Happy Birthday, Krissie
May32010
So Krissie came to stay the week and it was wonderful and then yesterday we had her party. This time we got a fabulous cake from the fancy bakery at Krogers, a gorgeous sponge cake with cream and fruit filling, iced on the side with cream and white chocolate shavings and topped with glazed and sugared fruit. It truly was a work of art and I meant to take a picture, but then we ate it.
HOWEVER, I did take pictures of the purse I made for Krissie, the Krissie Multiple Pursonality Order Bag, so called because it sorts out all of Krissie’s personalities: The Writer, the Reader, the Quilter, the Snacker, and the Wife-Daughter-Mother Personal Life . . . Person. Whatever.
I started with this sketch . . .
. . . and made the four sides starting with the Reader . . .
. . . the Quilter . . .
. . . the Writer . . .
. . . and the Snacker . . .
The I sewed all four to stiffened side panels sewn to a black Krogers bag (those handles are built to take a lot of weight) and added boa handles:
After which I moved on to her personal persona and made her a cellphone case (so she could call her family easily) which I attached to the boas with handcuffs . . .
. . . and a photo/make-up/money bag tastefully decorated with a tiara-ed skull . . .
. . . that doubles as a merkin on the back . . .
and that’s Krissie’s Bag:
It weighs a ton–crochet this dense is not light–so I don’t think she’ll be sporting it around town, but she can use it as a desk organizer or something. Or put a potted plant in it. Damn thing will hold anything.
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46 Comments to 'Happy Birthday, Krissie'
On May 3, 2010 at 1:03 pm marly said...
It’s fabulous – as is the divine Krissie. Happy Birthday, Anne Stuart, and thanks for all the hours of reading pleasure.
On May 3, 2010 at 1:14 pm Dee said...
Awww. A gift made with such obvious love and psychosis is a gift to be treasured forever. Best bag ever. I don’t even think the hyperbole police can contradict that one.
Happy Birthday, Krissie!
On May 3, 2010 at 1:16 pm Lou said...
FABULOUS!!! Happy Birthday, Krissie/Anne. I hope you have many, many more!
On May 3, 2010 at 1:21 pm Rox said...
That is one fantabulistic bag.
On May 3, 2010 at 2:30 pm Jana said...
Wow, a remarkable feat of ingenuity and engineering, indeed. Happy birthday, Anne Stuart. Your books are outstanding (as is your birthday bag, of course!).
On May 3, 2010 at 2:38 pm Diane (TT) said...
Terrific – amazing thought and humor and work went into that bag! Happy birthday to Krissie.
On May 3, 2010 at 2:48 pm JulieB said...
Wow! What a work of art.
Happy Birthday Krissie!!!
On May 3, 2010 at 2:56 pm Barbara said...
Fabulous bag! I love Dee’s comment (“A gift made with such obvious love and psychosis is a gift to be treasured forever). Happy birthday, Anne! You’re so lucky to have such fabulous friends in Jenny and Lucy! And they’re lucky to have you, too!
On May 3, 2010 at 3:15 pm kyrathered said...
awesome!!!
On May 3, 2010 at 3:43 pm robena grant said...
A lot of hours of love went into the making of that purse. Amazing! Happy birthday Krissie, and as others have said, thanks for the wonderful reads.
On May 3, 2010 at 3:45 pm Terrio said...
Your amazing creative talents leave me in awe. That purse does everything, and has its own posse of attachments. You thought of everything!
Happy Birthday, Krissie!
On May 3, 2010 at 3:47 pm Sharon W. said...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Krissie!
The bag is awesome. Such love and engineering. If I might ask, how long did it take you to make it? Hope you are feeling better.
On May 3, 2010 at 4:11 pm Jenny said...
About a month. I’d do a side and then wander off, then do another side. I put on a burst of speed once Krissie got here last week.
On May 3, 2010 at 3:51 pm Lynda Ward said...
Awesome, beautiful bag! I am very impressed!!
On May 3, 2010 at 4:21 pm Kira said...
Love the handcuffed phone attachment. That is just brilliant. Could you explain the Writer panel, please?
Many happy returns to Krissie and to all friends and family celebrating with her!
On May 3, 2010 at 5:18 pm Jenny said...
The panel is open at the top so she can put her Clairfontane tablet in there. Then there’s a pouch for supplies and a pouch for her glasses.
On May 3, 2010 at 4:41 pm Dee said...
Holy giblets! I just noticed the part where you said it doubled as a merkin. Brilliant.
On May 3, 2010 at 5:35 pm JulieB said...
I had to go look up merkin. I thought the term MacGuffin was origionally a merkin, which explains the confusing/ambiguous nature of the role of the MacGuffin in a plot…
Too bad I’ll probably never get to use either word in Scrabble.
On May 3, 2010 at 6:00 pm Carla said...
I had to look up merkin too. Thanks for all the spam I’ll receiving in the near future.
A purple merkin? You know there’s a story in there somewhere…
On May 3, 2010 at 6:26 pm JulieB said...
The Purple Merkins — the best band name of the week.
On May 4, 2010 at 10:00 am Dee said...
