Slouch bags galore!

I adore slouch bags!

They can be made in any fabric and have just the right amount of slouchiness.  I taught myself how to make these.  Quite straightforward when you know how!

This William Morris slouch bag was made from preloved curtain fabric - I loved the use of blue and green together.

It is lined with a preloved teal coloured sheet.  With an internal pocket, of course!

Then I decided to make one from fur.  It's a very touchy feely bag which is currently residing in Germany :)

The bag was lined with faux cheetah(?) print fur - Growwwwwl!

With an internal pocket.  This is such a cuddly bag!

Damson cord was used for the next bag.  I have a thing about cord.

The bag was lined with preloved curtain fabric which tones beautifully with the cord.  I added a ribbon tie to this one rather than a popper.  Adds a bit of extra oomph.

 

 

And then there's the ever popular Sanderson slouch bag.  Made from preloved curtains making it extra sturdy.  Had to make sure that the pattern was central on this one.

The bag was lined with silk from a preloved throw.  And a Sanderson pocket added, of course!

Which one is your favourite?

Next...

Sewing Bee Challenge: A Line skirt

Anyone watching The Great British Sewing Bee programme at the moment?

It's fabulous!!!  Anything that can get sewing back into the mainstream is a brilliant idea as far as I'm concerned.

The first challenge the 8 contestants had this week was to make an A Line skirt.  One person lined theirs.  Another added homemade bias binding to decorate it.  The skirts themselves were just three pieces of fabric, with darts and a concealed zip at the back.

Funnily enough, before the programme was aired, I was also making an A Line skirt with some corduroy discovered in a charity shop.

My skirt pattern also had darts.  But it had just two main pieces of fabric, a waistband, side zip and a button closure.

Here is the end result

It fits beautifully and hangs like a dream.  I love corduroy to soften curves.  It's also so very tactile.

This is one of the darts I inserted.  It really does help to shape the skirt.  You start to sew from the widest to the smallest part leaving a tail of thread which you then knot to prevent the dart from falling out.  Always remember to press darts after creating them.

The waistband was a new technique for me.  The previous waistbands I have made have had raw edges inside.  But this was handstitched on the inside.  It makes it much more elegant (not that anyone knows that it's there, but *I* do!) and durable.

The side zip was relatively well concealed.  Given the choice, I would probably make a back zip next time.  If you don't get it right, side zips can pucker easily.  And besides, it's always easier to sew something on the flat rather than round a curve!

I have an admission to make - I've not figured out how to make a buttonhole on my machine until now, either LOL!  So this was a first (and so easy with a buttonhole foot - I really must do a post on sewing feet soon!)

As I was looking through my Janome instruction manual trying to find out how to make a buttonhole, I also figured out how best to use the blind hem stitch too.  So this was what I used to complete the skirt hem.

What do you think?

Next...

Berries bag

When I see some fabric with potential that I love, it doesn't matter whether it comes from a skirt, dress or fleece blanket, I just have to have it and use it to create something delicious that I'd love to use myself.

So when I found a preloved burgundy cord skirt it just had to come home with me (I have a thing about cord).  I could look past the mumsy-ness of it and see a bag waiting to get out.

And then I thought, why stop at a cord skirt - why not pair it with some fabric from a dress that I already have (which was far too small when I bought so I converted it into a skirt and wore for ages!)

So I did.

I made a saddle bag out of it.

The O rings came from an existing bag that I had but no longer loved.

The frill was created from cutting off the very bottom of the dress/skirt (above).  So much easier than cutting some fabric and turning a tiddly little hem!

The interior was created from an off-cut of a pair of curtains.

The bag itself is expandable with poppers to let it out if need be.

Or keep it small and petite if desired.

I can't wait for my next project now!

Dog coats and Barbie fittings

Ever the excitable sewist, a friend asked me if I would make her dog a coat to keep her warm in the winter.  Sure, I'll have a go, says I.

I thought, hey, how difficult can it be??  Um, you might say that I learned LOADS!!

But, not to be deterred, I beavered away armed with scissors, parchment paper, URLs, measurements and an idea of what it could possibly look like (if I'm really lucky!).  A prototype made from fleece crossed the Atlantic first and even Barbie's dog had a fitting before the final coat was conceived.

And I've never even owned a dog before, so that made for some interesting 3D experiments!

And here is the end result. 

One warm pup who loves nothing better than to sleep with her new coat - that's one of the greatest compliments there is :)

The cord outer fabric was preloved and the fleecey interior was made from, well, warm orange fleece!

Here's hoping that the coat keeps her as warm as intended!

And it's totally reversible too - well, the things you learn as you go along LOL! ;)