Improv Bag with Zero Landfil Treasures

I love making bags. Well, I love bags, period. I have many for myself (ha ha), and I keep on making them. 

Remember the Zero Landfil event I went to? I came home with a ton of upholstery fabric samples. I have planned to make mostly bags with them. I pulled out a few pieces in greenish, brownish color scheme.

Then I went on making the bag. I had no plan in terms of designs except for the approximate size of the bag.  I love this process of improvising and watching the bag evolve. Many design bits come as I sew. Sometimes the idea comes after I've sewn some parts so that I have to either undo what I'd already done, or I have to sew it "the hard way." But it's fun. I just love the process of coming up with new ideas and design bits as I sew the bag.

This one has a big pocket here on the front. I was originally going to sew all four sides of both squares, just to use it as a giant square applique. But at the last second, I decided that the upper one  would be a pocket. I added a button and a button loop.

This bag is for my friend, Jillian.  I think she would like lots of pockets, so I added a pocket inside the bag, as well as on the other side of the bag.

A little birdie applique. The eye placement was a total coincidence. Isn't that perfect?!

I will fill the bag with some goodies and give to Jillian.

Well, I put my garment making on hold to make a few bags as holiday gifts. Some of my friends are getting these market bags!

By the way, I am LOVING my improv bag.

It's perfect for my knitting project!! It's the perfect size.  The bag goes everywhere with me. The more I use it, the more I'm loving it.  The size, the weight, the design, the color, the whole thing.  I'm very happy with it. Just the right thing!

Happy Sewing, everyone.

Style Arc, I found you

I've been looking for patterns that I can really connect with. Over and beyond McCall's, Simplicity, even Vougue and Burda.  Style Arc! I found you! I think this is totally my kind of style. I'm setting aside, for now, a growing pile of vintage patterns I was going to tackle.

I LOVE this one. I love cardigans to begin with.

This is such a cute tunic style top.

I looked for reviews and pics of actual project people have made. I'm convinced. I have to do this.

I learned to sew when I was very young, and I sewed off and on all my life. But I never got have yet to get to the level of an expert or advanced sewer.  Never sewed often enough. I've made pajamas, aprons, and bags in my teens, some of my own clothes in my 20's, my kids' clothes and Halloween costumes in my 30's on.  Besides the home-ec class and learning from my mother when I was a kid, I have never taken a sewing class.  I guess I would consider myself as an "advanced beginner" or "beginning intermediate" sewer.  Now, can I pull off these beautiful designs of Style Arc patterns?

Look at all these. Just so inspiring, and I want to make them NOW.

This, not only looks beautiful, but looks super comfy. Wide waist band, pull-on pants for stretch woven?!

Oh, and this!

Wait!  This one says "Challenging" and for "Experienced Sewist"......  mmmmm, I've learned to set the kids up for a success when I teach. Basically, 'set a realistic goal, and feel good, so you will do more next time'.  Since I'm teaching myself to be a better sewer, I'm my own student. Go easy and be patient, yes?

Perhaps I should look in the "easy" and "beginners" category first. Ok, maybe I'll start with this.

Or even this one. Looks like this can be a very flattering pair.  I don't quite get why this one is easy and the other pair above is moderate in difficulty. But I'll trust them.

Lately, I've been getting this uncontrollable urge to make my own clothes, the kind of clothes I love to wear that I can't really find in the RTW market (at a reasonable price).  Sure, I've seen some amazing, awesome stuff at an Italian import boutique here in the city where there is an extra -0- at the end of every price tag, and in fascinating Tokyo boutiques where it would cost $1,500 in airfare just to get there. 

Here on my blog, I publicly announce that, with making baby but steady steps, I aim to become a confident sewist who can evaluate the pattern design that would suit me, and can choose appropriate fabric for the design, and can sew it successfully so that I will actually LOVE the stuff I make and I will actually WEAR the stuff I make.  ----- can I actually achieve this? I'd like to....  Yes, I will! Well, maybe I will. Over time. Perhaps.

I'm going back to the Style Arc website now to make my first purchase.  

Oh, over the weekend I did make two bags. (one of which I forgot to take a photo and I've already given it to the birthday girlfriend)

and finished the light knit top on which I got to test my new serger. (wooooow, I'll introduce her sometime soon)

My sewing studio was nice and sunny. A happy time was had by all.

 I'll be back with the final decision on which Style Arc pattern I choose as my first Style Arc project.

The Flower Power Bag - Now Fully Lined and Still Improv & Improving

Ok, so I told you I really liked this daisy fabric.

This one is going to be for me.  I suddenly become *picky*.  I'm still wanting it to be an improv sewing project. I'm too lazy at this point to measure anything.  Besides, I have a limited supply of these fabrics left. In fact, I think there is just barely enough to make one more with this daisy fabric. No screw up is allowed.

So, it took TWICE AS LONG compared to the other same style bags I've made. Well, partly because I added a few new features. This is not to say that I didn't care about the outcome of other bags that I made for others. I just became more nervous that the user (me!) of this bag was going to be the Picky Micki. Is that selfish or what?! Ok, but I got over it in 2 minutes.

See the top doesn't line up because I didn't measure anything. That's totally ok. Just cut it to make it a straight line.

Anyway, as I began to make the bag, I realized that the accent fabric is too thin for the purpose I intended it for. Perhaps next time I should use some interfacing. (light bulb moment) It was too late for this one, I've already sewn it on and got moving on it.

But it's not too late to put a lining~!!

