I debated entitling this blog, Trying Something New or Doing Something New. Both those phrases are the truth. However, I went with the title above, because, well, thatā€™s what happened: Everything Escalated.

This month I am trying to do something new for me. Remember my blog, Sewing Teaches Me About Life & Writing? It will, no doubt, come as a shock to you that I got carried away with sewing. What? Who, me? Yes, me.  

As any person knows who sews, crafts, paints, re-finishes furniture (ahem), you wind up with remnants. I had two small cans of Varathane, each with a jolt (what is that?) of stain left in them. What to do? Find some small piece of woodā€¦.

Back to the latest RM-escalation. After making four travel/hiking vests, five robes, two sets of pjs, napkins and placemats, I had fabric leftovers. What did I make with that library books fabric? No memory, but I used the rest of it to make bookmarks. That was fun. I had leftover doodads and pieces of ribbon and yepā€”they made good decorations.

Jackie (why do my sisters start these things?) sent me a pattern for a small (4×6), lined, zippered bag. She had made me one of these bags years ago. I use it when I travel for my bedside doodads. So, I think to myself, thatā€™s something new and I give it a whirl. Cute. I recall that my first pattern contained two bag patterns. The one I made, yech, was an epic failure of a design. But the other one, with handles, that looked interesting. Not a bad tote, not bad at all.

Who out there does not have a tin, or two, filled with buttons? I have a collection Iā€™ve added to over the years. Wanting some that matched, I bought like eight bazillion of assorted buttons on Amazon. Every bag got a buttonā€”non-functioning, but in all manner of decoration. The bags became known as BoHo Button Bags. Because, why not?

Everything in Life Escalates

At least in my life. How about you? A few years ago, I decide to re-finish my* dining room table and chairs. That evolved into a re-do of Alexā€™s* kitchen table and chairs. Next thing, Iā€™m in Montana and us sisters are re-finishing Jackieā€™s dining room set. Escalation. Sigh.

After making several of Jackieā€™s little bags, I thought, canā€™t I make any size bag using this method? So I did. Twelve by twelve, 9×9, 4×10ā€”I got it all going on. Of course, I depleted the remnants I had on hand. Back to the fabric stores. 

I decided to try the large toteā€”marvy, except no zipper, no outside pocket. Who are these designers? Thatā€™s like a robe with no pocketsā€”who does that? Give me phone and tissue room! I created an outside zipper pocket for the front of the bag. Their strap was too short to be practical, so I lengthened it. Being really daring, I tried to make the tote a zipper bag. My first attempt was wonky, but the next was better.

The Stack of Bags Grew

Remember, everything escalates. I was having a lot of fun, but running out of places to store bags. We sure had a lot of color covering the living room tables.

Travel in Color Button Bags & Musings Travel Journals

I can become a bit compulsive about certain thingsā€”Sudoku perhaps, reading about WWII maybe. Habits that arenā€™t necessarily detrimental to me or others, but there you have it. I felt compelled to sew bags. Sewing was a good way to spend the end of winter and the start of a soggy spring. By June, though, I was tired of the explosion of fabric that was the dining room. Letā€™s not talk about the bags in the living room. Ahem.

What am I going to do with all these bags?

Everything Escalated into a Field of Dreams Moment

Not far away, in little McDonald, Pennsylvania, resides the wonderful Bednerā€™s Farm & Greenhouse. A girlfriend got me hooked (See? Addictive.) four years ago and I keep going back. The store is as varied as the Phipps Conservatory only with price tags. And the people who work there? They know about plants! Thereā€™s an entire section devoted to anti-deer plants! Of course in our yard, they eat everythingā€”they just finished off our hydrangea bushes. 

I subscribed to Bednerā€™s weekly newsletter. When the news of the day gets you down, find a good gardening newsletter to read. Uplifting! What appeared in my inbox one week but a newsletter saying they were launching Community Days. All locally created items, food, vino, and live music on Saturdays from 8:00-10:00. 

Hmm, shall I?

I applied to be a vendor to sell travel journals and travel bagsā€”as the BoHo Bags are called. Why not, right? Whatā€™s the worst that can happen when we throw something new out there? We can be told no. Well, gosh, Iā€™ve lived through that happening before, havenā€™t I?

Imagine my delighted surprise when I had a phone call saying, your products sound intriguing, join us. Cool!

Everything Escalatesā€”Remember?

In a nod to this event being held by a greenhouse, I decided to get floral and plant covered fabric. That wasnā€™t quite enough, though. A couple of bags wound up with pots on the front of them, made from bias tape. That meant buying more bias tape. And oh yeah, I needed other ribbon colors, didnā€™t I?

Then, I had to figure out how to display the bags. Luckily, I have a good friend who has held multiple vendor eventsā€”tada to having shelving to loan me! And a folding table!

Oh, donā€™t forget the bags have to have prices on them. Aw, gee, how to price. No way Iā€™m asking my sisters to Cricut me tags because thatā€™s how this whole sewing thing starts. (I refer you to the sewing blog.) 

Join Me at Bednerā€™s Greenhouse Community Days

Seventy-one bags later, Iā€™m ready for my first Bednerā€™s Farm & Greenhouse Event, August 28th. Yes, Iā€™ll add a note before this newsletter arrives in your inbox on 9/1. If youā€™re local, Iā€™m there September 25th, October 30th, and December 4th. If I sell bags, Iā€™ll add more dates. We went to one in Julyā€”any excuse to visit a greenhouse, rightā€”and it was nicely done. 

Iā€™m excited about doing something newā€”selling products I made. Stepping outside my comfort zone, which has been difficult to do without travel in my life. Maybe embracing our compulsions isnā€™t such a bag thing, eh? Let life escalate around you and draw you, unsuspecting, into a new and unique experience.

Whatā€™s been escalating for you?

*When you get married after 50, you still say mine/yours.

Read, I’m an instigator