Tis the season for lots of shows

Fall is here, and Christmas isn't too far away.  That means that a lot of sewing has been going on in my home, preparing for three fall shows this season.  I thought about doing more, but my brain just couldn't handle the prospect.

Show number one:

The Oh Honestly Pop-Up Shop, is a show that I'm actually hosting out of my home.  Talk about taking on too much, but I'm really excited to spotlight some talented crafters and vendors.

November 6, 4:00pm - 8:00pm

November 7, 10:00 am  - 7:00 pm

Show number two:

Salt and Honey Market

This show will be at the Gateway at the old Anthropologie store

December 3rd - 5th, 10:00 am  - 8:00 pm

Show number three:

the Beehive Bazaar

This show will be the second weekend of December at the Start-up Building in Provo.

December 10th - 12th 10:00 am -  8:00 pm

And, if you can't make it to any of these shows, you can always shop on ETSY

www.OhHonestlyHandmade.etsy.com

the ETSY shop is up and running

I'ts been a while since I posted on this blog, but I finally have my Etsy shop up and running.  It's a small start, but it's a start nonetheless.

Go ahead and check it out.

www.etsy.com/shop/ohhonestlyhandmade

Matching sets

As I make bags, I try not to waste any fabric.  In fact, to keep my bags unique, I generally only buy a yard or two of every piece of fabric.  As part of that uniqueness, and desire to leave as little waste as possible, I do as much with the scraps as I can.  That means that I get to make a lot of coordinating pouches for the bags that I design.

Nothing cooler than a little coordinated set.

Messengers for girls and boys

I love to make messenger bags.  And, I love to make small bags for kids.  There is just something about tiny things and their tiny owners that just gets me.  Lately, I've been making quite a few small bags for kids.  Not only is it fun to use kid fabrics, but they are so fast to make, compared to many of the other bags that I work on.

Toddler Backpacks

Once you get into sewing, there are so many options of things to make, that it can get a little overwhelming.  I had a request a few months ago for a toddler backpack, something that is pretty popular these days in the land of handmade goods.  I tried my hand, modifying the design for my child messenger bag and voila!  The toddler backpack was born.

What makes my backpack different than a lot of the others?  A couple of things: the dimensions (12x14 with a 3 inch squared base); no snaps and a longer flap on top, coordinating fabric straps.  The majority of toddler backpacks use a cotton cording for the straps and handles, but I go the extra step to cut, line, fold and sew my straps to add that extra special touch.

These are great for tiny little kids, and with the adjustable straps, could even fit a little bit smaller 8 year old...big enough for toys, adventures, or even carrying papers home from school.






Side note:
I've got 10 backpacks to sell at the Beehive Bazaar this weekend.

The Beehive Bazaar

I'm so excited to participate in my first "really big show".  Mark your calendars to visit the Beehive Bazaar!  I will be there the FIRST WEEKEND, selling all kinds of super cool stuff.

Key Chains

Personally, I don't use a key chain.  My car key is pretty bulky, and I don't have a whole lot of keys.  Besides, I've never seen anything cute enough that I wanted to use as a key chain.

Enter these bad boys.  As another attempt to have something with a lower price at the Beehive Bazaar, and have one of those products that qualifies (sort of) as an "impulse purchase" I wipped up a bunch of these super cute wristlet key chains last week.

They are $5 a piece and sure to go quickly.

Pacifier Clips (and diaper straps) galore

I'll be selling my handmade goods at the Beehive Bazaar on April 30 and May 1-2.  I've got a lot of beautiful bags to sell, but I wanted to also have some smaller and less expensive items for sell as well.  Enter the pacifier clip (and coordinating diaper straps).  These clips are pretty cute, but you'll just have to take my word for it.  I do not have a baby within my grasp to model such cute clips.

The clips are made with quilting cotton, a cute enamel clip and a paracord loop to attach to a pacifier of choice.  It will be great to see some cute kiddos sporting these around town.

The Church Lady Tote

There isn't anything cuter than a tote bag with her coordinating zippered pouch.  I've been making a bag I like to call "the church lady" for a while now, but she recently went through a redesign, wherein I modified the straps and changed the dimensions.  She's a little bit smaller, but more sturdy.  Perfectly for carrying all those things to church, or a picnic, or running errands that we always seem to end up carrying.

