Cotton + Steel Sparkle Canvas Bag

Recently I bought some Cotton + Steel Sparkle Canvas, and it was just begging to be turned into a bag. I loosely followed the instructions for the Button-Down Shirt Bag out of Ruby Star Wrapping by Melody Miller and Allison Tannery. Instead of using a button-down shirt for the exterior, I whipped up a couple of simple patchwork panels out of a few Cotton + Steel fat quarters from my stash. The Sparkle Canvas was used as the lining and handles. I was really pleased with it. It was easy to sew with, and gave the bag some heft without having to fiddle with interfacing. While I used this as a gift bag, the recipient could easily use it as a tote bag. Needless to say, I would definitely make a bag like this again.

Photo by Debbie Jeske

Constellations Cargo Duffle

When I attended Sewing Summit in 2012, I learned the value of traveling handmade. I was traveling with my mom, and while we were still in the airport, we met other Sewing Summit attendees because my mom and several others were carrying the Weekender bags they had made for the occasion. It was a really nice moment, and I knew then and there that I wanted to travel handmade myself at some point.

Fast forward to 2015. I got it in my head that I needed to make a bag to take to QuiltCon. The Weekender was out of the question, since I’ve only ever sewn with zippers once before, and I’ve heard that pattern was difficult. For my first travel bag, I wanted something simple and easy that I could make with quilted panels instead of interfacing. I stumbled across Noodlehead’s free Cargo Duffle pattern and convinced my mom to sew one with me at one of our monthly sewing days. Boy, am I glad I had a sewing buddy for this one!

Since I am a travel handmade noob, I simplified the pattern even more by using quilting cotton for the lining instead of canvas, and by omitting the pockets. I am happy with both those decisions.

My mom and I started working on our bags separately so that we could finish them together. I spent time that Friday night choosing my fabric and texting with my mom. At first, I thought about using some of my Cotton + Steel stash, but it wasn’t speaking to me for this project. I pulled out my treasured Lizzy House hoard and chose a print from her Constellations line, as well as coordinating Butterflies, Jewels and Pearl Bracelets.

On Saturday, my husband took our daughter to the zoo so that I could work on my bag. That day, I quilted the front and back panels and the bottom gusset and made the handles. Since my mom was ahead of me, I benefited from her experience and cut my panels 1” bigger to allow for shrinkage, which I highly recommend. I didn’t interface the handles because I wanted to keep it simple. I really enjoyed the machine quilting and it was quite satisfying to use up some of my batting scraps. In addition, I made four strips of WOF binding. The pattern doesn’t specify exactly how much binding to make, so I guessed based on the required yardage. That was as far as I could get without help, since I wanted my mom at my side when I attempted the zipper.

On Sunday, my daughter and I headed to Grammy and Grandpa’s house for our sewing day. My zipper isn’t 100% perfect because my daughter sat on my lap and “helped” me sew that part. But with my mom’s guidance, I was able to do it well enough. When it came time to sew the gussets to the bag front and back panels, that was when the sewing rage set in.

In retrospect, the problem was that this step essentially forces a square peg (the panels) into a round hole (the loop of gussets). After sewing the gusset loop to the top and bottom of the front panel, I couldn’t figure out how to sew the panel sides to the gusset loop. I stopped to reread the pattern, read the extra tips blog post, and the sew along. The only help to be found was the following: “Next, sew each side, just pull and align the raw edge of the sides.” Just pull? I was so frustrated I was close to tears. I pulled this way and that and couldn’t get it to a point where I was comfortable sewing it. In the end, I figured out my own tip: after you’ve sewn the gusset loop to the top and bottom of a panel, clip the gusset to the dots on the panel where the sewing stops. Then you can pull the gusset 90 degrees to meet the side of the panel. After using that trick to finish connecting the panels to the gussets, I flipped the whole over and sewed around the corners again, to reinforce them.

At that point, I was still mad, but it was easy enough to finish the inside seams with the binding I had made the day before. In roughly 36 hours, I had sewn my first usable travel bag. I didn’t enjoy the process, but I love the finished bag. It’s a nice size for a carry-on, and the handles are that in-between length that works equally well for carrying by hand or slinging over your shoulder. This bag is floppy and soft and I’m okay with that.

Will I make this pattern again? Perhaps. If I do, I would add some interfacing to make it more durable, include the pockets, and perhaps line the bag instead of finishing it with binding. I would also do the zipper differently, since I’m not happy with the way the ends of the zipper have gaps between them and the bag. Part of me would like to give this pattern another chance, because I’ve always been a fan of Noodlehead. This pattern is certainly doable, but I think it assumes a higher skill level or more experience with bag making than I have. If you’d like to read about another Cargo Duffle, check out my mom’s bag here. Thank goodness for sewing buddies!

