Aries Crossbody Bag

When I first saw a sample of this bag, before the pattern was even released, I thought that it would be the perfect purse for me! I bought the pattern at a discount on launch day, which was months ago. Then came the part that often takes me the longest… deciding fabrics, etc. It was mulling in my mind as I made all the rayon garments. I’d gotten some luscious vinyl in a grab box, and since it was blue, I knew I wanted to use that. I had several choices for linings, and as I was sorting fabrics in my old sewing room, I kept finding more possibilities so I kept changing my mind. 🥴

The hardest decision was what to put on the front of the bag for a trim. I did a lot of searching and finally settled on ribbons. I ordered three different blue ones from an Etsy shop. They were all beautiful, and with lots of thought plus some consultation from Jess, I/we decided this combo of two of them would be just right. 

So here’s my new purse, the Aries Crossbody Bag, from the pattern by Knotted Threads Co. It turned out just as I had pictured it, and I LOVE it!

It has three zippered pockets… one on each side plus one in the center gusset area which is held closed by a tab with a magnetic snap. So there are plenty of options for organizing all the things. That center area should be ideal for keeping a phone handy.

Here are some close-up details. I am still thrilled with how my new Sailrite sewing machine does topstitching!

I think that little flower zipper pull is going to go. As Jess said, it’s too “cute” to really go with the elegant flowers on the ribbon.

I even remembered to add my tag. It wasn’t necessary, since the bag is for myself and I know who made it, but I like it there (and I still have a couple hundred of them to use up!). 🙂

The pattern was excellent, very detailed with lots of good tips, and it had an accompanying video which was also great. I followed it pretty much to the letter because I wanted it to be as perfect as possible.

I did take just a few pics along the way. Below are the D-ring tabs and the snap tab that holds the center pouch closed. I was in the process of edge-painting them. I used 3 coats of base coat and 2 coats of color. It was very quick to do but did require some drying time between coats.

Here’s my Sailrite machine at work on the topstitching. I used the left zipper foot, and underneath it here is just a makeshift fabric “hump jumper” to keep the zipper foot level with the center foot (necessary to prevent skipped stitches).

Beautiful result, right?

Everything went very smoothly (if you don’t count running out of bobbin thread on the strap… I had even checked it first, but I forget that because the thread is thicker, there’s not as much left on the bobbin as it looks like 🙄). The scariest part was sewing on that ribbon, because it needed to be right the first time around. I used double-sided tape to secure it first, and the walking foot did the rest of the job to perfection. Yay!

It’s a smallish bag, which is what I like nowadays. I don’t feel the need to carry the kitchen sink along anymore. You can get an idea of its size here.

I love it (have I said that already?) and can’t wait to take it on its first outing! I also loved the pattern. It gave my brain a bit of a workout, mainly in keeping my pieces straight so I didn’t mix things up with those two outer pockets, but exercise is good! I’d happily make another bag like this someday, too.

Fiona Foldover Bag

When I was waiting for a pattern to arrive to make the dress in the previous post, I thought I might have time to work on a pattern (which I’d already proofread) test bag for Linds Handmade Designs, so I quickly put together a selection of fabrics.  Now, ‘quickly’ doesn’t usually happen for me when I’m choosing fabrics for a project. Normally it takes me a long time, because I keep changing my mind, always looking for the perfect combination. This combo just seemed to jump out at me. However, the pattern arrived too soon (there was no tracking to forewarn me), and I didn’t even get to begin cutting. I put everything aside until later. Well, later happened! This is Linds’s latest, the Fiona Foldover.

It was a pretty straightforward bag to make and easy to sew. I used both of my machines so that I didn’t have to change tensions for the different thicknesses of fabric. My Sailrite machine still thrills me with the topstitching it does… here on the D-ring connectors…..

… and along this zipper! Gorgeous, huh?

I tried something I’d never used before on this bag. The pattern was written for a hidden magnetic snap to secure the flap to the main body, with instructions also for using a regular magnetic snap. I have some hidden ones in my stash, but I really wanted to try out the magnetic snap RIVETS I’d bought awhile back (along with the dies to set them with). It was fun, and made attaching that snap so simple! Here’s what each side of the snap looks like. The back is just like a rivet.

