Through The Years......

This morning I was thinking about the

upcoming Craft Show,

and remembering when I started doing

the handbags.

I took a sewing class to help me read

patterns better.

I had a difficult time understanding

some of them.

So a local fabric store offered a six week

course.

It was so much fun. I chose to make a

curtain.

By the fourth week my curtain was done

so the teacher told

me to pick another pattern to make,

she said,

"how about a handbag? something simple"

A handbag?

Panic set in!! I've never done that before!

But I tried it,

and I was having a blast putting that together.

Sadly, the class ended

before I could finish, then that's when the real

panic

set in, who's going to help me finish what I started!!

Thankfully, I have a friend

who's been sewing for many, many years and she

helped me in an area

where I was just stuck at. I could not figure out

what they were saying to do

with the inside lining. She had to read it a couple

of times, then figured it

out!!

I then finished my very first purse. I was so

proud, I even took it to the

lady who taught the class, I wanted to show

her, that her time

with us payed off.

Now I wanted to learn how to sew so

I can make custom

window treatments for anyone who

was looking to

find someone to help them out.

Well, I went to

a Doctor's office for an appointment

and one of the

lady's at the front desk loved my bag,

she wanted that same

one, so I went to buy the fabric and

what do you know?

They no longer carry it!!!!

Great! Now

what do I do?

Well, I cleaned out my bag, Yes, my

very first bag

that I made, and I sold it to her.

Do you know

I regret that now? I wish I had it.

It's the bag,

third row, the one on the left
(click on image to enlarge)

I really liked my new bag that I made

but she loved it too

and I was flattered, so I sold it to her,

and after that

she purchased 3 more bags from me.

So I guess it

was worth parting with. That was

the summer of 2006.

I've been at it now for about three

years.

I never thought I'd be making

handbags to sell.

The picture above shows just a

few of the bags

I've made and sold.

Its been a fun adventure. I am so

happy

I found something that I not only

like doing

but that I am good at. Thanks

to my mom,

watching her behind the sewing

machine

as I was a child, I was so

fascinated with

that big, black machine that

fell back into

the table it miraculously popped

out of.

She tells me I inherited that gift

from my

maternal grandmother. She

loved to sew

everything and anything.

I sell my handmade

products in a local shop, at craft

shows and on Etsy.