New Elephant Bag made out of a Ganesh Indian Scarf!

This is the bag I made out of the Indian scarf...


I thought this bag turned out absolutely adorable--I love the royal blue coupled with the yellow lining--and I even cut out a large elephant and put him on the pocket inside!

I lvoe the 5 ruby red swarovski crystals on the flap and I hand embroidered the outline of the elephant and the cicle around the elephant so they'd be more noticeable.

I like the length of this bag too--it sits comfortably at your waist

I used cushiony interfacing for the body and strap and I also put stablizer on the elephant fabric to make it stronger. See the full description and pictures in my White Camilla Etsy shop!

My New Red, White & Black Logo Bag!!!

I finally finshed my logo bag see blog http://caroljoyfashions.blogspot.com/2012/06/whats-black-and-white-red-all-over.html

and my husband (aka the shipping department and photographer) took some great shots!

I love dramatic and this bag certainly shouts it! I used really nice, sturdy black faux leather for the main body and for the squares I added white cotton so I can wash it easily. I made sure I put a border on the top and bottom to minimize wear on the white cotton, but also to highlight the squares more.

I had a surprise while I was making this piece, I liked the position of the "C" better in the first square rather than in the second position (compare to my logo here.)



Anyway, it was so much fun choosing fabric for the lining--and I even picked up the red on the handles and the "O's" on the reverse side of the pockets.

I used the same red cotton broadcloth on the reverse side of the handles so they would wear more comfortably--the red "confetti dot" fabric would be itchy against your skin even though it looks great.

I used a lot of cushiony interfacing in this bag--I love the look and feel of it and plus, the added cushioning for the goodies in your bag.

I'll be carrying this bag with me wherever I go--and passing out my business cards and showing any stray purses I have inside this bag. Come say hi!

What's Black and White & Red All Over?

No, not a newspaper.

But before I get to what it is, let me just say my lovely husband (aka the shipping department) is making a wonderful shrimp pasta dinner (when he takes a break, I'm going to sneak some out of the pan).

Boy, he sure knows how to make great shrimp, he uses garlic, butter and lots of love...I need to get my mind off my empty stomach...

Okay, I'm in the process of making a "logo" purse. I think I made the concept up, but I'm not sure. It's going to look like my logo! I can't wait to show you, hope to have it done by this weekend!

Here Comes the Sun!

I just finished this large yellow cozy bag--and I'm in love with the colors and offbeat look.

I hand sewed a large vintage 80's piece of jewelry on the flap, and I was thrilled that it coordinated with the circles on the black cotton lining. The used yellow on the inside pocket to micmic the yellow fur (and it's also easier to see inside the pocket). The inky black handle and flap are made with faux suede--

I double or triple stitch all my seams in these large bags for extra durability, and of course, all the seams are nicely finished. This bag will truly be different in every way.

What a a fun, funky bag!













http://www.etsy.com/listing/102437795/large-cozy-bag-just-ducky-craft-fur-faux

"It is finished!", as they say

I just finished the dress, bonnet and panties for niece's baby and I'm so excited at the finshed product. I love this blue, polka dot fabric, it makes me think of Alice in Wonderland or some fairy tale book character. And the lace is such a perfect match--she'll be all ready for the warm Florida weather!

Cooking is not my Friend

You might say to yourself, "Wow, Carol Joy seems to be so involved in sewing, how does she find the time to cook and clean? She must have a lot of energy."

How do I do it? By NOT doing it--I don't clean or cook (well, my Husband has been making me a schedule so that I have to "cook" on the weekends).

I have a very nice, sweet husband who cooks and cleans almost daily. Do I count my lucky stars? You betcha.

Guess What This is Going to Be?

Well, isn't it funny that I can't use the baby fabric I talked about in my last post because there's not enough of it?

So, I looked in my stash to see what I could find, and I have to say I'm really pleased. I found cute, light aqua-blue cotton with white polka dots, white cotton eyelet, lace and light white cotton for lining. I even have the little buttons.

So, I have everything I need to make a dress, bonnet, panties, maybe a purse and shoes. (Reminder: this is for a baby, not for me) I'll post the pictures soon!

I Love My Husband

So, I was trying to figure out what fabric I was going to use for a dress and bonnet I want to make for my niece's new baby.

I came up with a charming animal print, with happy giraffs, lions and tigers. I showed my husband this and told him I need to get some coordinating fabric for the hat.

He recoiled from the fabric. "No!" he said. "That fabric is awful!"

I was surprised but went back to the drawing board to find something else. Well, I didn't have anything else.

I came back out to the living room. "I'm going to need to go to Joanne--"

He gave me a knowing look. "Sure." he said, "And you have all that fabric in there."

"Well, I don't have anymore baby fabric."

"Baby fabric? Why do you want to wear baby fabric?"

I took a deep breath. "You thought that was for me? That I was going to make a dress for me out of baby fabric?"

"If you did, I was going to walk on the other side of the road."

Boy, I really, really love my husband.

Buyer Appreciation - Thanks, Candace!

I made a purse that I called the Royal Ohm Purse...I put a lot of thought and care into it and I truly loved that purse. I had hand-embroidered the ohm symbol, and sewed many semi-precious stones on the front and back. Well, a lovely lady recently purchased it, and she sent me wonderful photos which she said I could share.

She sent me an email that really touched and flattered me and I know she will take great care of the Royal Ohm Purse. Namaste, Candace!

Royal Blue Elephant Ganesh Scarf

I think this is the scarf I want to make a bag out of first. Isn't this a lovely royal blue?

And I love the elephants...I'm told that the elephant is Ganesh.
http://festivals.iloveindia.com/ganesh-chaturti/lord-ganesh.html

That lovely border part will look so cool at the top of the bag. I'll be shoring up this fabric with some sturdy denim or broadcloth so the bag will be able to stand lots of wear.

I'll post the finished product!

An Incredible Gift!

I had a lovely weekend at a gathering of friends I hadn't seen for a while.

What a pleasant surprise, one of them brought mounds of scarves, many of which were made in India.

I was so excited! I chose a emerald green one, with shiny silver embroidery and sequins; a red, blue, tan, yellow scarf with elephants and a lovely border; and an incredibly vivid aqua scarf among others.

Some of these I will make into incredibly unique bags, I can't wait!