A few months ago I purchased a book called Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross. If you're into sewing and sewing/crafting blogs, Heather Ross is a familiar name. She is a fabric designer who has some amazing and clever fabrics and she's got a big fan base. (I've never purchased one of her fabrics, but I've seen them at PurlSoho) I don't know a ton about her, but I saw her book at Jo-Ann and it looked like a rooky sewer like myself might be able to handle a few of the projects.
The idea is that you could make any of these in an afternoon or weekend. Works for me!
My first attempt turned out pretty nicely. The Everyday Tote Bag has denim exterior fabric and a coordinating paisley fabric inside. I just had the paisley left over from a wall fabric project I finished for the dining room (i.e. pull down the quilting hoops on the wall, insert new fabric).
I had a few bumpy moments when I just couldn't follow her directions, but, ultimately, I just went with my instincts and it all turned out fine. In fact, I'm kinda surprised how easy it was. Typically, anything that I do looks very unfinished, like a 13 year-old just finished a Home Ec project. But this actually looks like a real bag - not too homemade.
It even has a little pocket inside. This is one example where I just winged it and didn't do the measuring that she called for. In retrospect, I should have measured the size of the pockets more accurately. Instead of a cell phone holder, I ended up with a pencil-size pocket. Whoops! Don't ask me why I took the photo with a staple gun and scissors inserted into the pockets, they were the only thing I had handy.
This is what the bag is supposed to look like when completed. I don't think mine is too far off!
The next question is whether I'll pick a new project in the book or try to do another bag. If I can cut the patterns out while the kids are napping/watching Dinosaur Train, I can actually get a lot accomplished quickly. This little adventure went quite a bit faster than expected.Maybe, perhaps, I'm getting a little hobby? Eh... who knows, but I'm excited to be doing something creative!!
4 comments:
Cute! Heather Ross has admitted that the pattern for this tote has some errors in it. There's a place on heather's site (somewhere, sorry, don't have the link at the moment), where she has a bunch of revisions to the book instructions/patterns so keep that in mind if you try another project from that book. FYI
looks supercute!
although, I will start running the other way if I see you coming at me with that purse full o' hidden weapons. I just laughed out loud at that picture.
VERY cute bag!!!!!! Very discrete, indeed. Is that how you spell that word? Discrete...discreet? Sneaky style and tool carryin'
I like it.
You're getting so good at this stuff!
Post a Comment