Bags

Miss Maggie for Em

~ Michelle

I wanted to make a handbag for Em. It was one of her Christmas gifts.

I have many handbag patterns, but have only made three so far: Chris W’s Serendipity Hip, Emmaline Bags’ Craftsy Clutch Bag and Miss Maggie’s Handbag.I keep going back to the Miss Maggie’s because I really love the shape of the pattern. If you haven’t tried it, it’s a free pattern.So, it was a Miss Maggie’s again.

Even before I picked a pattern, I found this gorgeous material. I’m not even sure where I saw the material, but as soon as I saw it, I knew it was perfect. Em loves cats, and bright colors. Well, this is perfect for her

Em’s Miss Maggie’s

Here’s Em’s Miss Maggie’s:Oh, I’m loving this too.

I used iridescent hardware for this bag. I thought the shimmer of purple would go beautifully with the bright colors.

Here’s the side view:You can still see some kitties, but you can also see the black and grey material without the cats that I used for the back. It still gives some visual interest, but doesn’t take away from the front of the bag at all.

Here’s the back with the straps hanging down.I really like the back of the bag too.

I make my straps longer than the Miss Maggie’s pattern suggests. I make them long enough to make this a shoulder bag.

I also change the straps just a bit more by making them Jazzy. I read a post on Chris W.’s blog about Jazzy straps and have done this a few times now with my straps. You can read how to do it here.

One thing I learned about making Jazzy straps is to use the darker color for the part that will get the most use. I found on my Canada Miss Maggie’s that the straps were showing the most wear at the top where I’d hold them, or where I’d pick up the bag. Using a lighter color there wasn’t the best idea. It might add more pop at the top, but it also shows the most wear there too.

 Dressing Up Miss Maggie’s

 Miss Maggie’s Handbag doesn’t need a lot of dressing up, but she did get a couple of fun features in the hardware I used.

The first choice I made for Em’s handbag after picking out the fabric was to get the iridescent Long John strap anchors. I love these anchors and have used them most of the time I’ve made this pattern. This was the first time I used the iridescent. They add a lot of bling.Don’t they look great? I’ve also used iridescent rivets.

I bought some metallic purple faux leather from Emmaline Bags to make a tassel.That adds just a little more bling to the handbag. And this faux leather is lovely to cut. It’s very soft.

The tassel above is gold because the iridescent ones were out of stock at the time. I have since received the second iridescent tassel, and will give her both… as soon as I make that second one.

The last bit of bling had to be positioned just so.The Handmade tag had to be positioned just so one of the kitties was looking at it.

Here’s the inside of the handbag. A lot more bright colors. All the fabrics I used to make Em’s Miss Maggie’s came from the Cat-i-tude line of fabric.

I hope Em loves her gift as much as I loved making it.

Happy New Year & happy creating!

Making Time for Miss Maggie

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

I have been using my Oh Canada Miss Maggie handbag since I made it last year. Here it is when it was new.It’s had a lot of use, and it’s still looking good! Below is how it looks after daily use for a year. The only real wear I’m seeing on it is on the handle where I used maple leaf fabric. It’s looking less bright now. The photo on the left is when the bag was new. A year later on the right.It doesn’t even look that bad.

 I love the shape of the Miss Maggie handbag. So after debating other patterns I have, I’ve chosen to make this pattern again.

Materials

I’ve wanted to try working with leather. I love the durability of leather, but I do have to say, my cotton handbag has endured very well. It’s also the lightest handbag I can remember using. I was surprised when I started using it just how light it was. I may miss that using leather this time.

However, as I said, I wanted to try working with leather. I had purchased some last year, so decided to pull it out and cut into it.I got this at Peggy Sue Also, on Etsy.  It’s lovely. So far, working with leather is really nice. It’s so soft and pliable. We’ll see if I still think working with it is nice once I’m sewing multiple layers of it.

I didn’t have any fabric with the exact same fuchsia color in my stash for the lining, so I decided to use a fun fabric I had.I think this lining fabric will be adorable. I found this on Etsy as well.

