Still Waiting For the Surgeon

yes, it's true that the bags on this blogspot are all sold.

And I would have fifty more to post, but unfortunately I have not been contacted by the doner group with any information about arm transplants. With an additional four to fourteen pairs of arms, hands, and fingers, I could boost my production considerably. Do we have any advocates for this delay?

Additionally, there seems to be an issue with coffee beans. They remain truly delicious crunchy or cooked, but their effects seem to wear off daily by as early as nightfall. This causes a loss of six to eight hours per twenty-four hour time frame. Makes one cynically doubtful of today's standards for food quality.

I am happy to report, that even with these highly discouraging roadblocks, the production team has I have managed to put together seven delicious specimins since the madness of Tuesday, May 27. That means there are only a few to go until we can have ourselves a quick snack of bag-licious-ness.

I remain at your service, but sorely compromised by the limits of human biology;
Re-joyce

A Bag Before Breakfast

If learning new information keeps the brain young, then I'll likely turn out as well as my mother.

Due to the positive reaction to the piece in the Free Press, I think I'll have to get a little more savvy with the computer. So far I've hoodwinked my manager.... husband to clack away at his computer to figure out how to compile a "group" in my e-mail list. I know.... Not exactly computer techy stuff. But keep in mind that I still don't really know how to use the cell phone. And apparently I don't know how to read a calendar either, seeing as I told you all to buy a paper on April 27, never once noticing that all of April and most of May had actually passed away while I was digging myself out from under a growing pile of fabric remnants...

It's like my best dream is coming true with its evil twin sister: the nightmare of my absent-minded spinniness. And you're all along for the colourful ride.

I've been having the nightmares regularly of late. Nightmares of misplaced children and small animals. Nightmares of endless packing and moving and never ever catching up because there are still four or five floors to the mansion that I have to pack up. Nightmares of discovering that there are huge holes in the attic, and there has been rain water dripping onto and molding some truely rich and amazing blue and gold tapestry fabric. (That I really do see in full colour, nightly)

This morning I woke with a start, fearing that I'd overslept and had a long line of children, small animals, and baghounds snaking through my back yard. It was 5:45.

So, a bag was made before breakfast.
My friend Gloria came after breakfast.
Said something about someone's birthday and something about a perfect bag.

I'm heading up to the attic to look under the eaves for that blue and gold tapestry. Maybe if I cut around the mouldy bits I could get a bag made out of it before bedtime.

The -dash- Such a Small Detail; Such Large Consequences

When I came up with the e-mail address re-joyce@mts.net, I meant for the "re" to evoke images of recycling, reusing, repurposing, and even, rejoicing. But never, not ever rejoyce. Nope. Especially not with a @mts.net after it. The idea of producing another joyce or two around the place... I'm totally okay with that. As long as she sews, cooks stuff kids eat, and knows how to spin a dozen or fifty plates simultaneously. But the actual, real-life Joyce behind the one with the mts.net behind it? she doesn't live here. And she's been getting a lot of e-mails asking for bags which she feels that she simply cannot produce.

If you want bags, you may want to re-enter the address that you've got for contacting this Joyce. It's re-joyce with a dash.

And thank you again, dear other Joyce. Thank you for all the re-sending of messages. It is greatly appreciated. Do you sew? Or are you great with the computer? You're already kind of volunteering.... So....

Remember folks, re-joyce@mts.net. Re-joyce with a dash.

Sew Much To Think About

Well, it's back to the drawing board, folks. Lots more ideas of what to do with these idle hands, so there will be more bags to peruse as time permits.

Thank you so very much for your support on the project.

There has been so much fulfillment in putting these pieces together, and every "new" piece that gets discovered or delivered to my door fills me with anticipation for what it will become.

Here's a trailer for what we can soon enjoy.

And thanks to a generous gift from a supporter, we now have another machine to add to the collection. Meet The Singer That Doth Re-joyce.

That means that old pinkie is most definately, undeniably re-relegated to the status as a lovely collectible, not to be mistaken for a functional piece.

Its cousin, the very, very old black singer now has someone to keep him company.

Then there's Old Faithful, who has returned from a languishing stay at the bernina hospital, but is merely in remission. All is not well with her, and she awaits a transplant operation, as soon as the appropriate part becomes available.

And she will soon be in the company of a second bernina that my generous sister-in-law gifted me. Bernina #2 is being admitted to the ER tomorrow afternoon because she is also very jammed. (could be all those pb and j's that I devour whilst never leaving my sewing machines?!)

Thank you, friends. You have been so good to me, and it's not gone unnoticed.

Enjoy your bags.

Oh, AND.......

GO BUY THE FREE PRESS TOMORROW, APRIL 27. LOOK FOR THE ARTICLE!!

"On Thursday, April 17th, the World Food Program (WFP) announced that food rations in Darfur will be reduced by half, due to insecurity along delivery routes. Since the beginning of 2008, 60 WFP contracted trucks have been hijacked in Darfur, with 39 trucks still missing and 26 drivers unaccounted for. One driver was killed in Darfur last month. As result, cereals will be cut from 450 grams per person per day to 225 grams and high-protein pulses (beans or lentils) will be cut to only 30 grams."

