Back(pack) to School

And there she goes! My youngest charges off to fourth grade today. She will do well, but worry that she doesn't. She'll enjoy her friends and worship her teachers, though the latter a little more discretely because she's getting older. She decided she wanted a new backpack this year and then asked me to make it. She doesn't usually want me to make her anything, so we both enjoyed ourselves selecting a pattern, narrowing down fabric and choosing the right add-ons. It's a simple bag with a drawstring closure that I stabilized enough to ensure it has a similar body to a commercial backpack. I know she may only want to use it for a little while, so I had to post this picture quickly.

Christmas Mood

Christmas comes too early in the winter season. I think the holiday is more festive when there's snow on the ground. We might see a few snowflakes at the end of December, but storms with measurable drifts are happening now. So now is the time I'm in the mood to work on holiday projects. I'm getting a jump start on next year's folded star ornaments this week. My mom (and fabric minion) has pre-cut and pressed strips of fabric. It takes four lengths to make a star. Organized in a paper storage box, I'm ready to fold a few stars in the waiting room of O'Brien Toyota, at the curb waiting for my son to finish his drum lesson and standing at the kitchen island while the frozen veggies cook in the microwave.

More Supplies

I buy fabric all year long, but I buy a little more in the new year. Since I keep track of my expenses and sales for each calendar year, the realization that I should be aiming to sell more finished items than I purchase in supplies weighs on me as the months tick by. But January is full of potential. I know I will spend more than I make right now because the summer farmers' market season has yet to begin. This is a time for hunting around for new fabric that I think people will like and new patterns to use for the fresh fabric. They keep making prints I have to have. Maybe I'll even use up the last bits of older fabrics to make room on my fabric shelves for the new.

Simple Device Sleeve

My daughter is 9. She knows what she likes, and she knows what she wants. She frequently buzzes through my sewing room, spies a new fabric, and asks me to make her something. From time-to-time I judge her enthusiasm to be more than fleeting, and so I follow through on her request and sew a custom something for her. Yesterday a fresh piece of fabric from Marimekko arrived. My daughter saw it and asked me to make a cover for her mini i-Pad. The project is simple and satisfying. Here are the steps:

Choose fabrics for the outside and lining of the pouch. Track down a little piece of elastic that will fold over the corner of the pouch and keep what's inside from slipping out if you pick up the pouch upside down. I use Pellon 987F fusible fleece as a layer of padding; sometimes I also interface the outer fabric with Pellon shape-flex 101 if the outer fabric is a little thin and needs beefing up. For my daughter, I omitted the interfacing. Cut two pieces of outer fabric and two for the lining. I generally look up online the dimensions of whatever electronic device needs a pouch. I cut pieces that are: width of device + depth of device + 1/2 inch (quarter inch seam allowance times 2) + 1/2 inch wiggle (could go more snug with 3/8 inch) = width of fabric. Length of device + depth of device + 1/2 inch seam allowance + 1/4 inch wiggle = height of fabric Cut the fusible fleece smaller on all sides so that the fleece will mostly catch in the seams, but not add bulk. Fuse the fleece to the back of each outer fabric piece.

Sew the elastic across the upper right corner of what will be the back of your pouch. Leave a little play in the elastic so when it wraps around to the front of the pouch everything will stay smooth.

With right sides together, sew the top of each outer piece to the top of each lining piece. Press the seams toward the outer piece, taking care not to melt the elastic with a hot iron. You will catch some of the fleece in the seam. Pin the two long rectangles right sides together. Match the seams where the outer fabric meets the lining fabric carefully. Sew around the rectangle, leaving an opening for turning in the bottom short end of the lining rectangles.

Trim the four corners and turn the pouch right-side-out through the opening left in the lining.

Iron the entire piece, including the open seam to prepare to top stitch the opening close to the edge. Push the lining inside the pouch for a final pressing. Insert your device. Done!

Charley Harper Lovelines

2014 was another wonderful year of sewing and acquiring all the fabric my heart desires. Successful outings at Urbana's Market at the Square, Lincoln Square's Holiday Market and the Unitarian Universalist Art Fair in West Lafayette, IN drained the stockpiles of pouches and fabric baskets I made while the kids were at school over the course of the year. My plan for 2015 is more of the same. I want to make things I feel like making in the fabrics I find interesting. At the top of my list are prints currently being released by the estate of Charley Harper. Available in cotton, a light canvas and even knit, the fabrics will appeal to sewers all over, I'm sure.

