Snap It Up basket

This is an experiment. I recently noticed that Blogger has made some changes that enable me to do more editing of my blog posts from my iPad. Then I tried to see if I could upload photos directly from my iPad, and it worked. So next is to see if I can write a whole post from the iPad. I already know I can’t do it the same way I do from my PC, so this is a brief post just to see what works (and doesn’t). Wish me luck!

Back in March after the initial covid scare and lockdowns began, I felt the need for a quick, fun little project to focus on, just to take my mind away from it all for a while. (Anybody relate to that?) I had the perfect pattern that I’d downloaded some time ago but hadn’t tried yet, and it was just what I needed. It’s a free pattern that is accessible by joining the MOMENTS by Liz Facebook group. Liz writes some great patterns. This one is called the Snap It Up Basket, and you can see why here:

It has a snap in each corner. When it isn’t snapped up, it folds flat like this:

Pretty cool, huh? So it doesn’t take much room for storage when it’s not in use. Liz also was generous in making files available in her group for various sizes of the basket. Mine is the largest size. Here are some fluffy pics for size reference:

The baskets could be used for any number of things. I hope to make more of the sizes someday, because they’re so easy and fun to make. I might even see if Miss Courtney wants to make some.

If you’ve been following my blog for a loooong time, you may recognize that outer fabric as one of Jess’s early canvas designs. The inner fabric is a cotton that I’ve had in my stash for 30 years or so - ha! Yep, it’s a good stash-buster project, too. I love sewing little things that come together quickly and use up small fabric pieces. The snaps are KAMsnaps, but any kind can be used, and if you don’t have snaps, you could use velcro or even just stitch the corners closed (which would mean you couldn’t flatten it, of course).

Well, folks... I think I’ve managed to write a successful blog post entirely from the iPad. We’ll know for sure once I hit the Publish button. (Let me know if you see any problems with it.) Maybe this will even get me writing posts more often? We’ll see... but as I always say, don’t hold your breath. 😉

Demi wallet

Surprise! I'm back already... the second post in only three days! I know... shocking, isn't it? The reason is that I've completed another pattern test, and the pattern was released yesterday, so I want you to be able to take advantage of the 20% discount price if you should 'need' it! All the other patterns and beautiful things in the shop are discounted, too, so now's the time buy and save! The discount is only good through this weekend.

The pattern is the newest by Linds Handmade Designs, the Demi wallet, and it can be purchased here. I love this little wallet, and here is my version.

It has everything I need in a wallet - card slots, two optional clear vinyl ID windows, a full-size slip pocket for cash, and .....

..... a zippered coin pocket.

It's small, as you can see by my fingers holding it. It measures 5" wide by 4" tall. It closes with a magnetic snap (which I used) or a twist lock. KAMsnaps work great, too.

The print fabric is a piece I received from one of Jess's friends who is from Japan. I was waiting for just the right project to make from it, and this turned out to be perfect. It's so pretty, and has a nice texture to it, which you can see if you look closely.

There wasn't quite enough to do the entire exterior (the piece was 10" square), so I improvised by doing the contrasting flap. There are so many possible fabric combinations you can do in this wallet, so it makes a great scrap buster.

I always enjoy sewing Linds's patterns. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, and she uses actual photos rather than diagrams, which I appreciate. She also makes very helpful videos for her patterns, and they can be seen in her Facebook group and now on YouTube, too! She also sews many things herself that she sells in her Etsy shop - check them out here. They're gorgeous, and many of them are leather!

Just as a sideline, I sometimes have a hard time getting good photos of the things I sew, especially when the day is cloudy and dark. That happened to be the case with this wallet, so I had my photo tent out and was trying different things with that. I turned my back for a couple seconds, and when I turned back, this is what I saw. I guess she thinks it's just her size.

Sheridan Sweater & Brunswick Pullover

Coming soon: New Jessica Jones fabrics, in french terry and knits from Cloud9 Fabrics! As you know, "soon" is a relative term, and this year more so than ever. Things have gotten slower in a lot of ways and places. But, this fabric is scheduled to be released in "April/May 2020". Since April ends today, we'll assume it'll be May. :)

I of course was lucky to get some of Jess's sample fabrics to make things from. Jess chose this "Nocturnal" print french terry as her favorite, and she wanted it made into the Sheridan Sweater by Hey June Handmade. So here it is!

