Friday, March 22, 2019

Catch All Caddy

I mentioned at the end of my last post that I had a project in the works but that I was struggling with it. I did manage to finish it, but it wasn't easy! It was worth the battle, though (more on that below), and here it is!


It's the "Catch All Caddy", which is a ByAnnie pattern, and it can be found here. (Tip: you might be able to find it cheaper on Etsy!)

I've wanted to make something for myself from this fabric ever since it came out, but I just never found 'the right thing', y'know? Finally I did! I think it looks great on this caddy. It took some fussy cutting, and since it's a one-way design, I had to seam the piece that goes across the bottom (which the pattern calls the "side piece" but I consider more of a gusset) so that the print was right side up on each end. The fabric is barkcloth, designed by Jess (a.k.a. How About Orange) a few years ago. It's called Sunburst, from her Time Warp collection for Cloud9 Fabrics. (Hmm... 4 years ago already!)


I used a solid canvas for the lining, and the handles, bindings, and sleeve for the base are made from a twill fabric.


All the side and pocket pieces are quilted with ByAnnie's Soft and Stable in between. I quilted mine by sewing around the circles, which I found rather fun. Here's a close-up view of it (as well as the luscious texture of the barkcloth.


Once again, I used lots of Wonder Clips in the process!


The pattern was good, with lots of helpful tips and even a page of little labels that you could copy and print to help keep track of what each of your pieces was. The pattern also lists a nice video tutorial done by Annie on how to join the ends of bindings. It worked perfectly for me. (There is also a set of video tutorials done by someone else on YouTube on making the caddy. I watched them but wouldn't recommend them. I think it's better to just follow the pattern instructions.)

As you may have guessed by now, considering the fabrics I used plus the Soft and Stable, my seams were rather thick. Here's how thick - yikes!


When I chose my fabrics, I had no idea how many layers I would have to be sewing through. I just figured my good ol' 49-year-old Kenmore could handle just about anything, so I wasn't worried. I should have been. When it came to the final binding that goes around the outside, I seriously thought I wasn't going to be able to do it and would have to finish the second side of the binding by hand. But I gave it a try, and despite 3 machine lockups and 3 broken needles, plus several do-overs, we made it! It's not the neatest work I've ever done, but since the caddy is for myself, I'm okay with it. I'm just glad to have it DONE!!! And I'm very pleased with the over-all look of it.

I included a little secret inside. Right down in that bottom corner. Can you see it?


Have a closer look below. I kept a bit of the selvage with Jess's (my daughter, for those of you who might not know) name on it as a little memento. I like it.


For some size reference, here's a shot of my caddy loaded up with sewing supplies. It holds a ton of stuff! It'll be great for hauling things between my upstairs "fabric room" (where it all seems to have migrated due to better lighting for matching colors, etc.), my kitchen table where I do my cutting, and my basement sewing room.


So that's done. Whew! Hardest sewing I've ever done. But now I feel like I can conquer ANYTHING, especially bindings! Hahaha! I do have more projects lined up, one of which is already begun, and another which is a pattern test (but not for Dog Under My Desk this time). Not to mention various other "when I get time" ideas.

8 comments:

Rochelle @ eSheep Designs said...

Your 49-year old Kenmore managed to do the job! Great to hear, because I have a similar vintage one that's been my only machine. I know that ByAnnie probably doesn't turn out any pattern that doesn't use her Soft and Stable, but really, do you think it's necessary? I can see this caddy being done with a lot fewer broken needles using other interfacing options. That said, good on you for persevering; it looks wonderful.

Nancy @ Grace and Peace Quilting said...

What a beautiful caddy! Looks perfect to me. I love your barkcloth print. That matching job is amazing. Great job!

Daryl @ Patchouli Moon Studio said...

Nicely done! I have made 4 of these catch all caddies. I do sew my binding by hand like a quilt binding after the first part is done by machine, because I find it looks better and is easier to do. I make a lot of bags and I also am a bag tester (tested several for Annie, but not this one). A tip for using Soft and Stable is to zigzag the Soft and Stable to the fabric pieces around the edges of each piece after it is quilted or if not quilting as not only does this help to keep the fabric and S&S held together, but it flattens those edges down making it easier to sew the bag together and lessen some of the thicker seams. However, using a heavier weight fabric from the start is harder for your machine to deal with thickness. Make sure you use a large enough needle too like a 16 denim/jeans needle to get through thickness. I know this doesn't help you now, but if you ever make any other bag in the future, it might be helpful?

Grandma G said...

Thank you, Rochelle! I do love my Kenmore, bought it new all those years ago, and it’s my only machine. They don’t make ‘em like they used to.

I guess what you use in the caddy depends on how firmly you want the sides to stand up. I don’t think you could get the same sturdiness with other products without having the seams even harder to sew. Have you ever used foam? It’s lightweight and easy to sew through, and it gives you the structure without the weight. I’ve used it many times, and I like it, especially for quilted items like this. One option for this caddy might be to not use foam in the pockets, thus eliminate the extra thickness there. You could maybe use felt to quilt to, so they would still match the rest of the pieces. Daryl also gave a good tip in her comment.

Grandma G said...

Thank you very much, Nancy! I assure you, it’s far from perfect on that final binding. The photos were strategically taken. LOL

Grandma G said...

Thanks, Daryl! That’s a great tip - I wish I had thought of it. It would’ve helped... holding the binding on to sew it would’ve been less challenging, at least. Next time I’ll try it. Yes, I’d make another, but would definitely use quilting cotton! I did use a 16 topstitching needle. Broke a brand new one, too. LOL

Geneviève said...

Despite all the hardships, your caddy looks fantastic! The quilting is a fun detail that makes it even nicer. Fantastic work my friend!

There are lots of good tips in the comments. I'm thinking that I should probably try the zig zag stitch for my bulkier projects.

Grandma G said...

Thanks, Geneviève! I’m happy with it, despite the struggles. Yes, good tips to know!