A Leather Miss Maggie

I had my Miss Maggie all cut out, and then the corset challenge for May happened. But it waited patiently for me.This turned out quite nicely. The only real problem I had was doing the top stitching at the end. My machine kept skipping stitches, and I had to keep going back over it to fix it.My machine was fine with two layers, and even three, but it decided four layers of leather was just too much.

Inside the bag I’ve added a zipper pocket.     And a slip pocket.Aren’t all those bras adorable?

I also added a tassel and used Long John Strap anchors. After taking these photos, I did go over t hose skipped stitches again. It’s not the best, but it all works. I’ll find a better solution for the next leather bag I make.As well as the tassel, I used swivel hooks to attach my straps to the anchors. Adding just that little bit extra length to the straps makes this a shoulder bag for me.

I also added a lovely Handmade logo to the front of my bag.All the hardware for this bag is from Emmaline Bags.I love this bag, and my first attempt to make a leather bag turned out great! I will definitely be making another one – but I’ll tune up my Singer Featherweight to do the top stitching on that  next one.

Happy creating!

Noodlehead Range Backpack

~ Michelle

I had a request to make a backpack, and it’s a first for me. The pattern I used was great, and really helped me. It was all very clearly explained, and it didn’t take very long while making it for me to feel more confident and that I really could make a backpack.

The Range Backpack

I chose the Noodlehead Range Backpack. This is for a teen girl. I thought it looked a little more modern, and it might be preferable over a traditional-looking backpack.

    As well as making the backpack, I’m making a matching Blue Calla Clematis Wristlet, which is a free pattern. 

My Version of the Backpack

 Here’s my first backpack. I’m quite pleased with how it turned out. My son’s girlfriend, Em, gave me these materials. She’d made a bag out of the one with pink wavy stripes. Both materials are canvas, so they’re nice and sturdy for a backpack.

The backpack has an expandable zippered pocket on the front of the bag.As well as all the basics like straps and hanging hook on the back.Em may have provided the material, but all the hardware is from Emmaline Bags. And I had to add a little extra when I bought the hardware.   I used the same fabric I used for the contrasting bottom to line the bag. Seeing as the lining peeks out when the bag is folded over, I thought it might bring it together nicely.The Noodlehead Range Backpack is a great pattern. I had no trouble following it at all.

The Wristlet

 The Wristlet was another first-time pattern for me. I’ve had it in my pattern stash for a little while now, but hadn’t made it yet. I hadn’t made anything by Blue Calla. It was another pleasant surprise as there were no issues at all while sewing it up.The material I used for the inside of the wristlet was also given to me by Em. She had a small stash and said I’d probably use it before her. Thank you, Em.

The backpack and wristlet have been mailed to their new home, and I had to add a couple of little friends too. I hope they’re all loved and enjoyed.Merry Christmas, and Happy Creating!

ChrisW Designs Global Blog Tour – Serendipity Hip Pattern

~ Michelle ~ 55 Comments

Welcome to my little corner of the blog sphere from here in Canada!

I was asked to be a part of the Chris W Designs tour, and I couldn’t resist!

 It was one of Chris’ designs I first fell in love with that made me want to make my own bags. I’d been searching the internet for handbag patterns to sew myself, and I found this:This is Evelyn. Isn’t she lovely? I love everything about this. If I could only find this same material. I’ve kept this photo on the wall in front of my desk for sewing inspiration!

A Journey to Get Here

My bag-making has taken a round-about journey to making a Chris W Designs (CWD) pattern though.

After that initial searching, my first and second bags ended up being made following video classes. Being a very visual learner, it really helped me to start that way.

After both of those, I felt ready to tackle a pattern without a video. I chose an easy bag, and made a few of them. With a few successes behind me, I felt ready to branch out. It was at that point this tour was mentioned to me. Perfect timing! I really do feel like I’m coming full circle.

My Tour Make

 For my make on this tour… I’m still not making an Evelyn! Can you believe it? No, this time around I’m making a bag for a friend. She loves cross-body bags, so that’s what I’m making her.This is the Serendipity Hip bag. CWD graciously gave me this pattern to make for the tour. I think my friend will love it!