There are a variety of combinations of styles in the pattern, and Jess chose the built-up bateau (a.k.a."funnel") neckline, with cuffs and banded bottom. Here she is modeling it.

The french terry is luscious and easy to sew. It's about the weight of sweatshirt fabric. I love it!

If you know me, you know I like all things blue, and I chose Nocturnal as my favorite print from her new line, too. Fortunately, there was enough fabric that we could each get a top made from it. I liked the Brunswick Pullover pattern, also by Hey June Handmade, which makes a nice, loose-fitting, over-sized sweatshirt. The pattern offers either a large hood or a cowl neckline. Both took up a lot of fabric, though, and there just wasn't enough for either. Plus, neither was 'me'. I liked the neckline on Jess's Sheridan better, and it only required a little bit of fabric for a facing, so since the patterns come in many sizes, I printed just the neck pieces in my size from the Sheridan and adapted them to fit my Brunswick. It worked, and was quite simple to do. Voila!

I took the pics myself using my tripod and remote. And yes, I intentionally cut my head off. :D

A cute feature about the pattern is that it has side slits that button up.

Here's a closer look:

You can wear them as buttoned or unbuttoned as you wish.

I think if I made the shirt again, I'd skip the side slits, save a lot of work, and just make it more of a regular sweatshirt, as it's easy to get on and off with the sides closed.

Since the front and back neckline are very similar, I stitched a little "cheater" bartack so I wouldn't have to always hold the shirt up to tell front from back. You can buy cute little tags that say "This is the back", but I didn't have any of those, so I made do with this subtle little reminder.

I sewed both shirts entirely with my serger, which made them go really fast, since the serger finished the seams as it sewed them. I also serged the raw edges of the neck facing pieces, which you can see above. Neat and tidy.

So that's the first of the french terry sewing. I've completed a couple more tops, which I'll show you in another post or two. I've also been working on another pattern test. That pattern is due to be released by tomorrow night, so I'll show you my tester in the next post. It's another winner!

I've made a couple of face masks, too, and have three more in the works. They're quick and easy, but I haven't taken any photos, and I'm not sure whether I will bother or not. Do YOU have to wear a mask when going out? They aren't required here YET, but I'll be prepared if/when they are. Or maybe I'll start wearing one even if they aren't required.

Card, Cash & Coin Combo

Hi. How is everyone doing these days in this "strange new world"? It's weird, isn't it? Has this surreal feeling about it all. Like it's just a bad dream and we're going to wake up and it'll be life as usual. If only.

Have you been keeping busy? I've been doing pretty much as usual. I have a never-ending list of things I want to sew. Some are very quick projects, which is good for these times. They don't require a lot of concentration or effort, and you get a feeling of accomplishment in no time. Doing something creative is a good morale-booster. Win-win!

Here's a cute little project I highly recommend. It's the Card, Cash and Coin Combo by Erin Gilbey of Dog Under My Desk. I once again was one of her pattern testers, and here's my first tester result.

You actually get instructions to make both of these little pouches. One is a minimal wallet, with just card slots and a pocket for bills. The other holds coins or whatever you choose to put in it.

The wallet has become my go-to for shopping these days, which consists of the occasional only-when-I-have-to trip to the grocery store. It fits easily in my pocket, so it's protected from any virus bugs that may be floating around.

The pair can be used together, and they have the ring tabs on opposite ends so you can carry them back-to-back on your key ring and the openings are on the outsides. Very thoughtful planning! Of course you can make them any way you want or leave them off entirely if you choose.

This first set was made from cork fabric that I received for Christmas. It's not regular cork fabric, though, and I wouldn't recommend the regular stuff for these pouches. This is paper-thin and is ideal here without making the seams too thick. Yet you get that beautiful cork look. Perfect!

That first set was so fun to make that I decided to make another! The fabric this time was a gift from a friend of Jess's, bought when they were shopping together in Seattle (back before life got crazy). She bought it for me because she liked it so much herself, so as a little thank-you, I made her a set of the pouches for her birthday (which for her was a huge disappointment because some very special surprise plans had to get cancelled due to the corona virus). Aren't they pretty? If you look closely, you can see that the silver flower designs have a bit of sparkle. I hope they brightened her day a little bit.

