DIY Camera Tote

I have wanted to make the perfect camera tote for quite some time.  I’ve bought many many many camera bags over the years.  Most recently a back pack that is great for when I’m on a plane but not so good when I’m just out for a drive.  None of them were quite right.  I wanted something attractive that would protect my camera and hold at least one lens.  Also wanted a really long handle so I could wrap it around my body like a messenger bag and it had to have a lot of pockets and compartments.

And here it is!

DIY Camera Tote, ExteriorIt has an outside pocket for my notebook plus two for water bottles that are lined just in case the bottles sweat.

Inside there’s a padded camera compartment plus one for a lens.

A zippered pocket holds all my little things.  There are two phone pockets but I use one for my sunglasses and a pen.

And last, but not least, an attached key chain holder.

Camera Tote InteriorWhen I don’t have my camera, the compartment folds over to the side and there’s plenty of room for purchases.

At first I thought it was way too big and the handle too long.  But after using it for a few weeks, I love it.  I just put a knot in the handle when I want to carry it over my shoulder.

I padded the bottom of the bag and the camera compartment with 1/2″ foam padding and plastic canvas.  I also lined the lens compartment with 1/2″ foam padding.

I’ve attached a pdf for the tutorial.  There are several layers of fabric in some parts so you have to have a heavy duty machine to sew through them.

Camera Tote

This is the last I’m using the black and white premier prints fabric for this year.  Gotta move on to Christmas!

 

DIY French Cushions

For seating in my office, I use dining room chairs that I bought at a used furniture place a few years ago.  I painted them gray, replaced the foam, and upholstered them in some white fabric that I had used previously for drapes. But these chairs were incredibly uncomfortable and I sit on them a lot!  So I usually put a pillow on top of the seat which is rather unattractive.  Since I want both comfy and pretty, I pulled two 16 1/2″ x 15″ foam pads out of one of my storage trunks and created French cushions.

DIY French Cushions, cushions

Before there was Pinterest, I had to actually read magazines, clip out articles, and store them in a paper file.  What a waste of time!  So glad I don’t have to do that anymore.  (Now I just spend 3 times as much time scanning Pinterest whenever I want to start a new project.)  But I have made French cushions a few times and always follow an article from a Better Homes and Gardens from way back in October 2000!  While the article is for a bench cushion, you can use the directions to cut it down to any size.  I’ve attached the tutorial here:

End-of-the-Bench Cushion

While the directions are easy-peasy, I did make a few changes to get the look I wanted.  First, my idea of a French cushion has fat piping, big running hand stitches that show, and covered buttons.  This tutorial calls for one layer of batting that is cut to the size of the cushion but I used two layers and made them about an inch bigger on all sides so I could push batting into the edges.  I also waited until I was completely finished hand-stitching the piping before I closed the open end.  When I did sew the opening shut, I used an invisible closing seam.

DIY French Cushions, cushions

The tutorial calls for tufts but I made cover buttons with a contrasting fabric.  Also easy, especially since Terry’s here and he’s strong enough to get the little pusher to snap the backs into place.

DIY French Cushions, buttonsAll done and on my chairs, so pretty, so comfy!

DIY French Cushions

Almost have all of this fabric used up.  One more DIY project featuring the black and white Premier Prints for next week!

Adventures with Michelle, Mom’s Six Pack

I am not a fan of beer. This is not a revelation to people who know me. Not to say that I won’t drink one, I do, but it’s not my first choice. I’m a gin n’ tonic girl who’s had to give up the tonic (cause I think it’s eaten a hole in my stomach…but good news, I’ll never get malaria!).

These days I’ve been more into vodka mixed with, well, most anything. This isn’t a big deal if I’m at home or at a restaurant or an afternoon/evening at Perfect (always the best bar – and there’s always a driver…or a sofa). There are time’s, however, when a bottled drink is choice. Something I like even less than beer are the ‘malt-beverage drinks’ that are out. That’s everything other than beer. Now that Zima’s off the market, I’m out of luck. Now I have a choice of expensive, overly sweet and super high calorie bottled ‘lady drinks’ (ugh), or a manly ‘hard lemonades’ which I’m sure has the same level of acid content as my car’s battery. I’d bother to try them all, but just reading the labels I can narrow it down to maybe 2 or 3 versions on the shelf that seem even moderately appetizing. How ‘bout a bottled Sangria? Sounds good, since it probably contains some actual fruit juice and wine, right? Not! It’s tasty, but I’m not sure what’s in it…not rum, or wine, but whatever it is it’s 225 calories worth – per bottle! And who’s going to drink one bottle? Not me! (yet again, not another revelation to those who know me).

So, I’ve had this dilemma for a while, but it hasn’t really been an issue until River Day. Ahhhh, River Day…that’s when the mermaids go and hang out and enjoy one of Mother Nature’s most beautiful gems, the Weeki Wachee river. I’m always so excited that they even invite me. I try to bring something yummy to offer the retired Goddesses of the Deep, to remain favorable in their eyes. They are my favorite sirens. Now, like every God fearing cult, there are rules. (ha ha) Na! But seriously, there’s ’No Glass’ at the river. This is a very good rule, for reasons that are very obvious once you arrive at their little private haven – you must respect the fins – no glass.

The makings of mom's six pack

Here’s my solution to the high-calorie, fruity, malted beverage in a glass bottle problem. DIY! For a long time I’ve been mixing liquor of all sorts with club sodas, flavored mineral and filtered waters. Why can’t I just do that – ok, there’s that whole ‘Open-Container Law’ here in FL. But I’m hoping that if it’s in a cooler and in the trunk, it’s not really ‘open’ is it? (don’t answer that!) Not to say you have to carry it anywhere – maybe you want them at home, waiting patiently at the back of the fridge for when Friday just won’t get here fast enough. So, here’s what you do. Find a bottle for a carbonated soda to reuse. I like Perrier, because I’d drink the mineral water anyway, but mostly cause it had a neat shaped and remarkably heavy plastic bottle. I guess it needs to stand up to a lot of pressure being shipped all the way from France (really, from FRANCE?!) Remove the label and refill. Awesome! I like a mixture of Fruit2O lemon, a trickle of Limoncello, and a bit of vodka. (you can use your best judgement – don’t use mine, or you’ll be drunk!) Some bottles I topped with a bit of San Pellegrino Lemon soda. It’s so good, so lemony and actually has some lemon in it…not so much acid that you could charge your cell phone with it either! The Fruit 2O is a flavored water with a touch of carbonation and 0 calories. You could do this with a raspberry version or even a bit of orange peel with a hint of Cointeau. Hmm, I’m thinking a lo–cal DIY bottled mojito may make it’s way to River Day sometime….but keep it hiding in the cooler,…in the trunk – shhhh! It’s for a good cause – no glass – you must Respect The Fins.

Mom's six pack