The Materials

This year marked Canada’s 150th birthday. To celebrate, there were lots of Canadian-themed fabrics. My friend has family members who are RCMP. Do you know what the RCMP are? They’re the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, often referred to as Mounties. These are our police.

So, seeing as my friend has a close connection, I couldn’t resist this adorable Mountie motif fabric, after all, I Am Canadian.Along with the Mountie material, I chose a dark red that coordinated, and a Native print to contrast for the lining.

How Did I Do?

  So after following videos and only making an easy bag pattern, are you wondering how I did? I found CWD patterns to be very well explained. Whew. That was a relief for me. Each step is not only well explained, but most steps come with a photo to show the step as well. Oh, I love photos to help me understand.

Something else that impressed me were there were even pattern pieces for rectangles. I can’t tell you how many patterns don’t include those, and I find them really helpful. I can get numbers mixed up sometimes, so I’m always double and triple checking them, so having that pattern piece instead of simply saying a 20″ x 8″ piece or whatever – it makes a difference for me.

My Finished Bag

 Here’s my finished bag:

I really think this is charming with all those little Mounties. The pattern front features a large slip pocket with a cell pocket inside, as well as a front zippered pocket. That’s three pockets before you’re even inside the bag. I was impressed.

Here’s a photo with something in each of the front pockets. The inside has another zipper pocket, and a card pocket with a small slip pocket behind it.There are lots of pockets! That seems to be a theme of CWD’s bag patterns.

Here’s the back of my ‘Hip Mountie’ bag.No pockets here, just Mounties! I really love this bag.

Bling

I had to do a few little bling things for this bag too. A little Sewn zipper pull.   And a leather tassel because I made an extra one with my last bag and it matched this bag too! My hardware came from Emmaline Bags.

Those Straps

For the straps, I used something I’d read on Chris’ blog: Jazzy Straps. This style of straps have made an appearance on a few of the bags in this tour. They give more of a pop to an otherwise basic part of the bag. Here are mine from the front:And from the back:I love these straps! Adding that extra bit of color takes them from basic and functional to not-at-all-plain, and makes them another feature of the bag.

Something For You

  Chris has also given each of us bloggers two of the patterns we’ve made to give to our readers. So, I have two Serendipity Hip PDF patterns to give away! Thank you, Chris! Not only is Chris giving each blogger 2 patterns to give away, but all her patterns are on sale this week! 20% off. Check out the code below.

 So for my give away, I want to make this fun. I mentioned a well-known line from a Canadian commercial. What commercial is it? Comment on my blog, and Marsha (Flying by the Seam of my Pants) will randomly pick two numbers out of how many have answered correctly. I’ll announce the winners tomorrow when I post tomorrow’s blogs for the tour. As well, I won’t approve correct comments until after the draw is finished. (This draw is closed now, but if you want to still comment, please do.)

If you don’t know the answer, I’d still love to hear what you think of the tour, and my Hip Mountie bag.

If you love all of the designs you’ve been seeing of Chris’, check her out on Instagram, and on her Facebook group.

Below are all the details on what you can save now, and the prizes to be won! Those prizes wouldn’t be there without the amazing generosity of our sponsors.

Thank you!

Tour Discounts

  • ChrisW Designs is taking 20% off all patterns until end of day (Australian Central Standard Time) November 21. Code GlobalBlogTour17 (applied automatically with this link. Buy without fear: If you purchase during the tour and then win a pattern, your purchase price will be refunded.
  • Handbag Hardware Australia (aff link) is offering a 10% discount for the duration of the tour. Use code: CWD10. (Excludes interfacing and Emmaline Bling.)
  • Bobbin Girl has a 10% discount using code BLOGTOUR17. (Not to be combined with any other discount or rewards points.)
  • Gold Star Tool is taking 15% off for our tour readers. Use code chriswdesigns.
  • Zipit (aff link) is also offering a 10% discount on shop items. Use code chriswdesigns. As well, you must be signed in and the discount is applied to your cart after you add your items.

Giveaway (This giveaway has ended.)

