“R” Unique Boutique

My Sidewalk Satchel

2010-08-11T10:26:00.001-07:00

I finished my very own sidewalk satchel and have been enjoying it ever since! I get comments on it every time I go out with it! It is just the right size and I added some extra pockets and I couldn't ask for a more perfect bag for me! I just made a listing so you can have your own sidewalk satchel over in my etsy store which you can visit here.

You can pick out your own fabrics and decide how you want the pockets and also if you want the flower and leaf on the tab or not. I had decided that with this fabric a big flower rosette just didn't fit.

Sidewalk Satchel and More

2010-07-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

I LOVE pineapple and couldn't resist making a shirt for my daughter with this applique. It just screams summer to me.

I recently went shopping and found lots of new fabric. Now I have a to-do list a mile long and am trying to move on top of it. Please be patient as my shop will be getting new things very Ssssllloooowwwllyyy
I did just manage to finish my first Sidewalk Satchel. This is an Anna Maria Horner pattern and I love the finished product. It is a definate must have for my bag collection :) This one is for a local fabric shop that carries the pattern. I am going to make mine out of Amy Butler's Morning Glory in Linen and the Wallflower in Cherry. It is some of my favorite and I think it will look spectacular done in this bag. I haven't done a listing in my shop for this bag yet, but if you are interested then send me a convo through etsy here.

I am not going to lie, that fabric flower was NOT fun to make! But it is worth the look. I have my fingers crossed that this bag will be easier the second time around.

The Saturday Market Bag

2010-06-17T12:41:00.001-07:00

Introducing the Saturday Market Bag! The pattern is from Heather Bailey and I have fallen in love!I made the one above as a sample for a local fabric shop. It was the first one that I made and I knew that I would love it right away. This bag opens up nice and huge and is just the right size. The one below is the one that I made for myself. I altered the pockets (like always) so that I would have a place for everything. This bag holds everything just right and has a nice feel to it. It is completely interfaces with canvas so it has a tote feel to it. The only thing that I want to change next is the material for the lining. I like it to be neutral so that I can find things easier and then do the pockets in the same material as what is outside to make them really pop. Next time I guess. I have a listing in my store to custom design your own so if you are interested head on over. www.runiqueboutique.etsy.com
Ahh, fabric flowers....how I love you. your uniqueness, your colorfulness, you playfulness, your versatility. Lately I have been having quite the love affair with these little beauties. I had a customer want some for a bag that I had already made and sent to her. So I made up a whole bunch so that she would have some choices and what she didn't pick I put in my shop. She told me that they would sell like hotcakes and that they did. I could hardly keep them stocked. In fact I just listed a bunch more today. I have been having fun with them. Putting them on headbands, sweaters, bags, belts. Just about anything looks good with one or two of these bad boys attached. They come on a brooch pin and for a few bucks add a whole lot of personality!

I feel like I am finally caught up around here. The shop is stocked and all orders have been done and shipped. That hasn't happened in quite a while. I thought I was going to go mad when my older children got out of school for the summer but it has been wonderful. My oldest has been helping me out in the craft room and they have all gotten along pretty well (emphasis on the pretty) I go back to work at a real job (boo) at the end of next week so I am going to do all I can to get a bunch more things created and listed before my time becomes even more limited. Have a great day!

Getting my craft on

2010-06-01T13:02:00.000-07:00

I wanted to add a little something to this bag so I decided to make some fabric flowers. They are on broach pins so they can be taken off and used for something else or can be repositioned.
I don't know if I have ever posted pictures of my bow holders. I found the letters at Hobby Lobby and then painted them and added some ribbon. They have been really handy and lately have been holding quilt squares too. Sometimes I just need a reminder of all that I have started and haven't finished.
A close up of my flowers. I love these things. I have a bunch more with purple in them, now I just need a bag to match :)
I make this shirt for my little Aubrey they other night at a girls craft night. It turned out super cute! I added a little pearl to the middle of the flower and put that on a pin so that I could take it off and use it in a headband or something else if I wanted to. I have debated doing more of these to add to my shop but decided that I wouldn't. If you are interested in just getting the letter or some other shape that you can iron on and add things too then just send me an e-mail and I can get it done for you. I have tons of fabric! runiqueboutique(at)gmaildotcom These make the cutest gifts and I have tons of shapes too. My sister threw a baby shower a while ago and she had me cut out all different shapes and letter E's and then instead of playing silly shower games they embellished onesies and bibs for the mom to be. What a great idea huh? Something a little more useful and a great way to be able to chat and still do something.

