Pattern Review - Sew Liberated Dapper Day Bag

I am prolific at the moment aren't I? I actually really want to do two particular reviews of Maternity appropriate patterns before I get this baby out so perhaps I should make that my goal for next week. But for now - another bag!

This week I made something that has been on the to make list for a long time - the Dapper Day Bag pattern from the Sew Liberated Book by Meg McElwee

After my bag making attempt from last week I was surprised that I was making another bag - but this one had no interfacing in the pattern so I figured it couldn't be that bad.

I have had the fabric picked out and put aside for this one for a while - a gray wool blend of some description for the outer shell and a pretty quilting cotton for the lining.

 

The pattern came together easily enough, I didn't make my own piping like it says in the instructions as that seemed to just add a layer of complexity that I didn't need right now, so I just bought some piping. I have never sewn anything with piping before and I was surprised at how easy it was - and it does create a lovely look on the finished product. The instructions for sewing the piping in were excellent.

In hindsight and via my fabric choices, this bag would have been better off with at least a light interfacing for the shell It is just that little bit too unstructured without it.

I also feel like the shoulder strap is a little bit too short and the width too wide for my shoulder as it doesn't sit comfortably on my shoulder. I would like to be able to sling the bag across my body messenger style but the strap is too short for that.

It is a good size day bag though!

I also made this:

A little set for bubs. I bought a few packets of plain onesies a while back and I have been slowly adding things to jazz them up. I decided to make a pair of soft jersey pants and a little hat to go with this one - babies always look nice in matching sets! I'm a bit addicted though now and I went out and bought some more jersey yesterday to make a couple more sets!

Unfortunately it will be starting to get cold here (the 'rules' in Canberra say you aren't allowed to break out a jacket or the heating before Anzac Day) right around when bubs is due - and I don't really have any jackets for him. I am waiting to see what size he is before I rush out to get some though as you just never can tell!

I think I'll just be applying the layering aspect of fashion to this little one - as we already have quite a large amount of boys size 000 clothing!

Amy Butler Birdie Sling - Pattern Review

Lately however I have been now really feeling like sewing all that much. Sewing requires attention and I have been feeling just too tired to concentrate. Plus my sewing machine set up is a little cramped and as I have gotten bigger, the space just seems to get more and more cramped.

It's a little disappointing because I have heaps of projects that I want to get finished before the little one comes along - but I just don't feel like sewing.

I have, however, wanted to make a Amy Butler "Birdie Sling" for sometime now and I decided on Monday to get on with it.

So I got on with cutting it out (with 'help' from little hands) on Tuesday and spent yesterday fighting with my iron and fusible interfacing and pleats. I'm not sure if it is just my iron but the fusible interfacing just didn't want to fuse and the resulting wrinkles were driving me and my pregnant back crazy.
At about 10pm last night I left it to finish today.

No fancy fabric - just something I had in the stash from Spotlight. I had it pinned for a different bag but given that particular bag has more interfacing than this one - I don't think I"ll bother.

This bag is nice and roomy - plenty of room for all of the baby kit!

I'm not sure I'd recommend it for an absolute beginning sewer - but definitely a challenging project for an advanced beginner!

I used a medium weight fusible interfacing which I think the handle and yoke parts of the bag needs, however the main part of the bag could be done with lightweight fusible for a softer feel.

I'd better go pack it because this is destined to be the bag that Hubby is instructed to grab when I go into Labour!

How about you - What project have you been working on this week? I'd love to hear about it (It doesn't have to be sewing/craft related).

Not such a great day

I haven't had such a great day today. I think that in my freedom yesterday I may have overdone it somewhat and for most of today I felt like rubbish.

I had a nap around mid morning and woke up still feeling a bit rubbish so I watched a bit more TV.

Then for some reason I felt inspired and decided to go and have a look in the local beading shop. I have dabbled in making earrings in the past but haven't ventured into the beading shop in a while because it is one of those places that you just can't take a H boy.

I am really into drop earrings with a bit of substance to them at the moment - so this is what I have come up with.

All for $22 investment. I'm pretty happy with a whole new earring wardrobe for that price!

Growing Tunic Love..

I keep coming across this Schoolhouse Tunic pattern made up and the more I see it - especially the dress version - the more I like it.