Prizes:

a Rafflecopter giveaway (wait for the end of the tour for this!)

Tour Schedule

(Australia Central Standard Time)


// Please note that none of these post links are available before the scheduled date (ACST). If you click on one too early, you will get an “Error 404: Page not found.” You know about those, right? //

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Sunday, November 12

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Monday, November 13

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Tuesday, November 14

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Wednesday, November 15

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Thursday, November 16

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Friday, November 17

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Saturday, November 18

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Tuesday, November 21

  • Giveaway winners announced on all the blogs:

ChrisW Blog, Glitter in my Coffee, Michelle’s Creations, Flying by the Seam of my Pants, Serial Bagmakers, Tiger in a Tornado, Vanaehsa, Judith Stitches and More, Doctora Botones, Sewsewilse, Suck It Up Buttercup, Vicky Myers Creations, Marvelous Auntie M, inspinration, Fée bricolo, Trisha’s Craft Corner

♥

 

Another Two Canada Bags

~ Michelle ~ 6 Comments

My Canada 150 bag made a bit of an impression. In fact, my original bag is now residing in California, USA with a Canadian woman. I think everyone will know she’s a Canadian now.

I’m going to be making another one for myself soon – it’s all cut out on my cutting table.

However, before I got to sewing my own, I had a special request from my son’s girlfriend. She has some really dear friends in Colombia who just happen to love her, her family, Canada, and all things Canadian. Could I please make two more bags? I couldn’t refuse.

Canada Bag Version Two

I don’t like doing the same thing twice, so I wanted to mix things up a bit. These bags may all be similar, but each is unique. That was just what Em wanted for her friends too.

Here’s the front of Version Two:

I’m still using the Emmaline Bags’ free Miss Maggie pattern. I’ve used the Long John strap anchors, attached a bit of bling – the Handmade tag – and cut out a red leather maple leaf.  Since this bag has the Long John strap anchors, I decided to reduce the size of the maple leaf by 20%. This bag also has the side snaps to bring it in and give it a defined shape, a magnetic snap closure and bag feet.

Here’s the back of the bag. It has a divided slip pocket going across the back of the bag, and some fun Canadian quiz material.

The inside of the bag is the same for both bags. Off white material with red maple leafs, and a slip pocket.

I used the lining material to make the straps as well. I just couldn’t resist those maple leafs! Em told me these women are Colombian and like lots  of color and bright things, so that helped me decide to make one set of straps brighter.

Canada Bag Version Three

Here’s the third Canadian Miss Maggie from the front:

  I really like this one! For this bag, I wanted it to look different so I used the pattern instructions to add a seam in the front, and used that to feature both of the materials I was using. I also added a red leather maple leaf at 100%, a brass Sewn label, the Diamond strap anchors, added a magnetic snap closure, and bag feet.

I made a mistake attaching these anchors. I didn’t know it, but I was coming down with a doozy of a summer cold. So what did I do? I placed the pattern piece upside down when I was marking where the anchors were to go! As a result, I struggled a bit to get them in, and then really had to fight to top stitch around them. I’m not thrilled. However, they’re in the bag, and there’s no moving them.

Here’s the back of Version Three.

You can see on the sides, I’ve added the snaps to the side of this bag as well, but have left them unsnapped. I want the bags to both have their own unique look when they arrive at their destination.

 I hope they’re both loved and cherished.

Along with a fourth Canada 150 bag, I’m back to drafting again this week. I’m really looking forward to it.

Happy creating!

Canada 150 — In the Emmaline Bags Bag

~ Michelle ~ 71 Comments

Welcome to my stop on the Canada 150 — In the Bag tour.

This tour is a bag-making, bag designer, bag supplier tour, so by my title, you may have guessed I’m featuring a bag from Emmaline Bags.

Most of the bag patterns shown on our tour were donated to the bloggers by the designers. You will be able to buy them, and maybe even win one. (I’ll be giving away a pattern on June 10th, so keep checking in.)

