Yet another shopping bag

Using a pattern I made this shopping bag, complete with pocket in front and doubled handles:

It fits on the racks that are used at the grocery stores for plastic bags. I love making bags. I'm a little kooky about it, I think.

The Second Serger Class

We made napkins in our second serger class.  It took most of the class because we all had to get our rolled hem stitch right before we could get to sewing. 

The teacher showed me her technique for cutting the fabric with a rotary cutter, because I am not skilled with that tool, so my four napkin pieces were quickly cut and ready to go.

Getting the stitch right took quite a bit more time. We installed wooly nylon thread on the upper looper. I had never heard of wooly nylon before taking this class and I sure didn't know what to do with it. For the purposes of our rolled hem stitch, the wooly nylon was used to fill in the gaps in the stitches, to make a smooth surface. 

I followed the settings in my manual and tested it. I had to adjust several times, with the help of the teacher, and finally got a decent stitch. As with all of the different stitches we learned in this class, I kept a sample of the stitch with the settings marked on it.  I now have a small bag full of samples that I refer to when I am trying to get the right settings the first time.  Here's what I learned: every machine is different. Not just every make or model, but every machine. So it pays to test and test until you get what you want.

And this is what I wanted. The finished edge looks professional and neat. I packed up the four napkins and sent them off to daughter Mary (she had requested taupe to go with her dining room). she loves them and I am excited to be able to make such nice finishes.

The Duffel Bag!

When last we looked, I had succeeded in creating one end pocket of a duffel bag, using a pattern from The Rainshed:

It had taken me the entire sewing class to get the pieces cut out and to sew that one pocket. But I was proud. It required that I learn to sew that fabric, to attach a zipper pull to zipper tape, to sew through several layers of fairly thick stuff in places. So it was a good start.

Basking in the glow of my accomplishment, I let everything sit at home for a few days. I was thinking about the mesh. Would I be able to sew that without trouble? Finally I sat down at the machine and gave it a try. It sewed! And the machine did not object. So I got the other end of the bag finished. Then added the side pocket to the main bag piece:


So then I had:


The two ends and the start of the middle.

Adding webbing to the bag was next. The pattern shows clearly where it goes and the instructions show a good method for getting it on. Creating the grips for handles came first, then pinning and sewing:


Next came the third - and last - zipper. I had some trouble, as usual, putting the zipper pull on, but finally got it done. The instructions for this bag are very clear and easy to follow, so I soon had the zipper on the main body piece:


Doesn't look so great in this photo but it's fine. You can see the grips better here, too.

Now it was time to get the inner waterproof bag done. This is a bag that is almost the length of the main bag, made of lightweight ripstop nylon. It is accessible from the mesh end of the bag, so one can put wet things in there and they will not get anything inside the bag wet. Here I am sewing the inner bag:



I sewed the inner bag into the main bag, opening to one end. The final work was sewing the two round pocket ends to the main body, topstitching around each pocket, and finally creating the shoulder strap. And here it is!


Fabric pocket end showing.


Close-up of mesh pocket end.


Mesh pocket end showing.

I am not sure if I will want to make something like this again soon, but I learned a lot from it. I learned that I can sew with these unusual materials, that my machine can handle some pretty heavy-duty stuff, and that I can make something presentable and usable. I'll be taking it to the gym tomorrow, proudly.

Fear of Fabric

I started going to a gym again a couple of months ago. I have been making use of various bags for my clothing and realizing I really want something more suitable. So I figured I'd make my own duffel bag. I found a pattern and bought it, but shortly after learned from a friend that a place in Washington, The Rainshed, carries all kinds of waterproof and other specialty fabrics. My friend, who was visiting in Washington at the time, offered to pick up anything I'd like from The Rainshed. So I went online to take a look.

I found that they had a pattern for a duffel bag, too, using fabrics and other materials that could be bought from there. I decided to get everything from there, and compiled my list using their website. I emailed the store to find out if they could put together my order and have my friend pick it up and they said yes, so that's what I did.

I brought everything to my sewing class yesterday. I wasn't about to attempt this project on my own - mainly because I had never sewn with these fabrics before. It uses cordura, ripstop nylon, and mesh. It also calls for zipper tape and pulls that you put on yourself. So this is an adventure.

