No Turning Back Now...

Well, here it is - my Weekender Bag, up through step 7:

It's kind of like a rite of passage in the bag making world, isn't it?

It's gonna get tricky from here on out - which is entirely my fault. I cannot just follow a pattern. I have to customize it. I need lots of pockets inside, an adjustable shoulder strap, clips for small bags and keys, etc, etc. Because of my changes, I'm worried about the installation of the lining as outlined in the pattern, I'm afraid it won't be sturdy enough to hold loaded pockets. Sooooo..... how do I move on from here? I'm thinking Michelle's solution may be the one for me. But I'll likely tweak as I go. My hope is to take it to Sewing Summit! T-minus 2 weeks and counting.

Cheers All

I Made a T-Shirt!

I've never attempted this before. A first. I bought knit fabric at Fabric Depot's outdoor sale for $3.00/yard, I got a pattern (by Figgy's - Tee For Two), and away I went. I traced and cut last night, went over design options with my 4-yr-old this morning before school, and sewed the whole thing while fighting off an active 2 year old this afternoon.

 

It was actually pretty easy - and I'm generally not a knits person.  He loves his new pirate ship shirt! It's pretty darn cool looking, for being made by his Mom ;)

 

I think I'll make a bunch of these, since I have like 10 yards of knits now, and I only used about a 1/2 for this.   Cheers All,  hope back to school is treating you all well!

Swap in Swap out

I've been doing some swaps over on flickr this summer.   My latest is called 'For the Love of Solids'.

This is what I've just sent off to my partner:

 A mini quilt, and a pouch.

 I used the same block style that I had designed for the Jay McCarroll Challenge.

I'm pretty much in love with it, and really wanted to hang it on the wall of my dining nook, but I didn't.

It took me 8 straight hours to cut and piece these 4 blocks. I love all-day sew-ins at fabric depot sponsored by PMQG.

 Here's the back.

 

 This is the AMAZING package that I received from Sarah all the way from Shetland:

 It's pretty fabulous really, a wonderful 20" cushion cover which looks like it was born to live in my house. I guess it was :) , this totally darling quilted tic tac toe set which has been envied by everyone that has been through my house in the last few days,

 and a gorgeous colorblock zippered pouch that I'm just totally in love with, stuffed with goodies in the form of fabric and candy.

 I keep thinking, oh, I maybe don't really have the time to do anymore swaps for awhile, but then I get a package like this, and, well - I'm probably going to sign right up for another one :)

Cheers all!

Sandbox Pants

 

I hit some Labor Day weekend sales on Saturday morning with my lovely friend and neighbor Beverly. We first went to Modern Domestic .  They had a fabulous sidewalk sale, where I picked up 4 new feet for my dear little Janome (including a ruffler foot!!). They also had a $1 bin, $5 grab bags, and 50% off magazines, books and patterns - I partook of all of those. The pattern I got was this Oliver & S one.  I got the 4-8 sized pattern since my son is 4. Turns out I should have bought the 6 month-3t one, because he is nowhere near a size 4. Maybe for Junior high.

 

We also went to Fabric Depot to check out their outdoor sale which has an extra 10% off thru the weekend. I picked up all apparel fabric - so unlike me. But I scored this lightweight stretchy black denim for $3/yd and also some blue denim and a really lovely plaid twill type fabric for the same price. 

 

 I traced the pattern smaller than the size 4 lines, trying to interpolate it to about a 3, but used the size 4 pockets. My little guy picked out the 'bee' fabric for the pockets, and very excitedly helped me use the tailors chalk (all over the rest of the cut of fabric, and on the tablecloth). It was a super easy pattern to follow and put together.  I made sure to take extra time on my topstitching because I picked a nice lime green thread to go with the waistband.

 I serged all the inside seams and then topstitched them down to lay flat.  I had to re-learn how to make buttonholes.

 

I even lined the front pockets with the bee fabric. So cute. I'm really happy with how these turned out, but I may have to go hunt down the smaller size pattern - The 3 was still huge, I had to really tighten up the elastic in the back to keep them up, and my daughter now wants some, and she's a size 2 (so maybe 12 month ;). 

 I would definitely use more of their patterns, so cute, and so easy to follow, even for a new-to apparel-sewist.  So we're looking at 90+ degrees for most of the week - Vaughn had no interest in modelling these pants. "Momma, it's too hot for pants, I won't wear them". Nice. We have another week before he starts school. I. Can't. Wait. I mean, I'll miss him....