Back again! Are you bored with me yet?

That’s good, because it looks like I’m only getting started … seems like I have been bitten by the “bag bug” and have made another. My sister gave me a box of upholstery fabric (the cat “Sophie” is all mine) and I made my first bag with fabrics from it, my tote bag, which I have been using everyday to lug my possessions onto the bus to work and back again. That bag’s big enough to carry my laptop, just to give you an idea of the size. You can read all about that one here, if you wish!

Next I thought I might try a zippered cross-body bag. Smaller, but not too small that I can’t fit my iPad in it.

All my pieces are planned, measured, cut and fused with either fleece or interfacing.

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A UFO – not lost, but found!

Last weekend I attacked with renewed energy one of the UFOs I found when I was analyzing my #MMMay2018 results and inventorying my fabric. (Found? First I would have to I admit it was lost! Never!)

I had previously made a Designer me-made Copy of a GAP tank top for my sister with a beautiful deep teal green stretch knit, 90% polyester, 7% rayon and 3% spandex, posted here. Since there was fabric leftover from that project, and it is a beautiful fabric not to be wasted, I told my sister that I was sure I could squeeze a simple tee shirt out of the remnant. Continue reading →

My first time wearing Orange …

I do like this fabric. But this is the first time I have had Orange in my closet. I guess it is okay for the warm, sunny summer months? It was just beautiful outside when I started taking photos of my finished Orange dress, until the wind picked up!

For my #sewtogetherforsummer Challenge I asked you which fabric I should use for my wrap dress, you all voted on it here. Since this Orange knit fabric was the runner up by a close margin, I thought I would use it next for my McCalls M5974, view A. A reader was curious to know how I liked this pattern… and I just want to tell you I LOVED it! It went together very easily. I might just make another, except next time I would use a more stable knit than I did this time. The Orange knit I used was in reality more suitable for activewear. But it survived, and so did I!

Seems like this pattern was well-loved on Patternreview too!

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What to do with a box of upholstery fabric …

In my quest for the perfect bags, which seems to be a never-ending quest, I have been looking at plenty of styles and sizes, and learning a lot along the way! My sister was kind enough to provide to me an overflowing box of upholstery fabrics she found while cleaning up and clearing out during their move. Not only did my cats love acquiring so much free fabric, I did too! I love using upholstery fabric for bags of all sorts, and jackets too, like this one.

So using my Graphics App, I drew up my plans for another tote bag, smaller than my last one, and went through the upholstery fabric box to find the perfect fabric to repurpose into a tote bag.

I pulled out my Singer 421G for this heavy duty job. I used a lightweight fusible interfacing on my inner lining fabric to add a bit of shape and a fusible fleece on my outer fabric to add a bit of soft cushioning and shape.

Fusible fleece – and a peek at the striped fabric I chose from the upholstery fabric box!

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Sometimes I get distracted …

I am almost finished my #sewtogetherforsummer Wrap dress, which you might have read about last week. Due to some careful pattern/stripe matching I am happy with how things are turning out.

This Sewaholic pattern, the Yaletown, has been a joy to work with. This is my second Yaltetown, my first one was made with a woven fabric, not a knit. So second time around, sewing it up has gone pretty smoothly. The only changes I made to this pattern, just like the first time it was made, was to make the bodice slightly larger as I love the loose, comfortable feel of it. I also lengthened the bodice just an inch.

I’m not sure how it happened but I did manage to have a closely matching thread in my stash!

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Waiting impatiently …

Perhaps you remember from last week that I asked for some help in choosing my fabric for the #sewtogetherforsummer Wrap Dress Challenge? Well I have my answer now, thank you Kind Readers! It was a pretty close race!

First choice, although it was close, was … the blue Chevron! (for lack or a better description)

Second choice by just 3 votes was … the orange Chevron!

So I have decided to sew both fabrics up … with few slight changes …

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Stripes!

I’ve had this striped fabric in my stash since my visit to my sister a summer or two ago. It’s a heavier weight knit than what I usually have and I quite like it. The red stripe is quite bright too, which brings the grey, blue and black to life for me.

I had always planned to make this skirt, Vogue 1292, a “Today’s Fit” by Sandra Betzina, and I purchased this striped fabric for that sole purpose.

But you might already know from personal experience how easy it is to get led astray by fabrics and patterns. Continue reading →

The “ins” and the “outs” of my new Tote bag … and a few lessons learned!

Perhaps you read last week about my trashed (store-bought) Tote bag and the start of my journey to replace it? If you missed it, you can read Part I here!

I’ve been busy this week, learned a lot, and ended up with a great Tote bag – despite the “help” offered to me by My Feline Family Members!

I finished off my lining by measuring and sewing in the corners.

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Don’t need buttons for this one …

… and I found the perfect buttons for my last project. But before I show them to you, let me show you what I made with the remnants of my paisley Topaz knit. I had some of this lovely fabric – 85% polyester, 10% rayon, 5% spandex – left over, just enough. I think I have made a few of these McCalls tops before – one of the other ones I made is here.

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No Buttons!

Fresh off the Day and Night Dress Challenge, Coffee and Cocktails, I’m headed to Lisbon…

… the Lisbon Cardigan by Itch to Stitch, that is.

I cut out my pattern pieces and fabric with the help of Sophie!

I love this knit fabric, a “shades of grey” (and black) paisley Topaz knit, 85% polyester, 10% rayon, 5% spandex. Others seem to like it too! I have two co-workers who have RTW cardigans in variations of grey paisley knit – that’s why I knew I had to have one too!