A Full Shop

2010-06-01T12:35:00.001-07:00

Well the shop is full of brand new bags just in time for pool season! I used a birdie sling as a swimming bag and LOVED it because I could wash it once a week and didn't have to worry about smells or wet suits! If I forgot to take the kids' suits out of they bag they would dry anyways since the bags are cotton and breathable. And it came out of the dryer looking great every time, I was quite impressed. And not to mention that I always had plenty of room for all of the pool gear and my book too.
This bag was a special request. It is a junior size bag with a very much extended strap so that it can be worn across the body. What a great idea huh? I had always wanted to try it but didn't get around to it until I had a customer request it. I loved how it turned out and will definitely be making one for myself (and my sister too!) The junior sized bag is a perfect size to add the extra length to.
Some of these bags were just finished last night and added to the shop this morning so they are hot off the machine :) I loved having my husband home yesterday to keep me company while I sewed, it was wonderful.

I am getting ready to ship my second bag to Australia today. I can't tell you how much I have loved having my shop. Just ask my husband, I try and explain it to him all of the time. I have loved making custom bags and shipping my bags all over the world. It has been a wonderful experience that I hope I can continue.

Mother's Day Sale

2010-04-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

For a limited time I am having a mother's day sale in my shop. From today until the 28th all ready to ship bags have been marked down. They are going very fast so get over there and take a look. What mom wouldn't love a new bag? Yesterday I shipped my first bag overseas, it went all of the way to NORWAY!!! How fun, my kiddos are obsessed with Norway for a myriad of reasons so they were very excited. I have been gathering more fabric and couldn't help picking up more of this...So stay tuned for more bags!

Finally!

2010-04-07T12:12:00.000-07:00

I finally got them done! The spring Birdie Sling bags are finished and ready for you to take on your trip, or give to your mother as a mother's day gift. Or how about to use as a new and funky diaper bag, church bag, or everyday bag. I have been plugging away at getting these new bags all put together and it was definitely worth it. Scroll down and see a sample of what the new spring bags look like.

There are many many more over at my etsy shop so check them out
www.etsy.com/shop/runiqueboutique

Toddler Purse

2010-04-07T11:59:00.000-07:00

Aubrey loves the mini-bags, when i finished these she insisted that she snuggle one of them. I thought she was way to young for a bag of her own, but it looks like it won't be long!
This one is my favorite! I love the bright pinks and orange set against the deep brown. LOVE IT!
This one has already been taken to a waiting four year old so that she could have her own mommy bag. What a fun grandma giving her such a fun and unique gift!
This one is from some Amy Butler fabric that I just started getting re-printed. I love the lacework.
Here is another picture of the bag that Aubrey was loving on. It is a good compliment to the one up above. Anyone with twins? These would be a great twin gift. I don't have these in my shop yet but if you are interested just e-mail me at runiqueboutiqueATgmailDOTcom

Children's Apron and Baby Blanket

2010-04-07T11:44:00.000-07:00

My Mother made this adorable apron for Kendra for her birthday. She turned nine years old in December (yes I am a little behind) and she is at a really hard age when it comes to presents. She is past the doll and barbie stage but is not ready for big girl stuff, thank goodness. So that makes it a little difficult, but my mom definitely did awesome on this one! Kendra loves to help me in the kitchen and as I was doing my part of easter dinner she strapped on her apron and helped me out, I LOVE IT!
When I was pregnant with Aubrey I started my first quilt. I found the kit at my local Jo-Annes and got to work. It was really east and I put together the top in no time. I even got the batting put together and the whole thing quilted before she was even born. Then it came to the binding... I had no idea how to finish the dang thing. Aubrey arrived and our lives went crazy. I had been laid off and then we moved in with my mom. I kept this out so that we could finish it and I got close. Then we moved again, (back into our own place) and I didn't have her to help me. The dang quilt was pushed all over my craft room and was always taking up space, so one day as I was cleaning up the craft room I grabbed the quilt and decided to just figure it out on my own. AND I DID!!! So this bad boy took me almost a year, but I finally finished it :) And Aubrey was pleased as could be to have it. She wraps herself up in it and squeals with delight when she see it. That is what makes creating so worth it.

Adorable onsies

2010-04-07T11:29:00.000-07:00

I love my cricut! I quickly learned how to cut fabric using my wonderful christmas present and went to work. I experimented with different fabrics and stitching and have been having a good time with it. My favorite is to use the plain white shirts that Target had this winter. They were like five dollars super stretchy and comfy and only FIVE DOLLARS! Then I appliqued something cute on them for Aubrey. I would take a picture to show you put she has worn it quite a bit and it is pretty dingy and stained now. I am on the hunt for some good plain short sleeve tee shirts now. I found some at Old Navy that are ok, but not my favorite. Here are some onsies that I made a couple of weeks ago. The boots are rain boots not cowboy boots. I had to clarify that to my husband.