There’s a zipper pocket inside the main body of the bag. It’s trimmed with a piece of the outer vinyl, and I even edge coated it to make it look nicer. The zipper I decided to use was a wee bit short, but it’s one that Jess bought me in Japan a few years ago, and this seemed like a great place to use it. The tape is a clear vinyl, so the blue of the pocket lining shows through. I like the pull, too.

The only trouble I had was the final topstitching. The vinyl was pretty thick and had kind of a spongy-like backing (see snap photo above), and with all those layers at the D-ring connectors, it was just too thick to even fit under the presser foot on my Sailrite (though I’m sure it could’ve sewn through it if it had fit). It would’ve fit under the Kenmore one, though I didn’t even consider it at the time (photo below right was taken after the bag was completed), but I think it would’ve struggled with all the layers.

So I opted to use rivets for added security in that area (too bad I didn’t get them even. 😏) They are 8mm rivets, and they just barely made it through even below the thickest part of the seam! I’m not sure they’ll even hold, but I used a press, so with the spongy vinyl, maybe they sank in far enough to hold. If not and they start coming loose, I’ll just replace them with 10mm ones (which I still need to order to have on hand).

Here’s a selfie of me so you can get an idea of the size. Ignore my baggy pants of the day and the baggy, wrinkly skin on my old arms. 🥺

I think the bag would look better if it had a strap made out of the same vinyl as the body. I wanted to do that just to be able to see all that beautiful topstitching, but I was afraid I might run out of thread! I could still do it someday, though, and just swap out the straps and save the webbing one for something else. 

I’m already planning another bag. I bought the pattern weeks ago when it first came out, but I think this is going to be MY perfect bag, so the decision process on fabrics, etc., has been a long one. I think I’m about ready to start cutting finally. However, I’ve told myself I MUST organize my fabric stash and everything that came out of my new sewing room and got moved to the old one first! I’ve been working on it the last few days and making progress. It’s not easy! Organizing is not my thing. But I do want there to be a nice guest room for the next time Jess and Alex come… good incentive! 💕

Vintage Simplicity 8146

How about a short and sweet post for a change? This is my final (for now, at least) project from Jess’s latest modal rayon designs that she did for Cloud9 Fabrics. This is the Magic Touch print from her Orderly Fashion line.

The pattern I used was vintage Simplicity 8146. It has an elastic waist and not really a lot of fitting to it.

She wanted an above-the-knee length with no ruffle. Easy. So the only adjustment was the usual 2” added to the bodice to accommodate her long torso. Here we have it!

The only real detail was the opening at the top of the back, which fastened with an elastic loop (think hair elastic) and a cute little button that happened to be perfect for that print.

That back detail turned out to be the hardest part of the pattern, and actually it could’ve been omitted because Jess said she didn’t need to use it to get into the dress. 🙄 But it’s worth it for the cuteness factor, plus she’ll never have a problem determining the front from the back. Ha! 

She loves the dress, it fit perfectly, and to quote her, “It’s so comfy and breezy to wear!” Yes, that modal rayon is a great fabric for summer. I love the dress, too - it’s my favorite outfit that I’ve made from these fabrics.

I’m caught up blogging my sewing completions now. I have a bag project in the works, but I think my brain has lost some of its bag construction thinking. I’ve made the dumbest mistakes ever since I started it! Nothing that wasn’t correctable, thankfully… just gave my seam ripper a good workout. That’s what they’re for, right?

Bonnie Woven Top #2 with Fumeterre Skirt #3

When I made the first Bonnie Woven Top that I showed you here, I mentioned that Jess said it was wearable but was just a bit small across the back and the armholes were also slightly small. We had plans for me to make another one out of a different print from her Orderly Fashion line of rayon, so I enlisted some help from a friend who drafts her own patterns, since I could only guess on how to do it myself. She KNEW, and she was gracious enough to tell me how to alter the pattern for a better fit. So here’s the second Bonnie Woven Top in the Day Shift design.

The first top I made was flared a little at the bottom, and Jess thought it’d be better if it had straight sides for wearing with a matching skirt. That part was easy.

BTW, that print match-up in the back was totally accidental! I love when that happens!

Here’s my third Fumeterre Skirt. If you recall, I made two of them last summer, which you can see here.

