FO Friday - A larger bag!

I had to go get some brown fabric to make the handles and finish up this bag. More zebra print on the handles felt like over kill.

The bag measures 9.5 inches across the top and 6 inches tall. The bottom of the bag measures 10 inches long by 3.25 inches wide.

I really like the size of this bag! I can fit a small knitting project with a wallet and phone. Or I could probably fit a medium knitting project and make it a knitting bag.

Monday, I'll start the instructions for constructing one of these bags, starting with drawing out the pattern. For now, a materials list:

• 1/2 yard exterior fabric - heavy weight quilting cotton or lighter weight home decor fabric - You can also use 2 fat quarters
• 1 yard interior fabric - quilting cotton - You can also use 2 fat quarters
• 1 5/8 yard medium weight interfacing
• 9 inch hex purse frame - I bought mine from Sun Belt Fashion. It seemed sketchy when I placed the order since I didn't get any acknowledgement of my order but a few days later, my order showed up. An alternative source is Ghees.
• 4 bag feet - Also Sun Belt Fashion, Ghees, or Joanns
• 4 rectangular rings, interior width measures 1 inch - I bought mine at Joanns. If you choose to buy a different size, just know that you should alter your purse strap width.
• plastic mesh grid - for something solid in the bottom. You can find this at your local craft store
• matching thread
• ruler, rotary cutters, scissors, paper, pen/pencil, pins, and other general sewing needs.

A walking foot and a heavy duty needle for your sewing machine is recommended for when you're topstitching through some of the bulkier parts of this.

FO Friday - Bags!

I've been on a bit of a sewing binge, aside from the quilting. I love bags, I really do. I also really love bags that have a frame for the opening. I had made bags in the past and sometimes they worked out well, sometimes they didn't. The recent bags have been working out really well.

First up is the Cavernous Carpetbag from U-Handbag. I've had a 10" tubular bag frame sitting around for a couple of years and was trying to find a cute pattern to use it on.

I've also been an admirerer of the U-Handbag blog and it looks like in the last couple of years, she added this pattern. Her pattern is written for an 8 inch frame or a 12 inch frame. I had to modify the pattern for my 10 inch frame. Thank goodness for math skills and ratios!

The one thing I would do differently? The pattern called for quilting cotton for both the exterior and interior and fusible fleece. I had a home decor fabric that was slightly heavier than quilting cotton and I didn't want to make it too stiff so I used regular medium weight interfacing instead of the quilting cotton. I should have stuck with the fusible fleece since the bag body isn't as stiff as I would like it. Overall, I'm happy!



Next up is a little clutch that I had designed. A couple of years ago, I had made U-handbag's Hex Open Bag Frame. I didn't quite like the size and I wanted a wider bottom. At the time, I didn't quite understand the bag making concept and so I didn't quite get there. I've recently been reading up and watching Craftsy videos and the bag came together. It's a little small but I'm also working on a slightly larger one.

It's a good size for make up or to act as the catch all bag in your bigger bag.

I do know how I made this and my thought process for this bag so coming soon, hopefully Monday, I'll start walking through the pattern drafting process and then the bag making process.

Leggy Lettuce

The lettuce is getting leggy

FO Friday - Icelandic Sweater!

My Icelandic sweater is finished! It was about 556 yards of yarn, much less than I had anticipated. It is incredibly warm! It is so warm that I really don't think I need sleeves to wear it here in DC. If I ever moved to Iceland, I can see needing sleeves there for the winter but it's too warm for that here. The pattern is the Lett Lopi Vest. You'll have to scroll down to the bottom to see the link.

WIP Wednesday - Ready for Spring!

I've got some plants started in preparation for the longer days and more sunlight. There are a couple of orchids in the back along with a basil stalk that I'm trying to root. The lettuce and scallions I had read about as being able to grow from the scraps. I think I started with 3 or 4 leaves of lettuce last week and now it's a little head. The scallions have already been harvested once. I did notice today, while changing out the water, that there are some healthy looking roots and some that look like they may be on their way to rotting. I think it's from the standing water. Once I'm comfortable with the new water farm column, it will be moved there to get more air in the roots.

In other hand crafted, WIPs, I'm still working on the third Honey Cowl. It's a slower progress this time around.

And I'm now on the second Skyp Sock! Of course, this pair will probably be finished when it's too warm out for wool socks but at least I'll be a pair ahead for next year!

In the background of that picture, you can also see a zebra striped bag. I'll write a little more about that bag in an upcoming post. It was the product of this past Saturday night.

FO Friday - A quilt!

This is not my first quilt but it is the one I'm happiest with. The quilts I'd made in the past were for full/queen sized beds and they weren't very manageable on the sewing machine and I only partially knew what I was doing. I only knew what I could read from books. I didn't know any quilters and there weren't things like Craftsy to give you some lessons and hints and tips.

I started out with the Bungle Jungle and Kona Snow layer cakes and made a bunch of half square triangles. I wanted to keep the piecing simple. The order of the squares were randomly arranged with an eye out to avoid having the same pattern next to each other and keeping all of the colors evenly spaced around.



I'm also very happy with the hand sewn binding. I think all of the bead embroidery work has helped to improve my skill with needle and thread!

WIP Wednesday - Snowquester!

Most of the DC region is trapped indoors because it's March and we're expecting a large snow storm. They're telling us 4-8 inches of snow but all I'm seeing is large wet clumps of snow that aren't sticking to the ground. Of course, I'm in the middle of the city so the ground probably isn't cold enough for it to stick.

This week, I've got a few things going on. I'm very close to finishing up the baby quilt. I'm sewing in the binding on the fourth side of the blanket and then it's wash and block!


The Honey Cowl was coming along until I started binding off and found it to be way too long! So, this is what it did look like. Now, it's been ripped out.


I also picked back up the Maple Leaf Shawl. I know it has been at least 2 years since I last worked on it, probably at least 3 since I've been living in my current place for 2 years and was madly cleaning and sorting through things the year prior. Turns out, I'm a lot farther along than I had thought so, I'm hoping to finish it off!

FO Friday - Ishbel

I finished Ishbel! 3 skeins of sport weight madeline tosh. It's huge but that's how I wanted it. I love the color! The pattern was a quick and easy knit.