Back to School

It's that time of year. Schools in our area start this week. Summer has been short, but it is time for some structure again. All of the notebooks, pens & markers have been purchased. We've attended Open House and met this year's AWESOME TEACHER! It's going to be a great year!

Admittedly, I've been less focused on work and more focused on family this summer. That's the beauty of being a work-at-home-mom. My Etsy shop has suffered a bit maybe, but my family hasn't. It's a good thing & I'm happy.

Now that school is starting, I will be spending more time in the sewing room. {YEA!} I have TONS of new wallets finished. I just need to take pictures, edit & load the listings. Look for those in the shop later this week. If you love polka dots, peace signs, corduroy, Patty Young's Mezzanine or Amy Butler; I may just have something you love. Check in to see what's new!

Just a thought for starting your school year on the right foot . . . why not treat your child's teacher to a pretty new lanyard? They are THE perfect teacher gift and are so affordable. If your order 3 or more; US shipping is free.

Reminder : Buy 3 & Shipping is FREE

Just a friendly reminder . . .

: ♦ : ♦ : ♦ : ♦ : ♦ : ♦ BUY 3 ITEMS & SHIPPING IS FREE ♦ : ♦ : ♦ : ♦ : ♦ : ♦ :

Details in the shop polices of the Sew Gracious Etsy Shop>

just one example of the pretties you'll find :)

Buy 3 . Get Shipping FREE

For Free??? {asked in my best Adam Sandler Bedtime Stories voice}

Yes!!! Free Shipping in the Sew Gracious Etsy Shop when you purchase 3 or more items. Here's the scoop!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ S U M M E R . S H I P P I N G . S P E C I A L ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
: ♦ : ♦ : ♦ : ♦ : ♦ : ♦ BUY 3 ITEMS & SHIPPING IS FREE ♦ : ♦ : ♦ : ♦ : ♦ : ♦ :

♦ SHOP NOW . STOCK UP & SAVE
♦ Buy any 3 or more items to receive FREE SHIPPING in the US
♦ Simply make your selection, check out & remit payment as usual. I will then refund the shipping costs to your Paypal account.
♦ Orders shipped via US First Class Mail & include free delivery confirmation
♦ INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS will receive 1/2 off standard shipping rates when 3 or more items are purchased. Extra postage will be refunded to your Paypal account.
♦ This special offer may not be applied to sale items or previous purchases & may not be combined with any other specials, coupons or discounts. Limited time offer. Thanks so much! :)

Choose from lanyards, key fobs {wristlet & mini}, clutch wallets & business card cases made from your favorite fabrics by Michael Miller, Amy Butler, Premier Prints & more .

Got some shopping to do? Great! See you at on Etsy!

A Bag for Gwyneth

My great niece, Gwyneth, is expected to make her debut in this world anytime now. She is the first girl baby in the family in quite sometime so I wanted to make a special, one-of-a-kind bag for her. She has a big brother who also received a OOAK bag when he was born. It's so special to sew for these sweet babies in our family.

It was fun creating a bag with no particular idea in mind when I started. I knew I wanted to do a pink & brown combination, but wanted it to be fresh and updated. I had several fabrics laying on my work table; just to see what spoke to me. . . another instance of serendipity. It was nice to see how fabrics from Anna Griffin, Patty Young & Amy Butler coordinate perfectly!

The interior has a total of 5 pockets; three on one side and 2 larger ones on the opposite side.

So, the bag is finished and in the mail. Now we are just waiting on Gwyneth's arrival. :)

Fabulous FABRIC Favorites

What a great way to start the week. I snagged an Etsy Treasury!

My theme is Fabulous FABRIC Favorites. If you sew, you know . . . If you don't, you can still appreciate a few of these favorites {and you just may see some of them in the shop soon}

Feature Etsy Fabric Sellers include:

hipfabric . fabricshoppe . fabricsupplies . spiceberrycottage . laniejanefabric . freshsqueezedfabrics . fabricstosew . bethoberle . josiemart . myneedleandthread . fabricworm . fabriclane

Amy Butler Etsy Guest Curator

If you are familiar with Etsy, you've probably heard of The Storque; Etsy's blog. Sometimes Guest Curators are asked to feature their picks of beautiful handmade items on Etsy. When I saw that Amy Butler was a guest curator, I HAD to take a peek because I've loved her fabrics for years.

Imagine my surprise when I saw this bag was featured in the related items to this Storque article. WOW! I'm flattered that one of my bags was included with so many other beautiful, garden-inspired pieces.

The New-ness of Bags

The past 6 weeks have been pretty busy around these parts. Between big custom orders {HUGE thank you to those clients!} and when real life happens, I haven't had much time to work on new bags for the shop. I have to say I've enjoyed sewing this week. The house has been quiet and I've been able to spend time in my sewing studio CREATING!

