Bag of the Week 29

Carolyn’s Tote Bag

Another friend asked if I would make her a tote bag and here is the result.  Carolyn’s Tote is made from the much-loved scraps of an upholstery project.  The fabric is a cotton/rayon blend with a small woven floral repeat.  The darker contrast and lining is a cotton twill.  Carolyn provided me with a reusable shopping bag which she likes the size of, and I created a pattern based on the dimensions of that bag.  The bag measures 12 inches wide by 13 inches tall by 8 inches deep.  I decided on a contrast bottom to add some interest but also to aid in hiding dirt.  The two outer pockets with curved edge are designed to hold a water bottle or umbrella.  Piping neatly finishes the top edge of the pocket and the entire bag.

When constructing the bag I first had to decide how to apply the contrast bands along the bottom edge.  I realized that stitching the bands as separate pieces would allow me to apply them on the pockets, thus allowing the pockets to run the full depth of the bag.  The challenge then became to match the four corners of the contrast bands for a professional finish.  I found that basting an inch or two above and below this crucial intersection and checking the match before stitching the entire seam assured a perfect match.

The lining contains two pockets, both on the larger sides of the bag.  One runs the full width and depth of the side.  I found this needed a snap at the center top to keep the pocket from gaping open.  The other pocket runs the entire width of the bag but is only about 6 inches deep.  It is sewn into three separate compartments and designed to hold phone, sunglasses, etc. 

Bag of the Week 28

Golf Shoe Bags

More shoe bags this week, these designed to hold a pair of golf shoes.  I used a heavy weight fabric for these such as denim or duck and added a golf-themed embroidery on the front.  I began with two rectangles of fabric, approximately 18” x 13”, sewed them together and boxed the bottom.  The top edge is turned under and a piece of Velcro is added for the closure.  A carrying handle was added at the top.  These embroidery designs came from Embroidery Library.

Making Aprons

The last few weeks have seen a lot of apron creation going on at my house.  I have been making aprons for my kids for a while now once I discovered that most of their food was ending up in their laps and any bib they had on didn’t help a bit with that problem.  Recently I decided I needed a few more in the rotation so I made another four.  These are so fast and easy to make that I wrote up a tutorial which you can find here so you can make some of your own.

While I was on an apron roll I decided to make one for myself.  I don’t often wear an apron (but if I splash turmeric on my white tee shirt one more time I may just be converted) but Sunday morning is the one day I have time to cook breakfast for everyone and I am usually already dressed for church.  So I thought I would make a cute apron to protect my clothes.  A couple of years ago my friend Karen brought an apron to show and tell that her daughter had made and it was beyond cute.  I immediately went out and bought the pattern and knew this was the one I wanted to make:  Butterick 4945.  I chose View D which has a circular flounce around the bottom hem.

The main fabric is a black and white cherry print seersucker which my mother bought many, many years ago.  She gave me this piece of fabric and I had intended to make a maternity top from it but never got around to it.  Since I won’t be needing one of those again J I decided it would work well for the apron.  The solid black contrast that I used for the flounce and ties is also seersucker and the microdot is cotton quilting weight fabric.  I bound the bottom hem with a bias strip of the microdot and inserted another strip between the flounce and the apron body.  I used the same microdot for the neck facing and turned it to the outside as shown in View C. 

I had tremendous trouble finishing the ends of the ties.  The instructions are to make a narrow hem along all edges, mitering the corners.  After three attempts I decided to face the ends.  I cut a section of fabric the same shape as the end of the ties and about 4-5” long.  I finished one edge and sewed the two pieces together.  When the facing was turned it nicely finished a difficult-to-sew angled edge.

I love how this apron turned out with the flippy little hem and stylish lines.  I haven’t had the nerve to wear it yet though, as I’m afraid I will spill something on it!

Bag of the Week 27

Shoe Bags

Summer is the time to travel and these handy little shoe bags will make traveling easier.  They are designed to hold a pair of ladies shoes and, when packed into a suitcase, will keep dirt away from clothing.  I made these bags from wool crepe and embroidered a few shoes on the outside along with some text.  The embroidery designs are by Evy Hawkins of A Bit of Stitch

I began with these basic instructions from Embroidery Arts

Instead of the buttonhole described I used metal grommets as the opening for the ribbon or cording to run through.  I used two separate ribbons, looped in opposite directions, so the bag can be closed securely.  I also created some scented shoe stuffers to go along with two of the bags I gave as a gift.  These were also created from the same black wool crepe.  The design is another of Evy’s, one of her Spring Buttoncover designs

I will see if I can find the instructions for making the shoe stuffers and post them as a tutorial.  They were simple to make and the combination with the shoe bags makes a nice gift.

You can modify the shoe bags for men’s shoes.  Each bag will fit one man’s shoe.  A monogram on each would be a nice touch.

Here are some pictures of the various designs I used on some bags.

Sewing Treasures

A couple of weeks ago I was wandering around my neighborhood during our semi-annual yard sale event and saw a box with what looked like sewing supplies in it.  I stopped to look and the owner immediately said I could have that and another box for $1. The owner seemed not too sure about what was in the boxes, but I love buried treasure so how could I resist?  I took the boxes home and unearthed a very special trove of sewing treasures.  This is the sort of find that only true sewing enthusiasts will understand as nothing had much intrinsic value and much of it will be given to the thrift store.  But there were a few gems in the mix.

Here is a PARTIAL list of some of the things I found:

Old patterns, project instruction leaflets, 5 pairs of scissors (2 pinking), dozens of UFOs, trim, ribbon, old lace, fabric, doll glasses, metallic doilies, florist wire, huge assortment of Christmas picks, leaves, stamens, bells, etc., 3 different types of elastic, tapestry needles, pearl roping, cording, Battenberg lace tea towels, evenweave fabric, Dritz See-Thru ruler, Chinese knot buttons, 3 embroidery hoops, latch hook, knitting needles, snaps, loads of nylon flag fabric and two completed flags.

Some of the items really spoke of the previous owner, especially the two Bowl America Queen of the Week bowling awards, the partially completed projects, the handwritten notes and old receipts.  I paused over the Clearbrook Woolen Shop Needle Pack and remembered the time I visited this shop which is no longer in business.  I was glad that I had ended up with these possessions as I could understand about this woman’s life, what these things must have meant to her.  It made me wonder who will go through my sewing treasures after I am gone and what image they will have of me based on my stuff.

I ran into the previous owner of these boxes this week and stopped to tell her who I was and how much I enjoyed going through these items.  She told me the boxes’ contents had been her mother’s.  We talked a bit about the dying art of sewing, how our mothers made our clothes when we were growing up and about the Singer sewing machine she used to use but no longer.  I tried to reassure her that there are those of us out there who still love this art form and will one day pass along our prized possessions to other sewing enthusiasts like us.  At least I hope that is what happens to my things one day.