Well, here I was, trying to figure out how to use my new digital camera to take pictures of some wristlets so I can list them. I’ve even gotten a light box, which is a cube covered with white fabric that you put your stuff into so you can take a picture of it and have it look halfway decent.

Now how long do you think a self-respecting cat can ignore something cool like a lightbox?

You’re right, not long!

What a cool place to hang out! What, you don't want pictures of me?

Well, guess I'll check out something more interesting...

I'll show you, I'll just walk off.

Hey, check out the neat place to hide back here!

I'm gonna bite that hand that's trying to haul me outta here!

Molly is named for the statue of the woman Marine at the USMC boot camp at Parris Island, SC. All I can say is that she lives up to her name.

Actually, I stole her sunny spot on the kitchen table, so she was just claiming her space.  It wasn’t HER fault that I stuck a lightbox there and tried to take pictures!

A couple of years back, I made a couple of really cool crazy patchwork pieces to use as inserts for turning an old pair of overalls into a skirt.  Turned out I had gained a few pounds, and the overalls no longer fit!  So I tossed them in the closet and forgot about them.

I ran across my old project last month.  Still haven’t lost the weight, so I decided to cut the patchwork out and reuse it in something else.  What could I make out of it?  How about a bag?

Mandolin Bag

Here’s the finished bag on the left, complete with my mandolin.  I didn’t start out to make a bag for my mandolin, but when the bag was done, it was a perfect fit for it.  I don’t think I could have done any better if I had planned it from the start.

The picture on the right shows how the bag opens.  I didn’t think about putting a zipper or anything like that in ahead of time and found out that the bag was really roomy, but that it was too narrow at the top to get anything into it!  Hmm, back to the drawing board.

This was when I discovered that my bag would be perfect for my mandolin, if I could only get it in there..  I realized I couldn’t put in a zipper since it  might rub against the mandolin and damage it.  Besides, I didn’t have one on hand anyway.

I thought about a placket opening and looked around online for some ideas.  I found directions for making a lap, like on a shirt sleeve.  I used to sew a lot of clothes, so I was familiar with this technique.  It was a little tricky, but it worked.  I had a piece of velcro that had been banging around in my sewing box for years.  It finally found a home here.

For the lining I used a piece of burgundy fabric from my stash.  I didn’t really like the right side, so I used the wrong side, since it was a bit more low-key.  The lining was after the fact, too, so it was a bit of a challenge to figure out how to get it in there.  I turned the edges under along the flap and used one of the embroidery stitches on my sewing machine to sew it down.  In the front, I bound the top edges with a piece of denim.  This was after I slashed an opening in the front lining, turned it under, and hand-sewed it to the placket.

I made the strap longer so I can put it across my chest.  It’s recycled denim (along with the bag gussets on the sides) that I padded with a scrap of quilt batting.  Then I decorated it with some machine embroidery.

I even added a small pocket to the lining.  At least I thought to do that before I sewed the lining in!

This bag probably would have been easier if I had had a plan to start out with.  But I didn’t, so I just went with it, and figured out how to solve the design problems as I went.  It definitely was a learning experience, but it was a fun project too.

So far I’ve used my bag to carry library books when I walk to the library, and also shopping when I walk over to the store.  It’ll be handy this spring when I can finally start riding my bike again.  I won’t have to hang everything from the handlebars like I did last fall!

Leave a comment and let me know what you think of my bag!

Welcome to Northern Light Designs!  I plan to have unique handbags, purses, and other neat stuff for sale at my Etsy and Artfire shops around April 1.  Right now I’m busy sewing up items for my inventory. But since I’m going to visit my daughter and her family in Minneapolis in a couple of weeks, I thought it would be best to wait til I get back to start listing my work.

In the meantime, I’ll keep you up to date on what I’m working on, complete with lots of pictures.

Here’s a picture of my sewing room. I just rearranged it so everything is convenient. Before, there was too much stuff crammed in there. I spent more time moving things around to clear a work area than I did sewing!

Last weekend, I finally moved some stuff out, and arranged my work table, sewing machine, and ironing board in a U-shape. My newest addition is an office chair. Now I can roll back and forth from one place to another as I work. I have to say, this is pretty nice! Should have done it a long time ago!

The only thing that’s missing in this picture is my cat, Molly.  She helps me with everything, and I’m amazed I managed to take this picture without her being right in the middle of it.  But you’ll see pictures of her as time goes on.

We moved to Marquette, MI, from Tennessee last fall.  We discovered Marquette three years ago, and fell in love with this town.  After dreaming about it for two years, we finally took the plunge and moved up here.  We love it here, and we still have to pinch ourselves to realize that it’s not just a dream.  We’re really here!

Marquette is in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan, on the shores of Lake Superior.  Hence the name “Northern Light Designs.”  Our house is on a city street about a half-mile from the lakeshore.  On stormy nights, we can hear the waves crashing on the shore!

Our first winter here in Marquette has been a snowy one.  In fact, we’ve had about 250 inches of snow so far this year!  The average is about 150.  People wonder how we’re doing since we moved here from TN, but I always tell them that I grew up in upstate New York and lived in South Dakota for seven years.   So I’m no stranger to winter.    I even bought a pair of snowshoes, so I can get out and enjoy the snow.

Tomorrow I’ll be showing you the mandolin bag I made.  This was my first bag, and I’m very pleased with how it came out!