I have been thinking about making some of these and adding them to my Etsy shop, but that may be something that has to wait until my semester is over. (Just a few more weeks though!)

Clearance

2010-02-24T07:29:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know that all ready to ship bags have been marked down in our etsy shop. You can check it out HERE We are making room for lots of new stuff!

Discovery

2010-01-08T12:14:00.000-08:00

I have always loved to sew. My mother taught me how when I was very young but I never did much with it. My one big project is that I made a tee shirt quilt with all of my tee shirts that I accumulated while growing up. (which by the way my family all loves and is my husband's favorite blanket to wrap up in.) But I am NOT a quilter! From time to time I will see a quilt that will inspire me and make me want to make a quilt but that doesn't happen too often. But as I have started sewing more and more over the past year I have fallen in love.

I LOVE the fabrics that are out there, not the fabrics that you might find in a typical quilting store, but the designer fabric that you find at specialty shops. It is like art and to see it used in projects just highlights how fun and beautiful it is. I had no idea that fabric could be so hip, modern, and wonderful.

I LOVE all of the fun projects that I have found. There is always a new fun idea on the internet that I see and can't wait to try it, especially if it is for my kiddos.

I LOVE making things that are useful and practical. It gives me a real sense of accomplishment when i finish a project and it is something that I will then use EVERYDAY or at least close to it. And even better is when I am able to MAKE something that I would have otherwise purchased.

I LOVE being inspired. I have always thought of myself as creative. As a teenager I loved art class and ceramics. But as I have begun this adventure I find myself thinking of new and fun things all of the time. While I am in the middle of one project I am already thinking of the next. I find that my creativity is at it's highest level when I am immersed in a project.

I LOVE CREATING!

I recently picked out this fabric by Anna Maria Horner, (if you would have told me her name a year ago I would have no idea who you are talking about.) And I knew that I wanted to make a bag out of it. My mother was doubtful about my choice (as she usually is) but I knew that I would love it. I put it together a little more than a week ago and I fell in love with it. The big, bold, yellow flowers and then the bright blues, greens, pinks and other colors all thrown in. And then the unexpected geometric coordinating print up top. It just works for me. My mother probably still doesn't like it, but that is the beauty of fabric. There is so many amazing options out there that each project can be make to fit your personality. As a side note, Sorry this bag is already sold.

Changes

2009-12-30T07:54:00.000-08:00

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that you are recovering well. I know that around here things are still crazy. I have a daughter whose birthday was on the 21st and today is my son's third birthday!!! I know, what were we thinking??? I chalk it up to poor planning :) but December around this house is NONSTOP! Over the holidays I was pretty busy with this new business of mine. I have had a shop on Etsy for a few months now and things have really picked up there. For those of you who are not familiar with Etsy, you have got to check it out!!! Everything listed on Etsy is all handmade and there are some beautiful things and very talented people on Etsy so please check it out, you will probably be addicted like me. You can find just about anything on Etsy. Anyways I have made a big decision, I am strictly going with my shop on Etsy and will use this blog as just a spot to showcase my latest creations, projects, and even failures. If you want to custom order a bag you can still do that either through here, but also on Etsy. This is definitely a change from the way we have done things in the past but it just makes it a little easier to see the bags and look at them both inside and out. Just know that I still LOVE making custom bags and hope to hear from anyone that has a special project or unique fabric in mind.

Kim

My First Project

2009-12-26T18:30:00.000-08:00

I have had to keep this under wraps since these were both Christmas gifts. But here is the first of many projects that I completed with my new cricut! I am so excited and LOVE how these turned out. I sealed and painted the wood and then attatched the words with black and cream vinyl letters that I cut out using a couple of different cartridges and my cricut. I can't wait to try all kinds of new things! My husband bought me some plain glass canisters that I have had my eye on and I have big plans for them.

On My Own

2009-12-02T17:07:00.000-08:00

My husband is out of town, so I have spent a lot of time in my craft room. I have a few more bags that I am working on so I thought that I would post some pictures.

This fabric is some that I have had my eye on, so when an order came in for a whole bunch of mini-bags and no specification on fabric, I knew EXACTLY which fabric I wanted for one of them.

This is some fabric that I never quite got to before the craft show. If you would like a bag made from it, just e-mail me and let me know which size you would like.

