sewing – Page 27 – the long thread

August 14, 2010

Coin Purse

I ordered some flex frames a while back, and just got around to trying them out. There’s a tutorial over at The Small Object, but I was determined to hide the frame within the fabric, so I made mine differently.

First of all, I made the fabric wider than the 4″ frame to create some gathers (6″ cut with 1/2″ seam allowance). Then I also added a lining fabric just shorter than the exterior fabric and then encased the frame in the same way that you would make an elastic casing. This requires you to slide the opened metal frame into the casing through a 1″ opening, then close the frame by attaching the tiny screw, then sew the opening in the fabric closed once the frame is inside. So, I did wrestle with it a bit, but it worked. This is a gift for a 6-year-old, so I included six dollars. Maybe I’ll write up a tutorial for this one day. Not today.

August 5, 2010

Bicycle Skirts

I’ve started working on some back-to-school clothes for the girls this week. Here’s the first round of skirts, made with this Echino fabric and a coordinating stripe (can’t remember if I got it here or here). They also have this fabric in a laminated version which would work well with the lunch bag from this week’s Make it Monday project. Hopefully I’ll have more clothes to show soon. I’m thinking of making some matching shirts with rows of buttons sewn in a square to echo the dot design in the fabric.

August 2, 2010August 3, 2010

Lunch Bag

For some reason, I get obsessive over lunch containers. I love to look through the bento blogs and I’m always cutting the girls’ sandwiches with cookie cutters. I never thought I’d be this kind of parent, but here I am. I want their lunch to look good. So after I ordered this adorable stacking container set purely based on its appearance, I realized that it wasn’t insulated and wouldn’t fit in any of our existing lunch bags. I considered making a simple insulated sleeve, but then just decided to make the bag to also hold a drink, silverware and a napkin.

This bag is fully lined, insulated and fastens with a magnetic snap at the top. See below for variations and a link to the pattern. It was simple to make and is extra roomy (9″ x 9″ and 5 1/2″ deep). I used vinyl-coated cotton, but acrylic-coated cotton may be a safer and more eco-friendly choice. If you have a teflon presser foot attachment, that’s helpful but not required as you’ll mostly be sewing the vinyl right sides together. I got the printed fabric from Fabricworm, but it looks like it’s currently out of stock. It is perfect for my five-year-old and even has bits of glitter in the fabric.

Variations on this pattern:

Make it your own size. Change the dimensions to suit your needs. This bag is large enough to work for an adult lunch bag as well. Simply choose your favorite fabrics or try a basic black.
Use all cotton. This is a simple tote bag pattern and can be made with all organic cotton for easy care in an eco-friendly fabric.
Add a flap. By simply inserting a lined flap in the final step, you can help keep food contained. You’ll need to move the magnetic snap to the front of the bag and use one strap attached to the sides.
Make a tab. You could also make a simple tab with the magnetic closure attached to it.
Add a zipper. Someone mentioned in the comments that she might like to add a zipper, which is a great idea. But I’d suggest omitting the side pieces and squaring off the bottom corners of the bag (similar to the construction of this tote). This would make zipper installation much less complicated.
Add a pocket. You could easily add a pocket to the inside for an ice pack, an outer pocket for notes, or a side pocket for a drink. But this is a pretty roomy bag as it is.

Click on the image below to download the pattern .pdf file.

July 14, 2010

Macro Lens

I just got a 100mm macro lens for my Canon and played around with it this afternoon. This is going to be a pretty fun lens and will definitely build up my wrist muscles! It’s quite large and heavy to me, but I have no frame of reference. I’m determined to learn more about photography this summer and maybe finally figure out what an f-stop means.

We’ve been stuck in the house all week since my seven-year-old had her tonsils removed last Friday. Between this, vacations and wrapping up loose ends for the book (or rather sewing loose ends), I haven’t been posting much and probably won’t get back in the swing of things until school starts. I always think summer is going to be a relaxing time when I can get things done, but then it slips by so quickly. My — only a month left!

June 22, 2010

Summer Dress

Made this little dress yesterday for my five-year-old, just in time for the first day of summer. I based the design on a Liberty of London for Target dress that we bought in the spring — a very simple pattern with elastic at the top and simple straps (without elastic). I used just a 1/2 yard of fabric so added the gingham bit at the bottom for length. This style could be shortened to make a quick and easy shirt as well.