Change is Good

After a long, quiet night at work my head and my heart met somewhere in the middle and all my thoughts about what's going on in my life went from:
"kjhslajhvluywiyroqhljkbrvgcalsjfgashkjdb nbwckghcedusgafhlkjasvfjlascldjawgeukrhwqhrvjhlwafgkjgs"
to:
"Change is good. It's natural. The river's water changes so it does not become stagnant. The seasons change so that new life can be made from old....I wonder if the tree ever fears when it looses its leaves? Does it wonder "Will next year's leaves be as beautiful?" "Will my leaves EVER grow back?" Yet fear never takes us forward. It only leaves us reminiscing in the past or longing for the future. Fear has no place in the present. Living in the present is the only way to move forward."


So in the midst of figuring out patterns for bags, I'm also figuring out patterns to live life by. They change sometimes - sometimes right in the middle of making them - and that is OK. 

Ugly to Useful

~ UGLY TO USEFUL ~

I went to Marden's to look around and I found this pattern for PJ shorts (quite ugly in my opinion. I assume other's too because it was marked down to $1.99). I loved the material. So I decided to try and make a bag out of it. Here is the tutorial of how I did that:

 Here is what it looked like. All the material was on a cut and sew panel. So I had to make a few adjustments, but not too many when I cut the different pieces out. 

First I cut the two large pieces (meant for the legs of the shorts) and sewed them together. 

I made the bottom rectangular by turning the bag inside out, placing a shoe box cover in the bottom of the bag and folding the edges over. I tacked them in place and turned the bag right side out.  

 Here is what the outside of the bag should look like.

        

The top of the bag now looked like this.

 I cut one side so that I could have a flap.

 I folded the cut side over and sewed a hem. 

 Sewing is very exhausting for Rhuarc who insists on staying by my side the whole time.

 Here is a quick view of the inside of the front panel's hem.

 For the other top (now becoming the flap) I sewed the edges over and used a blanket stitch to make it look less messy. 

 I then sewed a pocket onto the inside of the back of the bag.

 For the handle (sewed from the material supposed to be used for the draw string of the shorts) I sewed some stuffing where it would rest on the shoulder.

 I sewed the handles to the bag (extra good stitching)

 For the bottom I took the rest of the material (supposed to be the top of the shorts) and sewed it over the shoebox cover. This way the bottom would be solid.

  This is a view of the bag from the top looking in.

 On the front I sewed the button hole,

 button,

 and small hand crocheted flower.

 ALL DONE!

I think it turned out nice, a lot more useful to me than PJ shorts I wouldn't be caught dead in.

 And for a $1.99 I think its a pretty sweet deal. 

Bundy's Bag

~BUNDY's BAG ~

After the first bag (not yet blogged. It's on FB) my friend asked me to make her one. So I went back to Marden's and got some regular material and went crazy. This one came out really good. I'm quite proud for hand sewing and making the pattern myself. So here is the tutorial:

I got some AMAZING music note material for the bag (she likes music and plays several instruments). Then I got a plain color that matched for the inside, and some off white to use for trimming on the handle to offset all the dark colors. 

 I measured the Music note material according to the zipper and the size of her laptop (Macbook). I made it so the large treble clef was in the middle of the front of the bag.

 After I measured, I cut out the front and back pannel from the music note material. Leaving enough fabric on the back pannel to make a flap.

 Then I traced the panels on the solid color fabric and cut those out as well.

 I sewed the solid colored panel to the music note panel for each side. (with the material inside out) So when I was done I turned it right side out and the stitches were hidden. I only sewed the sides and top, leaving the bottom open.

 Once I sewed the front panels together, I sewed one half of the zipper in the top middle of the front panel. Because the bottom had not been sewn together yet, I was able to sew it only to the solid color panel, that way you could not see the stitches from the front of the bag. 

 I wanted the treble clef to be seen on the front of the bag even with the flap, so I decided to cut the flap so that it came over the zipper a few inches most of the way, then came down farther and clasped. I sewed this one inside out on three sides just the same as the front panels.

 Again, I turned it right side out, and no stitches can be seen.

Then I sewed the front panel and back panel together. Again with right sides facing in so when the bag was turned right side out there would be no stitches showing.

After more careful measuring, I folded the bottom inside of the bag (like a paper bag is folded. You turn  the corners in to create square edges) and sewed it in place with a brown thread that would not be seen as easily from the outside.  

 I turned the bag right side out and tacked the corners of the edge I had created by the folds inside. This would give the bag a rectangular bottom without having to put cardboard in it. 

 I turned the bag inside out once again and sewed a "pocket" to the inside of the back panel for her laptop. This will help hold it in place so it doesn't bounce around and hit other stuff in the bag. 

 Next I sewed the zipper to the back half of the back. It ended up so that I had to sew through the back of the bag for this and the laptop pocket, but I used darker thread so it wasn't too noticeable. 

To the front on the laptop "pocket" I sewed a cell phone pocket. (I used NED, its kinda an inside joke. I know she will love it)

For the strap I used the same material as the outside of the bag and sewed the off white material to the edges. Then I attached the strap to the bag. I did a square around the area where the strap and bag were attached and then and X through the middle of the square. (should hold pretty well, unfortunately I attached one of the side wrong and the strap is twisted. Should be interesting fixing that.)

 For the clasp on the front I made Frog and Knot closure with leather strips. I got the leather wet, then shaped it how I wanted it and set it under a board to dry. Then I glued them to the fabric where I wanted them and let dry. I took and sewed them on crisscrossing over the leather with off white thread. They are quite sturdy and look good (if I do say so myself).  

 TA-DA! All done.

Rhuarc (the puppy) approved :)

Transitions

In the past 9 months I've gone from single workaholic to married homemaker. It has been quite the transition. The fact of being able to spend more than 30 minutes a day awake in my own place has been an experience all in its own. All this has caused me to have a lot of time to think and to do things that I never had time or energy to do before. One of which is start up Crafting again (I was quite the crafty little kid) as well as seek out natural home remedies and cleaners, and begin baking and cooking. It has been an adventure so far, although most days I admit I end up playing Sims until the day is mostly gone. I am also learning to "just be" and know that I am loved just as much for being a couch potato as I am for getting everything done on time and doing more than anyone else. (martyring one self for the sake of reputation can have its negative affects later on. I am paying for those as well during these last few months with mu health and mental/emotional state)

So here it is. My thoughts, crafty tutorials, and mostly successful recipes as I trial and error my way through a new season of life.