TA DA!!

The judge was brought in to select the winner of the Spring Giveaway Tote bag of the Grandest Kind Contest...
As before, the eligible entrants were placed in her toy basket to stimulate interest.
But then, something went terribly awry.
It appeared that Miss Dixie was searching throughout the slips of paper to find her former owner, Mama Krystal, to tip the winnings in her favor.
Well, as soon as I saw what the corrupt little Jack Russell was up to, she was immediately disbarred from the contest.
We shall not have corruption and payola fouling our most venerable and honest of contests.
But at this late date, where or where will we find another Pure in Motive Drawing Overseer?
Aha! New Dog on the Block! Scout is too young to be corrupted with the exception of maybe a treat or two randomly sprinkled throughout his toy basket. Scout faithfully set to the task of selecting the completely non influenced slip of paper at random.
After grabbing his treat, er, entry, he clearly spit out the blank sheet of paper that represented:

Miss Autumn!!!

Yes, her votes had to be blank due to the sheer volume of entries on her most valiant effort to win.
Perseverance does indeed pay off, Miss Autumn!
Congratulations on winner of the Second Annual Bag Giveaway Contest of the Grandest Kind!
Your bag will be delivered to you on Thursday.
If Scout says it's okay.

But look at that face.
Certainly he will agree.....

Happy May Day to all my fun participants and most loyal readers!!!!!

**Attention***
A crazy wrinkle has developed in the ongoing mystery of the Spring Giveaway Tote bag Contest!!! Corrupt Judge, Miss Dixie, has indeed pointed out that another tried and true participant in the contest, that also had a whopping amount of entries, will be in need of a Diaper Bag come this fall..... Could a Diaper Bag Contest be in the offing soon???? Hmmmmmmmm.....The Administrator and I shall have to converse about this and if all is copacetic with Miss Dixie, perhaps this shall be pursued........Thoughts???

Oh the Intrigue on the So Now I Know Blog.....!!!

The Unconventional Way

The Spring Giveaway Tote bag of the Greatest Kind is finished.
Shouldn't there be some grand 'TA DA!!' or some such excitement??
Shouldn't I be placing asterisks and exclamation points all around this blog.

You'd think.
However.
This bag was a pickle.
It sounded so fun in my mind.
It felt so perfect on my cutting board.
I would get a bit giddy heading to my Work Room, awash with new ideas to implement.....Cutting the lovely linen and the cool tropically print, I started to regret that I had announced it as the Giveaway Bag...Must admit some coveting was going on to a yet unknown recipient.  Strange huh?

Then it happened.
EVERY SINGLE TIME I worked on the previously Wonder Bag (now Thorn In My Side Bag), something went wrong.  I lost track of how many times I have ripped apart each element of The TIMS Bag.  My seam ripper is tired and the amount of used thread on my floor lies in testimony of the whole irritating process.

Now, let's us review this situation:  Wherever did I go wrong?  Material? No, good quality, prewashed; good thread, interlinings approved by Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.  And lots of it.  Magnetic clasps; zippered pocket; 5 other pockets; a pen/pencil pocket for goodness sakes.  Two narrow but sturdy handles reinforced hardily.  Side panel pockets for water/baby bottles...Yep...covered a bit of everything, even a dandy polished stone on the zipper pull....

Guess I really know the problem:
It's Me.
Me and my unconventional way of doing things.  Me and My Desire to sew/design on my own with a Fly By the Seat of My Pants mentality.  Could I even begin to tell you how the TIMS Bag was created?  But no, but no.  It really just happens.  I have a long history of sewing with patterns and learning from errors...many errors....The mind hearkens back to my first big doozy....I was sewing a summer nightgown, determined for it to be done correctly (unlike my other sloppy, impatient attempts) and it was going well...The fabric was a dream, an open weave leno weave with the fairest of flowers in the palest of blues..I got relaxed just sewing on it.  But then came the fateful blow: Whilst cutting an errant thread, I inadvertently cut in half, one of the narrowest of narrow spaghetti straps that I had labored on with great patience..Cut it in Half!  It took quite awhile for the destruction to sink in, it was that bad.  I remember silently crunching up the nightgown, turning off my sewing machine and swearing specifically at my own stupidity and rash behavior.

That's how I learn.  That's how I sew.  I took no lessons.  Have no idea how to measure properly. (just what are all those little lines on a measuring tape?) I barely can even take advice.  I just get an idea and make it work.  In silence and privacy since if anyone actually SAW how I do it, they would be aghast and appalled.  I can't explain it but it works.  Or it don't.  I rejoice when it does and when it doesn't, I just learn from the errors and go to the next project. 

Doesn't really make sense does it?
But it's very much the way I do about everything. Forging forward without much sense and accepting the outcome, knowing that if I didn't at least try, I would always wonder....

So what do you take from my interesting Sewing Tale?
Take risks, sewistically.
I can still remember when I needed a costume for my dance class in high school.  A red circle skirt.  Simple.  But having a mother that had a hard time sewing hems and buttons, I knew I was on my own.  Grabbed an old wool coat, that was the needed red, and began whacking away at it till I thought it resembled what was needed.  Did it work?  Heaven's no!  And I probably destroyed a perfectly wonderful vintage coat.  But I tried it.  I made the first cut.  And saw what DIDN'T work.  And then I let my best friend's mama sew a sweet little can can skirt with lots of tulle, for me. 