After I got it all cut out (I worried about the pins but found that my thin pins with plastic round heads are fine) I started to sew. I had purchased suitable needles and thread, too, from The Rainshed, not wanting to leave anything to chance. And what do you know - it sews! I could do it! At least so far. I needed some help getting the zipper pulls onto the zipper tape but I think I'll be able to do it in the future.

Below is what I accomplished yesterday:


It's the end pocket of the duffel bag. Under that flap is a zipper, and those black things are pieces of webbing that I seared with a cigarette lighter to seal, then sewed on. I am inordinately proud of it, mostly because I proved to myself that I could do this. The next challenge is the mesh. I am having some trouble imagining how I sew that together but the instructions are wonderfully detailed so I am hopeful.

Little purses

Several of us in the sewing class have made these little purses. I made these three recently:

They take very little fabric, go together quickly and easily, and are really very handy. I use mine for grocery cards, museum memberships, that sort of thing. Having those cards in a separate bag released my wallet for the credit cards I use most often, making my life easier.

Little projects

Yesterday was the last class of the session so I decided to do some little fun projects. The first was this car trash bag. There are two pockets: the straps obscure the opening of the top one. I am thinking I might use one pocket for recyclables and the other for trash. I also think I sewed that strap on the wrong side of the pocket but I am not going to change it.

The second project was a cute bib. Made of two fabrics, a cotton and a flannel, it closes with velcro. Unfortunately, I packed it up to mail before I took a picture of it. Maybe I will get a pic of it on the actual baby and can then insert that here.

The third project was yet another grocery tote bag! Fun to make, with french seams inside and bias tape on the handles, I didn't quite finish it in class. I added the bias tape last night at home, and the little bit of velcro to the ties this morning:

In rather a klutzy way it folds up so it can be tucked away more easily. I think if it were a lightweight, strong material it would fold better.

A jewelry roll

I made this jewelry roll in sewing class yesterday. It is another of the projects in the One Yard Wonders book. I can make good use of this project because I make many small trips and never have a suitable case for any jewelry. So I rarely bring any along. This way I will have a small assortment of earrings, necklaces, and possibly bracelets.

The roll contains two pockets, each with a zipper, and those ribbon straps in the middle are to hold rings (and then be tied). I don't wear rings so that may find another use.

Here it is folded and tied. I clearly laid out the pattern in the wrong direction - those cats should be face up! But no matter. It works and it looks pretty cool.

Baby Bunting

I made this bunting partly in class, almost two weeks ago, and partly at home. I started it in class because I was afraid of it. By starting it there I can focus better and if I run into issues there is usually somebody who can help me.

I used a Butterick pattern that is designated "very easy". I think this means very easy for an experienced sewer. It was reasonably easy for me, but I had to take time on the zipper and I had a time getting the cuff edges lined up right. As usual, there were places in the directions where I wasn't quite sure what was meant but I did finally work it out. It's good to remember that "very easy" and "very quick" are two different things, also.

A Quick Grocery Bag

Last August I made a shopping bag from a T-shirt, following directions in the book Generation T. See that post.

The directions in the book had me measuring and cutting a shape from the front to make it very much like the plastic bags. That shape bit into the design on the front, however. So those T-shirts that have designs fairly close to the top would not be suitable for that project.

Martha Stewart has another version. You can go to marthastewart.com and hunt it down but I'll tell you the directions right here because it's so easy:

1. Turn the T-shirt inside out. sew the bottom closed, using the seam as a guide.

2. Take a medium-sized mixing bowl (about 9" diameter, more or less). Lay the T-shirt on a flat surface, flat. Place the bowl over the neck opening, making a half-circle shape wider than the neck. Use an air-erasable or water-erasable pen to draw the half-circle onto the T-shirt.

3. Cut out the larger neck opening.

4. Cut off the sleeves along the inside of the seamline.

That's it.

You can, of course, modify it. To make the bag handles narrower I tucked the ends under and sewed a zigzag through the layers. You can also zigzag the raw edges or serge them if you want to get fancy.

