Wednesday, June 15

my crafty mojo and me...

it's a little nutso here at the shed, more so than usual. school is nearly out, Our #2 graduates high school today ('tis a big deal here, heading into Seattle for the ceremony) and it is five days till i am on a plane heading to old blighty. end of last week i felt a little like i was sinking, but then a glorious thing happened, just as i was flaying around, my crafting mojo floated on by. i grabbed it, and before i knew it, i was swimming. a doggie paddle kind of swim, no gold medals for technique, but none the less, my head was above water and that is all i needed to get me back on track.



and so it dawned on me, as me and my crafting mojo clung to each other, it had been quite the while since i had made myself a bag. i do like to make a bag for myself to go on my hols. i think i am not alone with wishing something pretty and new to take away in a suitcase. this dawning resulted in me rustling through vintage fabrics and making the biggest possible bag i could without tripping over it. my reason for making such grand scale bags is purely an excuse to deck myself out with the largest quantity of fabby vintage prints i can get away with. then when they are on my shoulder, they just look happy all together in their pretty, slightly odd combination and i cannot help myself from catching their happiness...

so admist the nutso of late i breathed, for a full on afternoon, i switched off and breathed. for me when i craft it is like meditation and therapy all wrapped up in one. i put the world to rights first of all in my little brain and then i lose myself in the process of patching and piecing. in this instant i was patching a grande market sac together, made entirely from secondhand fabrics, along the lines of ones i have made many times before, except with a variation of the handles.




the result of my afternoon of dallying with my crafty mojo has the cogs of creativity turning again, they are blimen' turning so fast i cannot keep up. however this is good, this is tres peachy, for when i return from my trip home to old blighty, i hope they will still be turning and my crafty mojo will be waiting for me patiently just where i left him, so we can dabble again and the results of our dabbling ways will be hanging in my little shop window.


she is finding it hard to believe another child is leaving school, seemed like only yesterday they started ~ Tif

35 comments:

Connys Cottage said...

lovely bags.....hugs Conny

Lola Nova said...

I love it!
If you could whisper a little message into your crafting mojo's ear, to pass on to my crafting mojo - to get on over to my place pronto, that would be swell.

Frankly Frank is doing a smashing job of it by the way.

Happy graduation to your girl, tell her I wish her all the best! Just yesterday as my girl was saying goodbye to Kindergarten, I felt the swift pulse of time rush through me and had the feeling that I would blink and she too would be 'all grown up' before I knew it. Thinking of you!

Madhu said...

A quiet fan....but had to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this post. A little tug at the heartstrings because my first one too just left high school to go on further perhaps to a whole new country to learn some more.....but the bag story made me smile, a broad one at that! :-)

considerthelillies said...

the bags are cheery and so nicely made! Enjoy your trip!

fernandflora said...

Hoorah for crafty mojo! I'm ridding my crafy mojo pony "Bullet" (so to speak) in the wild west of crafting, if you get my drift. It feels so good when things click. Congrats on the graduation and happy and safe travels! (love reading your charming, sweet, whimsical blog!)

Lu and Miss Lu said...

Gorgeous bags, Tif! That creative mojo is sure doing its thing! And the photos just bring sunshine to a very dreary London day. Please fill your bags with sun when you come!
Lucy

Soili said...

Super cute bags, and your writing always makes me smile:)Have a great trip.

Donna -Little Tiny Stitches said...

I do so love your 'grande market sac' Tif :o)
Those fabrics are gorgeous, and i especially love the floral garland one around the edge at the top...

Yes, time goes so fast..a bit like a loo roll..goes quicker the nearer the end you get ;o)

Here's hoping you have a peachy time today at #2's graduation..

Take care Tif. xx

Cottage 1945 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
http://syllovesshabby.blogspot.com said...

This Blog is so so so sososososososoososo amazing! You are soosososososo amazing! so glad I found your www. Love it here!

hugs

Syl

greenrabbitdesigns said...

Gorgeous bag! :)
I always found the end of a school year quite sad. I think more so than their birthdays you realise the passing years.
Anyhow I'm not really cheering you up here, am I. Just think old blighty and Cadburys. :)
Vivienne x

Melissa said...

Lovely! My eldest will be entering 10th grade, and although I look forward to the day that she will make more good choices and less scarey ones, I think I will miss her horribly when she leaves the nest. I hope your celebration and transition are beautiful and gentle.

Josien said...