So play with fabric.  Follow easy patterns. Let me help you with some handy tips on making pockets, handles, lining.  Study what all those weird words mean, like bias, interlinings and facings and play with them.  Get over the Fear of the Project.  Just do it. (did i just quote Nike?)  Then throw it away if it fails.  There is plenty of material out there for you to play with , destroy or make the most amazing thing in the world to you or someone else.  Take the risk.

SO ONCE AGAIN!  TA DA AND EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!!!!!!!!
HERE IS THE SPRING/SUMMER GIVEAWAY BAG OF THE GREATEST KIND!!!!!
GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU THAT HAVE ENTERED THE CONTEST!! AND THERE IS STILL TIME TO DO SO!!
JUST LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS BLOG OR ON MY FACEBOOK FAN PAGE AND YOU ARE AUTOMATICALLY ENTERING THIS CONTEST!!  THE MORE COMMENTS, THE MORE ENTRIES!!!
DRAWING ON MAY DAY!  MAY FIRST!!!!!!!!!
Yay!!!!!!

Updates and Announcements and World Peace

It has been brought to my recent attention by a rather reliable source, that, I, I fear, am a Creative Flibbertiejibbit. I know, I know, I accept your sympathies, but I just have to face the facts: I am definitely Flibberty. Have been all my life, but now due to the Internet, the Whole World knows it. This does not sit well with Those That Make It Their Job To Corral My Flibberty Ways. Bless Their Hearts. It is a Big Job. But I am mending my ways and I Promise to seek to be more clear about Giveaway Bags, less babbling on, more Fun, Interesting, and Comment Worthy....Yes, indeed a NEW LEAF!
But I shall wait until Monday....
Until then, I shall indulge myself and you, dear reader, in rapturous Flibberty Randomness....

First Up: Colonoscopy Prep: Two words that strike fear in man. Fourth time around for me. Colon Cancer in the family, so every three years is my sentence. The thing that moves me (sorry) forward, is knowing, knowing that if my dad would have had this done when he had symptoms, or even when he turned 50 when it is recommended, his life would have been different. And mine. So, on behalf of my children, I shall run ahead (sorry again; Gatorade overload) and do what I can toward prevention.

Second Randomness: Hubby's Crab apple is blooming! Concerns abounded last spring when a paltry few buds popped. It is on the verge of wonderfulness as we speak. Took my camera around my land the other day to document this abundant spring.

Third in Line: The first inner pocket of the Spring Giveaway Tote bag!! Also known as the Summer Bag Giveaway of the Grandest Kind! (See what my Creative Corraler means? I drift....)

More to follow on this Wonderful Opportunity,!!

And are you still having trouble leaving comments? I know I always face a new set of requirements for each comment I leave on other blogs.....Don't give up!! Try Again!!

Fourth Down: Went to the Elementary School yesterday to update the Valentine/Shamrock/tree into an instant Dogwood Tree!! The children loved the flowers, picking out their fave one...Next week, they shall make umbrellas to place on their April Showers Bring May Flowers tree.

Fifth and Final Flibbertieness For the Day: The outer front pocket(s) of the Giveaway Bag. Just the outside has five pockets! The lining shall have more! Including a zippered one (see above photo) What about vintage buttons? hmmmmmm....Drifting, aren't I?.....

So I thank you so much for graciousness with my diverse ways.

In keeping with a New Leaf, please let me know what else you would like mama's collection to cover...Tutorials? Step by Step? Re purposing projects??

LMK!!

Sneaky Peeky

He's 'visiting' us right now. He's on probation. But who am I kidding? Unless he eats Youngest Son in his sleep, he's probably installed pretty good here. That makes four pets in our abode. Three in our house, Miss Dixie and her feline siblings, the venerable Miss Kitty and our dear Stella the Ditz. And this young guy, Youngest Son's charge. All of the pets have come to us from previous circumstances, the kitties, abandoned. Our current 'visitor' has been carted around a bit in his maybe 9 months. He literally was on the way to the pound before the intervention. We have given him the name, Scout, as a positive anticipation of his faithful, trustworthy, loyal attributes. We also are inveterate To Kill a Mockingbird fans so Boo Radley, Atticus and Dill were also in the running. But we think he is Scout.
More on his antics (or lack thereof) to come....I'm sure....

And then, Ta Da!!

The beginnings of the Spring Giveaway Totebag!!!

I am really excited about this design coming to fruition, having it's inception scrawled on a back of a receipt during a basketball game!!

I feel aware of every detail and the convenience of each pocket and handle.

The oatmeal colored linen hearkens of summer and the tropically flavored home dec fabric that is the contrast/lining, gives a cool vibe......

Now here's the deal...

EVERY COMMENT THAT COMES IN DURING APRIL (AND THOSE IN MARCH) ON THE BLOG OR FACEBOOK FAN PAGE, MAKES YOU ELIGIBLE FOR THE GRAND DRAWING ON MAY DAY!!! THE MORE COMMENTS, THE MORE CHANCES TO WIN! SO LET ME HEAR FROM YOU!

A big thank you to those who left essays as to why they need a new summer bag! Those were great! Send to my email, mamascollection127@gmail.com, if you want to sweeten your chances to win! :D I love essays!!

Progress on the SGTB will be often during the merry month of April, so stay tuned....!!

(Also, check out the wonderful giveaway on my friend's site, http://ihavetosay.typepad.com ! Fabulous contest!!)

Are you having a blessed Easter weekend??