Blue Plaid Staple Dress

This dress was a happy accident. Shortly before Christmas, Drygoods Design had a sale and I purchased three yards of Moda’s Wee Bright Plaid Blue Brushed Cotton. I was looking for flannel and it was in the “Flannel/Brushed Cotton” section on their website. I’m still not exactly sure what the difference is between flannel and brushed cotton. Based on this one sample, it seems that brushed cotton is softer and warmer than quilting cotton, but not as soft and warm as flannel.

The fabric sat around in my stash until I made the Royal Oslo Cardigan and realized that it coordinated. I wanted something quick and easy, so I reached for my copy of April Rhodes’ Staple Dress. The first Staple Dress I made was in October 2013, so it was definitely time for another one. Even though the pattern wasn’t difficult the first time around, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was this time. Sometimes I’m frustrated with my amateur seamstress skills, but this was one instance where I could feel how much my skills have improved over time. As a result, sewing this dress made me very, very happy.

Initially, I thought I would try my hand at matching plaid for this dress, but it didn’t work out. After washing and pressing, the plaid pattern of the fabric wasn’t quite aligned. If I lined up the horizontal lines to make the pattern match at the side seams, then the vertical lines skewed to one side. I chose to optimize for keeping the vertical lines straight and decided that I was okay with not matching the plaid this time. I know matching plaids is supposed to be a mark of quality, but I like this dress well enough without it. I’ll try again another time.

What can I say about the Staple Dress that hasn’t already been said before? I sewed the same size as last time, but retraced the pattern so that I could use the straight hem instead of the high-low hem. I do love a good high-low hem, but thought that this fabric lent itself more to the straight hem. For this version, I omitted the elastic shirring at the waist. I always wear my first Staple Dress with a belt, so the shirring is rather redundant for me. Adding the pockets was a no-brainer, because I’ve learned that if a dress doesn’t have pockets, I won’t wear it.

All in all, I’m quite pleased with this dress. It coordinates with both my Royal Oslo Cardigan and my Navy Julia Cardigan, and is a pattern that I know I will wear, so I feel it aligns nicely with my Wardrobe Architect efforts. Also, it’s nice to have a more wintery Staple Dress in my closet, because Spring can’t get here early enough.

Scrap Migration Quilt

Did you know that the Seattle Modern Quilt Guild will have a new exhibit early next year? In celebration of the guild turning five years old, there will be a My MODERN exhibit at Island Quilter from January 2 to February 5, 2015. Previously, I have entered preexisting quilts in the guild exhibits, but this time, I was inspired to make a brand new quilt especially for this exhibit.

Scrap Migration came about because the construction of my Patriotic X and Plus Quilt resulted in a pile of leftover half-square triangles. I knew I wanted to use alternate grid work and end up with a quilt 36” square, and the design just evolved from there. Those lonely half-square triangle blocks became scrappy flying geese set against an improvisational pieced background.

The top and binding of Scrap Migration are made entirely of scraps from other quilts, and the back is made from scraps and stash fabric. Even the batting was leftover from another project. How’s that for using what’s on hand? In fact, I’m almost completely out of white scraps now. Guess I’ll just have to start a new quilt!



Linking up to Scraptastic Tuesday at She Can Quilt.

Hearts All Over City Gym Shorts

One of these days I’ll get back to quilting, but in the meantime, here’s my latest make: a pair of City Gym Shorts for my sweet girl. You can find the free pattern at The Purl Bee. What you see pictured here is the 4-5 size.

The fabric is Hearts All Over for Michael Miller. My daughter picked it out ages ago when I dragged her to a fabric store for something else, so I thought it was a good choice for the first handmade garment I sewed for her! Also, since it’s pink, she’s actually wearing it! (For a while there, we didn’t buy any clothes for her that weren’t pink, because it just wasn’t worth the morning temper tantrums trying to get her to wear anything that wasn’t pink.) Since she has happily worn these multiple times, I consider them a success! That, and the fact that she tried to climb a tree in them.

Initially, putting the pattern pieces together puzzled me, but that obstacle was quickly surmounted. The bias tape was a breeze, as I used the white lawn left over from lining my Triangle Tokens Belcarra Blouse. The waistband did me a little trouble, I must admit. Due to the fact that I used a directional print, I accidentally sewed it on upside down the first time. That was quickly remedied. Since I had recently finished a Myrtle Dress, I already had the 1” elastic on hand, so I was able to make the shorts out of 100% stash materials. I love it when that happens.

These shorts were a fast sew all around. While I had printed out the pattern and cut the fabric out earlier in the week, I did all of the actual sewing in one Friday night. The City Gym Shorts are definitely going on next Spring’s must-sew list. I might even make some for myself!