Here are 2 of the new bags; just listed in the shop. Click on each picture to go directly to the listing.

Watercolor hues from the Charisma Collection by Chez Moi for Moda
paired with classic Seed Dots by Amy Butler

Yin & Yang . . . classic black paired with funky retro dots in chic pink & green


More new bags are on the way as well as accessories with new fabrics. I just need to make some time to take pictures of the new goodies. So, in the mean time, enjoy these new bags and keep checking the shop to see what's new. I'm gearing up for the holidays. Christmas is a little more than 2 months away, so it's time to shop now. I know the economy is "interesting" right now, :-) but you can still give beautiful handmade gifts for less than $10. Consider Sew Gracious Wristlet Key Fobs, Mini Wallets, Tissue Cases or Clutch Wallets for the special people on your gift list this holiday season!

My 200th Post : New Bags

Wow . . . 200 posts already? ;-) I appreciate my regular readers and all of those new readers who visit each day as well. I hope you always find something interesting and keep coming back. :)

It's been a busy week for me. I've been sewing like crazy; catching up after taking some time off over the Labor Day weekend. Thanks to all who shopped with me over the weekend! Check the shop often . . . LOTS of new things are on the way.

The Halloween Totes have been a huge hit! Get yours today in the shop!

Today I wanted to share 2 new bags; just listed this week. As always click the pic to go directly to the listing or just visit the Sew Gracious Etsy Shop to see more great bags, cute Halloween candy baskets and great accessories.

Chartreuse with Envy

What's even more chic than being green with envy?

Probably being Chartreuse with Envy!

Big thanks to petalandpink for including my Green Dots Mini Wallet Card Case in her ultra chic Treasury West list on Etsy. Don't you LOVE this color? What a compliment to be included with so many other wonderful creations by fellow Etsians! :-)

Shades of A U T U M N : New Bag Too

As promised, another addition to the Sew Gracious Shades of Autumn series! A great combination of colors & fabrics make this one-of-a-kind bag special. Amy Butler Dots paired with kitschy, vintage circles & dots finished off with multi-color polka dots on the bottom. Even the pockets inside are pretty!

Click here or click the pic to go to the listing. Be sure to check out those pockets! ;-)

The matching key fob is also available.

If you order it with your bag, just type BLOG READER in your comments when checking out to receive FREE SHIPPING on the key fob.

Pish POSH : New Bag & Key Fob

Pish Posh . . . sounds very Mary Poppins-ish, doesn't it?

As stylish as Mary was, she never carried a bag this pretty! ;-)

P O S H
Pink Cocoa Floral : Posh by Chez Moi for Moda

Mary did require things to be neat, tidy & organized

She would have loved this cute wristlet keyfob;
made from coordinating fabric, also from the Posh Collection.
She would never loose her keys again! ;-)

Even if you're not Mary Poppins, you can still find these items & lots more in the Sew Gracious Etsy Shop! Click the pics above to go to each listing or click here to visit my Etsy shop today.

Two by Two : More NEW BAGS!

It seems that my bag listings are coming in pairs lately. . . two by two

G I N G E R
A beautiful patchwork of fabrics from the Ginger Blossom Collection by Sandi Henderson
combined with linen

P E O N Y
Pink Peony fabric from the Midwest Modern Collection by Amy Butler
paired with linen

Click the pics to go directly to the listings for these pretty new bags.
There are LOTS of other new goodies in my Etsy shop too! Come take a peek! :-)

2 New Bags : more linen & ribbons

The Signature Sew Gracious Ribbon Bag
Pink Chocolate Ribbons on a Linen Base
Click here or click to pic to make it yours

Going to Market

Perfect for a trip to the Farmers Market or fill it with baby gear
The extra long handle can be worn across your body ::: Look ma! No Hands!
Click here or click the pic to treat yourself to a new bag

Always new goodies in my Etsy Shop! :-)

NEW bags : More Linen . Patchwork & Amy Butler

What a busy week!!! There will be lots of Happy Mom's this Mother's Day! Most of the last batch of bags has sold! Thank you so much!!!

More new OOAK {one of a kind} bags debuted today in my Etsy shop . . .


Gothic Rose is one of the most popular fabrics from Amy Butler's Belle Collection. It pairs perfect with Pink Coriander from the same collection. I accented with Full Moon dots. More pics of this beautiful OOAK [one of kind bag] can be found in the Etsy listing or click the pic.


L I N E N! We love linen!!! This is the newest linen patchwork bag. I added some rickrack this time for a charming, shabby chic-flea market touch. Be sure to check out the listing for this bag to see what I did on the back!