Here are all our sponsors, but some of these are our Designers too. (At the end of this post there are links to all of our sponsors & designers)

All of our Designers offer great patterns you can purchase, however, I really wanted to show there are free options out there. We are celebrating after all!

The bag I’ve chosen is a pattern from Emmaline Bags – and it is free. In fact, the additions I’ve made to it are all from Emmaline Bags’ blog, so they’re free too. Well, you do have to buy your materials and hardware…

Here’s the pattern I made:

Isn’t that lovely? I’ve been admiring the Miss Maggie’s Handbag since it came out, and dreaming of a leather Miss Maggie. However, I found some perfect fabrics I wanted to use for my Canada 150 bag.

Here’s my Miss Maggie’s Handbag:

Oh, I love it! The material I used for this was created to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday this July 1st. This is Stonehenge Oh Canada by Northcott. I’m including a link for the fabrics just in case you love it too. Being Canadian, I was able to find this at my local quilting shop.

Here’s the back view of my bag:

Nice hardware, eh? Yup. I really do love this bag.

Pockets

The bag is lovely all on it’s own, but I wanted to add a few things. The first thing I added was a zipper pocket inside the bag.

This zipper pocket is the perfect size.

Here’s the tutorial for adding a zipper pocket to a bag.

SEW AN EASY ZIPPER POCKET METHOD 1- A TUTORIAL.

Janelle (owner of Emmaline Bags) says, ‘Everyone needs an internal zipper pocket in their purse or handbag…’ I felt the same way. I love to have a zippered pocket to keep things tucked away and safe. This tutorial was easy too. I had no problems with it whatsoever.

The fabrics I used for the inside of the bag are both special edition fabrics that were created just for Canada’s 150th. The maple leafs (part of the Canadian Sesquicentennial Collection by Northcott) inspired my maple leaf on the front of my bag, and the Canadiana quiz material (same collection as the maple leafs) was just too fun not to use.

More Pockets

The bag comes with one slip pocket included in the pattern.

That pocket is perfect for a cell phone, or anything else you want to keep separate in your bag. I’m thinking my cell and sunglasses!

You can also see in of all of these pocket photos that I’ve added a magnetic clasp for a closure. This closure is what the pattern suggests, and Janelle has a tutorial for that too.

How to Install a Magnetic Snap Closure

Janelle has some really great tips in this tutorial to keep that snap tightly secured, and I followed them.

Bling Bling

I had to add some bling to my bag.

Who could resist a Sewn label? Not me. Anyone who sees my bag will know it’s an original and handcrafted.

The Long John Strap Anchors, the handmade hanging metal tag, and the leather tassel are more bling. Well, the strap anchors are rather practical in that they attach the straps to the bag, but they definitely bring the bling factor.

So much more love!

To make my tassel, it was back to Emmaline Bags’ blog for another tutorial.

HOW TO MAKE A TASSEL: AN EASY BAG MAKING TUTORIAL.

I had so much fun making my tassel. It was extremely satisfying. Leather is so lovely to use. The leather I used for my tassel was from a second-hand score. A box of leather samples and a few other things for $5.

As well as making the tassel from my upcycled leather, I also made a gorgeous Maple leaf – the symbol on Canada’s flag.

Over the top love!

 All the beautiful bling I bought (commonly called hardware) came from Emmaline Bags’ online store. Unfortunately, it’s not free. But you do have a chance to win some.

Hardware Tip & More

In the Miss Maggie pattern, it’s suggested to keep the plastic protective covering on your hardware while you sew your bag. That makes a lot of sense, but some of my hardware didn’t come with plastic on it.

I used some Press & Seal to cover my hardware during the sewing process and it worked perfectly!

There were no scratches to any of my hardware this way. Not only does Beverly Johnson (The Fairy Bra Mother) tell us how to clone a bra with Press & Seal, but now I can see another great reason why we all need this in our sewing rooms! You can see I started by covering my hardware with a bit of felt. The Press & Seal was faster and no pins.

I have one more little tip for you. To attach the magnetic clasp, I needed double-sided fusible interfacing. I know I had some, but I could not find it anywhere. I happen to have lots of single sided interfacing though and more than one sewing machine.