Get a Clue Myrtle Dress

After making three Belcarra Blouses in a row, I was ready to try a new pattern. Then along came the Myrtle Dress. Now, if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that I haven’t had the best of luck with Colette Patterns. This is no fault of the patterns themselves. I think it’s a combination of my own inexperience, the fact that the patterns aren’t drafted for my body type, and the highly fitted nature of what I’ve chosen to attempt. When I saw that the Myrtle Dress had a looser fit and could work with either knits or woven fabrics, I thought that maybe, just maybe, I had found a Colette Patterns design that could work for me.

The fabric for this particular dress came from Drygoods Design, one of my favorite local fabric stores. I picked it up last fall when I was taking the Staple Dress class there, and I had intended the magnifying glass fabric for a Sherlock Holmes costume. (That fabric’s actually from a retired Moda line called Get a Clue, Nancy Drew.) The solid fabric is anonymous. For my first attempt at this pattern, I chose to sew View 1, which is the longer version, without the shoulder tabs. Now, I know this dress would look better in a fabric with more drape, but I was too scared to work with anything other than reliable quilting cotton for my first try. Call it a wearable muslin, if you will.

Because of the looser fit, my measurements fell within one size and I didn’t have to grade the pattern. (Whew!) Since I chose to work with woven fabrics, I used the alternate instructions. Working with 3/8” seams instead of a 5/8” seams threw me a bit. I tend to use 5/8” French seams whenever possible, so was a bit disconcerted when I came to the “finish seams” instructions. I used bias bound seams in some places, and a mock overlock stitch in others. The way the bodice is made encloses quite a few seams, which is nice. I think I did something wrong when it came to finish the back, so the shoulder seams are a little wonky. I don’t think you can tell, though.

For the pockets, I used the magnifying glass fabric and I love the contrast. I also love being able to carry my cell phone when I wear a dress. Pockets should be standard in all dresses and shirts these days, don’t you think?

The part that I was dreading was the elastic waistband, but I shouldn’t have worried. I made a couple of mistakes on the first try, but they were easily fixed with a bit of unpicking. The first time I made the waistband, it was too large, and I was pleased that I could adjust the fit on the fly by simply cutting a few inches off the elastic and sewing it again. The elastic waistband is actually super comfy. I prefer it over the elastic thread that I used on the Staple Dress.

All in all, I am very proud of how this dress turned out. I’ve already purchased knit fabric for my next version, and am optimistic about my first foray into sewing knits. If you’d like to make a Myrtle Dress yourself, they just started the sewalong last week!

Marbles Belcarra Blouse

This is my third finished Belcarra Blouse, and oddly enough, it took the longest to complete. I made several avoidable mistakes that forced me to break out my seam ripper, which I loathe. After the last blunder, I put the shirt aside until I mustered sufficient energy to deal with it. This past weekend, I was ready to tackle it again, and finished it up in no time.

For this version, I made two changes. The most obvious is the color blocking on the sleeve. The solid was a remnant from another project that I found in my stash and just happened to coordinate with the main fabric. The fabric that I used for the body is Marbles, from Cynthia Rowley’s Paintbox line for Michael Miller. While originally intended for a different pattern, I like it better as a Belcarra Blouse. I had two yards of it, and a quarter yard of the solid, so I made this pattern out of less yardage than recommended again.

The second change was installing bra strap holders. I started with Dixie DIY’s tutorial, but added them before I sewed the neckline so that the ends of the ribbons would be concealed. They ended up a little too narrow to be of any use. However, I really like the technique, and will try it again.

At the end of the day, I’m happy with how this shirt turned out. I have one more Belcarra Blouse on my to-do list, and then I might put this pattern away for a bit. Maybe.

Simply Style Belcarra Blouse

This week, I have my second Belcarra Blouse to share with you, dear readers. Why did I make another one so quickly after the first? Aside from the fact that I really love this pattern, I also really despise tracing pattern pieces. When I find something that works for me, I like to make it more than once to get the maximum benefit of said pattern pieces.

When I made the Celebration Belcarra Blouse, I ended up with quite a bit of yardage left over, given that the pattern called for 2.25 yards of fabric for my size. Curious, I decided to see if I could squeeze a Belcarra Blouse out of less than 2 yards. I happened to have 1.5 yards of Simply Style by V and Co. in my stash, and it worked! I had to piece together the neck binding instead of using one continuous piece of fabric, but I didn’t mind. The amount of waste in garment sewing bothers me a bit. What do non-quilters do with their scraps? What am I going to do with the scraps once I graduate from quilting cottons to more traditional apparel fabric? In the meantime, I will pat myself on the back for using so little yardage on this shirt.

Another change that I made was narrowing the back piece by 1/2”, which makes it feel a little more fitted, but still loose and comfortable. I also used a smaller seam allowance on the neck binding. Both of these alterations helped narrow the neckline somewhat, but it’s still a little bit on the wide side.

