Friday, August 16, 2013

Reversible Bag


It took me two hours to get the Kenmore running. No, there wasn't anything wrong with it. I just forgot to read the instructions. Good thing I have the manual. Apparently, in order to do a straight stitch on a 1703, you need a straight stitch foot AND a little straight stitch plate. Good thing I have all the attachments. Once I had the proper parts in place, it only took a little fiddling with the tension and she was good as gold!

The only problem I've found so far, is the bobbin winder mechanism doesn't work. A rubber part inside is old and crumbling. Not sure If I can find a replacement, but for now I just reach over to my Singer 404 for bobbin winding. It seems to work just fine, even though they're made for different class bobbins.

Once I got her up and running, I was DYING to to try her out. So off I dashed to Pinterest to pick an easy project from my overflowing sewing board. I settled on a free reversible bag pattern from verypurpleperson. I didn't want a huge bag, so I resized it to 80%. Perfect size.

Almost.

The handles turned out a bit short for my tastes. It fit me fine as a summer bag, but I despise a shoulder bag that's difficult to get over a winter coat. To lengthen the handles, I added 2 pieces of denim roughly 4-5 inches long to each strap. Turned out a bit too long.

Of course.

Pardon the amateur stitching. This was the last part, and I was ready to be done!

It's not bad. I probably could have gotten away with only 2-3 inches, but I think it turned out nicely. The denim is a cute contrast to the green and blue damask, plus it makes the strap a bit more durable. The inside is denim from an old pair of pants, and the damask has been hiding in my stash for over a year.

Now, I don't know about you, but I can't live with a bag that has no pockets. Purses are like black holes. If I don't put my cell phone in the pocket, I'll lose it for a week. It doesn't matter how many times I call that thing or move stuff around.

That's why my current phone is Ferrari red. Now I only lose it for 2-3 days. It's wonderful!



I didn't think too hard about the pocket. I just made sure the base was no wider than the darts, stitched the top, folded in the sides, and stitched it down. I did this before assembling the pieces, so all the stitching is hidden. Then, because I'm sick of fishing for pens (it's worse than my phone, I tell ya) I added a line of stitching about an inch or so from the side.

The main pocket is big enough to fit my checkbook, which I love! I didn't do a pocket on the other side, mostly because I was lazy and wanted this to be a 1 day project. I will be figuring out how to stitch a D-ring in there somewhere.

A few years ago, I started keeping my keys on a clip like this. I love, love love them. Hubby has his keys on a blue one, and mine are on red. Not only is it easier to figure out who's keys are who's, but I RARELY lose my keys anymore! I'll clip them on a belt loop while unloading groceries, or onto my purse straps (tucked inside the purse) while shopping. No more fumbling through a sea of receipts while your kids are screaming and your food is defrosting! The handles on my new bag are WAY too wide to clip on my keys, so I'm going to add a small D-ring inside. Seriously, this little detail makes life SO much easier!

The sewing bug has bitten me HARD, even though I have SO much to do. I'm actually supposed to crochet a bridal shrug for my sis-to-be by November! I would have started months ago, but the arthritis in my hands was awful. At this point in time, it's either suck it up or tell her I can't do it.

I'll probably suck it up.

But not before sewing a few more small items.

I'm thinking underoos...