Here's my hand holding them, just to give you an idea of how little they are.

The linings for both sets were from grab bags I'd purchased some time ago. This project is a great scrap buster for using up little pieces.

So here are both sets. Notice that I didn't add the ring tabs on the second set (Jess's decision).

I used spring snaps, just because I thought they looked really nice with these fabrics, but KAMsnaps work great, too. The pattern also has instructions for using an invisible magnetic snap or elastic for closures.

So fun. I have another set in mind from some other pretty gifted fabric. Gee, as I write this, I realize I've been gifted quite a few fabrics... people must think I like to sew! ;)

I apologize for not getting this post written sooner. The pattern is on sale right now at 20% off, but only through tomorrow (April 15th). If you hurry, you can still get it at the discounted price, although it's not that expensive, anyway... only $8.00... still a bargain for such a well-written, detailed pattern. You'll find it here. If you want to read Erin's blog post for more details, that's here. You'll get an idea of how much work Erin goes to in writing her patterns, and she even has a photo of her big pile of prototypes. There are lots of pics of the pretty tester pouches, too.

I have another quick-and-easy project to show you soon. Plus some garments I made from Jess's new line of lucscious french terry fabric which should be coming out soon. Stay tuned.....

Goldfinch Clutch

I guess it's time I do a little more blogging, eh? Trust me, I've been doing a lot more sewing than I have blogging. Sewing is definitely more fun. Ha.

Heading back to Christmas for just a second... an online friend and I decided it'd be fun to gift each other a subscription to the Jan.-Apr. Bag of the Month Club. It was only $15 at the early-subscribe rate, and this time around it was going for 4 months instead of the usual 3, for the same price. We couldn't really beat that, especially when sending a physical gift would've been much more expensive, considering international shipping rates. Win-win, right?!

Each month the pattern is by a different designer, and you don't get to see what the pattern is until that particular month. The January pattern was for the Goldfinch Handbag and Goldfinch Clutch by Lockwood and Webb... so actually two patterns! I decided to make the clutch, as the handbag was much larger than I would want to carry.

The next decision was "which fabrics?", which is always one of the hardest and takes me the longest. Soooo many choices. I narrowed mine down to these. I knew I wanted to use the bottom one, which is one of Jess's earlier barkcloth designs. The two lining options were pieces I'd gotten in fabric grab bag purchases. Which would you choose?

Though the brown fabric matched so well, I decided on the other. I thought the pop of color on the inside would be more fun. Below is a view from my sewing room, just after I'd finished fusing the interfacing on all the pieces. (The book was for reading while on my NordicTrack, which you can't see.)

Some more in-process photos....

And here you have my completed Goldfinch Clutch. The original pic. It was hard to find a good place to take photos at the time, so I opted for a chair by the window.

I wasn't pleased with the space behind the bag, though. However, I'd recently stumbled across an iPad app called "Retouch" for editing and removing unwanted objects in photos. I tried it on that pic, and see how it turned out below. Better, right?

And the inside... hmm, I didn't like my finger there, so....

I "Retouched" it out. Yay!! Worked like a charm!

So that's my first BAGOMC project. Actually, I didn't quite finish it, since I didn't add a strap. It could be carried without it, of course, but I mainly didn't add it because I didn't ever expect to use it (it's just not my style), so why bother? Anybody want it? It's up for grabs. A strap could easily be added with strap clips, which the pattern called for.

I did have some struggles getting it made. There are some really thick seams, and the final topstitching nearly got the best of me. Also, there wasn't enough room to topstitch past the turnlock, even with my skinny machine foot. I had to improvise. But I got 'er done.

As for the Feb., Mar. and now April patterns... I haven't made them and don't have plans to do so. I'm not too crazy about any of them. I don't think we'll be doing the club again. I'd rather see patterns before I purchase them, even if they do cost a little more that way. So much for that.

I have a half dozen other completed projects to blog about! And another one to start today or tomorrow. I'll be back.....

(Did you notice I didn't even mention THE BIG TOPIC OF THE TIMES even once in this post? You can read that elsewhere. Everywhere else, in fact. I'd rather sew. We're fine. So far.)