Fabric and Pattern Choices

Here are the fabric selections for the next bag/purse I will make.  Don’t you just love it?  I will use the green as an accent so most of the bag will be made with the black fabrics.I am going to use this messenger bag pattern for the basis of the bag.  I also used this same pattern to make the bag I posted about on September 18, 2008.  For that bag I followed the pattern but did change the front flap, seaming several fabrics together and embellishing them with couched yarn and pin tucks.


I have been sketching ideas for changing the bag flap for this bag in my sketch book.  I do know I will make the bag 1” narrower and 1” shorter to make a smaller bag as well as changing the flap.  As you see I had several ideas for the flap but have settled on the sketch on bottom left corner.   I drew and sketched out several different possibilities for the flap bottom edge but settled on the top one with the more gentle curves.
Now that the pattern has been planned and drafted it is time to get started.  Hope I have enough time to get this bag stitched this week but I have several other commitments that demand my time too.

I will be doing a program for the Grand Island quilt guild on Thursday night on my doll bed quilts and other miniature quilts.  Will need to spend some time tomorrow to get the program all organized and quilts collected and packed in my rolling tote.  That is one good thing about making miniature quilts  - they don’t bulk up much so I can travel with many small quilts and the doll beds in one large tote that I strap to a rolling luggage cart so it is easy transport.

We are entertaining the saddle club on Saturday night so we definitely need to clean house and get ready for 20-30 people coming to dinner.  I don’t have to make all the food – it is going to be a pot luck dinner.  For those that don’t know, a pot luck dinner is one in which everyone that comes brings one or two dishes to share and pot luck dinners usually turn out with a big variety of foods. 

John has said he will help me get the house ready for Saturday night.  That is much appreciated as it takes a lot of work to get the house clean, tables set up, and ready for company.  Most times I end up doing most of the cleaning myself so will welcome any help. 

You might wonder what is a saddle club?  Well the saddle club we belong to is a group of people and their families that enjoy riding horses.  This club sponsors and puts on a trail ride each fall and has monthly meetings.  We have our meetings at the local restaurant/bar and mostly just eat and plan rides and activities for the members and their families.  Of course you may not know it but I do NOT ride horses but do enjoy the group and in fact am the secretary for this year. Not a big job since we don’t have much business but I do send out a newsletter each month to remind members of the up coming meetings and activities. I am not the only non-rider in the group so don't feel left out when the group is doing a riding event.

Well enough about my schedule this week.  I do know the sewing room/office will be the last area to be cleaned so I can work on the bag when ever I can sneak in and have a few minutes to stitch. 

Lynn

Messenger Bag/Purse Progress

As you can see from the photo the messenger bag/purse is coming along. I didn't have any black Velcro or could have finished it the other day. Yesterday I had to go to Hastings so picked some up at Wal-Mart.

That in itself is a little tricky and requires a lot of reading of packages. I wanted the "sew in" kind and they had lots and lots of packages of different sizes, etc. of Velcro but only one of the kind I wanted - a package of white and a package of black. There were all sizes and colors of the stick on kind or iron on kind. Thought for a purse with lots of times opening and closing I wanted it to not come off so needed the kind that is stitched down. When I am at a regular sewing store the next time I plan to look at the Velcro and see what they have and maybe get some to stockpile until I need it.

When you live at least an hour away from any shopping besides groceries you tend to buy things when you are there instead of when you actually need them. Invariably I decide to make something on the spur of the moment and need the materials on hand. I can't always make the trip (nor do I want to drive somewhere if I am fired up to work on something).

I tend to buy groceries ahead too and always have things in my cupboard. Part of that is due to growing up in the country and living in the country all my life. When the weather is bad or if company shows up after 6 or on Sunday our local grocery store is not an option. The small towns just can't keep the hours that city stores do and sometimes the weather is so bad we can't make into even our local town. I know people that have moved here from cities and don't understand why I have so many canned and frozen foods on hand and why I don't just buy a week's worth at a time. They soon learn. Besides I really don't like to take time to buy groceries any more often than I have to.

I really digressed there didn't I? Well now, back to my purse. I have the lining stitched together and added a long zippered pocket to one side and put a small zippered pocked on the other side. The pattern just had one pocket on the inside and had elastic in it but I like to keep a few things in my purse a little more secure.

I also added a small Velcro strip to the inside of the outside purse pockets. Thought that would also help things from falling out.

I really like the way the designer did the strap. It looks like it has binding on the edges but is not how it is done. The part that looks like binding is actually the underside fabric. It is cut larger than the front piece of fabric and after they are stitched together and turned, the back rolls around to the front - cool!

Hope the purse is not too stiff as I interfaced all the fabrics to give the batiks more body. Think it will soften up the more I use it.

Back to working on my bag.

Lynn