Stretching the Skills

Well, I’m not quite finished with the lobster bags for The Salty Lobster shop, but I thought I’d stop by and show you the last couple of projects I finished.  I have to say, they have been great learning experiences for me, both in technique and in patience!

The first is a long-over-due camera bag that I’ve been promising my daughter since February…yes, I was procrastinating!  But, after finally buckling down and getting to it, I’m pretty happy with the results:

She wanted a “pretty” camera bag, instead of the standard black nylon that is so typical for commercial camera bags.  This one, with its bright floral pattern, padded inside compartments, multiple pockets, inside and out, soft-structured body, handbag straps, adjustable shoulder strap, and a zippered opening, is much more to her liking.  She had a photo shoot at a road race a couple of days after the bag was finished, so she took it on its maiden voyage and came back quite satisfied with its performance.  Glad she likes it! 🙂

And then I got a special order for the new handbag I made recently.  After working with the customer to find just the right colors, I sat down on Monday and made this lovely bag:

This design certainly pushes my skill to the max, but the effort is well worth it.  I love how crisp and feminine this bag looks, with its well-defined structure and pretty curves.  It’s definitely one of my favorites so far…even it it does take forever to put together!

But today is lobster bag day.  I’ll post pictures when I’m finished, but here’s a peek at the appliqué I designed from the shop’s logo:

When it’s all finished, the lobster will have two long, skinny antenna, too.

Well, off to sew!  Tell me what you’re up to today…