Why I need Craft/Sewing Room and New Fall Bag

It's come to my attention (thank you honey) that I need a space of my own. I've only been saying that for two years. Currently, our little two bedroom house isn't spacious enough for me to branch out much creatively. My kitchen/dining room triples as my artistic domain as well. Mainly because my dining table so so big that I can spread out yards of fabric and various other supplies while I'm working. My sewing machine and serger usually sit on the counter on the left of my table there where I can work on them standing and not get that uncomfortable hunch back feeling from trying to work sitting at the table. Thank you perfect height counters! It also makes it useful when I'm crafting with a friend cause we can both sit at the table and work on our projects simultaneously without getting in the other's way. However, my projects usually DO take over the entire kitchen/dining room for long periods of time (sometimes I'm a little lazy on the clean up) much to my poor husbands chagrin (he's a good sport though.)

This is what the chaos looks like at the moment. And no, normally I don't have beverages out while I'm sewing, these were set there between projects and I was too lazy to move them before taking the picture.
Another look at the crazy. Tool box not necessary, just there because I needed to use the screw driver for some other project...

Anyway, the point is that while my kitchen/dining room is working just fine as my artistic domain, it's not working so well when you try to actually have guests over for dinner, cook, or do anything else that you're SUPPOSED to do in a kitchen/dining room. Our second bedroom right now houses a twin bed, a dresser and a computer desk/computer. It doesn't get used very often other than the occasional guest and whenever hubby or I decide to go play on the computer in there. I had battled with the idea of tossing out the twin bed because we are hoping to actually have children someday (via adoption...and NOT a newborn). However, that time hasn't come yet, and I'm holding on to something that I can purchase again fairly cheaply when the time comes. So, hubby and I discussed it, and it looks like my "guest room" will turn into my "sink hole of creativity"....or "Craft Room". It will involve a bit of work to transform the room, including finding tables that meet my requirements, purchasing more storage/organizing shelving and bins and planning a layout that will benefit my insanity most. Then, perhaps my dining table can be set with a center piece and actually LOOK like a table, rather than just host itself as a large flat surface where I work. Plus, I can shut the door on the craft room and no one has to know what a messy project worker I am. =D

In other news...have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE ArtsyCraftyBabe's bags?! No? Well, I do. LOVE LOVE LOVE! Her patterns are so easy to follow even if you aren't a proficient sewer (newbies welcome!) and the end result is always a bag that fits comfortably and does exactly what a bag is supposed to do! I've made several of her "Phoebe Bags." The base bag design is simple to assemble and I LOVE that it leaves room for you to embellish and design as much as your heart desires! The Phoebe Bag is a free pattern, but she has several other bag pattern designs that you can purchase for a great price and they can ALL be printed from your own home printer. The Phoebe Bag has three pattern pieces. That's it. Three. 1, 2, 3. And one of those can be eliminated if you don't want a flap to close the top of your bag. You can also add and pattern pieces of your own to your bag to customize it to your specifications. I have an organization problem (you couldn't tell from my previous pictures could you?!) so I wanted pockets to help me hold items that I need quickly from my purse without having to dig around a lot....and so that I don't randomly purse dial people on my cell phone. So I made my own pocket pattern (just a large rectangle sewn to the inside lining of my bag with a seam down the center to make two pockets.) I also decided that I was in love with the idea of those giant ruffle flowers and I wanted a HUGE one on the face of my bag, so I added one of those. LOVE LOVE LOVE it!
See how easily accessible my wallet and my keys are now?! And there's plenty of room in the bottom of my bag for all my junk...er other necessities!
Look at that flower. I know you're thinking, "That is SO cute!" That button is antique! That ruffle was the easiest thing to make...though next time I think I'll go with a thinner fabric so that my poor inept sewing machine can handle the thickness. It was grunting and groaning like a work horse.
The finished product is exactly what I wanted for this fall. Something simple, pretty, and functional. Check, Check, and Check! I used my bag last night when hubby and I went to see "Red" (which by the way, is AWESOME!) and I was so pleased with how easy it was to pull my wallet out pay for tickets and put it back in without having to take it off, dig around the bottom, randomly dial someone's number on my phone, cancel said call, keep looking for wallet, etc. etc. So nice! I'm working on another of these Phoebe Bags with more of my own style embellishments as a gift for someone I love and I have to say, it's coming out just DARLING! Even if I did break four needles on it in about an hour! =D That's a post for another day...how much I need a new machine.