Bags of fun..

I've had a very productive day of sewing making Eowyn's bag. I've really enjoyed it despite my initial uncertainty about not having a pattern.

I started with a rough (very rough) sample to get an idea of size and then took a quick trip to the op-shop with my tape measure in my pocket to find a child's backpack so I could compare my measurements - mine were pretty similar so I was set to go ahead.

I think the bit that I've enjoyed most is the problem solving. The bit where I've had to work out what order I need to work in to ensure that I don't have to back-track or unpick - so far so good and I've been able to work forward all the way.

What I've discovered is that I've had to work in a slightly different order to what I'm used to. Normally I make up the body of the bag and then make straps and pockets etc and then the lining and then assemble it all. For this bag I've had to make up most of the straps and pockets first before I could sew the first seam on the body of the bag. I've even worked out how to include a couple of neat pockets that worked a treat.

All that's left for tomorrow is to finish the straps, the flap and the lining and join it all together. Finally I'll add a magnetic closure and then sit back and admire my work.

Oh and I should add that todays temperature was MUCH more comfortable...

Aaaarghhhhh!!!!

I know, us Melbourne lot are a bunch of whingers, but seriously - it's H-O-T ! ! ! !

It's too hot to do anything. We (Bryan, The Supervisor and I) are lying on the lounge room floor with the only fan in the house blasting warmish air onto us. I slept here on the floor last night as it was cooler that the bedroom - not the most comfortable place but after no sleep the night before it didn't seem to matter.

Jean and I have met and conferred about Eowyn's bag and we are both excited. The fabric is lovely and the design I had in mind was just what Jeana wanted. Tomorrow is due to be cooler (not cool, just cool-er) and so I will get cracking on it then. Hopefully it works out as planned - I don't have a pattern so I'm just going to wing it.

I'm off to refil my glass with more ice and water. I promise I'll give up on the heat talk soon - soon enough it'll be winter and I'll be whinging about the cold...

It's too hot

It's hot today...

It was hot yesterday...

It's gonna be hot again tomorrow...

It's gonna be hot again on Friday and Saturday...

And the two textile pieces that are currently sitting beside the couch for me to work on are a quilt with a heavy wool blanket for batting (the Japanese Kimono Quilt) and a pair of knitted (to be felted) slippers for Bryan. It's too hot to work on either!

I do have another project that is in the planning stages. Jeana of Unbecoming Lily has a long to-do-list and I'm helping her out by making a backpack for her daughter for kinder. I've been trawling the net looking for images and an some ideas are emerging...

I'm off to try and cool down (fat chance!!)

Transformations...

I resisted the distractions today until I finished my work. But then I turned to the creative side of the room...

I have now turned the incomplete doiley/placemat from this and this post into this completed purse!

That's another one to stike of the 'projects on the go' list. That's 2 (hopefully) in one week!! Perhaps I could let myself do something creatice this weekend (ie not from the list).

Work, work, work...

I've had a very relaxing and productive long weekend and am NOT ready to go back to work.

When I say go, I mean walk down the hall to the office...

That's the problem with working from home - the sewing machine and the rest of my art stuff sits on the other side of the room calling to me... It hasn't been a problem for the last couple of weeks because the sewing table has been buried under a huge pile of stuff (remains of pre-Christmas bag making and quilt finishing, and paperwork (house stuff, wedding stuff, bills etc)that somehow got 'dumped' there.

The sewing table is now clear and calling out for a project and that's the table I'd rather be sitting at than the work desk...

I have no pictures today - so I'll leave you with a photo of The Supervisor (aka Tyler) on holidays (check out that smile!)

Quilting complete!

Wow! this walking foot is a dream. I've completely quilted my Japanese Kimono Quilt in a weekend (minus the little bit that I'd started 2 and a bit years ago). I've even attached the binding and whilst watching The Bourne Identity have hand-sewn one edge. We still have an other movie lined up - The Bourne Supremacy (is that #2?) - so I should get through another side.

As I sew I've also been making plans for this....

It's an embroidered placemat, but I have no intention of finishing it - what's the point of one pretty placemat and I'm not doing more just to make a set of placemats that I'm not likely to use. Instead I'm thinking purse... or bag of some sort?...

I'll keep you posted.

Update: - 2nd movie is done and I'm now halfway through. We still have The Bourne Ultimatum to go (#3) LOL! At this rate I should have it finished by the end of the week.

Look what's on my desk!!

I picked up my sewing machine on Friday - all serviced and running nicely again and all dust elephants removed.

I also purchased a walking foot. Something that I have needed but not wanted to fork out the dollars for. It is particularly necessary to finish this japanese kimono quilt that I started... hmmm.... umm... October 2006!! (wow - I didn't realise it was that long ago!) I had attempted to quilt it and had done a bit but gave up in frustration due to the puckering.

Today I started sewing with my new walking foot and am now 1/3 of the way through. A couple more sessions like that and it'll be done...

Time for some TLC...

My trusty sewing machine is heading off for a well-deserved service. I've ignored the clunking noises for too long and need to get it looked at before I do some damage. I've tried to blow and brush as much dust from it as I can but I'm sure the service guy will still find dust elephants hidden in there!!

I've just rung up and made enquiries and will drop it in tomorrow. I really only had two questions:

1. How much? and
2. How long????

Luckily it should only be gone a week so that gives me a week to finish cleaning up the studio/sewing room (studio sounds too false for what really is the other half of my office which really is just a bedroom...)

This is the bag that Dad got...

But first a back-story...

My Mum and Dad's Christmas request last year (sounds so long ago already...) was that we could only give gifts if we didn't spend any money. So I decided to make them both a bag from fabrics already in the cupboard. And I almost did it without spending anything - I did need to spend a little on bag hardware but the fabrics were all there already!

Mum received these bags...


And she was wrapped!!

My Dad is a gadget man and uses a 'dilli-bag' to carry all the gadgets around - GPS for geocaching, GPS for the car, mobile phone, camera, chargers for each... you get the picture.

Dad's bag was the same pattern as Mum's (the Small Tote Bag - by Nikki) - the one with the flap and the taller body shape. I did make a few small adjsutments... I added a divider pocket and clips and used plastic hardware. I did have trouble finding the plastic fittings that I had in mind and didn't have time to order any and so bought a cheap bag at a bargain shop ($6) and cut off all of the fittings - including the rubber shoulder guard. I used a 'manly' olive-green linen-like fabric for the outside and a hand-dyed peice that I did ages ago (try March 2006!) And this is what I came up with...









Inside out...






And Dad loved his bag too!!

Happy New Year!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

We've just arried home from our holiday in New South Wales with friends and I'm wishing I was still there. We had a great holiday... we went to the beach and walked for hours, took the dog for swims and laughed at her being scared of the water, went out for coffee in the morning and got distracted and stayed out the whole day, had afternoon 'nanna-naps' on the days when we were at home, went exploring on the train and browsed the shops... Phew, no wonder I'm tired!!

The Man-bag I mentioned last year went down a treat, Sue loves her Japanese Quilt and has been installed on her bed (along with the new bedding and knick-knacks aquired from a couple of op-shop trips that all went together to make the whole 'ensemble' work) and the new owners of the recent bags were wrapped.

Ill add pictures tomorrow but for now here's a pic of Tyler smiling and enjoying her holiday - check out that tongue!!