This is some fabric from Anna Maria Horner that I have been craving for quite some time. I finally just caved in and bought it. I was going to make a full size bag out of it just because, but I am thinking that it will make the perfect christmas gift for my son's teacher. She is leaving on maternity leave at the start of christmas break. We are definitely going to miss her, but this is her first baby and are so happy for her. What new mom wouldn't want an awesome diaper bag.

Current Creations

2009-11-24T16:19:00.000-08:00

So that you are able to see what bags I have left I put together a new slide show. Up above you will see each bag that we have left that are completed and ready for you or a friend to enjoy. If you would like a custom order please e-mail us at runiqueboutique@gmail.com and all custom orders will take between 1-2 weeks. We still have quite a variety of large bags available and the inventory will always be changing so if you see something that you like let us know before someone else snags it. We hope that everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Patsy and Kim

What a Day

2009-11-23T12:16:00.001-08:00

The show is over and I am spending my day helping my house recouperate, it has been feeling neglected for far too long. Friday, my mom and I spent the day at St. V's at their annual craft fair. We had a great time and met some AMAZING people. All in all the show went great and was well worth it. I do, however, have plenty of inventory left for the holiday season and I don't know about you, but I have my lists ready and can't wait to start shopping! Here are just a few pictures of the chaos on Friday.

We definitely didn't have enough room at our little table. I made this sign using my friend's cricut and now it is at the very top of my wishlist. My mom and I have big things planned for it, like critter quilts and other fun things, we can't wait to start cutting!

The bows were a huge hit and I am so glad, those things aren't very fun to ship :) In the afternoon Aubrey came by to model some bows and headbands for everyone. The artist across the aisle from us was a photographer and captured some cute pictures of her, you can go and check out her blog at http://photogirl59101.blogspot.com She does breathtaking work and I can't wait for her to take our family pictures. I have been looking and looking for a fun urban photographer in Billings and Beth is PERFECT!

We found some fun coat racks to hang our bags from and they worked great! I am working on re-doing the slide show to show everything that we have available and ready to ship. If you have any questions or don't see something that you are looking for feel free to e-mail us, Runiqueboutique@gmail.com

A Whole Lot of Sewing

2009-11-11T07:54:00.000-08:00

My mother and I have been furiously getting ready for our very first craft show and for the holiday season in general. I have a stack of bags all cut out and ready to be sewn together and I just don't seem to have enough time in my day. Here are a few of the full size bags that we have finished. If you see anything that you like or would like to give as a gift let me know, by next Friday these may be gone.

I also have a number of junior and mini-bags that are almost done. Stay tuned for some fun holiday promotions coming up!

Bummer

2009-10-29T08:32:00.000-07:00

Last night I had taken my crew over to my mom's so that I could make her some soup (she has a cold) and then so we could sew together, something we haven't done in far too long. Well my little one kept us from getting too much done and I got halfway done with two bags then decided it was time to pack up the kids and get them home to bed. As a side note I have four children from ages 8 (almost 9) to 8 months. After I got home and got them all tucked in I headed to my craft room and began unpacking my bag. Wouldn't you know I left four very important pieces to my bags at my mom's. I couldn't do another thing on my bags, doesn't it always happen that way. I was still in the mood to sew and I have quite a bit to do so instead I started a new bag and got that one done instead.

So I put the finishing touches on this beauty this morning. I haven't done a lot with Amy Butler material because I have been waiting for her new line. It just came out and I can't wait to get my hands on some, now I just have to DECIDE which fabric to get, that is the hard part.

I knew that I would love this bag. The colors are so fun! I finished this one up yesterday. I have been trying to put in tons of pockets. Both of these two bags have two large pockets on one side and then on the other there are three pockets that go almost the entire length of the bag with two big pockets on the ends and a smaller pocket in the middle. The bag that I use is set up like this and I love it. Then I have a place to put my cell phone or sunglasses, it works great.

Oink Oink

2009-10-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Last Monday (almost two weeks ago) I woke up with a fever. I rarely get sick, as any mom knows, moms aren't allowed to get sick. I must have been overly tired or something and I came down with the dreaded swine flu. Two of my kids also battled the fever and my youngest two got on Tamiflu before they even had symptoms. We all survived and it wasn't too terrible. My wonderful husband helped me out and I resigned myself to letting the house go. I also felt absolutely NO motivation to finish the bags and other projects that I was in the middle of. It wasn't until this tuesday that I finally turned my sewing machine back on. I made this cute little mini-bag to take to a baby shower. My friend had a little baby girl and her other daughter is now a big sister. So I made this bag for big sissy and put an outfit in it for their new baby. I specifically made it blue because my friend had told me how much her daughter loves blue. Well, wouldn't you know when I got there big sissy told me she doesn't like blue and now she likes pink. Good thing there was a big pink flower on one side! I LOVE this fabric and I found it in a place I never would have guessed (and no I am not telling) It is completely random so there is no way to get the same bag twice.

