use what you have

My sister called me last week, in need of a semi-last minute baby shower gift.  After telling her that I'd have to order fabric and wait for it to arrive, she asked if I couldn't just make it out of something I already had. 

Me: I need like two full yards to make a diaper bag.  I don't think I just have two full yards of fabric laying around in my scrap piles.

Cam: Are you sure?

Me: Let me go upstairs and check.  (Secretly thinking: of course I'm sure!)

Upon further investigation, it appears that I did have two full yards of fabric in my scrap piles.  And they just so happened to be perfect for a diaper bag, which was an added bonus.  It may have been awkward for her at the shower if I made the bag out of a dainty black and red skull print. 

I have a real love for this bird fabric, which is probably why I had so much of it stashed away.  I think I was planning to make more of these baby blankets, which sold out last fall, and never got around to it. 

This stuffed ball is still in the shop, but probably not for long.  Spring is a big time for baby gifts. 

I had a lot of fun planning the design of this diaper bag, but not so much fun sewing it.  I used a super heavy interfacing so the bag would be really sturdy and have a quilted feel to it, but that made the sewing part a lot like wrestling.  I forget to be thankful sometimes for the ease of sewing thin fabrics.

But, I finally won the wrestling match and even took it outside for a few pictures before shipping it off to my sister, only four days after she first mentioned it.  Gosh, she's lucky to have me. 

Over the weekend, Steve and I (but mostly Steve) finished up a project that we've been working on for weeks- my new shop banner!  Click on over to my Etsy shop today so you can admire it, okay?