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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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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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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The “ins” and the “outs” of my new Tote bag!

I think I’ve already mentioned that I need to replace my Tote bag. The vinyl is cracking at the corners and on the straps. I have decided to strip what zippers and buckles I can from this one to ensure no waste … but the rest of it is too worn.

My family, friends and co-workers have heard that I like working with repurposed denim and other repurposed fabrics to make my bags. They all kindly gift me with fabric and notions they find! For this Tote bag I will be using an almost never worn pair of jeans that a co-worker has given me. They are large so I have lots of fabric to work with! (Thank you, Linda R!) Continue reading →

I have to have the perfect Zippered Crossbody bag … (Part 2)

I have really been enjoying this project! My inspiration was the Sallie Tomato Zippy Crossbody Bag. I started it last post here and finished it just this week.

There weren’t many details to finish it off. Let me show you how I did it …

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I have to have the perfect Zippered Crossbody bag … (Part 1)

I used to buy more bags than clothes. Every time I walked past a bag shop I would stop in. After “just stopping in” a few days in a row, I’d finally buy what I had been looking at. Now that I think about it, I pretty much always bought bags with the same “insides” but with a different style outside.

I haven’t bought a handbag for myself, I think, since I started my RTW fast in January 2015. I not only broke the clothes shopping habit, I also broke the bag buying habit!

I have been scouting around for a me-made replacement. I bought this pattern from Sallie Tomato. Although I haven’t tried the pattern yet, I love the look of it! It looks almost exactly like what I usually bought. One zippered pocket each for my bus pass, my keys, my wallet and phone, and one big enough for my iPad. Oops! It’s missing the space for my iPad.

No problem! I’ll just figure out a way to add another pouch on the backside of this Sallie Tomato bag … um … hopefully!

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A simple, but necessary project! (And my #reSEWlutions!)

Perhaps you have seen these photos on my Instagram account? It seems I can’t crochet in peace – Simon will steal my ball of yarn away and Sophie will play with the length of yarn. This calls for a simple, but necessary project!

Perhaps you have seen this advertisement on Facebook or Instagram? This is an excellent idea, unfortunately I couldn’t get past the upside down trees on the zipper side of the bag.

So I decided to make my own.

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I finished my dress!

Well … actually my sister’s dress – part of my “Sister’s Sewing Project”. It’s a border print and I’ve fallen in love with it. Border print fabric is not easy to find!

My sister wanted this dress – she took this photo from the TV! It was her inspiration.

And she found a lovely border print fabric for it – 100% cotton.

I pulled this pattern from my stash – Butterick B6089. (It’s difficult to see in this photo because of the camera flash on the plastic cover – sorry!)

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I’m back!

Last weekend started out as a busy weekend and turned into a challenging week, but let me show you what I did!

I am still working on my sister’s dress – part of my “Sister’s Sewing Project”. She would like this dress, in this 100% cotton border print and I am using this pattern, Butterick B6089 (sorry for the flash glare).

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A long drawn out battle with beautiful fabric …

and I’m not quite finished yet!

Let me tell you what’s up …

I have been searching for a pattern and fabric to make a “replica” of my mother’s and aunt’s dresses in this photo. My Aunt was a seamstress back in Europe and she not only sewed for clients but also for herself and my mother. She used no patterns and could make anything! I thought I had the magical combination for this dress with this 100% Rayon Denim Challis I had in my stash – a favourite fabric of mine!

I still think this pattern, Vogue 1395, might work but it doesn’t have the rounded neckline that I want. Being lazy, I thought I might just make two bodice backs and use those to make the bodice instead.

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