Tuesday, February 19, 2008

We Have a Winner!

We have a winner! Chosen by a random number generator from a numbered list of commenters, the winner of the Happy Hula Hut Giveaway is "Ladydi." Congratulations, "ladydi"! Please email me at lisa@lisaboyer.com and let me know who you are and where you would like me to send your prize.

To everyone else, better luck next time and stay tuned. I liked doing this giveaway and I'm sure there will be more in the future. I wish I could send every single one of you something. Your comments are funny and sweet and wonderful and I love them all. Mahalo Nui Loa.

Radical change of topic: I'm a sucker for bag patterns. I don't know why I think I need so many bags, but I like making them. I'll have to admit that when my local health food store decided to start charging for bags, I was a little...no, make that a lot...happy that I'd have an excuse to make more bags! Whoo hoo! I've made three pillowcase grocery bags so far, but I have a tall stack of pillowcases waiting to be transformed. I'm into it.

I liked the "Pleated Beauty Handbag" in Amy Karol's "Bend the Rules Sewing" book, so yesterday I decided to make a library book bag--because everyone knows you can't use your grocery pillowcase bags to take books to the library! It just isn't done! Here's how mine came out:

Meh. It's okay, but not great. The picture in the book is great, but mine doesn't look like the picture. It's okay when my cooking doesn't look like the picture--I'm used to that--but why is my bag shaped so differently? Why is it all big and floppy and wide when the one in the book is taller and more svelte-looking?

I follow directions very well, believe it or not. I'm a manual-reader from waaaay back. I had to be good at manuals--I used to work in a hospital lab as a Medical Technologist. (Gee, did that say O negative? I gave him A positive. Oh well....) Directions are sacred and I see and obey every command. I did check and find an errata online for the pocket portion of this purse, but nothing about the purse dimensions being off, which they definitely are. Mathematically, the bottom piece of interfacing she specified was three inches less than the actual completed purse dimensions, which makes me believe that this purse is at least three inches wider than her original bag pictured in the book.

I found multiple errors in the instructions for this purse, and frankly, I thought the instructions were vague and difficult to understand and follow, so I can't recommend this pattern at all. If you want to make this bag, think of the instructions as "suggestions" and devise your own measurements. It's a lovely book with lots of stylish items, but...meh. I don't like errata. Frustrating.

I also feel pretty "meh" about my embroidery on this bag. I just free-handed some, but as I'm fond of reminding you...(everybody together now!)...I'm not an artist.

It's alright though. I made it and that makes it loveable. I had fun doing it and it's just a book bag anyway. I love the fabric inserts and the contrast underside of the straps. So I give it a five out of ten. It'll do.

While I was out looking for sturdy bushes in our yard to support my floopy bag, I came across these: I wish I had something inserted for scale so that you could see that these lemons are huge! They're as big as grapefruits. These are Meyer lemons, which are very mild and low acid. They make EXCELLENT lemon meringue pie, which I just learned how to make a couple of years ago.




Here I am last year, making a Valentine's Day lemon meringue pie for my DH. As you can see from the state of my kitchen, it's quite a process!





Ah, but it's always worth it. Lemon meringue pie. It came out much better than my "Pleated Beauty Handbag," which turned out to be...(everybody together now!)...a lemon.

21 comments:

The Calico Cat said...

Thank you so much for voicing my thoughts on that "Bend the rules sewing" (book) to me it is a bit wishy-washy... I like/need more rules...

Lisa said...

Good to know about the pattern. i have looked at it but haven't tried it... now I may not. Those lemons look luscious as does the pie!

Sally said...

Congrats, Ladidi! What a lucky winner! Lisa, I'd say you did pretty good on the bag considering the lack of correct direction! We librarians love it when someonw comes in with a bag for their boogs! The books stay undamaged a whole lot longer! I've been making little ditty-bags for knitting projects, too. They whip up fast and are great for carrying around socks-in-progress!

Leeshy said...

Just wanted to say "I hear you" on the Amy Karol patterns. I tried the simple tote and it was an exercise in frustration! I love her book and her blog, but I think that the book got rushed in editing or the making and it is so hard to get through the directions!
On a happy note, your lemon meringue pie is making me drool.

Natalie Rush said...

