Tuesday, May 5, 2009

remember those shopping bags i was telling you about?

i finally finished 2 of them during nap time today.


as i was sewing (and consequentially ripping some seams) i came up with my own philosophy on crafting.  want to hear it?  it's this: just go for it and have fun.  you see, i am not really good at reading patterns or following directions, usually when i make things i sort of wing it.  i see something i like and want to make and i give it a try.  like these shopping bags for instance, i just sort of copied a bags shape that i have and added some applique and embroidery to make it my own.  it was really fun and i like that about crafting- that you can just go for it and make whatever you like.  given, there are times when i want to kick myself for not being more of a perfectionist or a better planner, but i almost always happy with what i have made and have fun, even if i am not the best sewer.  
i also have another crafting philosophy- i love freebies!  so, if you like these bags, leave a comment.  tell me which bag you like and your favorite earth friendly tip.  a random winner (or two?) will be selected friday! make sure there is a way for me to get ahold of you and spread the word.  or not, it may decrease your chances of winning ;)

blue & green (click on em, they should get bigger)
purple & orange

13 comments:

katie speed said...

such a good motto on crafting! so cute ash...

liko said...

i like! and i am beginning to understand your philosophy: right now i am eyeing my favorite pieces of clothing, and i am gonna attempt sewing my own shirts and replicating some favorite clothes of faith's that i love so much. i want to make them my own, with little touches to make them cute and original. hehe. wish me luck. i like how you can look at something and like it and replicate it. i have learned that you can do anything, if you want to enough. and i love both bags. but if i have to choose, it'd be the purple and orange.
miss you!

Melissa said...

um i think mine is not running the water whike you wash the dishes...and finding fun ways to reuse something instead of throwing it away.
good job n he bags!

liko said...

oh, i forgot my earth-friendly tip:
recycle (duh! these days you get money back when you do!), and when you're out and about (like at the beach), pick up and dispose of the trash you see.

Missy said...

I recycle a lot. Am thinking of starting a compost bin instead of throwing uneaten food in the trash and LOVE using reusable bags. Boy, wouldn't I feel special bringint one of these bags out instead of my red Trader Joe's bags. I like these.

Brie said...

i want to be like you when i grow up...so positive..i heart u

Anna K. said...

Oh Fun! I love both bags! Purple is my favorite color though so I choose purple and orange.

I guess it's always good to remember that the earth is OUR responsibility and our friend. Bring a bag wherever you go just in case you happen to run into a piece of trash that is not in the can! Even if the mess isn't ours... if we don't keep it clean then who will? Yay for the earth!

stef j. said...

purple and orange.

and my tip ... walk walk walk. save the planet and your waistline all at the same time. S W E E T !!

Erika said...

You're the queen of crafty! Those bags turned out so cute. I want to make some...I just have those not so cute store re-usable bags. Speaking of which, that would be one thing I do do...bring my own bags with me when I go shopping (Target gives each different item a bag of their own, or so it seems). So like you, I'm a fan of bringing re-usable bags to the store...I HATE seeing plastic bags strewn along the roadside. Nasty! Um, another one would be RECYCLE...recycle any and everything you can.

The Trotter Family said...

I guess my earth friendly tip would be to teach my kids to recycle. I have a nearly three year old that knows where our recycle is and I am teaching him what can and can't go in there. Hopefully he will do it at other people's homes as well!

j,d and little b said...

Hmmmm well instead of throwing away my left over food I throw it outside for the roosters to eat..So less in the garbage and more roosters in your yard? I like the green and blue! Soo cute!

mahina said...

i like th egreen and blue! they are adorbale! being that we just spent the last 8 years living in oregon, aka, "tree hugger country" we are very used to recycling! now that we don't have to recycle here in the high desert we still do! i also think that taking quick showers are good for saving water!!

betsy said...

The bags turned out great! I like how you used that aloha print material to make something not so aloha-y. Pick me to win Velzy!
Our earth is beautiful and we should always keep it tidy and clean. I try to pick up garbage that I see and often get frustrated when people litter even though there is a garbage 3 feet from where they dropped their rubbish. If we made it a point to pick up 5 pieces of garbage a day - cause there is that much - then we would have a much cleaner community.