I sewed a strip of interfacing together with the glue sides out. It worked perfectly under the magnetic closure.

How to Win

For my give-away in the Canada 150 – It’s in the Bag tour, I’m giving away a PDF pattern from Emmaline Bags.

Comment on my post about your biggest sewing failure for a chance to win. Marsha (Seam of my Pants) has already picked the winning post number for me. All you have to do is post. The winner will be announced on the 10th.

As well, on the 10th I’ll be sharing my project that didn’t work out for this tour.

Enjoy the rest of our tour.

Happy 150th Canada!

&

Happy creating!

Each blog has an exclusive giveaway, so be sure to visit them all.

Tour Discounts

  • 10% off!
    Tangled Blossoms Design     is offering 10% off anything in stock for the duration of the tour. Offer expires June 10, 2017. Use discount code HAPPYBIRTHDAYCANADA
  • 15% off!
    Bringberry Handbag Hardware and Design     is offering 15% off anything in stock for the duration of the tour. Offer expires June 10, 2017. Use discount code LOVECANADA150

Tour Stops

(These links will be active on and after the day they are scheduled.)

June 4

Emmaline Bags

June 5

Tangled Blossoms Design ◊ With Love in Every Stitch ◊ Happy Okapi

June 6

Michelle’s Creations ◊ Barabooboo ◊ Soca Sewing

June 7

Glitter in my Coffee ◊ Michelle’s Creations ◊ Seam of my Pants

June 8

Seam of my Pants ◊ Creative Roots Sewing ◊ Happy Okapi

June 9

Seam of my Pants

June 10

Giveaway ends at midnight EDT (North America)

July 1

CANADA DAY 150

Giveaway Prizes

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please join us in thanking our tour sponsors by visiting their websites.

* Jewellery is the Canadian spelling.

Useful Handbag Hacks

~ Michelle ~ 13 Comments

Do you ever want to make a handbag and the pattern looks great, but it just doesn’t have all the features you want? That’s how I’ve been feeling.

Here’s my first Raspberry Ripple handbag. I love the outside of this, but I didn’t love the inside. A zipper on one side and a couple of side pockets. It’s adequate, but not exactly what I want.

Common Patterns

I’ve been looking at a lot of patterns, and too many of them are totes. I don’t love totes. They’re fine as a tote, to throw a few books in when heading to the library, but they’re not a handbag.

Most of the patterns I have, or have seen are all missing one thing I really want in a handbag – a divider inside. I love a divided handbag. I like to put things like my sunglasses on one side, my wallet in the zippered divider pocket, and any cosmetic things like hand cream or lip balm on the other side. Nice and neat – not all thrown in on the bottom. I also like a top zipper closure to secure it all.

So, I haven’t found my perfect patterns out there. After a little searching around, it seems I’m not alone. A few bloggers have posted some hacks that look really good and I wanted to share them with you.

Purse Dividers

This first one was referred to me by Marsha (Seam of my Pants). Thanks, Marsha! Sherri at Thread Riding Hood has a free pattern (for a tote) and tutorial on how to install a divider.  I’m using a photo from Sherri’s blog post to show you just how nice it looks.

That is so lovely and such a neat-looking finish. I love her fabric choice too.

This next one came from a search and it looks really good too. On the photo it says it’s from Diedel Bug. It’s on the Swoon website. It’s adding an interior divider pocket to the Eleanor handbag. This is a great-looking tutorial, and exactly what I’m wanting. Again, I’m using the photo from the website.

This is great! It even has the zipper in the divider just like I’m wanting.

Here is one more divider tutorial for you.

This photo is from Abby at Things For Boys*, and it’s a divider for a tote bag.

These are all great tutorials, and I’ll go through them all before I draft a divider for my next Raspberry Ripple handbag.

Zipper Closures

There’s one more thing that will make my Raspberry Ripple, and so many of the other bag patterns I have, my perfect handbag – a zipper closure at the top.

Here’s one more great tutorial on how to add a zipper closure.

This one is from Lisa at Andrie Designs. And it’s for a tote!