Oh what a treasures I happen to find in your wonderful blogland! I am almost overwhelmed..so nice it all is. Be sure: I'll be back.
Wishing you lots of fun with all that still is to come ;-)

Anonymous said...

Such pretty fabrics! Lovely bag

Unknown said...

Oh my word, I have to have a bag like that. GORGEOUS!

Nicki xx

Pom Pom said...

High school graduations are surreal, aren't they?
Your bags are fancy! I like them!
Still can't find Mollie Makes. Weep.

Carol said...

What a fab bag Tif, looks a perfect size to me. Glad your crafting mojo is looking after you.
Good luck to #2, hope the world after school brings much happiness.
Yes, those darn years certainly do fly past lickety spit, I can't believe how many have sneaked past me.
Carol xx

Little Blue Mouse said...

I love how the bag is double sided, two for the price of one!

Natasha said...

I love these!! and the colors are delightful together.

Frances said...

Dottie A, I am usually so busy with my work a day life that I just glide through reading various blogs at day's end. These posts remind me that creativity is unique.

So. I had a few days off, and ventured over to the neighborhood Barnes & Noble and found issue one of Mollie Makes. It was such fun to see the article about you, and to feel slightly protective of a lovely lady (you, of course) whose posts have been giving me such pleasure at the end of so many days.

Bravo!

You do have a unique take on playing with textiles, design, now and then.

Have a grand time in Blighty, and of course, do tell us all about it upon your return.

Cheers!

Gabriela Delworth - Instructional Designer said...

Hello,

I love your bags and your blog is so cozy!


~ Gabriela ~

dottie angel said...

thank you kindly dearies for the lovely bag mentions and indeed the kind wishes for Our #2 and also my trip in a few days...
i am really starting to get quite giddy for my summer hols this year for sure.

also "hello" to all the lovely new folks passing through, your kind words about my shiny place are so thoughtful, i truly appreciate you taking the time to say hello to me :)

alliejaneyoung said...

That bag is well erm!!!! Uber Sexy!!!! I WANT ONE!!!! give me it!!! I will fight u for it lol.
I know what you mean about kids growing up so fast, mine is due to leave next year and I can remember when he was a newborn baby. Were does time fly!!!! Frankie boy is doing a rather splendid job if I do say so myself!!!

Happy in red said...

I love these totes!! I am currently also totally addicted to making totes :-) Will post pics soon!
Esther.

julie said...

hi tif - have just found your beautiful little blog this week & am soo in love with all the treasures u make...so many of them have made my heart swoon & my creative heart giddy with ideas floating in my head....thank u for such beautiful inspiration. xxx julie

Bonnie said...

Gorgeous bags! So summery and fresh! How sad that another one graduates. I dread that...but mine are still little...yet it goes so fast. I hope you enjoy your break.

Jill said...

I add my congrats to your graduate! Transition is tough but what can you do but sew a bag?! My oldest just got married. I need to sew a really big one too! I would hope mine would look half as adorable as yours! Always fun to read your posts even though I don't always pop over from the reader to comment. Have a lovely summer!!

cynthia newman said...

Love the bags!!!

Ava said...

So excited to find your gorgeous blog , love the colourway you've used on your bags , what an amazing stash of vintage fabric you must have xx You have a new follower!

dottie angel said...

oh my gosh i am laughing out loud here, never thought one of my bags would be called uber sexy!!! Allie thank you for making me smile :)

Frances, how lovely you should be protective of me, that is such a really warm thing to feel, thank you kindly :)

Ava, yes you are most correct, my vintage fabric stash is pretty large now!

delighted my summer sak has inspired... and after some beavering upon my return i will indeed have some for sale, do you like the way i dropped that in the conversation. sneaky heh!

koralee said...

Your bags are pure JOY...joy joy...so hard to find fabrics like you have...hugs.

Ira Tishakova said...

You post so lovely stuff in your blog. Will follow you with big pleasure!

Ira.

Janee Lookerse said...

Hi!

I used on of your images in my "inspiring images" post today!

Link: http://yellowbirdyellowbeard.blogspot.com/2011/06/inspirational-images.html

Thanks for sharing!
xoxo
Janee

Bridget said...

Your bags are amazingly gorgeous. Always love your blog. Thanks for sharing it with us!

dottie angel said...

thank you kindly my dears! my lovely oversized bag did a most peachy job on my travels. it is true to say, we were inseparable :)