Front and back.

Then last night I decided I should probably finish the bags that I had started before I got sick. Sometimes I have to make myself get started but once I do I love it, I know strange! But I seem to be that way with a lot of things, even cleaning my house. The hardest part is just getting started but once I jump over that first hurdle it is no biggie.

The Biggest Coin Purse Ever

2009-10-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

I thought that I would try my hand at making a bag just using my trusty imagination. I always have lots of ideas for new bags, the problem is getting them from my mind into fabric that seems to be the issue. I do not call myself a seamstress and I often have qustions for my mother if I am making anything that is new and requires more than just a few straight stitches. But I was actually able to take a simple idea that I had and turn it into a creation. I was pleased with the way that it turned out but I am sure that I made it much more difficult than it needed to be. I made this little bag for my daughter. She loves purses and bags and I thought that she would enjoy this. It is jus a simple drawstring purse but the top is a different material than the bottom and it has ribbon handles. I also played with the gussets to see if I could give it some shape, and it worked! I have big plans for my gusset skills... My daughter was delighted with her new bag and I found it the other day sitting on top of her dresser with every piece of change that she could find in it. When I asked her about it she told me that it was her coin purse. I just smiled, that would be one heavy coin purse if she even got it halfway filled! I didn't make a pattern for it and that was probably my first mistake. I have a few patterns that I am working on for big bags, or purses, or diaper bags, whatever you want to use them for. I am super excited and can't wait to get them done to show you, I know that you will like them.

Here are a few more bags that have been completed. I know that there are pictures of this fabric in the slide show but it is always nice to see the finished product, sometimes it can be hard to picture it.

Cave In

2009-10-08T14:05:00.001-07:00

So Today I caved and let my daughter take some pictures of me with the bag that i just finished. So here they are! Yes the bag is big, I will not argue that but once you have used it you will never go back. I actually held this bag up to my previous diaper bag and they aren't very different in size, just shape.

This is the inside of the bag with a few items in it just to give you a better idea. The pockets are towards the top so there is still a ton of room down at the bottom.

The sun was shining today and I got to take pictures outside again, oh happy day.

Fabulessly Frugal

2009-10-08T08:51:00.000-07:00

I LOVE fabulessly frugal and I visit their website at least everyday. To help them celebrate their first birthday they are doing 10 days of giveaways and today is "R" Unique Boutique. So if you didn't win the giveaway here a couple of weeks ago now is your chance, I am giving away three bags and for the big bag you get to choose your own fabric combo. Head on over to http://www.fabulesslyfrugal.com/ and enter! And while you are there check out their site. I have easily shaved off over $100 from my grocery bill every month and I love using coupons now! They tell you everything that you need to now and exactly how to do it. Did I already mention that I LOVE IT!

Where Did This Come From?

2009-10-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

As I look out the window here in my craft room I can hardly believe what I am seeing. Some strange white stuff seems to be falling from the sky... I don't know if I am quite ready for winter. I had to scrape my windshield yesterday morning and let's just say that I wasn't very happy and my kids were late for school. But on the bright side it gives me a great reason for staying inside and sewing. Here is what I have been working on!

Here is BG-035 Done in a mini-bag

This is BG-037 in a full size bag

This fabric is just gorgeous! BG-036 in a full size bag.

And for the sake of comparison this is a full-size next to a mini-bag!

It's Like Christmas

2009-10-02T19:25:00.000-07:00

All we need is some snow around here and I would tell you it is christmas. I have been getting packages everyday filled with georgous fabric just waiting to be turned into something amazing. Don't you just love opening packages. I have a bit of a fetish with the mail, (I'm obsessed) let alone when there are such wonderful packages to recieve. My mother and I are gearing up for the holidays, yup you heard right. So we are fully stocked on fabric take a look and see what just came in. We are also going to be in a few craft shows in the coming months, I will keep everyone posted on the details as soon as we have them.

Couldn't Resist

2009-10-01T13:47:00.000-07:00

I went over to my local fabric store yesterday to pick up a few pieces of fabric for some orders and while I was there I couldn't resist grabbing some of this! I just loved the bright colors and the houndstooth print.

I also just finished this bag, it is a junior bag and the pictures don't really do it justice. This fabric has a slight sheen to it and feels wonderful. I loved the way that it turned out.

Moving Forward

2009-09-30T09:31:00.000-07:00

Something a bit different... Recently my mother and I found Joel Dewberry. I quickly fell in love with his ginseng line that he has in a home-decor weight and my mom liked his newest line called, Deer Valley. We both ordered some material and got to work. Well my mom ordered some and I ordered A LOT!

