Home with a thud and some Christmas gift sewing

We landed back home around midday Sunday and I had to get straight back into sewing to get my mother in law's Christmas gift ready for Wednesday night dinner (more on the holiday later). By straight back in, I mean after lots of sniffling, blowing my nose, moaning and feeling pretty miserable at having gotten sick on the plane trip home. Still even a sick plane trip for 14 hours is blissful when the kids aren't underfoot!

Back to the sewing...

Some time ago my mother in law said she liked the Japanese bag I made for a friend (admittedly really a practice run for this scaled down one)

When I saw this black and white canvas fabric in Ikea I knew it would suit her perfectly. I asked what colour she'd like to go with a black and white bag, should she ever get one, and she said lime green. Not unsurprisingly that wasn't a fabric I had to hand so I bought some quilting cotton and stashed it all away til she'd forgotten about it.

To make it a little bit more pleasing to my own eyes I added the olive fabric leftover from my pattern mash pants.

This time I lined the external side pockets so there's no raw edge on the inside where the sash meets the bottom fabric.

Then I made another Have It All Wallet to match:

I beefed up the interfacing compared to my first one, but perhaps with the thicker fabric it was overkill. This one was very hard to do the edgestitching on.

Have to say, my sewing machine is a very basic Janome but it has the attitude of the Little Engine That Could and simply never gives up. Sometimes a bit of hand cranking is needed and I have been known to break both thread and needles, especially on that industrial strength canvas Messenger Bag I once made. However, my brave little machine soldiers on.

I, on the other hand, am a wimp and really need to buy myself a thimble as pinning this wallet was downright dangerous.

I'm happy to report that Darcy, who won the first wallet, has received it and sent me a lovely complimentary email. It feels so nice to make stuff to give away that is enjoyed and my mother in law seemed genuinely pleased with her gift.

Speaking of gifts, the Flipper and I are immensely thankful to my family for looking after the kids and allowing us an amazing culinary tour of Mexico.

Me searching Venice Beach, L.A. for that spot that looks like a scene from the film Pumping Iron. Sadly, to no avail.

Breakfast enchiladas with just a bit of meat! Barbecued on the spot in the market hall.

Need more protein on that enchilada? Add some grasshoppers! See those little legs?

Tacos Al Pastor. Oh my goodness, so yummy, and that's about $2 worth of food!
 

City bike hire schemes everywhere we went. Sadly, only for the locals. The Flipper and I were totally up for mixing it with the Mexico City traffic!

 

Cooking class in Puebla. We made Mole number 9. The best ever! (although the first eight were awesome too)

 

fantastic markets

those Mexicans are mad for Christmas. Pinatas everywhere

Is that me eating again?

 

This could be the happiest you'll ever see me. A Pastelleria that boxed up as much as you could carry. That tray was less than $7 worth and fed eight people! heaven!

 

We couldn't miss a Lucha Libre match. Hilarious, and our ringside seats were crazy dangerous!

 

That's a Lisette Diplomat dress and a Woodland Stroll cape on a deserted evening street.

 

If only we could have brought some of this loot home. Super cheap lollies for filling Pinatas.



 Before we went away the kids scored a balloon each from somewhere. We were bored one morning so we decided to cover them in papier mache and turn them into balls.

Obviously, once we saw all those Christmas pinatas in Mexico we knew what out balls should become. If only we could have carted some cheap lollies home. I'd love for the kids to have tried the chilli tamarind ones (yuck!)

 

I'm gunning for the blindfolded child with a broomstick method of Pinata destruction. Wish us luck, and no trips to A&E!