Friday, June 14, 2013

The Tammy Project Bag that became the.......

Dorothy Bag!


Click, Click, Click, there is no place like home!


I picked up the really cute frame from  BagsPurseFrames Etsy Shop, way back when I did the UR Priceless blog hop.  Another one of Madame Samm's wonderful and easy to follow patterns.  The red Gingham was actually a piece of fabric covering a jar of honey.  The red Presencia thread is from the lovely Jane of Janesfabrics Etsy store.  I did a little bit of chicken scratch embroidery stitch (the best embroidery stitch resource you will find, click on the link it will take you to a new window) on the shoes and also used the thread for threading on the handle, it really does make a difference using this thread, so easy.  The wool felt is from MaureenCracknell Etsy shop, she is very sweet and I made the bow kind of using this tutorial but making it way, way smaller.
The front pocket holds my precious 1 roll of Aurifil Thread
The back pocket is kind of hidden, no extra doodads, because it holds

my 1 pair of scissors (kids nails scissors w/curved ends, perfect for EPP Hexies)
There are 2 pockets here, but I did the stitching down the middle before I put the top pocket on, does that make sense, I wanted it to look kind of seamless.

I need to buy the red/white and blue tailer's shears from DOVO, they would be perfect for my "There's no place like home" Dorothy Bag.
The inside became a way to organize this mess.
my poor cake tin, haven't been able to make a cake for a few months.
Some fabric pens and all of the thread my MIL has given to me.
I have plenty of room to put more in, and will use it to put my current hexie projects in, so I can take it to the park and watch the kids play.
Do you see that little guy in there?
No Dorothy would be complete with out her trusty and very hard working Toto.
He's a good dog, he acts as a pin cushion and then has a felt pad at his feet for needles and a place to hold my clips and if you rub his belly he will pick up all of your pins, I hope it tickles and doesn't give him belly "pins".
I put a magnet inside on the underside.
He mostly stays inside of the bag, just in case there are any more Tornadoes.

This is the first time I have finished a project and said, there's not a thing I want to change, I LOVE THIS BAG!  Normally I always want to make something or change it some way, not this one, this is a keeper and all for me!

I must admit I miss the States, okay some people say I am living the dream life in Greece and it is a beautiful country, very safe, no worries about my children being kidnapped.  But I worry about their future in a different way, education is horrible and even after they are educated then they can not find a job.  So I would like them to take my Dorothy Bag and click, click, click their way to a safer future.

It looks like he is throwing the bag at me, but he's not, he's showing the bottom

Follow the Yellow Brick.....
.... Train Station?
Kalampaka is the last stop for this train, so it makes it easy to get here, wish I could say the same about getting away.
Make sure you visit these other fine ladies working on their Tammy Project Bags and give a big cheer to our lovely cheerleader and fabulous Pattern designer Madame Samm!

June 14th - Friday
Jan 

Don't forget to enter in the Birthday Giveaway!

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June Finishes

63 comments:

  1. Mara....what an absolutely "wonderful-delightful-made me smile from beginning to end" post! LOVE your Dorothy bag...Toto Too! Such sweet models at the train station! Thank you SO much for such a fun read!

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  2. Mara,
    I love your bag! It is so adorable but your children are very beautiful! Cute pictures. Have fun hopping around!
    jan@http://sewandsowfarm.blogspot.com/

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  3. So creative! Just love your bag!

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  4. Love how Tammy is now Dorothy! Your frame is really cute and your Toto pin catcher is really neat. Thank you for sharing you lovely bag.

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  5. Your Tammy bag is absolutely charming! Great way to match the frame to the theme...or theme to the frame...whichever! lol Thanks for sharing your darling bag.

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  6. Hi Mara, your Tammy is absolutely lovely!!! And the picushion is so adorable. Great pics!

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  7. On my 10.th birthday my mom organised my birthdayparty in the forest and we had quite a hike. How suprised was I that she next to all other goodies my favourite Schwarzwältertorte (made with lots of whipping cream!!). Crazy! still today I remember this!
    Happy birthday to your sweet daughter!

