Making project bags and learning to make a top from a pattern

I’ve made two project bags, as I’m considering the idea of opening an etsy shop at some point in the new academic year and would like to build a bit of a stock up before I open it. I thought I’d start with project bags as I think people would want to buy them and I can make them quite easily. But I’ve hit a dilemma with the first one I’ve made as it’s got a wrinkle in it from where I’ve top stitched round. I’m reluctant to unpick it all and start again. So I’m left with the question ‘do I just keep it for myself or list it in the shop as a flawed item? ‘ what do you guys think?

Here’s the wrinkly flaw-it’s more noticeable in real life!

Both the bags used vintage material… The owls one is left over material from curtains I had in my bedroom growing up, and the purply one is left over from material my parents had curtains from.

Then, with my mum’s help I’ve started to try to make myself a top following a pattern. The pattern reckons its easy, but I might question that! It is rather daunting being faced with all the big bits of paper with lots of code on them.

We’ve managed to cut all the pieces out, having learnt that it’s a very slippery fabric that moves whenever there’s a slight touch to it. Pinning the pieces to it usually took some time as several pins would need repositioning.

Awful not straight cutting! 😂

I also discovered that rather than working on the floor and cutting with scissors I got a much straighter, sharper line when I used my rotor blade on the cutting mat.

So, all the pieces are now cut and at some point I need to tackle the challenge of starting to sew it together. It’ll be a while as I’ve got a busy few days coming up.

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Another project bag

Well, yesterday evening I was replying to a comment on the post about my sister’s skirt when I suddenly realised that I need to make her second skirt before next weekend. Not only that but I also needed to put together a gift for a poorly friend, make a project bag, crochet a funky bag and crochet some flowers… All before next weekend (oops 🤔).

I had been planning an early night, but instead I nipped downstairs, uncovered sissy, loaded her bobbins, got cutting on my new much larger cutting mat that my lovely husband bought me, and made a project bag. It’s a bit unseasonal as it looks like Christmas material, but it’s for someone who collects gingerbread people and snowflakes, so I thought the material would be perfect for her.

I then sewed together the offcuts from the corners in order to make two little lavender pillows. I decided to make the hole quite small so I didn’t have to hand sew much but then I discovered how time consuming it is trying to turn an inside out item through a too small hole, and then trying to stuff Stuffing through it and funnel lavender flowers in. I got there in the end though!

I’m quite pleased as I used lavender from my garden that I’d picked and dried, which I think was from a plant grown from the lavender in my wedding bouquet. I need to check if I’ve remembered that right (mum…have I just made that up?!), but if I’m wrong then it’s from à plant that my parents in law gave my husband when he had moved in (which is also a Nice story!) . We actually have two lavender plants and I took flowers from both. Oh goodness me, I’m waffling now about the origins of my lavender plants!! Hope you’re all still awake… Or not, actually, if you happen to be suffering from insomnia 😂

I think I’d best sign off here… I think I am overexcited with weekend fever, and possibly the excitement of rain earlier in the day! Gonna try to calm down by crocheting a little flower from this months simply crochet magazine

But quickly, I made a little bookmark for my poorly friend’s parcel, using her initial. I’m quite pleased with it apart from the fact that the card bled a bit when I made the thicker areas. Might try water colour paper next time.

Have a lovely weekend everyone