4 posts tagged “crafting”

I don't know why this has suddenly become a crafts blog, but it's better than me complaining about my PhD!  So here are more crafts.

Some zippered pouches specifically made to hold peanut butter and jelly sandwiches:

Green Elephants

And some zippered pouches for another June birthday:

August Fields Pouches

I am annoyed that there is some pulling at the edge of those pouches.  I think I should have used a ball tipped needle instead of a sharp needle.  The ball tipped will push the fabric aside instead of ripping right into it and causing yucky pulling, letting the white backing show through.  The fabric has quite a sheen to it.  I should have known!  Oh well.

And finally, something for ME.  I really like this fabric--maybe because I was born in the year of the Rooster?  And...I have a French name?  It's by Alexander Henry and it's called "Le Coq de Granville."  I don't really care for the other fabrics in the Granville line, but I really like this one.  There's also a version in a family of reds, which I have but I don't like as much as the blues.

Roosters!

I know the lighting isn't that great, and them more I use my little Canon point and shoot, the more I want a SLR, but I thought it came out pretty well.  I decided to line it again (like the one I made for Irene's birthday) and this time it was MUCH easier and less of a pain in the ass.  I figured out some more efficient ways to sew things and it made it more of a pain-free process so I think I see more lined box bags in the future.  They are so useful!  I made this one to hold my earrings/limited jewelry.  This way it makes it easy for me to cart them around.

I like the tiny tag I made for the side opposite the zipper pull.  Some how, the stitching came out just right so that it is practically flush with the top stitching on either side of the zipper.  I love when stuff like that works out.

In other news, a plant that a friend gave me to take care of suddenly became INFESTED with tiny tiny thingies.

Creepy

Happy Birthday, Irene!  Here is your new HUGE zippered tote bag! 

My friend Irene's birthday is today and here is the birthday craft that I made for her, like a little tote elf.  Thank you Amy Butler for making your gorgeous "August Fields" prints.  I HEART this print.  It's difficult to tell in the photo, but the fabric is beautiful, and has a pretty little sheen to it and it is home decor weight canvas.

Huge!

Those fabric lined straps??  Hells yes they are.  WHOA NELLY were they annoying and painstaking.  There was a lot of ripping out and starting over, but I was able to pull through by basting the edges of the cotton webbing together, and then making a 1 inch bias tape from the fabric, and then sewing that onto the webbing.  It was a lot of work, but I love the results.  I have to admit, each time I make a bag, it's that much better.  This time I learned lots of new things.  Number one, how to make an internal zipper pouch:

Basically, I followed the link, but I think there is a better way to do it, somehow incorporating the zipper between the liner and the pocket itself but this worked for now.  I like how the pattern of the pouch is hidden on the inside.  What a nice surprise when you unzip!

Lots of pockets, which I lined with the outside fabric, and also positioned it so that the top of the pockets would have a sneak peak, almost like piping.  The pockets were stitched with RAINBOW thread.  It was really fun to use.  Because, duh, rainbows are fun:

Pockets!

And I like how I was able to match the top so that the pattern of the fabric is continuous with the zipper.  I didn't start to do this on purpose when I cut the fabric, but when I realized I could orient them that way, I was pretty excited.  Look at that INTENSE zipper!  Bad ass durability.

Matchy

Why are all these pictures date stamped?  Because I used my mom's camera because mine was out of battery power.  Also, I am WAY too lazy to get rid of them.  Let's focus on the crafts, and not the quality of the pictures, people.

I also tried my hand at making a lined box bag.  It was a little bit of a debacle because I ended up sewing the bag SHUT without anyway of turning it inside out, but then I figured it out, ripped a hole, flipped the entire thing inside out and blind-stitched the bottom.  It came out okay!  I kind of wish I made the bag fatter because I think it would be cuter like that, but this works:

I added a little hem-tape tab to the back so that there's something to hold onto when you zip it closed.  There's also a small handle on the other side.

All in all, a really good learning experience and great practice sewing.

I'm off to my first ever DUCKPIN BOWLING.

I received a not so subtle hint that someone wanted a sewing craft.  Ta-da!  Elephants, giraffes and ROBOTS, duh.

Orange elephant and robots tote

I love the robot fabric because it says "ROBOT" all over it and the fabric is named "robot council" which is super cute.  Why do the Japanese have such a monopoly on cute things?

Inside the tote (with matching zip pouch)

I also had to learn how to make a buttonhole on my sewing machine, which was actually not too bad.  It does involve a little bit of guesswork and width measuring.  It just a matter of putting the sewing machine on a certain setting and stiching evenly.  You have to make sure you measure the button well so that the button will fit through easily.  And then, of course you have to be precise in the cutting of the fabric.  Huge button?  HUGE BUTTONHOLE! 

First button hole!

The first recipient of a tote bag craft saw it and loved it.  And she immediately though to turn it inside out.  I didn't make it to be reversible, but SOPRESA!  It was.  I also learned to make a covered button which was also really fun and simple.  Cut out a large circle of fabric, cover a metal button, apply the back, bam, done.  But because the button was so HUGE I had to put a cute stabilizer button on the other side of the fabric.  Turquoise star!

Star button stabilizer

That's boyfriend's arm up there in the corner.  He could totally be a QVC product model as his backup job.

I learned a lot more about sewing totes/purses now that I've made three of them.  I think my next step is to learn how to make a concealed zippered pouch on the inside.  The matching zippered pouch was really easy to make and I think that's kind of a basic start.

It would be so awesome to have an Etsy store.  Too bad I'm lazy.

This week was Championship week on ESPN (we have cable now!!).  Awesome sports on TV = lots of crafting.  I made this bag to give as a birthday present for a friend.

Remember this awesome fabric?

Modern Flora Collection

My first bag

There are some parts that really aren't that great.  The first being that I put fusible on the fabric to give it more shape, but I totally messed up on ironing one piece and it got all wrinkly and weird.  The second is that the binding around the edge is really uneven, but my patience was wearing out and I wanted to get it done so that I could give it to her today.

I made the straps long so that you can sling it over your body, which I find to be convenient.  My friend doesn't really like shoulder bags so I figured this way, she is more likely to use it if she can sling it over her head.  I also reinforced the webbing with invisible thread, which is good, and will allow more heavy use.  I put LOTS of pockets all around the perimeter of the inside of the bag.  As well as a key clasp because I am always searching for my keys and I also love pockets.  I have a lot of hair clips and chapstick.  I WILL MAKE WHAT I LIKE.