This one is shorter, otherwise the same as the tiger one. I like that pattern, as it goes together so nicely. It’s a lot of sewing and seam finishing, because there are eight panels, but it’s easy. I was quite pleased with the zipper installation.

Below is the photo I took at home before mailing it to Jess.

Then it was quite a long wait to get photos from her. Unfortunately, she and Alex both got covid - UGH! So of course Jess didn’t feel much like modeling. They didn’t get terribly sick, thankfully, and they’re well again now. Here she is, modeling the outfit which turned out to be a perfect fit - yay!!

 

In the pic below you can see that there’s just enough room in that armhole.

Now that I have the pattern adjusted to fit, I’d gladly make the top again, as it goes together easily (thanks to the StyleARC update mentioned in that earlier post).

So that’s done… AND so is the next project in Orderly Fashion! It’s on its way to Jess right now, so hopefully I can show it to you before too long. 

Now I’m really feeling like making another bag. My new machine has been sitting pretty idle during all this rayon sewing, and it needs a workout! I already have a pattern and fabrics chosen. :)

Divi Boxy Pouch

I finished the most recent rayon project for Jess, and while I’m waiting for photos from her, I thought I’d sneak in a quick post about a different project I’d started before getting the rayon fabrics. I finally got to finish it yesterday during a pause between the last Jess project and the upcoming one.

I had somewhere come across the free tutorial for the Divi Boxy Pouch by My Handmade Space. I thought it looked pretty cool. Here is my version, made from the same fabrics as I used for Jess’s Two Zip Hipster. 

This gave me some more practice on my new sewing machine, and it was again learning experience. My first zipper ended up a bit wavy, but the second one was better.

The tutorial calls for double-pull zippers, but I only used one pull on each because I wanted to save the last two pulls I have for something else. It might not look as cool, but it’s still functional.

I made this for myself, and will likely use it for sewing tools or something. Here it is with a scissors for size comparison.

I found the instructions to be the bare minimum, so I suggest you be somewhat familiar with making boxed pouches before trying to make this. As it was, I wasn’t totally sure I was making it correctly. I just did what I thought the instructions meant. In the end, it all had to be turned right side out through one of the holes for the boxed corners in the lining. I was kind of doubtful that I was going to end up with a pouch that looked like it was supposed to! Here’s a quick video showing what it looked like before I “birthed” it. Note that little hole at the end that it all had to go through!

Since I’ve birthed bags made of stiff fabrics before, I knew I’d better warm this with a hair dryer to soften things up before attempting to turn it. Here are a couple of shots of the birthing in process:

It worked, as you can see from my first photos above! In fact, it wasn’t as hard to turn as I thought it was going to be. I was super delighted (and relieved!) to have it turn out like I’d imagined! Now that I know for sure how it’s supposed to work, I might even be tempted to make another one someday. But one more rayon project first…….

Bonnie Woven Top in Orderly Fashion

A little over a month ago, I received a package containing these gorgeous goodies in the mail!

Looks like a work assignment for me, right? Right! Well, sort of. To me, it’s more fun than work. But yes, it’s a number of sewing projects, because Jess has a new line of modal rayon fabrics out that she designed for Cloud9 Fabrics.

Of course rayon fabrics mean garments, which are usually larger projects than bags, so for the first time I needed to flip up the other leaf on my new cutting table and see how everything fit in the room. It actually worked quite well… close, but still with room to maneuver.

So, I proceeded in Orderly Fashion, which just happens to be the name of the fabric line. See the selvage?

This first fabric design that I worked on is called Nevermind. As you might (or might not) guess from looking at the pattern pieces above, the first project was a top, the Bonnie Woven Top by StyleARC.

I decided the best (and quickest) way to finish the seams and all those facing pieces was to serge them, so that’s what I did.

It was a pretty simple top to sew. However, the instructions in the pattern were minimal, which I guess StyleARC is known for. That was okay, because I’ve sewn lots of garments, and something like this should’ve been fairly easy… but the way they said to connect the back neck facing to the center back had me tearing my (also minimal) hair out, because I simply could not figure out what they meant to do! I did some googling to see if others had had problems, and sure enough, there were some frustrated sewers. Most had gone ahead and done it their own way, and the ways varied, which was visible in the photos.

