{Special Project: (in)courage laptop bags}

Hi friends!

Today is a unique day, a special day. Unique because there will not be a Featured Artist post; special because this post reveals a truly incredible project I've been working on for about one month.

Some of you may be familiar with the website (in)courage. If not, here's a little background info for you: (in)courage is an inspirational/encouraging (hence (in)courage) blog where you can read posts authored/contributed by about 30 different Christian women. The site is supported by DaySpring, the Christian subsidiary of Hallmark, and it's super fantastic. It really is.



Back in December, I was contacted by (in)courage to sew up something special for the Blissdom conference {which I'm at right now!!!!!!}. The request was to sew 18 Gussy laptop bags for those (in)courage authors and contributors attending the conference.

Immediately I thought, Wow God, you are incredible! Really, you're giving me this opportunity?!



And He said, Yes!

So I said, OK, time to bust a move in the Sweat Shop ;)

I cranked up my radio player and got right to work. Ahhhh, I so {sew} did!!!



We were in Michigan for Christmas when I received the request, so when we returned home I spent some major hours picking out fabric, consulting with Stephanie, cutting, ironing, sewing, sewing, and sewing up these bags.

This project is by far my largest project to-date. But boy! It's also my most favorite project :)



Up until today this project has been a surprise. Only very few people knew of it. I wanted to share the news right away but I knew that wasn't possible. So instead I teased you with some photos :) Do you forgive me yet?!

Something else completely incredible about this project is that some of my most favorite blog writers are a part of the team of (in)courage authors and contributors. People like The Nester, Emily at Chatting at the Sky {Nester's sister}, Angie with Bring the Rain, Lisa Leonard, and Lindsey with The Pleated Poppy.


HOLY GOODNESS, they're going to be carrying around a Gussy?!?!?!?!?

Yeowwwwwwwwww!




Aside from this project, I've been so blessed to be connected with the above-mentioned women. Some of them have been incredible mentors to me as I've had the true pleasure to speak to some of them on the telephone-o. These women have invested their personal time into Gussy -- I'm incredibly grateful for their help in bringing Gussy to where it's at currently.

I kid you not, Gussy is the true result of a girl having a dream yet the ability to reach out to others to help her run with it. You know that saying, a city can't be build in a day. {I hope I have that right...} The story of Gussy is very similar... Yeah, I'm the gal behind the sewing machine, but without the help of my family and blog friends I wouldn't be where I'm sitting today. And I write this with goosebumps on my arms.

This entire (in)courage project is just an uplifting and utterly amazing project/story for Gussy. It's phenomenal and it makes me so happy.




And!!! To add to the phenomenal-ness of it all, I've just finished having breakfast with the (in)courage authors and contributors.

Ummm, yeah.



I hope no one noticed I was way more excited than I ever thought possible. Whatever, I'm sure they didn't notice. Or maybe they did? Or didn't? Hmmm, not sure. Hah!


I owe another huge Thank You to Mel, who sews my Gussy twill tags. She made the (in)courage tags and they are so beautiful. I'm very, very happy with them. Besides, now the tags match and that is just darling :)



If you're at Blissdom and you see these bags, well... now you know the story behind them.

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The excitement that is inside me... the nervousness of this putting a face to the bags... the inspiration from this story -- I can't put the right words to what I'm feeling right now. I'm Gussy, a girl with an unexpected desire to sew. That about sums up my story.

xo.

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