Helpie-Selfie Shelf

I have a deluxe sewing arrangement. Our dining room has been converted into my sewing room, complete with a large table built by my husband at the perfect height for cutting fabric. I have two large wall cabinets for fabric storage, a wall rack for rolls of oil cloth, a corner for a permanently-erected ironing board and a lounge chair for just thinking about sewing. More than that, when the kids are at school, I am free to build a day around whatever sewing task seems interesting. Sure, there are regular chores to take care of, but it's possible to plan the have-to's of the day out and leave several hours aside for making things. But, during the summer, kids are home. Our kids have their own pursuits and are certainly easy-going, but I have been finding it difficult to focus on sewing when I'm interrupted. Even if I set aside 90 minutes to work on items for my market booth, young visitors checking in about calling a friend or having a snack disrupt my fabric flow. My solution to the snack-interruption problem is the "helpie-selfie shelf".

Marked off by washie tape in the fridge, any items found on the helpie-selfie shelf are free for anyone to eat at any time--no permission necessary. Sure, the shelf is heavily-weighted to carrots and grapes and foods that won't ruin the next meal. Yes, some items need portion notes (only two dates at a time), but for the most part I'm thrilled with the helpie-selfie concept. Two of our three kids love to snack; they are thrilled they can eat whenever they want. Everyone in the house is reminded that a quality snack is a fruit or a vegetable or snippet of protein. And, I get more sewing done.

USS Indianapolis Reunion Project

At the end of the month survivors and family members of the crew of the USS Indianapolis will meet in the city of the same name. One of the organizers of the event is a customer of my farmers' market booth. She designed red, white and blue tissue covers with a bead specific to the reunion to give out at one of the weekend's events. I appreciate the service and the sacrifice of the crew and families of the USS Indianapolis, and I wish them a satisfying reunion. (You can visit the reunion web site at http://ussindyreunion.com/)

Market Time for Me

Though Urbana's Market at the Square has been running full-force since the first Saturday in May, I will have a booth for the first time this season this upcoming Saturday. It has been a long, cold winter. I entertained myself collecting new fabric and sewing new items. Please look for me when you're at the market June 21 or 28, July 5, August 9 or 23 and September 6.

Everyday Tote

There is a lovely online site for sewing and knitting treasures called purlsoho.com. Their associated blog of ideas and tutorials, called The Purl Bee, featured this tote bag. Made of canvas with a bottom band of essex linen, a tiny amount of neon brightness on the outside hints at the over-the-top interior. The pattern calls for binding all the interior seams with more neon. I've tried the pattern with small print fabrics as the binding and large print ones for the bottom fabric band. I'm using one for my summer purse, and I'll have a variety of tote bags for sale at the June 21st Market at the Square.

What's In the Bag?

My niece is approaching a birthday, and the party will be puppy-themed. It's all very exciting, and I just mailed off the handmade portion of her present. It's wrapped in this drawstring bag. I had to line the bag in the end because the cupcake fabric is too light in color to fully conceal the contents, and my niece is too young not to peek (so are her siblings, and I don't want to be responsible for any scene like that). What's inside the bag? It's a puppy-themed, fabric-covered sketch book for musings, stickers and drawings. It closes with a multi-colored pencil. I hope she likes it.

Drawstring Bag

A lady I met though Eclectic teaches a kind of jewelry braiding called kumihimo (see her web site at http://ikumihimo.com/). She recently hosted a class at Parkland and needed pouches to hold student project supplies. I made a scad of drawstring bags to her specifications, and now I'm thinking that the notion of a drawstring bag has fabric potential. Reusable birthday or holiday sacks with a simple pull closure would be both useful and easy to store between events. These bags aren't lined, but another layer of fabric would be both helpful keeping the gift secret and a chance to use another pattern.

New Prints

I'm busy sewing away for upcoming summer dates at Urbana's Market at the Square. Fresh fabric prints are a mix of cutesie and pretty. This way I can stay entertained and past customers will have reason to browse my booth just in case there's something they have to have.

Bunny Bags

I love to plot a fun Easter basket, and I will even admit to having a secret basket in my laundry room to hold gifts for the kids' Christmas stockings that I might buy months in advance. Sadly, I can't include anything in an Easter basket (or stocking) for my kids they could identify as having been made by me. Yes, they are old enough to confirm that there is no magical creature leaving them trinkets, but we all have fun pretending. I spied on Pinterest a pattern for felt bunny bags, and decided they look enough unlike a zippered pouch that I could make them and fill them with candy for the kids this spring. I made 7 to include my younger nieces and nephews. I like felt; what it lacks in durability and washability it makes up for in texture and simplicity. Google "sleepy bunny goody bag"; there's still time to make your own.

