TomTom ThingThing the second

Well, hey there, blog. Didn't see you there! Ok, I've been pretty awful about posting. Let's just pretend I went through the whole apologizing spiel. I was laid off last November, and you would think that with all this extra time, I would be crafting my buns off. While I have been making a lot of things, I haven't really been finishing much. Plus, it feels like I have even less time now than I did before. I also feel like I now spend half my life cleaning, but that means that my apartment (and especially the craft room!!) is no longer a pit of chaos due to depression and general laziness. I still haven't finished organizing my craft workspace, but it's a big improvement.

Anyway, I wanted to share the first thing I did when I found out I was laid off:

Blue!!

The prototype TomTomThingThing most likely would have remained the only TomTom thing thing except for the fact that it was annoying to close and was made of really thin craft felt. Eventually I felt compelled to buy some luxuriously soft and thick felt from FitzFelt in 3mm turquoise.

Then I got laid off, and to distract myself immediately got to work! It was actually a great deal of fun to make, and I'm glad I practiced first with the crappy felt so that I figured out an approximate pattern without wasting expensive felt. I still have a bit left, and I'm not sure what I am going to do with it. Probably nothing. :P

I'm especially fond of the embroidery:

Flowers? Leaves? Not sure what they're supposed to be besides pretty.

Usually I draw patterns and then embroider them... this was all spur-of-the-moment freehand. Actually, I didn't really finish this until today... I'd been tucking the outer flap inside the case, and hoping it stays. Today I added the band and the sweet little antique button:

From the giant pile of buttons from my grandma. <3

Anyway, since it's almost Valentine's day, my annual chocolates should be coming up. (Did I ever post last year's??) So I will probably be posting that. Also, I will be hopefully posting all of those other things I have been working on.