Oh, and that's Henry Miller on my t-shirt bag up there. Cool is the goal here.

Coasters

In sewing class I learned a way to make some simple coasters. They are meant for wine glasses but work perfectly well for other glasses and cups. This is a quick, simple project that can use up small pieces of fabric.

Start by cutting five squares of fabric. In this example, the squares are five inches square. They could also be four inches.

Fold and press each of four of the five in half, either on the diagonal or straight across. In this example, it's diagonal:

Now there is one open square and four triangles:

Place one of the triangles on top of the square, lining up the raw edges:

Lay another on top, one quarter turn from the last:

Do the same for the third:

For the fourth, tuck half of the triangle under the first flap:

How it looks (click on the pic for a larger view):

Sew a seam around all four sides. I made it 1/2" You could go with 1/4" if you like:

All sewn:

Clip corners and trim seams:

Turn it inside out - or rather, right-side out. And it's done!

Here is how it looks on a wine glass:

You can wander around the room and set it down wherever and the hostess won't have a fit. This type coaster could also serve as a wine identification tag, if each were different in some way.

More pillowcases

I made another pair of pillowcases for Valentine's Day presents. I did the same thing with the appliques that I did on the previous pair, with different fabric.

I really like how they look.

This time I used the instructions in one of my Sewing with Nancy books for the construction of the cases. Here is how it goes:

* Cut out the pieces: in this case I cut two pieces approximately 45" X 27" of the main case fabric, and two of the "cuff" approximately 45" X 9".

* I folded one main piece , selvages matching, right sides together, and stitched the long side seam. I overcast the seam, then ironed it toward the case.

* I stitched the top seam, starting at the fold and catching the folded seam. Overcast the seam. Repeated these steps for the second case.

* I appliqued the cuffs, positioning the pieces on the upper half of the cuff fabric.

* I sewed the cuff side seams, right sides together, after lining them up with the case seam so they would be as close as possible to the same width when sewn.

* I folded the cuff pieces, wrong sides together, raw sides together.

* I sewed the cuffs to the main cases, right sides together. I finished the seam with an overcast stitch.

* I ironed them both.

I am not the best at cutting pieces exactly. That's why I had some trouble matching the pieces when I sewed them together. I think this is a skill I need to work on. Cut carefully and the rest should be easier. In the meantime I think I'll sew the cuffs to the main parts before sewing the side seams in the future. It's just a lot easier for me, although it leaves the finish of the cuff raw edges to deal with. No, wait, seems like that's really not an issue if I just sew them on as above, then do the sides. Yes, that's the trick.

A laptop sleeve

I made this laptop sleeve in sewing class Tuesday (yesterday!). The instructions came from the book, One-Yard Wonders, which I purchased from our instructor. She ordered a batch, knowing many of us would want one.

Another woman in the class was making a bag from the same book, and had made a grocery sack from it the previous week. We agreed that the author is biased in favor of bias tape and puts it everywhere. There are cases where it's a great addition but in some cases it simply is not the best idea. For example, two of the seams inside my bag (the other long side is a fold) are encased in bias tape. It makes it bulky and I could have achieved a better result with a different kind of finish seam.

The sleeve can be individualized not only by the choice of fabric(s) but also by the addition of appliques (which are actually called for in the pattern but which I did not add) and by the pattern one chooses to use in "quilting" the case. I did a variation of a zigzag pattern that I think adds to the overall appearance:

This type project also lends itself well to recycling fabric from other sources. I think used denim would be great here, for example, or even old curtains.

Addendum, Feb. 11: In the middle of the night I woke thinking about how to sew this with lining so that the two parts are sewn together at the top and then turned. For some reason I couldn't think how this was done, although I have made bags this way, so I turned to my patterns to find one that used this technique. It's simple:

* Sew three sides of the bag (attaching batting if needed), leaving the top open.

* Sew three sides of the lining, leaving top open and leaving an opening in one of the seams for turning.

* Place lining and bag together, right sides together, and sew top. turn.

This is how I will do the next one. If I want to finish the seams on the bag and lining I can, of course, but they will not be visible.

