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WHO EVEN AM I?

"Dear Friend, I like to start my notes to you as if we’re already in the middle of a conversation. I pretend that we’re the oldest and dearest friends, as opposed to what we actually are, people who don’t know each other’s names and met in a chat room where we both claimed we’d never been before. What will NY152 say today I wonder. I turn on my computer, I wait impatiently as it connects. I go on-line and my breath catches in my chest until I hear three little words: You’ve got mail. I hear nothing, not even a sound on the streets of New York, just the beat of my own heart. I have mail. From you."

- Kathleen - "You've Got Mail"

I'm going to take a note from Kathleen and start this post as though we are in the middle of a conversation, as opposed to coming back from a year-long blogging absence. You've Got Mail is my all time favorite movie and one I can watch over and over. It is my anthem to autumn.

We are on the cusp of September - almost autumn - here in the Pacific Northwest of Canada. We are so close to the season of leaves changing, crisp days, crunchy apples, good books, warm drinks and cozy evenings. Can you feel it?

The past year has been a good one. Lots of things have shifted and changed in our lives, mostly for the good.

(Side observation: Can I just say how GOOD it feels to be sitting here writing? Words are my weakness. Documenting our life is something I miss here on this blog.)

Last summer, I released my first non-quilt sewing pattern, the Finch Bucket. It was named after I posted a picture on the gram of my newest little baby, Atticus, sitting in it. The literary reference is absolutely intended.* The pattern went through much prototyping and testing since this photo.

Over the past year, I've had hundreds of people share their makes, their customized buckets, their joy at making their own Finch Bucket. Many people have made several or even dozens (!!!!) of these themselves. There is also another group of friends that have bought the pattern in excitement, but then some fear crept in and they are a little bit nervous to start.

Don't be. I've got your back.
"Recite that to yourself every time you feel you're losing your nerve. I know you worry about being brave, this is your chance. Fight. Fight to the death." - Joe Fox

Another movie reference? What can I say except "I can't help myself."¹

Funning aside, I would like to help people conquer their fear of bag making, or of the sewing machine, or whatever other reason is holding them back from making a Finch Bucket. If this is you, let me say this - you can do it.

Maybe you fall in the other camp - the "I've made so many I could make them in my sleep" camp??

If you happen to follow my Instagram (IG) handle, you likely know we are hosting a Finch Bucket Make Along, launching September 1, 2019. This is geared towards ALL levels of sewists, from the "never made a bag" or "I have barely turned on my new sewing machine" friends to the "I make bags all the time and want a challenge" group. I'm hoping that the hashtag #finchbucketmakealong will generate inspiration and encouragement to all the participants.

So, here's the plan.

FINCH BUCKET MAKE ALONG SCHEDULE

We will be kicking off our make along on September 1, 2019. There is no official way to join, except that we will be doing the info sharing over here, via my blog. You can definitely ask questions here or on IG and I will do my absolute best to answer all in a timely fashion.
Bear in mind that IG only lets me see a certain number of notifications before they fall off my feed, so if you're asking a question, maybe ask it on one of my posts to ensure I actually see it.

- September 1 - This first week will focus on how to choose fabrics, favorite tools, interfacing etc. I will be doing a techniques post for the new sewist/bag maker. I will also include another post with ideas for the more adventurous/experienced bag maker/sewist.

- September 7 - This marks the middle of our make along. I am hoping that those joining in will be sharing their makes/works in progress (WIPs) on Instagram, using the hashtag #finchbucketmakealong. I'll be following the hashtag and will be able to see the posts and will share some with your permission only of course. Please be aware that private IG accounts will not be view-able to anyone not following you, so I may not be able to see your WIPs/makes. I will check in with everyone here on the blog to see how people are doing and if there are any issues or questions people need help with.

- September 15 - Our make along wraps up and hopefully everyone who joined has a new fun bucket to use for whatever they choose. I will also be drawing 3 people from the hashtag to win a prize (the drawing will happen on the 16th PST time). The prizes will be announced closer to the time, but I can say that I have had some wonderful people donate some prizes, and I will be including a few special treats of my own. I haven't and will likely not list the exact prizes until later or until they are won as I don't want this make along to be prize-centric. I would rather this be more of a journey in cheering each other on, helping each other out, conquering any fears of bag making/sewing we may have and progressing in our own skills as makers. Prizes are the icing on the cake, but not the main course.

To get your copy of the Finch Bucket library, click here. It includes two different sizes, one massive and one medium size, and two different variations for each size, one with patchwork and the original bucket style. It also comes in both metric and imperial measurements.

That sums it up I think. Let me know if I'm missing anything obvious. And I'd love it, of course, if you felt like dropping a comment below. Are you planning on joining in the fun? What are you looking forward to? Or you could even let us know a little bit about yourself. 
Really, anything to let me know I'm not sending this out into a void would be wonderful. 😛

How do we feel about blogs? Are they still a thing? I have no idea. But, this is definitely more fun than I remembered blogging to be. Maybe because I'm older? Who knows. But I like it so I'm thinking I'll keep it up for a bit.

I'm off to get these blog posts up and photographed/filmed. And maybe I'll sneak in a listen to the greatest movie ever while stitching on some ideas.


* reference to the character Atticus Finch in the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
¹Frank Navasky - You've Got Mail