All in all, I love this Belcarra Blouse even more than the first one. The fabric has a nicer feel to it, even though they are both quilting cotton, and the grey color is more my style. This pattern is so awesome, I’ve already started on a third one!

Cattitude Mini Quilt

One of the things I like about making garments out of quilting cottons is that the scraps can be easily incorporated into quilts (a novel idea, I know). Even after using up the leftover Catnap yardage from my Crazy Cat Lady Dress on a Cattitude Wiksten Tank, I still have scraps of these two fabrics coming out of my ears. I’m not complaining, though, since the little cat faces are just too darn cute. Since I already had quite a few full size quilts in progress or waiting to be started, I decided to whip up a quick mini quilt to scratch my itch. In addition to the scraps I wanted to use up, I grabbed a few fat quarters from my stash, cut out a bunch of 3.5” squares, and I was on a roll. The finished piece is 15” by 15” and I quilted it in a simple grid by quilting ½” from each seam on each side. It was super quick and super satisfying and will be super cute as a wall quilt.

Linking up with Finish It Up Friday at crazy mom quilts.

Celebration Belcarra Blouse

Isn’t funny how haphazardly we discover things? Partway through Me-Made-May, I was lamenting my lack of warm weather pants and decided to research potential sewing patterns. I had read about Sewaholic’s Thurlow Trousers, so I looked them up online. While I was poking around the website, I stumbled across a new shirt pattern, the Belcarra Blouse. All thoughts of sewing pants swiftly fled my mind. I had also been on the lookout for an easy but flattering shirt pattern with sleeves, and I was pretty sure I had found it. In my haste, I bought the PDF version and spent an hour taping together the numerous pages instead of buying the physical pattern and waiting for it to arrive via snail mail. While the page margins were rather large, the printing instructions allow you to only print what you need, which I liked.

View A called for 2.25 yards of fabric for my size. I was hard pressed to find that much of anything in my stash. Luckily I had received 3 yards of Celebrate by Hoffman Fabrics as a gift a while back. Since Sewaholic Patterns are drafted for a pear-shaped body, my measurements matched one of the sizes almost perfectly, and my hopes were high as I cut out the pattern pieces. I was not disappointed.

Several steps in the instructions called for partial seams, which I am not particularly fond of. I am, however, uncommonly fond of French seams, so I decided to see if I could made this shirt with all French seams. It got a little dicey where the cuffs meet the sleeves under the arm, but it turned out well enough in the end.

In fact, the entire shirt turned out well! The neck is a tad wide, but the pattern itself is so quick, I had no problem making a couple adjustments and whipping up another one right away. More on that later. For now, all you need to know is that the Belcarra Blouse is my new favorite pattern. Sorry, Wiksten Tank. Belcarra has sleeves.

Pastry Line Staple Tunic

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed that I made a few shirts recently. Part of my Me-Made-May’14 pledge was to make one garment out of a new-to-me pattern or fabric type. Based on what I had on hand, I decided to modify the Staple Dress pattern by April Rhodes to make a top. While I enjoyed making my previous Staples Dresses, I felt that I could adjust the fit and length to make something that I could wear more often, as I don’t wear dresses very often.

To adjust the pattern to match the picture in my head, I started by grading from a medium in the shoulders to a large in the hips. That wasn’t as daunting as I thought it would be, but by the time I had finished adjusting the hemline to my satisfaction, two hours had passed! Pattern modification is not for the faint of heart, or those short on time.

The fabric I used was a Pastry Line voile by Anna Maria Horner that had been languishing in my stash for some time. This was my first time working with voile and it is every bit as nice as everyone says it is! While I found it a little more delicate than quilting cotton, it was still easy to work with. Best of all, it was softer and more pleasant to wear, and washed up nicely. I’m really happy that companies like Art Gallery Fabrics are including more voile options to coordinate with their quilting cotton offerings. I want more awesome prints in soft, easy-to-use fabrics!

After several days of deliberation, I decided to forgo the elastic shirring. The result is a comfy and casual shirt that can be worn out or tucked in. It think it will be lovely to wear in spring and summer. This shirt was definitely a confidence booster, as I managed to try a couple new things successfully.

Yes, I did mention at the beginning of this post that I made more than one shirt. Tune in later for more!

Poochless Poochie Gift Bags

In need of a gift bag for a friend, I decided to revisit Happy Zombie’s Poochie Bag pattern, omitting the pockets and pooches (i.e., boxed corners). Inspired by the success of my Easter Bunny Drawstring Bags, I used up another precious Minny Muu fat quarter. Instead of fabric handles, I substituted ribbon ones. Next time, I would make them a bit longer. As luck would have it, there was enough fabric leftover for an Itty Bitty Poochie Bag, which came in handy for a last minute gift. All in all, a couple satisfying finishes.