I found out about Craftzine’s Amy Butler Sew Inspiring Contest at the beginning of February and immediately hatched a plan to sew a purse. A quick look at my fabric shelves told me that this was the time to use that favorite vintage skirt that I’ve been slowly cutting up (hey, it was made for the skinniest woman ever!) and my precious yard 1/2 yard of Amy Butler’s Chrysanthemum, picked up a year ago at a quilt store in Bellevue.
So I opened up the pattern, pulled out the fabric, cut my pieces, and started sewing. Things were going along swimmingly when good ol’ recruitment weekend hit and everything was put back in the craft room. This normally wouldn’t be a cause for concern, but given the poster situation I wondered a few times if I would actually be able to finish the project + take photos before the February 29 deadline. See, one of the downsides of winter — besides snow + slush + cold — is that the only time that I am home during daylight hours is on the weekend. So, if I want to take photos in natural light I have to finish the project in time to take pics before it gets dark on Sunday afternoon.
Here’s the exciting part: after getting my poster turned in on Saturday morning and spending some time cleaning the apartment, I told husband that I’d be able to finish the bag by evening. And I did!
Translation = I accurately judged how long it would take me to finish a project!
This might not sound very momentous to you, but I am constantly tripping over the disconnect between how long I think it will take me to do something and how long it actually takes. So this is big. Very big. And I know that the main reason why it worked this way is that I actually used a pattern*, instead of deciding to make it all up myself.
*I modified it a little teensy bit, but that really doesn’t count.
So right now I am really, really excited about Amy Butler patterns with all their cuteness and time-saving abilities. There are a lot of great entries in the contest so I’m pretty doubtful that I’ll win, but hey — I came out with a cute new bag and a new sense of time management.
Thank you, Amy Butler.
P.S. I included some sewing descriptions, etc. with the photos in flickr, but you have to click on the image to be able to see them (if you’re interested).
It is SO beautiful, Paula. I love it. And your fabric choices are great.
Where did you get the pattern? Buy it? Download it? I looked on Amy Butler’s site just now and found some free patterns but there were no bags among them.
Esther, I actually won it in a contest on decor8 a while back. You can purchase the patterns but Amy Butler doesn’t sell them directly so you have to go through a retailer (Purlsoho, maybe?).
Or, it might be possible to ask me if I’m going to make another one anytime soon (answer = no) and I might send you mine.
If you’re interested.
Love the bag, Paula. I want to see it soon.
I saw you with that bag on sunday and didn’t realize it was so hot of the press! Very cute!
Very cute! Maybe I’ll actually work on my bag and finish it and post it before the deadline!
Great job! Following a pattern can take a lot of discipline for me.