I have a confession to make: I love sewing, but blogging? Not so much.
Don't get me wrong—I'm going to try to get better at this whole blogging thing. But the truth is, my sewing machines call to me with a siren song that drowns out the gentle tap-tap-tap of the keyboard. Right now, I can see two of them from where I'm sitting, and they've even recruited my fabric stash to join their chorus. It's practically a full-scale intervention.
Sitting here typing feels like being grounded as a kid—stuck inside doing homework while the sunshine and freedom beckoned from just beyond the window. Except instead of sneaking out past curfew or forgetting to do the dishes, my only crime is loving to create more than I love to write about creating.
But here I am anyway, ready to share my latest project with you.
A Woven Handbag Adventure
This cute little handbag started with inspiration from the Babylock projects website (where I'm proud to say I also have a couple of patterns published). The original design was created by Karen Parker, a talented friend and fellow Babylock Educator, using a Babylock Allegro machine. Karen's work is consistently amazing, and when I saw her bag, I fell in love with the look.
Of course, I had to put my own spin on it.
I studied the photo and thought, "I can do that!" Yes, I know—famous last words. But with plenty of perseverance (and, let's be honest, a fair share of mistakes), I figured it out. That's the beauty of these incredible sewing and embroidery machines—they have a way of making my creative visions come to life.
The Process: From Strips to Style
My vision was clear: I wanted perfectly centered decorative stitching on my fabric strips. Lucky for me, I knew exactly how to make that happen. My embroidery machine became my precision partner, creating beautifully stitched and perfectly centered decorative elements. Once I had my strips cut, decorated, and folded, it was time to weave.
Here's where things got interesting.
Those fabric strips? They have a mind of their own. They slide, they shift, they refuse to stay put. Before you know it, your perfect rectangle morphs into a wonky trapezoid that sometimes masquerades as a parallelogram or rhombus. Spoiler alert: none of these shapes look good on a handbag.
Time to call in reinforcements. I turned to my trusty sewing machine and said, "Help me out here." The solution? Using buttonholes on a base fabric. This simple trick kept my weaving straight and true—no more geometric chaos.
The Finishing Touches
With my woven body complete and looking pretty spiffy, I couldn't just slap on a plain strap and call it a day. My machine came to the rescue once again, helping me create a coordinated strap that tied the whole look together.
And really, who stops at just one bag when there are so many gorgeous fabric combinations to explore?
After a few false starts (and yes, a couple of choice words muttered under my breath), I now have a whole color family of woven bags to show for my efforts.
Back to the Machines
Well, my time at the keyboard is up. Those sewing machines are calling again, begging to be turned on and put to work.
And honestly? I can't wait to answer.
What projects are calling your name today? I'd love to hear about them in the comments—but keep it short, because I know you'd probably rather be making than typing too!