Old Bag

When I first set up Bobo Bun (the selling Bobo Bun came before the Bloggy bit) I made all sorts of bags from messenger to bucket bags; I appliqued childrens t-shirts with cowboys and butterflies and knitted animal beanie hats with floppy ears. This all seems a long time ago, as the Bun's have grown up so the things I make have grown with them.

I enjoy making bags mind you and still make a few every now and again. I do love wearing a splash of a bright print every day, having a bag in a jolly print sorts me out if there's nothing ready in the cupboard to wear.

I bought the French fabric from Pomme de Jour recently with the plan to make up a new everyday messenger bag. On Saturday I thought I might have a fighting chance of whipping up a bag before I took Miss Rosey to the hairdresser. I'd no clue where the old patterns I made up were so I used Jane's great design in Mollie Makes.

I chose the green Les Anenomes for the main fabric and the floral splash for the lining. I lined the front pocket and then stitched down the middle to make two separate pockets. The white lace trim is the strap of an Edwardian slip.

For a Bobo Bun label I used the lining fabric trimmed with pink and a monogrammed B which is also from France. Seems to be a very Gallic bag this one. Not too sure of the provenance of the yellow button bought from Diane the fabulous button seller.

To secure the strap I used a brass buckle from an old completely trashed CK bag strap and added an elderly plastic buckle. I used to have loads of these buckles, but sold them at market years ago. I now kick myself everytime I think of this, just as I do when I remember the two Rosa pink coffee jugs I said goodbye to too.

In reality the bag took until Sunday to finish as Saturday afternoon disappeared. Miss Rosey wanted her long hair cut back into a bob, so we were in the hairdressers a long old time. I've now caught up fully on OK and Hello which was strange as I had little idea of who most of the people in it were. After breakfast I stitched at my machine, Mr Bun sat opposite planning work, Miss Rosey attacked her homework. Maths first (she knows there's no point asking us for help as our brains go stupidly blank with numbers) and then her art homework (we got interested again), Little Bun went off to sit in her new weekend home. All in all a very lovely Sunday morning.

By lunchtime the bag was finished. Little Bun kindly took a picture of me in full bag wearing mode and then I went off to pack it for the week ahead.

Not long after this Little Bun retired back to her den. I went off to whip up Butternut Squash Soup, choccy chip buns and a leek and dolcelatte tart for the evening. After two weeks of hideous toothache I think I can finally enjoy eating again. My temporary crown moved the nerve and so I ended up with a root filling on Friday. Now two more dentist trips to go. Bloody teef. 

 

Now then on to the Four Happy Things Swap. Thank you so much each and everyone of you who has decided to take part. Doors are officially shut now. I've sat here with my notebook and pen this evening and paired you all up as best I can. I'm going to add a page where I'll list all the pairings up. About to go off and write that very soon. 

Lastly, before I head off. Hello to the new followers who have popped by and found me. Thank you so much for stopping by.

Hook in Hand

If someone asked me what's your favourite thing to make I just couldn't tell them. I've never been too good at coming up with favourite anything's anyway. I love patching, knitting, making clothes and toys and a wee bit of embroidery (but not loads so this wouldn't be at the top of my list if I had to make one).

On Sunday I laid down my knitting, put the patching to one side and picked up my hook once more. Two things had inspired me recently to want to get back to my crochet again. I'd seen a second hand blanket on Stitchy all edged in pink and stored it away in my head with all the other images I like a lot. Then a comment from Colour in a Simple Life mentioning me not crocheting for a wee while got me thinking. I realised I'd been too long with just the quilts and knitting, a change was needed. It was all rainy outside so it was the perfect curl up by the fire and hook away kind of day. By the end of Sunday I'd a decent pile of flower burst grannies worked up using leftover Amy Butler yarn all soft and fairly chunky to work with.

With the clocks falling backwards I even had an extra hour this morning to get back to my growing flowery pile. Mr B caught the 7.30 bus, I tiptoed downstairs to quieten Alfie Blue who was yelling at him from the back of the sofa to stay home and cuddle a while. Then I saw all the colourful yarn and suddenly yarn was more tempting than my bed. I might have taken it back to bed, but I'd left a 12 year old sleeping up there who'd come in with a nightmare.

Little Bun joined me some time later with a bowl of cereal. She chatted merrily, I listened, hooked and nodded.  We had a chat about her favourite colours and then out of the blue she named this thing that I bravely think I might make up in to my first ever finished blanket. Little Bun called it the Bubblegum Blanket and I liked that a lot being as it was the pink that got me onto it in the first place.

In the middle of this early day peace the Postie suddenly banged loudly on the door. Most times it's just a pile of certificates from the exam board to hand out to our students (Mr Bun being his own mobile college). Today the package was soft and squishy and I'd been warned to expect it. 

Ada of Vintage Sheet Addict had chatted with me about sending some more bits of colour my way. I was blown away by her kindness in sending me so many wonderful pieces to play with. It's taken me a while to get my head around the sheer generosity in this corner of blogland from the supportive comments, the fun and chats to favours done and gifts sent on. I've an idea of the gift I'll be sending her way and there are a few others which I really have been meaning to post on as well. I'm just rubbish sometimes at getting my act together.

Midday I managed to sneak in a trip to the yarn shop to add a few more colours to the choice pile. When we got home Little Bun got back to creating her Lego village, Miss Rosey got her art stuff out and that left me with a spare moment or two of hooking time. This one's getting addictive to be honest. I'm loving seeing how all the different colours work together. I'm trying out some colours that I wouldn't normally fancy together and then feeling really surprised when I love it.

Each one I look at becomes a favourite. I might go off them when it comes to sewing in ends and stitching it all together mind you.

Usually I join as I go to save all the extra work at the end, but this time I've left the squares on their own waiting to be sewn together. That way I can fiddle about with them all until I get the colour combination I want.

Little Bun and I did have a wee play with them before they went back in the basket at teatime. I think I'm going to like this one a lot. I'll definitely keep nagging myself to finish this one.