Pillowcases for Valentine's Day

The Tuesday before yesterday I made two pillowcases for one of my daughters, for Valentine's Day. I had read directions for pillowcases online and in a book so I had the general idea how to make a simple pair. To make these special, I decided to applique hearts on the "cuffs" of the pillowcases. I cut out hearts freehand, ironed them on using Steam-A-Seam 2 (no, I get no money for this endorsement!), then used an applique stitch around the edges.

It didn't go entirely as planned.

Initially, after I cut out the "cuff" part from the white cotton, I ironed and sewed hearts on it, then realized I had placed them in the wrong place. Once folded, they would not be in the right place. I started over, and this turned out to be a good thing.

After I cut out another cuff piece the sewing teacher came by and I told her what I was doing. She suggested that I use different stitches, better for appliques. For some reason I had not thought of this and was using a simple tight zigzag. The zigzag is fine but if you have a nice applique stitch how much nicer it can be! (Click on the pictures above to see the stitch up close.) But more than that, I realized I had not looked in my sewing manual for "how to do appliques". I did so, and learned about the "open toe" foot. This is a presser foot that is empty in the middle, allowing me to see clearly exactly where the needle is sewing. I could then do the stitches far more accurately and with greater confidence. I can see myself using this foot more often for situations where the exact placement of the stitch is important.

A Cheater Pillow

Here is the situation:

1. When I sew I keep the scraps. I save them in a plastic box. That box has been getting really full.

2. I have too many T-shirts. I hate to give them away because there are memories behind so many of them. But I need to lighten the load.

So I turned to my handy Generation T book for the instructions to make a pillow from a T-shirt. The instructions are really simple, so I'll simply describe them here:

Cut the largest square you can from the T-shirt, cutting through both layers. Cut a fringe all around, two inches deep, each fringe piece about 1/2" wide, plus or minus. Tie front and back fringe pieces together, using double knots, leaving an opening to stuff. Stuff with whatever you have available. In my case, the fabric scraps. Then tie the rest of the fringes. My pillow is lumpy and a bit heavy but I think that's fine. And there is no sewing involved in this project so maybe it doesn't exactly fit the blog, but where else can I brag about it?

The diapers are going out

I finished the twelve diapers I committed myself to making and I am packing them to send to my daughter and son-in-law. I could have sent them a couple of days ago but wanted to get some diaper covers into the box. It is looking like I may not find any in my town, though, so I am going to go ahead and send the box. I can order covers to follow or send them later if I do find them.

I got the pattern from my sewing teacher, who has had it since the 1990s. Here are instructions for a similar diaper, and this website has lots of links to diaper patterns and info on making your own. Here is a nice pdf pattern, a bit more complicated than the one I used but it looks like the directions are good. There is a lot of information out there for those who are interested.

The pattern I used is simple. The elastic is sewn in, no casing, the edges are finished by some kind of overcast stitch (those with sergers have a little advantage but most machines can do something suitable). The extra-thick pad is sewn inside. Our teacher also suggested sewing an extra pad from fleece where it can do the most good: connect with the poop. "The poop just slides off", she says. And it would, wouldn't it? Fleece has water-resistant qualities. I'm not entirely sure if the fleece addition would get in the way of the water-absorbing inner layer. In any case, I added the fleece pad to two of the diapers. Jury's still out, seems to me.

The good part for me was that sewing these diapers was easy enough that it became almost rote for me and I did not get impatient with how much I had to do or how long it takes. It takes maybe a half hour. I don't think I finished one straight through without interruption so I can't say for sure.

I am hoping my daughter and son-in-law like them enough to ask for more! I think I can get more creative as I go along.

Shopping Cart Seat Cover

View from front

and side

In my class last Tuesday I started a shopping cart seat cover, using a "Sewing for Dummies" pattern. Oddly, the directions are not as clear as one might expect for a pattern intended for dummies...there were a couple of places in there when I had to go over the directions several times and I actually got started wrong before I realized it. A few more illustrations would have helped.

The following day, Wednesday, I finished the cover. It was not as difficult as I expected it to be and I am very pleased with it.

That's elastic around the top facing, by the way. That way it stays when you drape it over the handle and around. There are other patterns that are more like ruffles, which may be a little easier.