I *heart* nap-time :)

Nap-time is always a great part of the day - the time to catch your breath, return some phone calls, and perhaps even lay down for a bit... Some days nap-time goes off without a hitch, but others.... well, you know :) The past couple of days Syd has been a stellar napper and I've gotten so much done! Feels great to tackle some fun projects and play with different fabrics. I've actually really had fun sewing lately, and get excited thinking about the projects waiting for me on my table. Don't get me wrong - I always enjoy sewing, but some of what I do can be monotonous and not so much on the creative side....

So onto the goodies! Thursday I finished up a quick bib/burp cloth set and nursing/breastfeeding cover for a friend to give her sister next month at her baby shower.


Friday brought a day filled with rain, so Syd and I stayed in our Jammies all day. Love that! I finished up Cathy's Lotus Pink/Green Patchwork Bag and am in love with the colors. I'm starting up a few other projects with the same colorway - pics to come!



Closeup of stitching:


Closeup of beads:


Inside with cell phone pocket (left) and "stuff" pocket (right):


Inside (2):


Matching Key-fob



Today brought a whopping 4 hour nap for Syd, and me my Madison Bag! (at last!) I *love* it. I learned a bit while making this too - mainly to trust my instincts, and to read the instructions ahead of time.... The pattern calls for boning to be placed in the seam allowance of the flap during construction - it keeps the bag from folding in when you pick it up. Well, I was a little scissor-happy and trimmed before realizing that I needed to actually *keep* the extra. I thought that it would be fine - I used Peltex 70 (similar to TIMTEX, but cheaper), so I thought that would provide enough support. I was wrong!

I took the bag for a test drive at Walmart this afternoon and it drove me nuts that it folded in the middle. When we got home I added the boning on the inside (just sewed it directly on the inside where the flap meets the bag) - I actually added TWO layers of boning on top of each other and it's perfect - I highly recommend doubling it. My other recommendation is to use a magnetic snap instead of velcro. I unfortunately used velcro and wished I had trusted my gut and gone with the magnetic snap. My last tip: if you use Peltex, use THREE layers for the bottom (and one layer for each side and the flap) - it gives the bag great support, and honestly isn't that hard to sew. I've seen so many floppy Madison Bags out there and it's a shame :(




Close-up of stitching on flap:


A new home for my cell phone:


One inside pocket (sorry for the bad pic):