Cute : fun : whimsical!

Amy Butler fabric + Linen = Happy Mothers Day

Your Mom called . . .

and said she would L O V E to have one of these beautiful new Sew Gracious Bags for Mother's Day! She said your thoughtfulness would make her so happy. You know what they say : "If Momma ain't happy; ain't nobody happy"

This Mother's Day, have a happy Mom and a happy house! Treat your Mother to something special : a One of A Kind, Original Sew Gracious Bag! :-)

All bags are ready to ship now, via US Priority Mail. There's plenty of time for Mother's Day delivery. Click here to see all the bags in my Etsy shop (there are more than you see here) or click the pics below to go to the individual listing.

Happy Shopping = Happy M O M !

These beautiful new OOAK [one of a kind bags] feature fabrics from some of my favorite designers : Amy Butler, Sandi Henderson (Ginger Blossom for Michael Miller), Heather Bailey and L I N E N !

This Time; It's Personal

Many people may think that because I make bags, I have a closet-full. Not so.

I get a new bag when I decide to keep one that didn't turn out quite right {an "oops" bag} or one, that for some incredibly strange reason, hasn't sold! ;-)

Today was different. We are getting ready to head out on Spring Break {WOO HOOO} and I desperately needed a new bag. My current bag was an old oops bag that I carried last winter and I was tired of it. It wasn't very beach-y . . at all. So, I decided to make a bag just for me; something I would buy if I were looking at websites or Etsy shops.

Here's what I came up with. My new favorite, natural linen, paired with a patchwork of some of my favorite fabrics; topped off with a band of brand new Amy Butler Midwest Modern pink floral. I've shown pics of both sides because they are different.

I'd love to have your comments on this bag. I'm going to set up a poll on the blog too. Please vote and let me know if you want more linen bags. I would love to make more if you like them.

More about spring break soon. ;-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And a note about Idol Gives Back:

• Biggest Surprise of the Night : HEART! Love ya, Ann & Nancy! I just hated that Ann apparently can't hit those high notes anymore; but Fergie did a great job
• Most Impressive Move of the Night : 2 one-handed front walkovers by Fergie! WOW
• GOING HOME TONIGHT: Syesha although Carly is low in the polls
  
  

More Amy Butler . More Linen .

Lovin' the linen!

Linen . . .what a nice compliment to these pretty pink dahlias from Amy Butler's new Midwest Modern Collection! I LOVE . LOVE . LOVE this new bag! The top band is a coordinating pink & gray dot, also from Midwest Modern.

You can have this brand new OOAK bag all to yourself (or give it to your Mom) by clicking here or clicking the pic.

Linen & Patchwork : Amy Butler, Heather Bailey & more

It's a hard combination to beat . . . linen, patchwork, Amy Butler, Heather Bailey, Anna Griffin Nice! :-)

This is my newest bag, now available in my Etsy shop. I used some of of my favorite fabrics from some of my favorite designers. Damask, Dots, Florals paired up for a fun casual, yet elegant bag. Wouldn't your Mom love this for Mother's Day? She would think you are the cat's meow! ;-)

Click the here or click the pics to go to the listing. Grab this one soon, if you love it or I may decide to keep it myself! ;-)




And, a note about American Idol . . . Farewell, Ramiele.

And the Award Goes To . . .

My bag won the bag category of the Journal Modiste Modie Awards! Thank you to everyone who took time to vote for my bag. What a great way to start the day!

I hate to sound cheesy, but it truly is an honor to win. The other 2 finalists, Mary of Sweet Pea Totes and Kristen of Gock's Frocks, both entered outstanding bags. Talk about some stiff competition . . . each of these ladies are talented, successful, creative designers. :-) To be among them was certainly an honor.

A big thank you to Amy at Journal Modiste for hosting the awards again this year. For many years now, Amy's website has promoted handmade items. JM continues to be a wonderful resource and positive place for buyers & sellers of handmade accessories & clothing. Keep up the great work, Amy!

Thanks for letting me toot that horn one last time. :-)

Etsy Additions : Amy Butler & more

This pretty handbag is made with Amy Butler fabric : Full Moon Dots, Gothic Rose & Pink Coriander! What a beautiful combination! If you simply must have this OOAK (one of a kind) bag, click the pic or click here to get it in my Etsy shop! Perfect for spring, summer and MOTHER'S DAY! :-)



So maybe pink is not your thing. That's OK. How about rich chocolate brown with cool spa blue? NICE! This lovely OOAK bag is made with fabric from Joel Dewberry & Anna Griffin . . . a perfect pair! Click the pic or click here to buy this bag for yourself . . . or your mom!

And a word about American Idol . . . farewell to Chikeze! :-)