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  8. Oh this one is absolutely my winner for today.
    So great. Thanks for sharing
    Frederika

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  9. such a cute bag. I love the way you creatively find fabrics to use, and I love that you have one precious roll of Aurifil - just like me!

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  10. Hello Mara,
    I love your bag and the frame you used, I have to have one!
    Thank you for linking up to the store.
    Your pictures and your kids are so cute, I'm sure there will be good prospects for their future too, but I do understand your consider too.
    Liebe Grüße
    Bente

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  11. I like your Tammy Bag models - just darling!

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  12. Your Tammy bag is too cute! That is really thinking outside the box!

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  13. Love your Tammy story and your Tammy. :)

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  14. Your bag is fabulous! I so love the colors.Thank you for participating in the hop.Hubby gave me a surprise birthday party when I turned 40. It was quite nice and I actually enjoyed myself. I basically do not socialize.

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  15. Your bag is wonderful and you were so creative. I love the colors and the additions. My best birthday was my 30th it was the first time I ever had balloons and all the party fixins with it. Have a wonderful day.

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  16. Loved it at first, then you went over the top and added Toto...perfect!!

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  17. Stunning! Love, love, love this purse! blessings, marlene

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  18. sew creative. love the Dorothy bag

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  19. year I received a pair of birds for my birthday.

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  20. I tried to answer you wigget thing, put I don't no how. I love your bag.

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  21. I love your "Dorothy" bag. It is fun to take a pattern and make it your own. Great job!

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  22. Such great photos, such a great bag, there is no place like home like the place you found in our hearts...great job Mara.

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  23. A supersweet Dorothy bag this is! With a Toto inside.... very creative, great pictures! Thanks for sharing!

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  24. Your Tammy is darling and deserving of a top place today. Best birthday memory was my wish for a "green dress and green shoes" being filled by my Grandmother when I was 3 years old.

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  25. You hit the ball right out of the park. Eat your heart our Dorothy!! This is just about the cutest thing I have ever seen... not to be outdone of course by your lovely choices of models!

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  26. Love your Dorothy bag-and Toto, of course! Thanks for all the links, they will be very useful.

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  27. I loved getting books from my mom for my birthday every year. Great memories! happy birthday to your little girl-she is a cutie!

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  28. Mara how darling is your Dorothy bag! Love the shoe closure on top and the Dorothy shoes and Toto pincushion are so sweet. But the little cutie pie holding the Dorothy bag is precious too.

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  29. Dorothy is adorable! The shoes are so cute. Wonderful work, Mara, and the photo shoot is so much fun. Thanks for sharing ... :) Pat

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  30. Love your Dorothy bag! Your daughter looks so cool holding it! My best birthday was my 59th. We had a karaoke party down a wine cellar. The Czech guests were somewhat mystified!

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  31. Love your bag! How cool to make it a Dorothy bag! My favorite birthday memory is just from a couple of years ago. Hubby surprised me with a trip to NYC to see a musical for my 40th!

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  32. I really don't have a favorite memory of my birthdays. Nothing different about that day!
    hulseybg at gmail dot com

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  33. HELLO! NO SPECIAL ONE! ALL OF MY FAMILY HAS MADE EACH BIRTHDAY SO SPECIAL! THANKS FOR SHARING!

    msstitcher1948@yahoo.com

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  34. No really special Birthday memories but I love them when it involves chocolate cake!

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  35. Click, click. I love it! I'm getting to old to remember birthdays. Ha! Love your site and will be back to do the smocking tut. That's an old art.

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  36. I remember my 16th birthday party, the last one I had before my mom passed away from breast cancer. She made it special!

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  37. What a great bag - I love your frame, and the red shoes are perfect!
    Thank you for sharing!

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  38. Lovely bag that you made all your own. Cool red shoes and shoe clasp! Well done, Mara!

    What lovely children as well. I bet most loving mothers worry about such things no matter where they live. I'm only guessing as I was not blessed with children.

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  39. LOVE your creativity!!! Your Bag is Amazing!!! LOVE it!

