Colors of spring

I bought these beautiful flowers today - Ranunkeln und Löwenmäulchen (I have no idea what their english names are). Spring is definitely here!!

DearAnna-Bag II (a little glimpse)

Yes! Done! I made it!!!

The bag is finished and actually looks nice - but since I didn't give it to my friend yet, I can only show you a little glimpse of it. I really hope she'll like it!!

DearAnna-Bag I (aka The Prototype)

Ok, so maybe I did get carried away - a little bit. My dear friend Anna's birthday is next week - and I wanted to give her something special.

So I told her, she can pick a bag from the Amy Butler book - and she did!! The cute little blossom bag.

But since she is an absolutely book-crazy woman and takes a book (or two) everywhere she goes  - and is mummy to a little baby girl - we decided to enlarge the bag a little to fit her needs.

So, not only a tricky bag but also different from the pattern - I love the challenge (What was I thinking??).

Better to sew a prototype before I start with the fabric she picked. 

And that's what I did the last week, and last night I finished the PROTOTYPE!

I'm glad, I made the effort because I found some things I will have to change - but it turned out quite well!

Have a look and decide for yourself...

My first handbag

No, of course it's not my first handbag - like  every other woman I own more than enough handbags - but this is the first time I made a handbag for myself.  I always wanted to make one, but I always feared it would be too difficult. Now, having bought the wonderful book "Style Stitches" by Amy Butler I just had to give it a try. Since I have more than enough fabric; collected over the years and patiently waiting to be made into something - I selected some summery IKEA fabric and gave it a try.

I have to say - for it being the first time, I'm very pleased with the result.

The finished bag

The lining used to be an IKEA bedspread (very british, I think)

I used some old buttons and a ribbon to close the top

Boy cardigan into very girly jacket

I just returned from a weekend trip to Switzerland - visiting my dear friend Anna and her beautiful little mouse Alicia (ok, and her hubby, too - even though I didn't see him much). But I have to admit - having a mostly girls weekend was a lot of fun.

When I had asked Anna, what to bring for the baby she said she could use a light wool cardigan. Knowing that my dear friend is quite a little fashion victim herself and has great taste in dressing little Alicia, I wanted to bring something special. But all the girls cardigans were very girly - puffy sleeves, only one button - not very much suited keeping an energetic one year old warm.

But I found a great boys cardigan - very british, hooded and with a long zipper. So I decided to pimp it up a little bit to make it wearable for a little girl.

So here is the before and after:

Plain boy cardigan

Girl version with added lace and buttons

Some more buttons on the bottom

Ok, the arms are a little long - but she'll grow into it

Yes, it definitely doesn't look like a boy's cardigan anymore