u/chickaboomba

I am getting brave and using some gifted African Wax fabric to make an evening bag. I’ve made tote bags, and I used to sew curtains, my kids clothes, costumes, etc., but this will be the first time I’ve attempted a purse, especially one I’d be ok wearing to an evening event.

I’m aiming for baguette-style with an oversized upper French seam for drawstrings to give it a cute shape with pulled tight. I’ll also add a magnetic snap to make sure it can actually close at the top without a zipper. Not brave enough to attempt a zipper on my first purse.

I’ve added an image of the basic idea I have ( I am NOT an artist), but I’m wondering what you think makes an evening bag useful. Do I bother with an inner pocket or is a smooth interior preferred?

Lastly, what kind of shoulder strap do you like? I’m Lea ing against a chain (noisy and can hurt) but don’t want the strap to look clunky or homemade.

Taken around 5:15 PM on July 28 from the top story of the Sunport park garage.

The original painting that I tried to do is the third photo. I wanted to paint some bad ass ladies in line drawing style. I added rhinestones for the handbags, and for my first attempt at this style, I wasn’t thrilled to death, but I did love the ladies. Then, over the next couple of weeks, I had several people give me feedback that the proportions of their heads were wrong and that it just didn’t look very good. And while I don’t really care whether people like what I paint, I am a learning artist. I have struggled to learn how to paint over the last few years. So I painted over them and changed the rhinestones to be the center of flowers. I think I like it better, but I am sad to see my bad ass ladies go. I will probably try again on a different bag. Would love your feedback on my round two effort if you are so inclined. I normally really enjoy painting over flaws on used bags, but this experience kind of discouraged me.

I normally rehab ruined leather bags, but I have been looking for a new everyday bag that can fit a laptop, and this used Tori Burch will just barely fit it in the middle section. But it has two zippered sections and room for my two phones I always have to carry. It had a few ink stains, so I’ve covered them with some painted ladies with rhinestone bags. I used Angelus acrylic leather paint - black mixed with a touch of gold and matte sealant. Thought I’d share here because I love how it came out and my kids are quite over me sharing my bags with them!

Found these two bags at a thrift store and paid $15 total. Am hopeful the yellow nubuc might be real; it came with a wallet inside. Both came with straps inside the bags. Pretty sure the burgundy is not. It does not have a creed or tag sewn in anywhere.

Thought it was a plane crash at first. Never been so happy to find out it was a junkyard on fire again.

Had an 18,000 in ground gunnite heated pool with an automatic cover put in last spring and had absolutely no issues last year. Shock once a week; algae killer once a week. Vacuum every other day and brush once a week. Worked fine.

Builders who put the pool in winterized it for me and opened it for me this spring in early March. Had a severe cold spell so put the heater up to 95 and then forgot it and went on a business trip. Came home to water so hot under the cover it was uncomfortable.

Ever since then I’ve been fighting little white slimy spots and blooms and a slimy film. I shocked it with triple the shock a week ago but once the chlorine came down from 19 it is already getting a slimy film again at 8 ppm.

I went to the pool store and got Clear Aid, which I poured in this morning. I also got soda ash but was told not to use it for 48 hours.

Is the slime most likely algae? I’m so frustrated trying to figure this out and just get the pool back to a calmer state.
Gallon

Raining but evaporating in ABQ today. Always bummed when we have virga - we got rain but not any moisture.