This is what she created.

It is a much smaller bag, more like a purse and it has really nice pockets on the inside. I really like the shape of it, it is nice without being too overbearing. And I like the fabric too, it makes it nice a neutral so that it can be used for just about anything.

And this is what I created.

I made this bag for myself so i did the pockets a little bit different (you can chose how you want yours pockets too) so I made pockets almot all of the way across on one side with two big ones and then a little on in the middle. I love this material and it is perfect for fall.

So I know that I need a picture on here of someone carrying the bag to show the size a little better. I do have one, but it doesn't do it justice and I am refusing to model. I am going to try and talk my sisters into sending me a picture of them with their bag (I know that they have one) but in the meantime a picture of my two year old with a bag will have to do. He was about 28 months in this picture if that helps at all. The bag is large! And I will try and get a picture of a real person with the bag.

Technical Difficulties

2009-09-29T09:52:00.001-07:00

Ok, I seem to be having some issues today. I am going to blame my son, who I am attempting to potty train today. Don't ask me why, but I woke up today thinking "today is the day, no more diapers for my little man." Two in diapers is just not fun. Just as a note, it is not going as planned and I have already cleaned up plenty of messes.

This morning I went to random.org and ran a random integer generator three times to come up with the winners. The first number wins the mini-bag, the second number gets the junior bag, and the third number gets the full size bag. There was a bit of a mix up earlier and so if you checked earlier to see if you were a winner then I apologize. You probably didn't even notice, but I didn't want anyone thinking foul play!

Winner #1 of the mini-bag goes to comment #8 Amalony

Winner #2 gets the junior bag and it goes to #18 Becca Michael

Winner #3 get the full size bag and it goes to #27 Bridget

Ok, so if the winners could please e-mail us at runiqueboutique@gmail.com then I can get your bags to you right away. If you are totally bummed that you didn't win then stay tuned because over at www.fabulesslyfrugal.blogspot.com there will be another giveaway like this one but the full size bag will be of your choice from any of the fabrics that we have on our site. WOO HOO! Thank you to all who came to our site and checked out what we have been working on, we really appreciate your comments!

The Nappy Bag

2009-09-22T21:40:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for the giveaway then scroll down........I had told myself that I wasn't going to post anything until the giveaway was finished but I just couldn't help it! I have been busy and today I finished an all new bag and I have to say that I did it all by myself. I can't read a pattern to save my life! I just don't understand what it is that they are trying to tell me to do and the pictures rarely make sense. But I really wanted to try out one of my new Amy Butler Bag patterns. I usually have my mother do it first and then if she will just SHOW me what to do then I can do it. When she came over today I was just getting ready to "turn" the bag and I got to show her what I had been working on. I was so proud of myself. I didn't have to rip one seam through the entire process and I didn't have to call my mother, not even once.

So here it is, the "Nappy Bag." It is designed to be a diaper bag and it definitely has it's positive attributes. Lots of big deep pockets are always a must with any diaper bag.

If I was to make another bag like this for myself I think that I would nix the pockets altogether and slim down the strap and just make it a fun reversible bag, perfect for the gym or something!

My husband happens to be out of town so my eight year old daughter was my helper tonight and took some of the pictures. I usually try NOT to model the bags, but it is really hard to get the full effect if it isn't on a person. And I was just too excited to wait until the sun comes up tomorrow!

In addition to the nappy bag, these two bags are a couple that I finished the other day. They are perfect for fall with the most amazing rusty orange and bright sky blue. Stay tuned for these bags to be given away (more details to come). As a side note, all of the bags in this post are made with a mid-weight home decor fabric and I have really been enjoying sewing with it.

Giveaway Time

2009-09-14T10:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome! We are so glad that you have found us. We have had a busy summer but are ready to get down to business. We started this blog over the summer and have been documenting some of things that we have created and have found it to be a helpful way for people to see what we have to offer. To officially kick off "R" Unique Boutique we are excited to announce that we are doing a GIVEAWAY! We will have three prizes up for grabs, including; one mini-bag in a cute bird pattern, a junior size bag in a bright pink and orange flower print, and a full size bag in one of four different fabrics (YOU GET TO CHOOSE!)

Here are the junior and mini bag!

Here are the four different patterns that you get to choose from for the full sized bag.

There are three ways for you to enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post telling us why you want a bag

2. Become a follower of our blog and then leave us a comment telling us that you became a follower

3. Link to this post on your facebook, blog, or webpage telling about our giveaway and then leave us a comment.

You can enter THREE times by leaving three SEPARATE comments for each item you do

I will run a random integer generator to choose the three winning comment numbers.