With all these tutorials, I feel ready to make all the changes I want to make to my Raspberry Ripple pattern.

Happy creating!

Raspberry Ripple Completed

~ Michelle

I thought my Raspberry Ripple would be completed easily with no more bumps in the road. Well, so much for that. My husband decided to share the flu with me just as I was recovering from that cold. Bad. Just bad.

So, my Raspberry Ripple sat some more.

I did make it to the fabric store before he shared. I bought this lovely material for the lining. And the gorgeous red polka dot for the lining on the 2nd bag I have waiting for me.

The photo really doesn’t do this material justice. The two fabrics look much better together in person than they do in this photo.

Here is the red polka dot lining to use with this next bag.

I’m still not feeling quite 100%, but I have been sick for the better part of a month and I really want to get working on something. So, I cut out a couple of linings for the animal print bag, and then decided it was time for a hack.

I did not feel well enough to figure out all the written instructions, and the parts that are crossed out over it and written in again. I’m putting in a basic lining with a few pockets and that’s it. No zipper. Nothing complicated.

Here’s my hacked lining. I put in five basic pockets. Three on one side. Two on the other side. I do like pockets.

Here’s the outside of the bag all finished. I’m rather liking this.

I even have a plan for looking at those instructions again. My friend wrote all over them in pencil. I’m going to make a copy of the instructions with her notes, and then sit down with an eraser to erase all the notes from the original. Then I’ll try to make sense of the original without all her notes. I’m hoping I can figure out what is really supposed to be done here.

 I’m hoping the notes will make more sense after I read the original pattern maker’s instructions. But having things crossed out and then written in again, and having the flu really didn’t help.

Next I think I’m due for something new!

Happy creating!

Raspberry Ripple

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

Keeping to my plan to do a Craftsy class review each month, and work on my UFOs, I started working on the Raspberry Ripple handbags I have waiting for me. These are the bags I was given, all cut out and interfaced. All I have to do is sew them.

Raspberry Ripple Handbag

If you haven’t seen the Raspberry Ripple bag, here it is.

I think it’s adorable. You can find the pattern here.

Fabrics

The one I’m working on first is an animal print and a lovely coordinating fabric.

The coordinating fabric is lined on the back, which you can see – it’s the darker brown.

The above one is my trial run. I also have this one all cut out and interfaced just waiting as well. I love this black floral print.

I thought I’d save my favorite material for once I’m a little more familiar with the pattern. I was told that shiny material is leather, but it’s really thin and lined. I don’t think it’s leather, but it’s pretty.

I was also given this material, but after checking, there aren’t enough pieces for the bag, and not enough to cut more out, so I’ll have to think of something else to do with it. I’m thinking wallets or small clutch bags as all the material is interfaced.

A First Melly & Me

This is a new pattern for me, and also a first time sewing anything by Melly & Me. There’s a lot of text in the instructions, and step after step with no illustration or photo. I’m a visual learner, so I don’t know that this will be a favorite pattern for that reason, but it is all coming together fairly easily and well so far.

Illustrations don’t always mean a project will turn out either. There were lots of photos in another pattern I tried last year and it ended up in the trash! There was also a lot of ripping out with that one.

So far, on this Raspberry Ripple, I’ve only had to rip one seam out and that was all my fault. I was trying a no-pins method of sewing. More on that in another post.

Other than the no-pins bump, my sewing did have another bump in the road. I caught a cold, and spent more time than I wanted on the couch with Netflix. So, I did start my bag, take a long break, and then go back to it.

Unique Challenges

Do you know, or can you guess the most challenging part of sewing something someone else has cut out? Figuring out what pieces are what. Nothing is labeled.

I thought I had all the pieces, but I searched through everything I had again when I was ready to sew the band on. There wasn’t a band. There was some fabric to cut out a band, so whew! I was able to cut it out and get it interfaced.

My friend had lengthened the pattern for the band for some reason. I had to adjust it back to the original pattern size. I’m not sure why she did that because the lengthened band pattern piece did not fit the bag, but it’s all good again.

