A New Purse and a Photo Adventure

I spent more time on Sunday sewing. Again, nothing on my to do list for April, but at least it is something that I've had fabric for since, oh, Black Friday. (Last year though, so not like it's been sitting around that long.)

I remember it was Black Friday when I bought the fabrics because I was wandering around, waiting for my number to be called at the cutting table. I don't usually walk through the home dec section because I don't have any projects needing that weight of fabric. But then I spotted the chickens on mustard yellow print. I knew exactly what I wanted to make with it once I saw it.

Awhile back, Cheri at I Am Momma, Hear Me Roar shared a pattern and tutorial for a purse she calls the Tohoku Tote. I fell for the style of it and filed it away in my head to make in the future.

I paired it with a mustard and a red linen. I added a large pocket panel for those things that always seem to get lost in my purse. I wanted to also put in a key clip, but didn't have any at home and was not driving to Joann's to get some. Since I was on a roll getting some things done, I wasn't about to put this project off for another six months.

As far as my thoughts on this project, I don't think I would make another one, at least without tweaking most of it. I decided to follow her directions for the most part, and there are steps that I would have done differently. I also needed to switch out for my zipper foot to top stitch the bag around the top because of the snap. Not a biggie, but that wasn't mentioned in the tutorial. The straps are a little wide as well. I know I could have changed this before sewing them in, but I thought I would give them a shot and see how I feel about them after using this purse for awhile.

I do love the purse and how roomy it is. The pattern is free, so it was worth sewing up.

Today, I spent some time shooting photos for my photography project. One of the pieces I have to create is going to be about my love of nature, so off to Buffalo River State Park I went.

The lighting wasn't what I wanted. It was a tad too sunny to shoot everything I had in mind, but what I did get will work. The wind was an issue and half of the photos I took with my self timer had my hair flying like crazy.

I noticed when looking at the dried prairie grass that it is pretty close in color to my hair. Here's a photo for proof. Mine is a little darker, but after the summer, it will be dead on to the color of the grass.

I also took some photos of myself at another favorite spot, also along the Buffalo River. It's a part of the train tracks that is just peaceful to me. No photos to share from that as the wind was not my friend there.

I may take more in this theme for this project, and definately will take more just for fun.

Now, off to walk my dogs before work. Have a great day!