Vera Bradley Eat Your Heart Out

What would you do if you had seven yards of dirt in your driveway that needed to be hauled to various points around the property?

If you had a young man power washing your house and another guy delivering a pool?

If you had three kids with exams and essays due to Seton and a field trip to plan for Friday?

If you had a dirty kitchen, muddy floors and nothing to cook for dinner?

If you were me you would make a new bag.

    Elizabeth recently made the cutest apron using this book .  I took this as a sign to buy the book because it had been showing up on my radar for a week.  I saw it while perusing the beautiful Soule Mama blog and then it turned up on my recommended Amazon list.

I felt the Lord wanted me to have this book.  I often feel the Lord wants me to have stuff and since He is a wonderful heavenly Father it’s always stuff I want. 

So I bought the book and there was the bag.  I immediately thought of this fabric in my stash.  Now, I really like the book but I must say I abandoned the directions after step two.  I am just not a directions type of person and there were only a few little line drawings.  I am much too visual.  So I used the measurements and then went off on my own.  It is by no means perfect.  Actually there are a few glaring mistakes.  I have never done a bag before and the lining gave me a bit of trouble, not because it was difficult but because I was distracted.  Maybe that to-do list at the top of the post was on my mind.

Anyway, I’m really happy.  I made a few adjustments that suit me better than the original. For example I cut a piece of cardboard (a Rice Crispies box actually) to fit in the bottom and  covered it in the outside fabric.  I made a side pocket on each side rather than one and tomorrow Dave will be home so I will hit the fabric store and buy a pretty grosgrain ribbon to finish the inside seams.  I also may splurge on a big wooden button and make a closure.

I will definitely be making this again, hopefully without all the mistakes.  I have a pretty corduroy fabric which would make a nice fall bag.

About that dirt pile….

                                                                                                                                 

Yes, those are pajama pants, but they are super-cool Thomas the Tank Engine pajama pants and are therefore suitable for everyday wear. Even if they are faded and way too short.  Cool people get it.

They just had to climb.

Hard workers   

The foremen.

                                                                   

We have been digging and hauling for three days now and honestly the pile does not look much smaller.  It’s depressing.  So if you feel the urge for some physical exercise and have a wheelbarrow, feel free to stop by. I have snacks.