Remember The giveaway will run for two weeks and I will announce the winners on Tuesday, September 29th. In the meantime take a look around and if you have any questions feel free to e-mail us. I just got some awesome new fabric by Joel Dewberry and I can't wait to start sewing. I am trying to get together a bow and headband giveaway too so check back! And thanks for stopping by.

UPDATE!

So I just went in to try and leave a comment and realized that I didnt have the comments opened up for ALL users. SORRY! You should now be able to comment by selecting Name/URL and then just leave your name. This should make it easier to enter. Thanks for your patience.

A Learning Experience

2009-08-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

Like I mentioned earlier, after spending all afternoon in the kitchen making some delicious jelly and syrup, my mother and I learned a few things. For instance, when the juice boils over don't lift the pan off of the burner. The following is a result of what could happen. This is what we scraped off of the burner. We also learned that burning choke cherry juice smells very bad and causes a plethora of smoke.

We also leaned that when something sticky runs over the stove and down the oven that is can actually get inbetween the glass by going through the vent. My mother's stove still has pink streaks from the juice that we can't get to until we take the oven apart...which we have yet to do.

Sad thing is that we actually did the same thing twice! The second time we were slightly more prepared, but it still made a much bigger mess. We were just able to keep it off of the burner a little better.

This is what my hands looked like after I got done squeezing all of the juice out of the chokecherries. They were purple for a couple of days and they burned too. I think that the cheese cloth hurt my hands or something. So from now on we decided that we will stay out of the kitchen and stick to sewing. (And one more thing, buying your own jelly and syrup is much cheaper too! Even though our berries were free.)

The mini-bag

2009-08-24T22:17:00.000-07:00

This first bag is actually a junior bag but I had to throw it in because this is what my little niece will be using as a backpack as she starts 2nd grade and is so excited that I had to share.

About a week ago I got the chance to make a few more mini-bags. These things are so dang cute! I don't have a little girl that could use one right now since my girls are 8 years and 6 months. But I do have a two year old with long curly blond hair that I could possibly pass off as a girl if he let me put a bow or pony in his hair.

Preston loved the bag and was more than cooperative to show it off for me while I snapped a few pictures. His dad, on the other hand, was not so excited to see him carrying around the bag while I took pictures. Especially when Preston started posing and saying "My Bag" "My Purse"

He is so stinking cute! These mini bags are fun and I want to make them in coordinating fabrics with a big one (not matching, just coordinating) But I haven't found the right fabric yet.

Choke Cherries

2009-08-24T21:57:00.000-07:00

I don't know about other places but out here in Montana the choke cherries are ripe and ready to be picked. We had a great time a week ago out picking them, there are some great bushes just a block or two away from us right on the golf course. My two boys, my mom and I headed out with some buckets and came home with great anticipation of jelly and syrup.

We boiled the berries and squeezed all of the juice out of them and started cooking. We ended up with some beautiful jars of jelly and syrup and everything actually turned out yummy.

One of my favorite parts was teaching my children what this little contraption is actually used for, and no it is not used for playing in the sand or dirt. But stay tuned for why my mother and learned that we should stay out of the kitchen and stick to the sewing machine.

Catch Up!

2009-08-06T21:27:00.000-07:00

The summer has been flying by and I have found that all of my projects have been pushed to the wayside. I did manage to get a few more bags done over the last couple of weeks and realized why I started doing this in the first place. It was so relaxing and enjoyable to sit down and create something. Even though I found that my laundry piled up and my kids got extra loud, it was still worth it. Here are a few of the things that I was able to finish, enjoy!

Yes I made one more of each of these prints, I had given one away as a baby gift for a friend and I had liked it so much I made another of each of these prints. On one of them I put in a HUGE pocket and divided it into three compartments as you can see below, even more functional.

I found this fabric and thought that I would give it a try and do something a little different and I loved how it turned out. My mom was very skeptical at first but ended up really liking it. The purple is so rich looking and then that orange just POPS!

My mother just finished this one tonight! While she was sewing it together she didn't think that she was going to like it very much but after she got it done she liked it so much that she wanted to use it has her own. It is so funny how that happens!

The Beast

2009-08-06T21:09:00.000-07:00

My sister put in a special request for this bag to use as her new diaper bag. I have given it the perfect nickname, "The Beast." It is huge, but she made picked out my absolute favorite material to make it out of!!! Every time I go to order this beatiful stuff it is out, someday though, someday.

The inside of the bag has pockets all of the way around and plenty of space for just about anything....