From Cats to Mice

Someone out there is busy. Someone is busy designing new fabric I have to have. Yes, it's getting more expensive, but I can still think of fun projects to make. I've registered for six Saturdays at the summer's Urbana Market at the Square and all the Lincoln Square Holiday Market dates. Expect to see things made from a variety of new fabrics, from cats to mice.

Prototype Paper

At the moment, I have two fabric-covered notebooks in my farmers' market line-up. One is a covered composition notebook with a ribbon to mark your page and a pocket inside the front flap for storing notes and receipts. The other is a pocket-sized version of the same thing. But, I wonder if a small notebook would be more useful if it were spiral-bound so pages could be removed more neatly. I found online a tutorial for covering a steno pad. It features loops for a pen to hold the notebook closed. Resizing and re-orienting the pattern's principles, I covered small spiral notebooks with wires running down the side or across the top. I like the size of the smaller one, but the pen looks better tucked along the longer side of the side-bound notebook. If you see me in the next couple of days, I will be hauling out these prototypes for your feedback. Gather your thoughts.

Super Tote

I'm excited to play with a new purse pattern from Noodlehead called the Super Tote. This large, zippered-top, purse/tote bag features an outside pocket, inside pockets I made to my own specifications and a pretty pleat on the sides. I trolled the Flickr photo group for Noodlehead patterns to see what other sewers had done with the project, and so leap-frogged over more basic choices I might have made on my own when first trying a pattern. Instead of heavy weight stabilizer, I used canvas to make the bag more hefty. I noted several people used Essex linen for the neutral sides and handles, and one lady quilted her linen to the canvas layer to create a look of textured sturdiness. I love this idea, and will definitely use it again; imagine a colored thread line quilted over yarn-dyed linen next to some pretty print fabric.

For my own Super Tote, I went with Marimekko on the outside and an IKEA canvas stripe inside the bag and behind the various pockets. A sport zipper highlighted with an extra strip of orange can either seal the whole bag up or fold into the open tote. The pattern is certainly not quick to assemble and the bag uses lots and lots of fabric, but I'm still hoping to make 4 or 5 this year for the fun of exploring color and feature options.

This Is My Point

I pledged at the beginning of 2014 to emphasize quality of materials over volume and expense. This is not to say I plan to spend more money on supplies than I can recoup in a finished item, but sometimes the narrow margin is worth it. Marimekko fabric is one example. This Marimekko laminate print is easily-recognizable to many people. It's priced accordingly. And yet, the soft and luxe feel of the fabric is worth it. Though the Marimekko cotton prints can feel a little coarse, the laminates from the company are a stem-to-stern pleasure to work with. Items made from the laminate usually sell early, so the fabric must be "worth it".

The Internet Is Always Right

One of my good customers challenged me to make a fabric cover for a steno pad. My first impulse was to Google the task. Sure enough, a high-quality tutorial popped up. I used it nearly verbatim to make a fabric-covered steno pad with loops for a pen closure and interior pockets. I think it's super-cute, and plan to shrink the pattern down to cover mini spiral-bound notebooks. I like a notebook with pages attached by stitching or coils (rather than glue) and this idea is just the solution.

On The Move

My sister and her family are moving, and it's time to get serious about looking for a house. From a distance, the process sounds fun. A new house means fresh picking-and-choosing of so many things. Let's paint! Let's plant! Let's recombine favored possessions in a new nest! The reality of moving is more drudgery and paperwork, so I'm sending off a new fabric portfolio for the task. This fabric folder features a large center compartment for file folders of real estate listings and a notebook of questions to ask the realtor. On the front is another zippered pocket for the city map, an open pocket for smaller notes or a calculator and a small zippered pocket for business cards. On the back of the portfolio another open pocket can hold house flyers and floor plans. The fabric is brand-new, and possibly more my style than my sister's. I don't get to pick out a new house, but fresh fabric sure is fun.

I Like the Results!

My fried, G, operates a booth at a social workers' convention every year. For the last few years, she has included in her offerings pouches and totes from me. She thinks of a slogan, and then I use fabric paint to screenprint or spoonflower.com to customize fabric. This past fall's theme was "keep calm" and it's my personal favorite. "Keep calm. I'm a school social worker" decorated the pockets of several canvas tote bags. My friend said they sold well.