Pillows, Bags, & Ms. Judy

First and foremost, I am thrilled that I finally have a website up! Yeah! Second, I wanted to give you a preview of my new pillow covers and bags. They will be in my shop at some point this week and I can't wait! When I first started this project I was preparing for Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago, and up to my ears in things to do in preparation for it. I finally realized that I needed some help getting all my pillows and bags finished for Renegade, so I reached out to Continental Sewing in Jackson, where I had re-learned to sew last year (both of my grandmothers taught me when I was younger, but it had been years. If you need to take a class in Jackson, I recommend them). They referred me to a lady who helps sew for people, baby clothes, drapes, bedding, you name it. I called the number not expecting a pick up, and a sweet woman answered the other line. "This is Judy," she said. Come to find out, not only had Judy been a school teacher for 26 years, but she had taught at the school both my sisters and I graduated from, also where my mother and I both work at, and even crazier, my youngest sister was the last 1st grade class she had before she retired. I couldn't believe it! She went on to tell me that she had just written my sister her graduation note. Judy had a tradition of writing every student she had taught a handwritten letter at their high school graduation, she had just written my baby sister, Michelle's, graduation letter. With all the connections we have, I knew it was fate; I definitely had to work with her. Her name, Ms. Judy Owen, a quick witted southern lady and an extremely hard worker. I went over to her house with a box of my fabric designs/petterns and briefly explained to her what I was hoping to make. I also told her I understood it could not all be completed by the time I left for Renegade. Boy-ha-DE was I wrong! I have never seen such a determined woman in my life. Not only did she get what I needed for Renegade done, but she finished EVERYTHING! Words cannot express how grateful I am to have her in my life. She is such a bright spirit and survivor. I told her we were soul sisters only separated by "a few" years. Ms. Judy can make anything. If you ever need anything sewn, just call her up and she can get it done. She is Wonder Sewer! I ended up with pillow covers and zipper bags for days! The hand sewn pillow covers feature my original patterns. They are 16 inches x 16 inches and finished off with a zipper on the underside. A standard 16 inch x 16 inch pillow form can be purchased at just about any fabric store. I personally recommend the feather down pillow form, but understanding allergies, the fiberfill pillow forms work just as great. The hand sewn bags are my idea of a doc-kit meets make-up bag meets supply bag. I wanted to design a bag that was small enough to fit in a purse or carry on, but was large enough to hold a lot of different things. I also wanted to do a shape that I had not really seen around. I wanted to do something a bit different. each bag features my original patterns, is lined with another fabric, and closes with a zipper. The bag measures roughly 10 inches x 5.5 inches wide when flat. Can't wait to get my patterned pillows and bags in my shop so you can see all of them for yourself! This is only a sampling!