Some little bags

Happy New Year!

When I went up to my sewing room, I played around with some fabrics and patterns and put some things away and then thought, I'd like to make a couple of little bags to give away.

At Christmas when she was here, Mum admired the bag I made as a pencil case for work so when I discovered I had a fair bit left of that upholstery fabric, I thought I would make one for her.

I got out my trusty bag pattern (Simplicity 9949) and examined what bits of fabric I had.

I had enough of the upholstery fabric for four bags and found some rayon that I had made a shirt out of that would be suitable for lining.

I also used the rayon to make seam binding.

It was a good plan when I put the seam binding on the one larger bag. I pinned one side over the stitching line and then sewed from the other, unpinned side.

The idea was that because I had pinned it on the underside, I would catch that side of the seam binding when I sewed it from the other side. It worked all around the zipper but not on the ends so I had to sew it twice - the second time from the pinned side that had not caught in the first stitching.

Consequently, the seam binding is a little rippley but it'll never come off!

I'll put the smaller "pencil case" bag inside the larger one when I give it.

And here's what they look like separately. That larger bag can hold a surprising amount of stuff. I just find it fun to make these things and then give them away. Mum will get one set and I think I know who will get the second set.

My third chemo is tomorrow so I may feel a little too crappy to sew for a few days, if it's like last time. I'm hoping it won't be but I am prepared to spend the rest of the day in bed.

Meanwhile...

I was right - I ran out of seam binding. I have done the entire under-arm seam, both sides of the seam, on one side of the jacket but still have the other (about 2 meters), the hem (about 1.5 m) and sleeve hems to do so I need at least one more package for the jacket and then there's the skirt hem. So tomorrow, I'll be out on my bike, going to my fourth annual mammogram test - I'm telling you, they have GOT to invent a better way! - and on my way home, I'll swing by the store to get 2 more packages.

In the meantime, I thought I'd try again to illustrate the benefit of a clappered (or is it clapped?) seam. (There is no definition for the wooden tool that is the almighty clapper in any online dictionary I have found. I just discovered Wikitionary and now I guess I have to add to it but whatta pain to sign up, etc.) Anyway, these are the underarm seams, put side by side. I have pressed both but only clappered the right one. I can see the difference, so I hope you can too. If you are still straining to tell the difference, the right hand one is a little bit flatter, so the tiny trench formed by the seam is a tiny bit deeper on the left hand one. It may not seem like much but when the entire garment has been carefully pressed like this, it looks more professional than if it wasn't.

Okay, I just went back and made the photo "original" size and Flickr and it really is hard to tell the difference. That big fold in the middle is the entire jacket back folded out of the way, so I am pointing to the seams! Trust me. :)

In the meantime, while I wait to get my seam binding, I ironed and laid out some inexpensive but fun cotton with which I will zip up another of the bike shirts that Peter loves. It's just a plain old shirt pattern with short sleeves but he likes the roomy (capacious, even), breezy style as he commutes to work. I wasn't sure if he'd like these birds but he claims to. I am wondering which way is "up". I think "up" looks like it is on the left but that's the cross grain so I have to choose one of the other ways.