    My favorite B-day memory is when two daughter's made me a cake...decorated like a Merry-Go-round! Was sooo cool!! Was such a nice surprise too...

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  40. I love that frame and those red shoes with the bow are just too cute! Sweet looking kids helping you show it off, too. My favorite birthday memory was when I was 10 and received my first Barbie doll in a homemade wedding dress--I still have it.

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  41. so cute!!!!! My favorite birthday memory isn't my birthday, but my best friend from High School. I threw a surprise birthday party for her 18th birthday and she was quite shocked. She was a huge John Denver fan (yes I'm dating myself) and my mom made a cake of his face, it was too funny!!!!

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  42. Oh my, what a cute, cute idea! The Dorothy Bag! You did a wonderful job on it. Love your fabric choices.

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  43. What a very lovely Dorothy bag! My birthday and my sisters birthday are real close together so we always celebrate with each other!!
    (smjohns63 at yahoo dot com)

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  44. Clever Tammy Bag! Toto pincushion is too cute! Thanks for sharing!

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  45. Mara, your bag is adorable! So are your children!!

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  46. Your bag is super cute and the frame is super cool.Thanks for sharing!!

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  47. Adorable Tammy/Dorothy! My favorite birthday is the year we had pony to ride at the party!

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  48. Oh my, your dorothy bag is stunning. I love all the details. Wonderful.
    my favorite birthday was when I was 8 and I had my first ever real birthday party with friends!
    cheers
    maggie
    maggiemine42@gmail.com

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  49. I agree with Maggie ... your bag is absolutely stunning. I love everything about it ... the colors, the frame, the heels, the bows and little Toto too! My favorite birthday memory is when I was in my 20's my friends got me a male dancer who arrived at the lounge where we went dancing on Friday nights. That was a fun night for all!

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  50. I just love your bag...so creative. My best birthday memory was when I was about 8 or so. My mom had a scavenger hunt for my party. We went throughout the neighborhood collecting different things...it was really a lot of fun.

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  51. My best memory is my daughter. I gave birth to her on my birthday. Thanks so much for sharing. Love your bag.

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  52. My best birthday memory was four years ago. My 35 yearold daughter, an only child, drove from seven hours away and took me out on an all day excursion. Tragically, that was the last birthday i had with her. She moved in with me six months later because i have serious health issues. She died in my arms four days after moving in. babscorbitt@gmail.com

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  53. What a great idea, putting a magnet in the pincushion. My favorite birthday memory was having a surprise party when I was 12.

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  54. Beautiful bag!!!!
    I loved the sleepover party I had when I was 15 I think:) What fun!!!

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  55. First, it may not be the 'best' but my most memorable birthday was when I put on my new white with lavender embroidered flowers skirt and blouse on. I walked outside and within a moment or two, a bird pooped on my shoulder!!
    Your post was just so fun to read - even without the most adorable bag - it would have been worth the visit. :) The bag was absolutely perfectly executed with the heels closure and your Dorothy heels and Toto. You ROCK!!!

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  56. That is very cute! Love the frame and the end product as well.

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  57. I love your Dorothy bag and Toto on the keychain is so adorable and multi purpose . The handle is really neat to. My daughter and I went to Greece about 15years ago and loved it. We did the island cruise and spent a week on Rodes Island. Very beautiful but don't think I would like to live there. Are you there forever? I guess we are always happy when we have our family around and your shield rein are so sweet.

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  58. hahaha. I love the Dorothy bag, Toto is too cute. If I were mini, I would hide in that bag to get away from tornados, too.
    My hubby gave me the cutest little bear for my birthday the first year we were together. He has the cutest little orange coveralls. One of my favorite memories.

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  59. That bag is too cute! I love the red shoes and the Toto pincushion! I'm pinning this!

    Navy Wifey Peters @ Submarine Sunday Link Party #37

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  60. I'm with you -- this bag is totally adorable! I love the colors, the pretty frame, the pockets -- everything. Congrats on a really great finish and thank you for linking up!

    xo -E

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