Available here

If you type "Schoolhouse Tunic" into the search bar on Flickr you get a very nice variety of examples of the versatility of this pattern...

The only thing I wonder...is it breastfeeding friendly...or could it be made to be so...

Canberra in Autumn

Autumn is by far the best time of year in Canberra and the season kicks off with a bang in March with the Enlighten festival and other celebrations surrounding Canberra day on March 14th.

The really good bit is when all the leaves start to change colour, the gorgeous clear days and the crisp mornings before the frost begins to fall and it starts to get a bit too cold for my liking.

Hopefully I will be able to bring you some pictures of Canberra throughout the season.

Starting with our family outing this morning to the annual hot air balloon festival.

It was a pre-dawn start to see the whole process from beginning to end.

Seeing the flames up close is quite spectacular.

 

As you can see - there are quite alot!

Old Parliament house in the background.

I could make that!

 

Camilla and Marc AW11

JustCavalli AW11

There are ALOT of boyfriend style jackets doing the rounds at the moment!

Not hard to find a pattern for a cute and comfy version of your own!

McCalls M6087

I think View B in this Simplicity pattern would be extra nice!

The reason for the lack of sewing...

What I hear you asking? How could a sewing machine be a reason for a lack of Sewing?

Well because until last week this was not my sewing machine you see!

I have been feeling for a while now that I had out grown my hard working but small and frustrating Brother BC-2500. A great beginners machine for sure but there were many things about it that were getting on my nerves. When the tension went haywire for no apparent reason a few weeks ago I must have complained about it to my husband at just the right moment - as he offered to buy me a new machine - with limits on how much it was going to cost.

I basically wanted a higher quality machine that was going to see me through the next 10 years or so at a minimum.

For the amount of money he gave me to spend - the Singer Curvy 8780 is what I came up with.

So far I really like it - but I am still very much learning it's in's and outs. I made a quilt top on Sunday for a quilt for the new baby and I was very impressed with the speed and ease of sewing. I am a little frustrated at the instruction manual and the Singer website - but the machine itself is great!

My Creative Space

I am finding that it has been increasingly difficult to post this past week - mainly because I am too tired from working and running around after a toddler to think of things to post about - or to take photos!

I have been sewing - a little - more on that in tomorrow's post. In truth I have been saving sewing projects so that I have little things to do while I am on Maternity leave. I have a little bit of sewing left to do that I absolutely have to do - and then of course some more fun things as well.

But I thought I would share with you my Sewing Space this week - the one that sometime over the next few months I need to condense so that the room it presently resides in can become the baby's room exclusively.

Until that time, the baby's clothes will inhabit the closet and the change table will move into the room - but the baby won't have a room of it's own until he absolutely has to!

I have a Singer Curvy 8780 Sewing machine and an Elna 745 Serger that share the little sewing table. There isn't quite enough space for the both of them so I often move  the  serger to the ground if I need the extra space with the sewing machine and I am not using the serger at the same time. My sewing table was a side of the road find that I believe was once a computer desk. I covered the top with some oilcloth to make it prettier. The shelves hold the majority of my stash - I also have a few thrifted sheets and that kind of thing in the closet in a storage box. The top shelf are fabrics that I either have plans for or am looking to get inspiration from. The second shelf is just general fabric that I have bought along the way for one project or another and I still have a decent amount left over. The third shelf are large lengths of fabric for garment sewing and fabric that is destined for a specific project and the fourth shelf is specialty fabrics, chiffon, lining, felt etc.

As you can see below, it basically takes up a corner of the spare bedroom.

I use these shelves for everything else. Patterns and scrap boxes on the top two shelves. Bits and bobs, notions and ironing things on the second shelf. Craft and sewing books on the third shelf. Below are boxes of 'other' craft items like scrapbooking and painting and general craft things.

My plans for when I need to move all of this involve some purchases of storage devices that will allow me to keep everything out of sight (and little fingers) - as it will be in a family area of the house until our extension is finished.
I plan on buying one of these Billy bookcase cabinets from Ikea:

It is slightly larger that my current shelves and should fit all of my fabric, books and notions all in the one cabinet. Hopefully the craft supplies as well!

As for the sewing machine - I think that I will be forced to save up for one of these Horn Kimberly cabinets. That way everything can be stored away from little fingers safely but I can still access it all easily. As a bonus - it also locks!