(http://www.sdcanada.org/en/en.html)

I feel very small indeed, each time I read this information. What horribly difficult decisions these people have to make. How do you contract drivers, when they know it may well be the last time they ever drive again? What about the practicalities, like replacing trucks? Sadly, one cannot replace a person, and at least 300,000 people have been sacrificed already in Sudan.

Imagine if your loved one drove a truck for the WFP. Imagine if your relative lived in a camp without proper nutrition, cover, or hope. Imagine if as a woman you faced the threat of rape, death, the death of your husband, and the starvation or theft of your children every day and every night, as you sit on the ground without so much as a tarp to keep you out of the elements.

Imagine if we cared.

Burrow: Sold to Tanya

Patti's Puppies: SOLD, of course...to Patti.

This bag is aptly named for my friend Patti who lovingly cares for a team of sled dogs that drag them around in the winter time. Our old cat Betty lives with Patti and the "puppies" as well, so I have a particular love for the Unrau funny farm.

Anyone can put bids on this bag, but I've got to tell you that if Patti wants it and offers one small dollar more than any of you.... Well,... that's gonna have a lot of clout with me.






Cell phone/key pocket on the side; one medium, one small, and one large pocket on the inside.

Mush, mush.

button flowers, Gimme More: Sold to Lindalew!

Camp Without the Camper: Sold!

Two big inside pockets, one cell phone/key pocket. Vibrant strap with bright green on one side and soft brown on the other.

button, button, Who's got the button.: Sold!

Chenille. Two kinds. Flowers and Buttons. Yellow, green, orange, pink....



Need I say more?


Two flowery pockets on the inside, and probably one of the coolest straps known to womankind.

Chandelier: Sold to Lise Peters!

We've seen her cousins around the place, and some of them are marching around on shoulders as we speak.

The phone pocket is a snippet of someone's handiwork embroidery flowers. I love it, and have hoarded it for some time now.

The inside of this bag is as pretty as the outside. One pocket is a hanky, and the other two small pockets are gorgeous tapestry beiges.

Cheques are great, but she's not moving out for less than $25. The women in Darfur would probably prefer more...

Cherry: Sold to Lorissa!

This bag looks familiar.

A few more cherries showed up in the sewing room, and got paired with the softest red microfiber, some great blue, and the red pom pommy bits. Part of the strap has handiwork from a red gingham apron. Two big pockets inside- one is plaid. The other inside pocket is the other part of the apron, and you get to take advantage of the large pocket, plus the small one original to the apron. The edge has another small pocket for your cell phone.

Edible.

Morning', Glory :SOLD. This Will Look good on Jocelyn's Mom!

Deep reds with teale/greens.

Side cell pocket, two large inside pockets. A great piece of green quilt right underneath that flap.

Dahlia, Dawwwwling. Sold to Carolyn K

Thos coffee caraffes and leaves make me weak in the knees every time. The colour combos on this piece are very rich, like a good dark roast.


Medium pocket under the flap. Cell phone pocket. Two small, and one large pocket inside.

Bureau: Sold to Teacher Kathy

I had to call her "bureau" because the side panels are made out of a thick woven dresser scarf. The handle has my coveted teale chennille; the cell phone pocket is a piece of delicious teale apron; and the flap is that crazy wall/rug/ what-were-they-thinking Stuff.

Two plaid pockets on the inside.

Keep Loving Her...Cat-tail: Sold to Alison

She's got relatives already out in the world; this bag is a sure winner. The flap is true vintage- a sweet discovery in a thrift shop not far away. Her body is made up of sturdy sample upholstery pieces including a very soft green microfiber.

If you like earth tones with funk, this is the bag for you.

Some Details

Tomorrow morning, Sunday May 25 at 9:00 am, a minimum of ten bags are being published for sale. Here's how it works: Leave a comment or send an e-mail regarding the bag you are interested in purchasing. The first to comment or send an e-mail will be awarded the bag. I'll go by whatever time the computer records.

The minimum donation for all bags is $25.00. All the profit goes to food aid in Darfur, Sudan through the World Food Program. Cheques or cash are the preferred method of payment, but I am able to process through paypal for those of you who are not local. I can ship to anywhere at my local postal outlet, am available for anyone to pick up bags from my house, and work on arranging drop-off options in Winnipeg when possible.

World hunger should be our problem.

Sooooooooooooooo Not Gonna Happen.

(Saturday, May 24 in the wee, weeeeeeeeee hours of the morning.)

I find myself at 3:00 am uploading pictures, rubbing my eyeballs, and counting the hours to 9:00 am. When the crazy husband turns out the lights ahead of me on the weekend and heads up to bed, even I know when to call it a day.

Let's just move this circus up 24 hours, shall we? Sunday morning. That's when the bags are going to be up for publishing.

good night.

A Great Big Thanks; sold to the upholstery lady

This bag is full of (my)gratitude and now belongs to a generous woman from Brian's workplace. She gave me a lot of upholstery pieces that work amazingly well.

Thank You.