Finished is better than perfect

Or so my friend M. always says. And she's a smart woman. I've been meaning to post more here but I'm ridiculously swamped, having bitten off more than I can chew -- and people, I can chew a LOT. On top of it, I've come down with what must be the millionth cold I've had this year. What is up with that? Perhaps I have some exotic disease only House can diagnose. Dag. That would suck.

In my spare time, I have managed to finish a couple of sewing projects, including the ones using the fabric I featured last month. I'm pretty proud of the tote bag I made from the brown and blue fabric:

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Plus, I finally got my Dad's birthday presents finished, even though his birthday was nearly two weeks ago. (That trip to Scotland kind of got in the way.) Here's the apron...the pattern for which comes from Lotta Jansdotter's terrific book, "Simple Sewing." I'm just a little worried that this particular apron pattern is too girly.

Apron2

Also, from patterns in the same book, two handmade oven mitts. They're each Italian food fabric on one side, pasta on the other. It was my first time working with quilting techniques. I desperately hope the batting I used was thick enough. Guess we'll find out the first time my Dad takes something out the oven, eh?

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I'm also loving this purse I made for myself out of an curtain fabric remnant I got at Ikea. I lined it with some brown herringbone cotton from my stash. It's the first purse I've made of my own design, which I adapted through trial and error, starting with a reusable shopping bag pattern.

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And, last but not least, I'll be heading to Indy late next week to visit my sister's family. My niece Olivia's having her tonsils out and I thought I might cheer her up with a hand-sewn trick-or-treat bag. (A matching one for her sister Rebecca too, naturally.

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It's Hallow Kitty fabric (GET it? HUH?) and the inside is lined with orange fabric that says "boo" on it. Why I didn't take a picture of that, I do not know. But you're probably glad.

HalloKitty1

Now, if I could just be this productive in my writing life, everything would be golden.