Whew! All sewn, packaged, sent and (almost) exchanged! Last evening while standing over my iron I realized that for the last few years I have been sewing furiously for the days leading up to Christmas. I guess I really like a deadline. I admire those who plan way ahead and glide blissfully into the holidays with a cocktail and a smile. I am not those folks. Tell me when something needs to be done and I will wait and wait (procrastinate is such an ugly word) and find a zillion things to do first, but I will manage to do it on time. What is it about the challenge that's so exciting? Maybe the thrill of not getting it done? Surely there are better ways to cop a thrill. I hope to find them in the New Year.
Have a Merry Christmas (I can say that, it's my blog) and a wonderful, happy and healthy New Year.

Hello Again!

Today is Cyber Monday! And to celebrate, PattiBags is offering 20% off all medium and large totes in the shop - just enter "cyber" into the code box at checkout!

And, hello again! It has been a while since I've chatted on cyberspace and I've missed it. I have certainly done my share of reading, believe me, but sharing my own thoughts, well, we've already discussed my deficiencies in that area. Plenty has been going on, though, not the least of which was several craft shows (some successful, some not so much) and lots of sewing new and exciting things. One of my favorites is the notepad:

This particularly handy item holds a 5x7 notepad and a pen (both are included) and has two inside pockets, one of which is made from the accent fabric:

All in all it's a useful thing to have around, especially if you're a list maker. It makes an excellent gift for a wide range of folks and is reasonably priced, too. Check out the shop for more patterns!

Hello Again!

Workbench Wednesday! Going Green!

I had some really cool cotton/linen prints that I couldn't quite figure out what to do with, and as I was cleaning up the old workspace and removing white plastic bags by the handful, I realized that fabric would be perfect sewn up into little reusable shopping totes. Here are some in progress and a few in the front rolled up into little tubes and secured by an attached elastic loop. Throw one into the bottom of your purse (a PattiBag would be especially nice...) and you can save the planet from those awful white plastic bags. These will be available at my booth at Skippack Days (October 3 & 4) or by special request if you leave a comment.

Workbench Wednesday

Ok, so now I understand why I was never really into keeping a diary. I am truly awful at it, even in computer form. To hopefully mend this situation I am starting a Workbench Wednesday post. Whatever's on the table that morning will end up on the blog. Even if it's a steaming cup of tea and the newspaper. Today, this is what we have:





And yes, I really do use all those scissors. These bits of fabric will soon become this:





A dandy little notepad holder. If you are a list maker, like me, this will be just the thing to throw into your bag and hold your list(s), coupons, cards and a pen. It will make an excellent gift and with some luck (and the arrival of my zipper shipment) there should be little zippered pouches to match. Stay tuned.

Not a Fanny Pack

A new bag in the family - the un-fanny pack. Well, it certainly needs a new name, but for now that describes its function perfectly. The usefullness of a fanny pack cannot be denied, but frankly my fanny is big enough without a big pouch sticking out on top of it. This little bag is designed to sit on your hip, in the front or on the back, and won't stick out any further than the things you've put into it. Your cell phone, some cash and cards (or a thin wallet), some lip balm and you're good to go. The waistband is fully adjustable and attaches with a snap hook. There are two slim pockets on the front and one wider one on the back. It will be outfitted with two snap closures at the top to keep everything safe and sound, but my snap attacher needs a good cleaning before I go at anything with it. Best of all, it's unisex so my dad can use one! If one of these little cuties interests you, send me an email! (I can't make any promises about updating the shop with them until we get the photo situation straightened out!)

Some Girly Goodness!

These two bags are both gifts - one for an expectant mother, the other for a new graduate to tote off to her new job. I hope both serve their new owners well. They were a delight to make!

Time to Get Busy!

Hello there! Recently I attended a workshop intended to teach small, independent craftspeople how to effectively use Twitter, Facebook and yes, blogs to promote and grow our businesses. It was led by the multitalented (and very busy!) Tara Gentile, editor of HandmadeinPA.net , a website designed to support local craftspeople and artisans here in PA. As most of us already know there are some incredibly talented folks here in our own backyard and Tara's mission is to support and promote their handmade goodness and to help them help themselves to do the same. To that end, I will be making a concerted effort to post more frequently, supply more pretty pictures and try to introduce you to some other crafty people out there!

