bread, a bag, and buh bye

This may very well be the last post at Creativa. I'm over this space and am ready for an end or maybe even ready for a fresh start. Who knows!? Before I "leave", though, I have a couple of things to share. . .

BREAD:
I've heard about this bread book for over a year and have owned the book for over 6 months but I just decided to use it last week. Oh, wow, is it easy! The first dough I made was the all-purpose boule. From that, the first recipe I baked was the sticky buns and, let me tell you, oh, are they yummy! I've made them twice now and will very likely make sticky buns once a week! (Twice a week is probably not a good idea.) I have also baked the artisan bread from the boule recipe and have incorporated wheat flour into the dough recipe. It is so tasty, especially when it sits enough days to develop a sourdough taste. YUM, again! We don't usually eat bread with our meals so this may become a problem for our daily carb intake, but I'm sure we'll figure out a good solution or just do a little more exercising! Next recipe in the baking queue, sunny-side up apricot pastry!


BAG:
I have had one handbag on my mind for a couple of months, the "Everything Tote" found in Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross. It's a huge bag designed to carry goods from your shopping fun but I chose to make the bag to use as my daily handbag. I'm not a fan of big bags and prefer using a small purse or wristlet but would like to be able to carry my water bottle, my new day planner and my camera all together. This bag will work just fine, even if it is bigger than what I like to carry.



I worked on this bag over the weekend after purchasing Laura Gunn's Hanging Cages fabric (purchased at Fancy Tiger, of course!). The design on this fabric is so pretty and I figured I would enjoy it more if I used it for a handbag instead of a garment. I used a Kona cotton for the lining (I don't know the color but I would call it "ice blue") and Amy Butler "Happy Dots" in ice for the inside pocket and the lining of the straps.




The bag is pretty simple to sew and I like how the bias trim gives the appearance of piping sticking out from underneath the seam if you just happen to press it so. I reduced the size by 2" on all sides and added a couple of loops for keys and glasses and a zippered pocket on the exterior. I have decided it needs a water bottle holder of some sort. I was planning on sewing on a loop made from elastic to the inside side seam but, with possible condensation issues, I think I'll sew a tube that has elastic on the top and bottom ends. It will have to be sewn through the lining and exterior at this point.

I like my new handbag and I think it will help to keep me better organized.

BUH BYE:
I started this blog over 4 years ago. Over this time I have had highs and lows with blogging and in life. I've never really been a committed blogger and really only started this blog to keep a record of the things I make (mainly things I sew), recipes I cook and flowers/plants I grow in my garden. In 4 years I've certainly been inspired by many craft blogs and have spent much more time reading those than writing for this one. I appreciate the few who have visited and have left comments and am glad to also have made some new friends along the way. While I'm happy I started and kept this creative journal, I think it has reached its end. Right now, my life is going through a few transitions and I feel ready for a fresh start--2 of my children will be in school full-time, there are big changes with my husband's job, and the biggest transition is new life, I'm pregnant! A new blog, with a new name, and a new focus seems to be calling my name. I don't know when (or if) this will happen, but I hope it will be sooner rather than later. For now, I'll keep reading those amazing craft blogs and I'll be thinking about where I'm headed with blogging. Hope to see ya soon!