"Well, it's kinda cumbersome."
"It'll look nice if you put one in."
"Nahhh, I'd have to measure and everything."
"No, just ad-lib it. It'll be fine. That's the whole point, right? Improv!"
"But I want it to look nice!"
"Oh, stop it! It doesn't need to be perfect!"
"But I'll be the one using it and I want it to be perfect."
"Shut up. You are making something SOOOO elementary and simple. It'll be fine even without measuring or anything. Just go for it."

It was a nice conversation. My right brain and my left brain.

Off I went. I chose this butter-yellow with black/brown checkered fabric for the lining, laid it on the table then I put the bag-in-progress on top, got the rough measurement and cut the fabric.

I confess, I did measure the width of the top of the bag and the bottom of the bag since when the outer bag was done it didn't look like it was a perfect rectangular shape. But I kinda like this bucket shape. Ohhhhh, shoot, but I wanted to carry a binder book in the bag. Is it large enough?!  It was! I also measured the bottom to be sure the lining will fit. (common sense, right?)

Is it going to...... fit?

Well, I had to adjust it a couple of times, but it fit.

Lining up the lining and the outer bag. No ironing, just pins.

And, here~!

 I made a similar one earlier for Emily. Do you like the little name tag I added? My first try at free-motion....

Next on deck, I'm thinking about this combo. Since I ran out of the soft canvas, I bought some real canvas. This one is going to be a real heavy duty bag. The accent fabric is a kitchen towel I bought a while ago that I've forgotten about. It sat new and unused on the bottom of the drawer. Just found it and I thought, 'perfect'. Hmmm, which sewing machine should I take out for this baby?

Improv Bags, Here They Come!

I had these bagful of cut-up strips of soft canvas-like cotton fabrics originally intended for kids' project that my friend, Suzette, left me. She simply ran out of time to utilize the craft supplies for youth group at church before she moved to Egypt. The supplies sat in my garage for good five years, not knowing what to do with them. I finally took them to the church summer camp this year along with three of my sewing machines, hoping that some inspiration will hit me.
 
OMG, it did! I stared at the strips of soft canvas for a while. Then, BINGO!  I also had a box of random fabrics loaded up in my car, just in case. I quickly ran to my car to drag the fabrics out, and began sewing. Here is my first one. The accent fabric was also a nice thick durable woven cotton, very suitable for market bags. Formerly a curtain!

That was totally fun. Totally an improv sewing. I took no measurements, just picked the fabric up (the soft canvas was already cut into these strips of mostly same but varied length so I just needed to pick the ones with similar length), cut the accent fabric, not even pinned them as the fabrics didn't slip at all, and just sewed away!

The bag looked rather plain, so I added a heart applique. The straps were made with the same soft canvas material of the same size strip. One strip cut in half and patched up to make it longer, produced one strap.

This second one I made had shinny, glitter accent, and it was very popular. All these bags ended up being sold for a fundraiser, and I received requests to make more with this purple/lavender shinny glitter accent fabric - a former pillow case/sham.

This one was with rainbow butterfly accent fabric. Very sunny. I decided to sew on a few different colors of cotton fabric pieces onto the strap.

 Oh, I just love this daisy print. I picked up about a yard of it, totally unused new condition, at a recycle shop a while back. After sewing into the bag here, I loved it so much that I actually looked up the source of this fabric. I found it. It's called Daisy Path. I liked it so much that I ended up making two more bags with this fabric, with only about 1" x 3" of the fabric left! I may get more now that I know where I can get it.

More of the purple lavender shinny pillow case/sham accent bags.

I recently sew, I mean, saw this book at a bookstore and immediately picked it up.  Improv Sewing. Oh, YES! Somehow my mind was trapped in the idea that I must use a pattern, I must follow directions, or at least I must take measurements in all things at all times.  The book freed me up. "Oh, heck. It's just a market bag and these are leftover fabric pieces which were otherwise going to be thrown out. Nothing to lose." FREEDOM! Formerly a certifiable control freak (I've come a long way, I now consider myself a recovering and expanding control freak) of a creative type, now on the loose! Watch out! The ladies who wrote the book has a blog. They even made a book trailer! I love it.

Anyway, It's a beautiful book. I haven't made anything that's in the book yet. But I am inspired. That was the whole purpose of the book anyway, right?  For now, I'm possessed with bag making and I'm loving it. I pick the base fabric for the bag, but don't really have a plan for the accent fabric or the size or the design, and just make it up as I go. So freeing and different from the traditional garment construction. I still love and do garment construction the old fashion way, but for now loving making bags.

By the way, the three sewing machines I took with me to the camp and sewed every single day, all day long, (so much so that I didn't do anything else! Really!) were these three cuties. I got to know them, especially two very well. 6 hours of non-stop sewing daily would do that.

Here is my Singer Genie. She's so sunny and cute.

My red "S" Singer Featherweight. I didn't sew much with her since she is straight stitch only. But I made her an extension table cover with a leftover jean leg from hemming, inspired by Tammy's blog. Well, I just re-read it and the idea apparently originally came from Michelle of Life With Lou, who by the way was the FIRST official visitor to my blog leaving a comment! Such an honor!

 I also brought my trusty Kenmore Ultrastitch machine. Oh, nuts. I don't even have a photo of him! (For me, I think it's a he) Well, another post, maybe entirely dedicated to him as he is special.

I got distracted a little. Back to improv bags and improv sewing.  Do you ever sew and make something without having an exact plan? What do you make? How is the result? What do you think this way of sewing does to your mind, heart, soul, your brain, etc?