Bag Lady!

Yes, indeed. That's what my 8-year old son listed as my occupation. We had a little discussion about entrepeneurship, self-employment, the creative process, blah, blah. At the end, he said "you make bags, right Mom? and you're a lady, right?" (how sweet of him to think so...) and so it was decided. Nurse, teacher, minister, bag lady. Excellent company to keep. And so the bag lady keeps making bags, giving away some, selling a few, all the while searching for the next great design. Irritatingly, they seem to keep coming at the middle of the night. Around 3:15. If I were an organized sort I would keep a little notebook and pencil on my night table to record my inspirations, but alas, I am not so I have to scrape my thoughts together later on. This is what came to me not too long ago:

A beach bag! Lots of pockets for sunscreen, snacks, and shells, should you be so lucky. It even has a magazine pocket, one for your water bottle and one smack dab in the front. It is fully washable, since the bottom is made from supportive plastic canvas that won't warp or bend when wet. I hope to have them in several festive fabrics in the shop later this week, just in time for warm weather.

Spring Fest!

I have been sewing furiously to prepare for the Spring Fest this weekend (May 9-10) in Skippack Village, hence the dodgy posting. This very short post is to encourage you to come out and enjoy our nice little town for an afternoon. I do hope it stops raining sometime very soon, otherwise the best way to get there will be in a canoe. I am wondering if anyone out there in blogland has any advice for surviving a two-day craft extravaganza? I am driving myself mad with doubts about whether I have enough items, not the right items, do I need fancy bags, how will I get away for a potty break... I do hope it all works out well. Come on out if you feel the need for a funnel cake (or a new bag). Oooh, I hope my booth isn't next to the sausage sandwich vendor.

Value

I have long suspected that the editors of a certain monthly lifestyle magazine helmed by a certain famous lifestyle expert are more than a bit out of touch. We huddled masses long for tidbits of advice to make our homes more inviting, our food a little tastier and the chaos of our lives a bit more orderly. We need valuable help. Attainable goals. And we look to Her for guidance. What we get is an article showing us handbags that will change our lives in the $500 - $2500 price range, a little blurb about how great our hair will look after using $35 shampoo and a feature about beets. There is a nice recipe for pizza dough, just make sure you use organic flour. Where is the useful advice for people on a budget who are raising kids on that budget and who barely have enough time to drink a cup of tea, let alone make tea sachets from scratch (for a lovely and thoughtful gift)? I think they can do better.
This brings me to the touchy matter of value for your craft dollar. You, as the craft consumer, must feel that you've gotten a good value for your hard earned cash and I, as the crafter must feel that the transaction is worth the time and effort. Touchy, see? I have read many articles on how to price work and I have tried many different formulas, and apparently I could charge anywhere between $15 and $150 for a bag and be in keeping with the recommended formulas floating around out there. That would satisfy neither party. My method is to price an item what I as a craft consumer would be willing to pay for it, assuming all expenses have been paid and my time and effort have been somewhat compensated. Simple enough.
Speaking of craft dollars, the zillionth annual Skippack Spring Fest will be held the weekend of May 9th and 10th in the lovely village of Skippack, PA. It's a very festive craft fair/street fair sort of event with live music, festival food and lots of crafty vendors, including PattiBags. Come on out and spend some of those hard earned craft dollars!

Hello? Hello?

Have you ever tucked a message into a bottle and sent it on its way, hoping that someday, someone would find it? That's exactly how I feel with my first ever blog post. Who will possibly find my little blog in the great big internet sea? Someone, I hope, that wants to hear all about my creative goings-on and my tiny little bag business. And maybe some other stuff, too. Is this the inevitable evolution of a small online craft business? Or am I really late out of the gate and doing this hopelessly backward?
I hope to be able to keep those who care informed about the latest offerings and creations from PattiBags and how they came to be. And I hope that if you are the someone, somewhere that finds this little blog it will have been worth the visit.