Notes

It’s kind of fun to follow along on a pattern someone else owned first. I love to read the notes from other sewers to see what they felt needed to be added, or clarified, or even just their reminders.

There are lots of notes on this from my friend. It makes for interesting sewing and sometimes more complicated too.

And this is where I feel like giving up. All that text and not a photo to help me out. Add to that I don’t know if I really want right sides together or wrong sides, or right sides!

Well, I’m stopping for the time being. It will remain a UFO for a few more weeks. There isn’t any lining material, or pocket material and I don’t have anything that coordinates with it. I also need a zipper.

So, I’ll take a swatch of this fabric and the black floral with me to the fabric store and buy enough lining for both bags.

Finished Bag?

No, it’s not quite finished, but here’s my outside part of my Raspberry Ripple handbag:

It’s lovely! Now to get to the fabric store.

Happy creating!

2017: The Year of Finishing Things

~ Michelle ~ 6 Comments

I don’t make many resolutions, but as I began my sewing year this year with messes all around me, I made one. I’ve decided that this year I’m going to finish a lot of the unfinished projects that are all around me.

Let me give you a few examples of what I’m going to work on.

Footstool

Our footstool is often used and looked like it. The top had split along all four seams, and my wonderful hubby suggests I make a new cover for it.

I got as far as cutting the old top off.

Then after another month or more, I tried some material on it to see how it would look.

I even cut out material to make a band all around it. All I have to do is sew it. Yet it sits there, with half my pins in it.

It’s been sitting there for two or more months just waiting for me. Part of the problem for that is I’m not 100% sure just how I want to finish it. The other part of the problem is I want fresh and new projects all the time.

Purses

Do you remember when I’d met a sewing friend a year or so ago? She had made her own handbag, and I complimented her on it. She also gave me three handbags that she’d cut out and interfaced! All I have to do is sew them! But I haven’t yet.

They’re all cut out! And interfaced!

That is one of my UFO projects I’m going to do this year. In fact, I’m not packing them all back up and putting them all away again. I’m keeping one of them out to sew up.

Pants

More specifically, hemming pants. I have a favorite pair of pants that I love, but hate to wear because they’re too long. Every time I put them on, I thinking I’m ruining them because they need hemming. Pretty much weekly, they make it to my mending pile, only to be taken back out again.

We won’t even bother going into mending…

Enough!

Craftsy Classes

I love Craftsy, and unfortunately I have a lot of classes I haven’t watched yet. I’m changing that. Once a month, I’m going to review a Craftsy class. Since I’ll have to watch them to review them… You get my logic here. I win, and hopefully, you win too with the reviews. I’ll say here, although I am an affiliate with Craftsy, any class I review will be my honest opinion.

Let me go back to those favorite pants for a minute. And while I’m there address something else – my CoverPro machine. One of the reasons I hadn’t hemmed my pants was because I have this wonderful CoverPro machine and I wanted to use it to hem the pants. But… I didn’t know how to use it!

So I bought a Craftsy class on that. Coverstitch: Basics & Beyond. I’ve watched it, and hopefully, with my new resolve to finish some UFOs, I’ll use the class info and my machine to hem my favorite pants. I think there’s another pair of pants and a skirt in that hemming pile too. Yup, it’s time to get around to this.

So, I’m trying to plan out my sewing and blogging for the year. My goals so far are to do a class review once a month. I was thinking if I also do one UFO each month, that leaves me two weeks to play with new things, which are much more motivating for me.

So, we’re into our second week of January. Did I start? I did! I repaired a blouse I’d bought. It’s a stretch knit, with chiffon below the hem. As pretty as it looked, the chiffon had no stretch but the rest of the top did. Here’s the photo from the website. There’s a link in it too.

Well, because it didn’t stretch at all at the hips, it wasn’t fitting very well. I opened those seams and did an overlock stitch along them. There! The first of my mending pile/UFOs done. The chiffon is now vented giving me that little bit of extra room where I needed it.

Do you have a UFO pile? How about your Craftsy classes? Are you getting through them? Did you make any sewing resolutions this year? I’d love to hear!

Happy creating!