A Test Success

A short while ago, Anna from Noodlehead asked if I and some others would be willing to test a pattern for her before she made it available for purchase.

I had put myself on her pattern tester list a while ago, hoping one day to be chosen as a tester.  And surprise, I was this time!
I was just a little excited as I love pattern testing.  It gets me to make things that sometimes I would otherwise never make.  It also gets the English nerd in me excited, because pattern testing is like editing, but in sewing!  

Fun!

The pattern is for a envelope style clutch.  There are a lot of options with this pattern - pointed flap or squared, wrist strap or not, large or small, zipper pocket or not.  I love when patterns have options because then you can really make it your own.

**I am currently on a holiday in Holland visiting my in-laws, so I did not have all kinds of fabrics to pick from.  Nor did I have my own machine to work with or all the hardware to make the pouch. So forgive the lack of hardware and the odd mistake. **

I chose to make a small clutch with the squared flap.  

I used some lightweight denim for the exterior and also for one side of the interior.  And instead of using canvas for sturdiness as suggested in the pattern, I used regular weight denim.  I think this may have made some seams a little bulkier, but in the end, it worked good.

I also had to piece the denim side of my interior because I was using scraps and the piece I had was not wide enough.  I think it looks okay and that you could even do it with printed fabrics, mix and matching to make a scrappy interior as well.

I normally don't work with batik, but even that I think looks pretty good!

The zipper pocket is perfect size for my phone and even a few other small things.  And a magnetic snap - always a good choice.

There are card slot pockets under the zipper pocket perfect for holding bank cards and some cash without having to take along a separate wallet.

I love the inside!  Surprisingly lots of room for something so small, and I love pockets.

The small size clutch measures about 9 1/2" wide and 5 1/2' top to bottom.

There was a Birthday!

We had a birthday come and go last week - my aunt turned 60-something.  I can't keep track of these things.  Sometimes, I don't remember how old I am!

I couldn't blog about the gift for her until I actually gave it to her.  And here it is.

She had mentioned at some point that she would love to have a bag with some pockets.  She is ALWAYS carrying around a bag full of stuff, so something nice for Sunday or so was what I thought she might need.  

The exterior of the bag is home decor fabric, though it is quite soft.  The inside is some cotton print I had in my stash.

The pattern is from Rebekah Lambert, the Pleated Tote Pattern.  The only thing I changed was the pockets.  I sewed a half sized panel onto the lining and then up the middle to make two large full sized pockets.

The button is an oldie, but goodie.

Two large pockets on the inside.

A Finished Affair

Aren't my titles punny? 

Moving on...

I have finished the complicated diaper bag.  It did not turn out as I hoped.  I picked a lot of stitches, poked my finger a hundred times while handstitching, and got fairly frustrated.  

This bag really did take me 3 days to finish.  Ridiculous!  Usually I can be done in a day!

I sure hope my sister likes it now because I have finished with it and have no desire to do anymore work on it. You know how it gets after working on something that frustrates you and takes longer than intended and then doesn't turn out how you envisioned.  You simply don't want to look at it anymore.

Here she is in all her baggy blue glory.

Pretty and innocent enough from the outside

But then you see it... the rotten recessed zipper.

I tried to find a good tutorial for inserting a recessed zipper and they all seemed fairly easy.  But none of them were exactly like I wanted.  Most didn't have the top bands or the width this bag has.  So I spent forever and a day finagling this zipper into this bag.  Overall, not a failure, just not how I envisioned.

Plenty of pockets on the inside, just as my sister asked.

In other, less frustrating ventures, I made butter.  

My dear husband brought home a can of cream from the dairy he works at.  I made some oh so yummy cinnamon buns with some of the cream and beat the rest into butter.  

Fairly simple.  Just beat the cream until you get past the whipped cream stage and the buttermilk and butter start separating.  Then strain the buttermilk and knead the butter in cold water to remove any excess buttermilk.  What you are left with is yummy wholesome whipped butter. 

And some buttermilk, which I used to make banana bread.

Sure smells delicious in here!

A Complicated Affair

I am becoming a jack of all trades I think. 

Well, not all, but I am certainly sewing up a variety of things these days. Dresses, pillows, all different kinds of bags.

Right now I am working on a diaper bag for my sister who is expecting in May.  Her youngest now will be 5 when this baby arrives, so she needs some new baby things.  My calling was her diaper bag.

She chose an Amy Butler print, English Garden in Blue Stone, for the exterior.  

Lucky us, it was on super sale from Drygoods Design.  Must've been a good pick because it's now sold out.  

It's a gorgeous fabric, the nicest home decor fabric I have worked with.  I was surprised at how soft it still felt for being a heavier fabric.  It's also gorgeous!  The blue really pops against the the dark background.

Enough raving about the fabric.

I have made a few diaper bags before, and they were all messenger style bags - rectangular and with a flap pocket.

My sister wanted something different.  Something that resembled the shape of the Hobo bag.  So I searched and found this bag: 

Pleated, lined handbag.

I have decided it needs some modifying to be a great diaper bag.  First I decided to add some width by sewing a 3 inch strip of fabric all the way around the main pieces. 

I also changed the way the pleats lay.

Then it needed better pockets than the pattern gave, so I added full width panels of fabric with elastic on the top to make 4 large pockets all together. Perfect for holding diapers, wipes, extra sleepers, creams and the like. Just to keep things separate. 

 Lastly, instead of a magnetic snap closure, I am adding a recessed zip.  I have never done one before, but I shall succeed.  I figure a zipper will be better than a single point closure in keeping all those baby things where they need to be.

So far it is looking good.  I wanted to blog a finished bag today, but it is taking me longer than I anticipated.  That and I DO NOT sew after 9:30 because then it all goes wrong. 

Next time a finished bag.

Bagged

I posted about the Wasp Bag I made a few days ago. It wasn't quite done as I needed to get a big button.

I couldn't find any that were big enough.
Yes, I was looking for huge.

Since I couldn't find one I thought would work, I resorted to a gigantic fabric covered button.

I think it looks pretty good!  I don't even mind that there are no threaded holes on the front.  I kinda thought the threaded hole look would look better than a clean and flat button. 

I'm quite happy with it.  And so is my friend.

I also made another bag last week.  It was a pretty simple bag and came together in probably about two hours - if I had worked steady on it that is.  Kids don't let you work steady on anything.

It is the Phoebe Bag from Rebeka Lambert.  Simple.  Clean.  And cute.

I scored some white linen at the thrift store and thought it was perfect for this bag.  However, it was too white so I tea dyed it tan colour.  The dying process was not uniform, but I think that adds to the character of self dyed fabric.  

The striped fabric is a Henry Glass print and a solid that simply just matched.

One lone pocket on the inside for keys and a phone, or pens and paper, or if you're like me,candies and chocolate balls 

Really, I don't carry those items for me.  They're for the princess who always asks for mooy aka more.