So I was beginning to feel like BA Crafts was too generic, so I came up with a new name, and with it came a new site (with my own logo, woohoo).
So BA Crafts is now Vagabond Crafts, which has a new address at
http://www.vagabondcrafts.blogspot.com/
Same blogger, same posts, just with a bit of a facelift.
This purse was also my first attempt at pleating, which was an interesting one - I think the pleats turned out well but the stitching didn't line up as well as it should.
I really love the fabrics she's got for it; they go really well together for a really soft feel.
And then I successfully put a pocket in the middle:
Also, I just got a whole bunch of new fabric, so I'll be making a bunch of purses soon to be sold in my online shop (which may be changing addresses soon).So my most recent project has been a lovely shoulder bag project from tiny happy. I love this particular purse pattern because it only requires fabric and buttons to complete, so you don't have to deal with (or buy) fasteners or zippers.
The inside of the bag is a sheet music pattern I really adore. The straps long enough that you could probably carry it like a messenger bag (across the shoulder).
The one thing I did mess up is on the inside pocket; I sewed it on too soon and it ended up on the side instead of in the middle. But it's still functional.
This is Ralph.
Ralph is a sewing machine I recieved from my mother for Christmas.* He is wonderful, and much less old than the sewing machines I've used in the past (and thus less easy to break, thank Jesus).
Unfortunately for Ralph, I've hardly sewn at all since my junior high sewing class, where I spent more time getting detentions from the teacher than I did actually sewing. So we're taking baby steps here.
The first thing I did was made a little baggie for a Christmas gift for my aunt:
This actually only required two lines of stitching; the tie part is actually just the bottom of an old t-shirt.
After that, I decided to have a go at the Robot Goody/Tooth Pillow from Cut Out + Keep. Despite the wonderful step-by-step instructions, I was only marginally successful:
The handstitching is awful and the robot is entirely asymmetric, but he's cute, and I'm pretty sure that was the goal of the project.
*I dig anthropomorphism, or the practice of naming inanimate objects. I name everything; I'm not even entirely sure why. But it's great.
Haven't updated in a while - it seems that I've been too busy crafting to update my craft blog.
Anyway, I successfully made all my own Christmas gifts this year, and now that I've had a chance to give (most of) them to their respective owners, I can finally post some pictures.
For the most part, I made pendant necklaces for my girl friends, along with candles. The candles weren't much to look at (but they smelled delicious) so we'll stick to the pendants, shall we?
These are all really easy to make - all you need are supplies (square glass pendants, string, findings, and bails), some spray-on adhesive, some acrylic coating, and industrial strength glue to glue the bails onto the pendants.
I'll post a tutorial with pictures later on, but for now, I'm off to check on dinner.
So I found Crafting a Green World today while surfing, and I am absolutely in love with it. While it's not particularly project heavy, it has a lot of great resources for how to use and find recycled materials. She also does a great job of finding resources for vegan crafters!
So I opened my Etsy shop today! I also got a little overzealous and made like a thousand new pieces of jewelry. Anyway, check out my shop (BA Crafts and Jewelry).
Here are some of the items I made today (and are for sale in the shop!):
Pretty jagged bead bracelet....
Pendant necklace...
This one is sort of cool; TJ's keyboard broke last week so I've been having a hayday making crafts from it. 
Some beaded earrings...
And this one isn't for sale because I couldn't bear to let it go, so I'm keeping it as a Christmas present for myself...