I figured out what I ‘thought’ the instructions meant and did it that way, which seemed to work out okay and looked right. I also, out of curiosity, emailed StyleARC and asked them about it. I received a very helpful reply the next day, and it turns out that the pattern has an update, which they sent me the pages for. That made all the difference in the world! I wish they’d sent the update to their wholesalers right away (the pattern is several years old - not like it was something just discovered). It would’ve save a lot of frustration. Also, as it turned out, my method was not correct, making the center back fold in the wrong place. Since it was too late to redo it by then, I had to do a little “fudging” when adding the buttonholes and buttons. But it turned out okay and is not really noticeable.

So here’s the Bonnie Woven Top… front…

… and back:

Here is Jess modeling it:

It’s wearable, although the armholes are a little bit snug and it’s a tad small across the back. I’ll be making another one in a different fabric soon, and hopefully my plan for adjusting it will make for a better fit. Thats’s the trouble with having Jess live so far away. Fittings for garments aren’t very handy.

Bag making is fine, though, and when I mailed the top to Jess, I sent the Two Zip Hipster (see my previous post) along with it. She loves it, and I guess she likes the fabric/strap combo so much that… well… have a look for yourself:

Fun, right?

Part of my next project is completed, but I won’t be showing you until it’s ALL done. So I’d better get at it. By the way, all of this rayon sewing is being done on my faithful old Kenmore. My Sailrite could do it (except for the buttonholes), but it would mean a lot of tension adjusting, and I’d rather leave that machine set for heavy fabrics. I do still enjoy sewing on the Kenmore, anyway.

Two Zip Hipster Bag #3, modified

A few years ago (oh gosh, it’s been over 11 already!), Jess asked me if I would make her a Two Zip Hipster bag from the pattern by Dog Under My Desk. I did so, and it was such a great pattern that it began my love for all DUMD patterns, most of which I ended up testing after they were written. She then thought it would be fun if I made a second Hipster out of another of the canvas fabrics she designed. Since I thought it’d be fun, too, I agreed. So this one is the bag she carried for many years until it finally wore out (she had gifted the first one).

Fast forward 11 years, and she asked me if I’d like to make her another Hipster! Who am I to say no? Ha! This time she’d seen some fabric I’d gotten in a terrific grab box I’d come across, and she asked if she could have it for the bag… even though it was blue, which was MY favorite color and hers is orange. 🤔 She had an idea of how she wanted it to look. Sure, why not?

The fabric turned out to be some really tough water-proof stuff. It was a good choice for sewing on that new machine of mine. I just love the perfect stitches it produces!

I kidded Jess that the fabric/zipper combo matched the machine so well that I could hardly see what I was doing. 🤣

Jess wanted this new bag to be two inches shorter, which was just a matter of shortening the rectangular pattern pieces - super easy. It came together so beautifully.

Just look at those perfect stitches!

There’s a little secret tucked inside the bag. 🤫

Apparently the sew-in interfacing I used also makes good pattern pieces. Haha. I’d gotten it from Jess’s friend, Rachel, who owns a fabric store and was cleaning house and gifted me a bunch of fabrics and interfacings she had no more use for. I thought this would be appropriate for Jess’s bag. Here’s a closer look at what it says. It was just funny to my mind.

Jess had in mind a striped strap made of webbing, so she ordered this from an Etsy shop. It was designed by Tula Pink for Renaissance Ribbons. It saved me the trouble of making a strap for the bag. All I had to do was cut it and attach it.

Here’s the new Two Zip Hipster, shortened to be almost perfectly square.

I used silver waterproof canvas for the lining. With that and the sturdy outer fabric, no other interfacing was needed besides the sew-in. Also, the bag is so tough that it just might last Jess the rest of her life! Or MY life, anyway. 😅

Just more pretty stitching:

So that’s my second-to-last sewing finish. The last one is on its way to Jess right now along with this bag. I’ll give you a clue… it’s made from her new line of rayon fabric. I’ll post after she receives it and tries it on… and Alex finds time to take some photos. Three more projects are in the queue out of the same rayon (in different designs), so I’d better get busy! 

P.S. There’s still enough of that blue fabric left for something for myself, which I might also have in the works. 😉 And there’s still more left!