Thursday 18 November 2010

One Happy Mummy

I'm pleased with this so fingers crossed for Christmas morning ..............


about 10" high (not including handles) ............



 Zippered top panel ...................


 A zipped inner pocket ..........


A learning curve, there's a couple of things I would do differently ............ no less an inner elasticated pocked (for a mobile phone etc..) where I stupidly followed instructions from a book and should have done it my own way from the beginning and a big thankyou to the ladies at TSF for suggestions and advice on how to attach the frills.




Especially for Jackie ................ inserting a zipper panel (my way not necessarily the right way!).  Cotton quilt/dress weight fabric interfaced with woven cotton interfacing/stayflex.  The finished width of each strip adjoining the zip is 3/4" so cut strip double this width plus 1" for turnings and required length (plus 1" for turnings on the length).  Turn edges under/press 1/2" along all raw edges and fold in half lengthways, press.  Slip this casing over the zipper fabric ensuring pressed edges are equal both above and below the zip and stitch short edges and along zipper close to the edge through all layers to attach zip.  Repeat for other side.


The folded edge on the outside is pinned to the lining (through one layer only - the lining is turned back on this pic just to show the zipper easier) and stitched close to edge.  I stitched the zipper panel 1" down from the top of the above bag.  On the bag a few posts ago I stitched the zipper panel through both the lining and bag outer but tried it a bit different this time by just stitching through the lining.  It's better if the zipper overhangs the adjoining panels by a few inches so the bag can open fully.  Very easy in reality but expect it sounds clear as mud!!

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Tuesday 16 November 2010

Ruffles Bag

 Still sewing ........... with more zingy colours ...........



That pink frill doesn't look quite right .................. like I've run out of fabric ..............



so another floral frill I think ...................
 

I thought the Christmas present list was dwindling but I have another purse to do, the one in the last post having gone to a new home so no time to spend on here really - handles, lining and fastening to think about and get on with too.
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Thursday 11 November 2010

Christmas Stuff

Shirt no. 1 .............
 


Shirt no. 2 was nearly finished when I noticed my fingertips had devloped a navy tinge ................. from the batik print!  First thoughts were that it would probably be ok for an initial wear (with jeans) but then my husband said "what if it rains?".  Oh yeah!  So it's been in the washing machine and lost quite a lot of dye but still looks ok (pic is prewash) so it's just waiting for some buttons.




A wallet (or purse) ............. just a few French knots acting as random "quilting" stitches.



Opened out .........




A present from her mum for her first married Christmas, mum decided to redress her 1961 Christmas tree fairy but this is as far as it got!


I'm going to redress her but not with the old bits of lace in the pic ............ something more in keeping with her time (evident from her facial features and hair) I think.
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