jot this down

I'm so happy with the way Darcy's birthday gift turned out that it's all I'm going to post today. (Alright! You twisted my arm. I confess, I'm a teensy bit pressed for time. I'll post the remainder of the birthday fun tomorrow.) It's the Note Taker, by Kathy Mack of Pink Chalk Studio. The pattern features two sizes. I made the small one. The exterior fabric* is très Superbuzzy, but I got it, and the rest, at the fabric mecca in my own back yard, Michael Levine.

So cute. Let's look more.

Shut up I really love that big red vintage button! Buttons are pretty hard for me to part with. But this one went to Darcy, so it's okay. (Plus, I've got, er, a couple more.)

The pattern is just like Kathy's blog -- thoughtful, well presented, generous in its approach, and such lovely, lovely fun. I would say that there are a couple small areas that might (briefly) hang up a beginning sewer: 1) The small version doesn't have pattern pieces, but in a couple of places the directions refer to the "fold line indicated on pattern," meaning the pattern included for the larger folio. A donning of the thinking cap easily tells you what to do. 2) As far as I can tell, my version of the pattern never says when to sew on the business card pocket. Again, you can easily solve this, if you notice the omission.

I love the way the pattern comes together; it makes so much sense. And did I mention that making this is as much fun as singing "It's Raining Men" at karaoke? That's a helluva lot of fun. I want to make myself this exact one (button and all), but there's so much fabric in the world, and this project requires so little of it, that I'll let Darcy enjoy hers without copying, and go ahead and explore my options.

*I just checked the selvage. It's marked Cosmo Textile, LTD. www.cosmo-tex.co.jp. And it has some symbols I don't recognize -- maybe care instructions -- and shazam! a little image of a vintage sewing machine!