In the movie “PCU,” one of the bands referenced was called The Merkins. (Yes, I’ll watch anything. Don’t judge me.)
On May 3, 2010 at 5:01 pm Denisetwin said...
wow, that’s awesome and I love love the thought behind each panel!
On May 3, 2010 at 5:13 pm Clever Cherry aka Judy Long said...
Happy Birthday Krissie – how lucky you are to have friends who love you so much & know you so well. Sounds like you deserve such admiration!
On May 3, 2010 at 6:24 pm Deborah Blake said...
What a great present. I got a fab cake from my best pal for my 50th last week–and a CASE of printing paper. For my manuscripts. No pressure, right?
Happy birthday Krissie, I hope you enjoy your gift as much as the crazy lady obviously enjoyed making it for you.
Jenny–hope you’re all better!
On May 3, 2010 at 6:27 pm Kelly S said...
While I know I should go to Anne Stuart’s site to wish her a happy birthday, I’m lazy, so Happy Birthday Krissie! I also quilt so it is neat that one of the sides has pockets for stuff there. Scissors are a nice touch!
The bag is amazing and while it probably won’t be hauled around a lot (not because of weight but to keep it from getting icky), I’m sure it will be treasured.
On May 3, 2010 at 7:17 pm Ami said...
A purple merkin? Somewhere right now Jennifer Love-Hewitt is thinking about trading in her bedazzler…
On May 3, 2010 at 11:41 pm Clever Cherry aka Judy Long said...
considering what JLH bedazzled now I really need to look up the word merkin
On May 3, 2010 at 8:34 pm Sam said...
That is such a great present! That’s so fantastic.
On May 3, 2010 at 9:42 pm Barbara said...
uh…I don’t think I want to know why anyone needs a merkin!
On May 3, 2010 at 9:54 pm inkgrrl said...
Tiara-ed skull… brilliant! I swoon! Quite the resplendent gift
Happiest Happy Birthday Krissie!
On May 3, 2010 at 9:56 pm Louis said...
Happy Birthday Ms. Krissie.
Keep that Purple Merkin
Perkin’
On May 3, 2010 at 9:59 pm sheagal said...
Wow! Sometimes I forget that you are a visual artist as well as a prose one. Very cool. I’m sure she loved it.
On May 3, 2010 at 10:42 pm McB said...
That purse is fabulous! And I love that the Arghers appreciate it.
On May 3, 2010 at 10:57 pm SueG said...
Great job Jenny. Personalized gifts are always fun to make and to receive.
On May 3, 2010 at 11:43 pm Clever Cherry aka Judy Long said...
Okay I looked up merkin & I can’t even believe they have a word for that. Who? What? When? Why?
On May 4, 2010 at 9:30 am JulieB said...
Here’s why: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/743/what-is-a-merkin
On May 3, 2010 at 11:48 pm Merry the CB said...
I always thought that Terry Pratchett used that term as a shorthand for Americans.
Now I’m wondering if I should feel a tad miffed.
On May 4, 2010 at 1:50 am followingtheroad said...
Hmmm… I can think of a couple other “personal” things she could use those handcuffs for…
Damn. Right to the gutter for me. EVERY TIME.
*Ahem* Very nice, Jenny. You win the friend of the month badge. You can attach it to your merkin.
On May 4, 2010 at 3:33 am colognegrrl said...
It sort of comforts me that I was not the only one who had to look up the word “merkin”. Before, I could not decide whether I would rather imagine it to be similar to a munchkin or a meerkat. (Or was it Philip Merkin, the British Poet Laureate?)
Now I know it’s the cover of the Glittery Hoo-Ha. What are you going to crochet next? Did you already buy a skein of latex string?
On May 4, 2010 at 9:31 am JulieB said...
Har!! Pretty sure it was Philip Larkin. I knew someone who new him. Only two degrees of separation.
On May 4, 2010 at 9:36 am Sierra said...
That’s an amazing purse. As a desk organizer, it’s equally amazing. I love the purple boa handles! (Sadly, if I slung that over my shoulder, they would tickle me something fierce and I’d end up falling over.)
I actually didn’t have to look up merkin, but only because I swear you’ve used that world before…or did I just dream that?
On May 4, 2010 at 1:55 pm Absolute Cherry said...
Is the merkin intended to cover the glittery hoo-ha? For those formal occasions when one does not wish to glitter.
On May 4, 2010 at 4:23 pm hope101 said...
Happy birthday, Krissie!
Love the bag. The handcuffs were a necessary and amusing touch.
On May 4, 2010 at 6:21 pm Stephanie said...
Absolutely fan-darn-tastic!! Much cuter than the hardsided Hello Kitty suitcase I saw in the window of a store in my neighborhood the other day. Had me thinking of the suitcase you made for Krissie last year.
I’m wondering though – are they selling handcuffs at Kroger now, too, and if so — what aisle did you find them on?
On May 4, 2010 at 6:46 pm Jenny said...
IGA. On the dollar toy table.
On May 5, 2010 at 1:32 am Micki said...
(-: Amazing . . . . I had more to say, but then I got distracted by the merkin definition, and forgot it all.