Congrats Ladydi! I love the purse you made but understand the frustrations with the book. Good luck. The pie looks so yummy I wish I could lick my screen. :)

Mary Anne said...

First of all ..... CONGRATS to Ladydi!

Second of all..... I don't think your library bag looks bad at all ! (again, as we went over before, if you don't point out the boo boos, I for one am pretty oblivious to the fact that it didn't quite come out right.) ... BUT , I have to definately agree with you that vague directions just drive me NUTS !!! (I'm also in the medical field and vague directions just don't cut it!! )

OK ... so when are you gonna have another give away .... huh? huh?

Mom IsAmagpie said...

I have never seen that book, so taking away from the fact that I have no idea what the bag is supposed to look like your's looks fantastic. The embroidery looks incredible!

Opal said...

Is it because I'm not a sewer that I think you're bag is gorgeous? And I'm a bag ho'. I have more bags then shoes. I'll buy a bag then I'll go and buy some clothes to match the bag. Well.. that's an exaggeration, but you get the picture.

That Lemon Meringue looks fabulous.

Dawn said...

Your bag turned out so cool---my favorite is the fabric inserts--love that fabric!

Hmmmm.... and my favorite pie is lemon meringue pie...it looks delicious. You are making my mouth water!

Congrats to 'Ladydi'!

Can't wait for your next give-away. teehee.

Anonymous said...

I'm a charter member of Bagladies Anonymous! What IS IT about bags?!?! I can't get enough. I see fabric and all I can think about is what kind of bag to make it into.

I'm not one for instructions... I just want pictures. Less words, more diagrams. Which is pretty bad since I actually have to write instructions. I wish I had your skills to read and write instructions Lisa.

Your bags are adorable and your quilting is AMAZING - just beautiful! And I think you're an RA... a Real Artist - and eligible to wear a beret.

I'm rambling... you do this to me you know. So many wonderful things you post about - gets me all excited! Ok, I'm in love with your kitchen and all those windows!!!

Mrs. Goodneedle said...

Well done! The bag is great, love the embroidered touches. The lemons are wonderful, can't imagine having them in my yard.

Samantha said...

I just found your blog after reading Stash Envy. I have to say, it made me feel MUCH better about my imperfect sewing!

The Downtown Boutique said...

That pie looks delicious!

I'm jealous about where you live! We were in Kauai last April for the first time (pretty much first time ever for any of us, since I haven't been since I was a year old), and we absolutely loved it there!!!!

Those bags are very cute too.

Angie

Anonymous said...

I just found your blog and it's so great. The pictures are just beautiful, I wish I was there right now instead of here in upstate ny where it's cold and snowy. My brother lived in Oahu for awhile and I was able to visit him one Feb, I can't wait to visit again someday. So for now I will enjoy it thru your pictures.

Suzy said...

I just love your bag and the stitching you did on it! If you don't want it, I'll be happy to send you my address. LOL! :oP

It seems these bags are becoming very popular. I think I going to have to purchase a few patterns and make some. Cute, cute, cute.

CONNIE W said...

Ditto what everyone else wrote. Gotta love the pie, the kitchen, the lemons, & the bag. All super-duper!

cinnamongirl93 said...

Wow, I can just picture those lemons! It's so cool that you can make a lemon meringue any time you want. Wait a second...can I smell one baking from you kitchen now? I guess I'm just dreamin out loud.
Congradulations to your winner Ladydi!

Mar said...

hmmmm lemon pie! my favorite, I need to learn how to make one. Let's see first go to the islands to pick some lemons?
Congrats to lucky LadyDi!

Anonymous said...

You´ve a nice kitchen!
Yesterday I bought some Marimekko fabrics for bags. Ive also started to sew bags of empty coffee vacuum packs. Very good shopping bags! So, bagtime is here too!:-)

qusic said...

Lemon Meringue Pie, reminds me of yesterday's "Desperate Housewives" they nearly got to fight over this recipe:).
I love how your bag came out, the quilting and button embellishment is so cute, don't mind the errata, it's just for keeping the brain cells moving, and you bent the rules with success :D you should consider "beaming" to my knitting night
L l a p

Cathie said...

Congrats to Ladydi!

Lisa, that book bag is ADORABLE. The buttons got me, lol... the ones on the strap. And thank you for linking to the pillowcase bag tutorial! I just came back from the thrift shop.... *gleeful smile*