Diaper Straps

I've got a toddler.  Minus the need to carry around a few diapers and wipes, I use a regular purse, not a diaper bag.  And those diapers get smooshed and crumpled at the bottom of my bag every single day.  So, I needed to come up with a solution.

There are a lot of diaper strap tutorials on the internet, but they all use velcro.  I dislike velcro a lot.  It's loud, wears out quickly, and  catches every single extra fuzzy thing in it's proximity in it's little prickles.  So, I designed a diaper strap using elastic instead.

It's fabulous.

Concert Cluth

About a month ago, I had a concert to attend.  And, as with most mom's, didn't want to carry my giant purse full of fruit snacks and diapers to the show.  I also didn't want to sling anything across my shoulders.  So, with a little bit of time on my hands, and a husband who was "working from home" for the day, I had time to come up with the "concert clutch".

This little clutch is the perfect size for your cell phone, some money, and ID, a few mints and your concert tickets of course.  Perfect for a night on the town when you don't want to carry a lot of stuff OR to just stuff in the bottom of your regular bag to pull out when you are on the go.

The clutch has gone through a few iterations, but I think I finally got the size right where I like it.  It's made with a 9" zipper and is about 5" tall.  I'm excited to start making some more.

Men's Watch Roll

I've been so deep in sewing bags lately that I guess my husband felt left out.  There isn't a lot of room in the sewing and quilting world for men's stuff.  With that in mind, and considering his watch obsession, he presented me with the idea of making a watch roll.  What's a watch roll you ask?  It's a cool place for your husband to store all his watches, especially if he travels with more than one watch on vacation or on a business trip.

I made a rough prototype out of some scratch pieces of fabric, made a few adjustments to the initial pattern and thus, the watch roll was born.  Going to the fabric store to pick out fabric with my husband was a new experience, but in the end, the finished product turned out having a really great look.

The roll has space for four watches, folds up on itself and is secured with a bungee elastic.

The Librarian Tote

It's called "The Librarian" because it's perfect for a trip to the library with the kids to bring home literary treasures.  Or, if you aren't into the library, for an extra bag on a trip, or a day of running errands.  Sturdy, fashionable, and unique.

It's fun to make and the possibilities are endless.  My brain actually explodes a little when I start thinking about all the fabric I've got stashed and all the bags I can make.  Here are a few pictures of the tote.

The dimensions pre-sew are 16" x 18" tall.  Give the seam allowances some room, and you still end up with a great sized bag.

Mini Messenger Bag

Lately, I've been working with some smaller bags.  They are quick to make, and are just too cute.  I've been working on a couple different versions for boys and for girls, and so far, they've been selling pretty well.

 I did make one last week though, that was so cute I could hardly stand it and I sold it before I even had a chance to post it to Instagram.

Last week one morning while getting dressed, I saw an old denim shirt dress in my closet that I never wear and it was just begging to be made into a little bag.  So, I carefully cut it up and turned it into a small girls messenger bag.

The friend who bought the bag asked me if it is ever hard to part with something that I've created and worked hard on.  I told her, that no, it isn't too difficult.

But, this little bag?  It was pretty hard.  I just have a soft spot in my heart for all things small and girly.

Making Progress

The idea of starting a small (very small) business was a little overwhelming at first.  Okay, it's still overwhelming, but I'm starting to finally feel like I'm at a place where things can grow.  New ventures are on the horizons, and the bags are really getting to a place where I think that they are fun and great and cool.

That being said, one of my most favorite bags of late is the adult messenger bag that I've made.  It started out as a custom order for a family member's trip and turned into something that I drew up a pattern for and whipped up a couple bags.

The bags are made of waxed canvas.  Not sure what waxed canvas is?  Well, think Army/Navy tough and waterproof.  It's not machine washable, but you could squirt it down with a hose.  Inside, they are lined with a stabilized quilting cotton for an extra durable feel.  There are a couple of pockets, an adjustable handle and overall, I want to keep them all.  But, in all actuality, I'd rather sell them.



The first bag, the custom prototype, was lined with this amazing world map fabric that I'd been hoarding for a while.


The next version got a little more sophisticated and fancy.