Covered in Threadmalaka’s adventure in sewing

A revelation ocurred this week.  I picked up a couple of run-of-the-mill, non-boutique sewing patterns at the fabric store because they were on sale for $2 each.   The patterns both had 4 bag patterns in them, so I figured if I didn’t actually use the patterns to make bags, the pictures and instructions might be worth having for that big four bucks I spent.

I think I’ve proven to myself that I can sew a bag from start to finish without a pattern.  I’ve also proven to myself that it sucks.  The revelation?  It was that I ENJOY sewing from patterns!  After the Amy Butler Birdie Sling pattern, I was overjoyed.  I thought it was Amy Butler patterns that I loved.. but it turns out, I love sewing from patterns!

My history with patterns is bad.  I got frustrated easily and gave up.  Sometimes I didn’t give up, but I dulled many seam rippers in the process.  All of the times, I hated every minute of it.  Now, I like it, a lot! I still have to think a bit, but I get the lingo.  I understand the instructions, and it’s fun.  This might sound a little split-personality-ish.. but I kinda feel like I have someone there sewing with me, showing me how to do things.  When I’m sewing without a pattern, it’s all me - I have to figure it all out and there’s no reference at all.  With the pattern instructions, I have something to fall back on.

The other problem with non-boutique (I’m calling the designer patterns ’boutique patterns’) is that the examples are almost always using ugly fabric.  It’s hard to see past ugly fabric, I admit that I have problems with that, too.   Since these puppies were $2, I saw past the ugly fabric fairly easily.  These are the two I picked up this week:

I decided to start with the one I thought would be the easiest, and looked like something I might like - the leopard (cheetah?) print one on the Butterick pattern - Style B.  Style B is the same as Style A (the blue bag) except for the handle.

I really don’t like working with the tissue-paper patterns, I’ll say that.  I’d rather the patterns be on regular paper.  Cutting out the pattern pieces initially isn’t all that much fun, but I guess if I re-make the same bag over and over, I’d only have to do that once (I seem to be making a new bag pattern every time these days, though!)

After I finished cutting out (and figuring it out which pieces I needed.. 4 bags mean there are something like 30 pattern pieces to sort through) the pattern, I cut out the fabric.  After I figured out the exterior, the interior was easy, since it was nearly exactly the same.  I thought the gussets would be difficult, but they were easy.  This reminded me to try the Hobo Bag pattern again - the gussets gave me trouble but that was when I was a mere novice, now I have a few more tricks up my sleeve.  I think I could perfect that Hobo bag with my new skillz.

I am going to note that I needed nearly a yard of exterior fabric for this bag, and I didn’t want to use a  favorite in my stash because of all of my FAILS lately. I was worried I’d mess up again and be sad that good material was wasted.  This fabric is ‘eh’ — I like it enough that I’m using it as my daily bag for now, but i’m going to make it again with something I like better.

I filled the interior (I was too excited to see if this size was good for all my junk!) before I took a pic, so you get to see the inside ..with all my junk

I know, I’m thinking it too.. “Malaka, black+white & red is sooo overdone!”  But let me explain, I had leftover red from Shara’s Messenger bag and it looked better than any other solid I had (yellow or turquoise) so I used it, again.

Here it is, what I learned!

• Piecing gussets is not scary (stop folding, start piecing!)
• Commercial patterns don’t call for enough interfacing — I added extra and it is still a little floppy.
• Making the top piece of the interior match the exterior is super cute.  That left me with a hint of red instead of a LOT of red, and I like it.
• This pattern will turn out way too triangular if you don’t use the full 1/2 inch seam allowance on the gussets.  Use the full seam allowance!

Christmas is coming up, and we’re leaving town in 4 1/2 days.  I need to finish a baby quilt (just the quilting and the binding) before then, and make myself a nice travel bag.  Oh I need to make a bag for my camera too, since the last one was a big FAIL.  I think I’ll just go with a simple drawstring bag, and stop beating myself up over it.