My Casa Bella

COME IN THE EVENING, OR COME IN THE MORNING;

COME WHEN YOU'RE LOOK'D FOR,

OR COME WITHOUT WARNING.

KISSES AND WELCOME YOU'LL FIND BEFORE YOU,

AND THE OFTENER YOU COME HERE

THE MORE I'LL ADORE YOU!

-Thomas Osbourne Davis



Welcome To My Casa Bella

My Casa Bella- means-my beautiful home- but it can mean so many other things. How you make your home a home. The sounds of children or pets playing. The aroma of scones in the oven or a lilac candle burning. The flowers blooming in your garden. The home grown vegetables ready to be picked. Grandma's quilt at the foot of the bed. A fire to curl up to with a good book. Or just a family spending time together with love, laughter and a good time.





















Thursday, March 4, 2010

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.

8 comments:

  1. I love ALL your bags and it's just wonderful that you have found places to sell them too. It's such a wonderful feeling when people buy our handmade crafts! :)

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  2. Hi Casa Bella your bags are great...i am also designing unfortunately I am not patient enough to sew myself I am having a seamstress sew for me...i am the creative side not the technical one..thank you for your comment it means alot to me as I am so new at this..have a great weekend keep craftin...suzanne

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  3. What an inspiration you are. I have just made my first quilt. i'd love to be able to make enough items one day to go to a craft fair.

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  4. Arlene!!!! How wonderful your bag-creating is going! The one you indicated was yours is great; Oh how I wish I had a sewing machine...I used to sew so much but not lately with my schooling. Isn't it wonderful how you never thought you would do something that you are actually successful at now? Congratulations on finding something you enjoy, and can even make a profit from! And thank you so much for coming to rejoice with me for my 28th anniversary. What a blessing! Hey, any good culinary adventures lately?

    Have a great week, and please come by anytime! Anita

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  5. Thanks for sharing ! How nice everything worked out great and that you have a nice business out if it ! Your bags are lovely !

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  6. I've so enjoyed reading about this. Your work is beautiful! :) Thanks for sharing it with us.

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  7. I love your bags as well! Its so fun to make them when you love the pattern and can make it your own and your personality each time! Thanks for stopping over at my blog and leaving the kind note! I would love to know how you even start putting your sewn items in craft shows..hopeflly that's next for me too!

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  8. I found you on flickr and glad I did. You rock! Love your style, oolor/fabric combinations. I, too, watched my mother sew...her family in the Phillipines were tailors and they can make a denim jean fit to perfection. Now in my 40's, I only now found the "click" and have been busy sewing...Sadly, I never learned how to draft patterns, but I can do bags, cushions and anyting w/a 90 degree angle....Hopefully, my daughter is absorbing my joy of sewing "behind the scenes...." and take it one step further than me. Look forward to more of your beautiful creations..they are absolutely inspring!

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