HANDLE THIS! ART IMPRESSIONS BAG

Here's a pattern I purchased from The Fat Quarter Shop here.  The pattern is called Handle This! which offers three handle options from http://www.artful-offerings.com/  The chic style utilizing a large ring with a tied handle captured my interest and of course, had to make one.  I got my 2" O-Rings from here. 

When you have a chance, check out her blog called You Sew, Girl!.....Nicole  "Nikki" shares lots of great information not only on bag making but techniques for any project.  Thank you "Nikki" for sharing your ideas and patterns!

Grey and handle fabrics are from a local fabric shop called Discount Fabric Warehouse and the Amy Butler fabric trim, pocket and lining is from Kilauea Kreations, a cute little quilt shop on the East side of the island.  If you are ever visiting, gotta go there.  It is in a refurbished old plantation style house.  Next time I go there, I'll take a picture of it for you.   It's just a neat place to visit and the people who work there are wonderful!

I had fun making this....!  Next time I'll try a different handle...maybe a bamboo one..seen some cute bags with bamboo handles lately and I've been wanting to try them out!

ORCHID

Have you seen anything so unusually pretty?  This is an orchid plant I purchased about two years ago from a local farmer, "Matias", at a nearby Farmer's Market.  At the time of purchase, it had only one bloom and to have two blooms, two years later, plus a bud is very exciting to me. 

I just had to show you this....Don't you just love it...

MARKET BAG

Another Market Tote Bag from Sweetwater....This was made from fabric that I really didn't feel it deserved throwing out.  It is also from some denim that was reserved to be upcycled!  The only thing that was purchased to finish up this tote was the interior lining....It's a really nice blue, perfect for summer!

Handles were made from denim scraps as well as the back panel.  Luckily, the back denim  was large enough to be one piece:

I added the front hardware again....it really makes sense to have this for a cell phone, iphone, itouch, ipod, etc.  And of course, here's my tag, very simple, just how I like things...

Since this was a denim project, a little button was added in the front just for the heck of it....

And here it is, my newest Market Tote:

As you can see, the front pocket is actually from the denim trouser....it was in such good condition that I had to put it to use.  I enjoyed making this!..Cute!

REMEMBERING DAD

Today, my mom, brothers and sister and our families are celebrating my dad's life who left this world peacefully last year this month at over a 103 years old.  With almost no education, at a young age, he sacrificed leaving his family from the Phillipines to come to America for the wonderful opportunities that we sometimes take for granted.  He was alert and his mind was as sharp as a pin 'till his final breath.  Although money can buy the best education, money cannot buy the examples he led by and the values and foundation he built and believed in and taught his five children.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO ALL THE DAD'S OUT THERE.   ANYONE CAN BE A DAD.  BUT IT TAKES A SPECIAL PERSON TO BE A FATHER.

SIMPLY STYLISH TOTE

Back to sewing!  Found some really cute fabric at Kilauea Kreations, a cute little quilt shop on the east side of the island.  I really like orange and thought what a cute tote it would make.  So, here I go....dug up a cute pattern from this website.  For this tote, I extened the width 2" making it 15 inches wide instead of 13 inches.  I used a pretty Robert Kaufman fabric for the lining I got from a local fabric store:

Used some D-rings that were on sale at Wal*Mart::

I like using this Bb & me tag....makes it look "special".  I made a little yoyo from some scrap fabric and sewed a cute little button in the middle:

Here she is....SIMPLY STYISH TOTE:

From this project, I learned that using interfacing on the back of the exterior fabric makes a difference, to me.  It was advised that if  fusible fleece is used on the back of the lining, it isn't necessary to use any interfacing on the exterior fabric.  While to some it does not matter, I personally like the feel and crisp look of a bag that uses interfacings both on the lining AND exterior fabric.  I also used magnetic snaps on this tote.  So cute!

FLAG DAY - JUNE 14

Today is Flag Day in the United States.....Some info below from here:

Flag Day doesn’t have the commercial power of Halloween or the religious significance of Easter and Christmas. It also lacks the reverence of Memorial Day and the celebratory punch of the Fourth of July.

And still, Flag Day holds meaning.  From its humble beginning at a Wisconsin public school in 1885, the day has been an observation of our national banner and what it signifies. The flag symbolizes our nation’s sovereignty, freedom and liberty.  On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act, which stated, “Resolved that the flag of the United States be made of 13 stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be 13 stars, white in a field of blue, representing a new Constellation.”

As our nation has grown, so has the number of stars on the flag. But the 13 stripes have been a constant. You could see the stars representing our nation’s ability to grow and prosper, and the stripes as the bedrock principles that have guided us from the start.

HAPPY FLAG DAY EVERYONE....WEAR YOUR RED, WHITE AND BLUE, STARS AND STRIPES WITH PRIDE!

RECIPE REVIEW - MANGO BREAD

Okay, I'm in the mood for more baking!  Got some beeeeeeautiful Hayden magoes from a freind.  Thank you, Frankie!  Hmmmm, what should I make?  Mango cheese pie (better not, that stuff is rich, rich, rich!), Mango mai tais.margaritas (nope, I'll be useless before afternoon), Mango chutney (too much work!), Mango pie (um, not in the mood to roll out dough), Mango bread (yes!).  I remember a good friend of mine, Suzy-Q shared a recipe from her collection of shared recipes and this particular one came from an Executive Chef of a popular hotel in Waikiki. Love recipies like this where most of the ingredients are already in my pantry.  Here's the recipe:

MANGO BREAD

2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar (or less if mangoes are sweet)
3/4 cup salad oil
2 cups diced over riped mangoes
1/2 cup nuts or raisin (optional)

Soft together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Make a well in the center and set aside.  Beat together eggs, sugar and oil; pour into the center of the dry ingredients and mix well, adding mangoes, raisins/nuts last.  Pour batter into a greased one-pound loaf pan and bake in a pre-heated 350 degrees oven for one hour or until done.

Here it is....

Again, this bread is always moist and "ono"!  I don't get to make this often since mangoes are seasonal here and when it is in season, it is EXPENSIVE!  This recipe is thumbs up!  Thank you Suzy-Q for sharing this with me!

I found that Hayden mangoes are more tastey than other mangoes I've tried.  But bottom line is that they are all delish!  Try and let me know if you like it.