I've bought the pattern and I am going to make a purple coat. Yes, purple, and most likely in corduroy. I have wanted a long, purple coat ever since I first saw "Penelope." I originally planned it in wool but have found that purple wool fabric is nearly impossible to find. So I think I'm going to go with corduroy, maybe interlined with something warm like fleece, and lined with a pretty cotton. I'm so excited. But for the past few nights, I've been on the web looking at pictures and fabric until I was exhausted. And then when I finally get in the bed, I can't sleep because I keep thinking about the coat or going fabric shopping or how many wallets I need to make before I go back to school. Sewing is a vicious cycle, people. You have no idea (well, some of you do :).

2. Sometimes it's nice to step out of my fashion comfort zone. Yesterday I came home from Payless with two new pairs of flats that were on sale: a red pair and a purple pair. This is not a normal occurence for me. But it's sort of exciting. :) And yes, I did get the purple pair with my new coat partially in mind.

3. No matter what hardships you go through (tumbling down hills, stepping in cow pies, getting caught in a rain/hailstorm), your hair will always look ridiculously adorable. If you're Amy Adams, that is. I watched "Leap Year" last night. I've been wanting to see it for a while because 1. It's set in Ireland, 2. It seemed to be a relatively clean chick flick (rated PG), 3. I liked Amy Adams in "Enchanted."

I have mixed feelings about it. I think I really wanted it to be amazing but sort of expected it not to be. It was cute, but lacking somehow. It was basically a remake of "It Happened One Night," lacking a lot of the spark, wit, and Clark Gable, of course (though the male lead was pretty cute). The scenery is beautiful; the music was good. There were some very sweet moments. Amy Adams is so cute that even during parts when her character isn't so likable, you still can't help but like her.

There was a little bit of language, some drinking (the guy owns a pub), and, with some characters, a flippant attitude towards living together before marriage. But these issues were all pretty minor. The movie, in general, was good enough that I'm considering buying it...although, I'm going to watch it again before it goes back to the rental store to decide whether I should get it or not.

Until next time,