Even baby Noah!!!

Baby Bedding

2009-07-23T22:33:00.001-07:00

Two ER trips, a stint in the ICU, and a surgery later and I am finally getting around to posting this! Baby Noah has arrived and his new bedding was done just in time!!! My sister went into labor about a week early and it was a good thing that my mom was done with this so that he could come home to his chic decor. I loved the way that it turned out and the baby blanket is awesome with a variety of patterns and textures.

Can you see that little foot poking out and notice the sippy cup on the floor? The kids were just as excited about the bedding.

I just love how this blanket turned out and the crazy buttons are perfect!

It's a First

2009-06-17T20:38:00.001-07:00

I have made a lot of these bags but have never had a favorite.... until yesterday! I saw this fabric and I knew that I had to have it. I think that I am beginning to form a bit of a fabric fetish, my hubby can thank my mom for that one.

This Amy Butler material is some that my mom found and I just love the tangerine color!

I loved the bag so much that I had to post two pictures of it to show off a different angle. So if no one snags this one up you will definitely be seeing it on my shoulder.

I've Been Feeling Creative

2009-06-15T23:34:00.000-07:00

My mother has been working on an amazing set of crib bedding for my sister (pictures to come soon) and I have been making quite a few bags lately and I think it has been rubbing off on me. I have been feeling extra creative, in fact I found myself designing an awesome crib size quilt to go in my daughters' room. I caught myself thinking about appliques and fancy quilting and had to stop myself for a minute. "When did this happen?" I asked myself. "When did I decide that it would be fun to make something, like a quilt, completely on my own with no pattern or anything
to go from?" I never thought this day would come, I told my mom about my experience tonight
and she just laughed. I am still excited about my crib quilt that is going to coordinate with the bumper pad and crib skirt that I made. HE HE!

Here are a few more bags that have been created recently. This red one was for my older sister who is a nurse and uses it to put her scrubs and lunch in and all of her other nurse stuff to take to work. I think the cartoon nurses on the front are hilarious. There are similar prints to this in teachers, doctors, and all kinds of other professions.

The Youth Bag

2009-06-15T23:23:00.001-07:00

I have made a few of the youth bags last week and thought I would post some pictures. These have been so fun and I hope that the little girls love them and enjoy them this summer, (they are going to use them as swim bags). One of these bags was actually for a gma who didn't have a need for such a big bag but loved the design. What a great idea!!!

I had to throw this picture in for comparison purposes. You can't tell that the bag is smaller unless you have a full size to compare it to.

The youth bag still has pockets on both sides.

Ahead of Schedule

2009-06-15T23:18:00.000-07:00

For once we were ready ahead of schedule and actually got to snap a few pictures.

Here are my girls all dolled up with their flowers and bows in their hair, (or at least on their head.) I was going to crop myself out but thought, "what the hay... might as well"

More Creations

2009-06-03T09:03:00.001-07:00

I love making theses cute little Korker bows and have been experimenting with different types of ribbons and different colors.

This one has already headed out the door but we have more material if you like what you see.

A Bag for the Beach

2009-06-03T08:57:00.001-07:00

I thought that we definitely needed a bag that could take us into summer and what better than a totally tropical print!

I can just see this bag on the beaches of Hawaii, now if only I could get there.

The Bugs Are Out

2009-06-03T08:50:00.000-07:00

Has anyone else noticed how thick the mosquitos are already? My children as well as my legs have been eaten alive. Who doesn't love it when the bites swell up and it looks like their children have tumors on their heads! Well I promise that these bugs won't bite.

Welcome

2009-05-23T20:26:00.001-07:00

We are so glad to be starting this blog as a place to share all of the fun projects that we have been working on and to give you an opportunity to find something unique to call your own. Many of you may be coming here because you have fallen in love with a bag. Well so have we!!! This bag is the perfect bag for everything: traveling, going to the beach or pool, shopping, just for everyday, or for the ultimate diaper bag.

We have recently shrunk the original bag down to make the perfect bag for your little girl.

This is Kendra and she carries her bag with her to school as a backpack, it holds her homework folder, lunch sack, pencils, and papers perfectly and she definitely has the most unique backpack in the class.

Here is some material that we have picked out to make some bags in the future. If you are interested in this combination or any of the others that you see on our blog or maybe you have something specific in mind, just contact us and we would love to create something unique for you.

We love bows! Big or small we love them all. Here is just a peak of what we have been working on. A line of bugs that would look adorable in your little girl's hair. Along with headbands and flowers your little girl can have the perfect accessories to finish off any outfit. Check our sidebar for our pricelist and contact information. We accept paypal.