Sew-A-Long photos for Simplicity's Suede Says Fashion's Night Out Red Bag

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Simplicity # 0109

Suede, from Project Runway is involved with a Sew-A-Long on Facebook which I plan to participate in. The sew-a-long will start on January 24, 2012 and finish up around February 14, 2012. For more info, go to:

http://www.suedesays.com/blog/suedesays%E2%84%A2-sewalong-starts-124

And check back here to see photos of my bag  from the Sew-A-Long, too.

Working from my fabric stash. Only have to buy the pattern and  the zippers. The pattern calls for two 28 inch long zippers.

 Bag pattern arrived 1/24/2012 . The fabric for the outside of the bag was an eBay purchase. The red fabrics came from Walmarts several years back. Working my stash on the fabrics.  The bag has 3 straps. Each one is going to be a different color on this bag.

 Closeup of the outside printed fabric

 Guess who had to get into the act?

 Closeup of the fabric lining.

 Closeup of the fabric for the inner pocket.

The 1" PolyPro webbing.
Will be using the red, green and blue for the 3 handles.
 Red for the long strap. Green & blue for the short center handles.

Yes, that's the tip of the cat's paw over on the edge of the photo.

1/24/2012: Made a change with the lining fabric for the insides. Didn't like he red on red, so changed the lining to white polka dots on red. The solid red is the pocket.

Closeup of the white polka dots on the red fabric. This fabric was an eBay purchase last year. Was going to use it for my GD's 1st B'day dress, but, my DIL changed her mind and switched over to the pink background, so, into my fabric stash went this fabric...

1/25/2012: Cut out the outside pattern parts.

Next, cut out the inside lining plus the inside pocket.

All cut out and ready for the next step

1/26/2012 Update: Cut out the batting and sewed it to just 4 of the outside pieces, the top, the bottom and the 2 pieces for the sides/gusset. 

Used the off-white Warm & Natural batting on this bag, S0109. Made large diamonds because you can quilt up to 10" apart with same. Like the way that the batting stuck to the fabric. Reminded me of the way Velcro would stick to certain fabrics too. Didn't really have to pin the fabric and batting together, but, did so to be on the safe side. My zippers arrived today, Thursday, 1/26/2012. Didn't get to the pockets. That's on the agenda for tomorrow. Watched the video for doing up the front pocket. Looks easy. Pleats are a cinch for me. Zippers, that's a different story...

I actually drew my diamond shapes on the batting, using a pen and a ruler. Used 6 1/2 inches spacing on the top and the bottom, with 6 inch spacing on the width of the sides/gussets, which made them oblong diamonds on the gussets. Didn't attach the lining to thte batting back. I'm following the pattern instructions but doing it slightly different because the pattern called for prequilted fabric, with the fabric quilted on both sides. I'm one of those who doesn't always follow the pattern to the "T."  Learned to do some things slightly different back when I had sewing in high school, over 50 years ago. Just used one package so far. Had to piece the gusset strip to make it long enough for the top and sides pattern piece.


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Simplicity sew-a-long videos for this #0109 bag can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/user/SimplicityVideo

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September Sewing Month

Along with September being National Sewing Month with their own sewing contest, http://www.nationalsewingmonth.org/  there are other ones going on. One of which is a one for making purses and National Purse month being the last week in September.

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The 16 hand made dresses by Connie & me that were sent to Joplin, MO & Some Memory Bears Photos

These 12 pillowcase dresses were all made from Simplicity 2228 by me. They were made up to be sent to the Joplin MO area with some other dresses for the Joplin First Day (Back to school) Program around the end of July, 2011 for distribution to young ladies who recently suffered from a tragic storm disaster in their area.  

The request for girls dresses came in through ASG's Region 3's website, so 2 of our American Sewing Guild's Neighborhood Group, the Whiting Stitch Rippers, in Southern New Jersey put our sewing machines to work for another charity project.  All of the dresses that we made up are all size 7. They asked for desses in sizes 5 to 8. We choose the Pillowcase Dresses because we didn't have to worry about them being a perfect fit, because they are a loose fitting dress that will fit the girls who are extremely slender to the plus size.

For the ones below, I raided my fabric stash for most of the fabric, except for the last one, the Keliscope Dress. Picked up that fabric at JoAnn's earlier in the week, mainly for making up one of these dresses. The other fabrics came from various places and were purchased at various times. The Plaid Dress fabric came from Walmart's way back around 1994ish as indicated on the fabric's selvage.  The Green Frog fabric was an Internet/Ebay purchase about a year or so ago, with the border print on the bronz colored striped fabric a very, very recent eBay purchase.  That striped fabric was a Walmart's purchase quite awhile ago. That fabric is heavier than the other fabrics. It's more like a denim fabric.  The red and white fabric is more like a dressy satiny fabric, also a Walmart purchase from a few years ago. Added some white lace to that dress.

These dresses only required about a yard of fabric to make them up. Instead of using binding around the sleeves area, I used some of the dress fabric. Plus I made a change on the pattern. Increased the top part of the pattern about an inches to eliminate the use of binding for the ribbon caseing. Even used some of the dress fabric to make fabric straps for a couple of the dresses. Ran a horizontal row of satin stitching upwards on the dress center so the ribbons don't come out of the dresses when they are washed. Used both satin and grosgrain store-bought ribbons for the ties too. Added some wooden beads to the ends of the satin ribbons.  Used lace on one of the dresses for trim. Quite often when working with patterns, I make slight changes on the patterns. Been doing that for about 50 years or so.

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Individual photos of the 12 dresses below from Simplicity Pattern # 2228 that I made up. That's my shower curtain used as a backdrop for the dresses...LOL

Polka Dotted Dress

Bronz & Yellow colored Striped Dress w/Border

Plaid Dress w/Border

Cranberry Floral Print

Red & White Dress w/ Lace

Sunflower Dress w/Black Background & Sunflower Border

Blue, Black & White Square Print Dress

Black Scottie Puppy Dress w/Border

Sunflower Dress w/ Cranberry Background

Lavendar Animal Print Striped Dress

Green Tree Frog w/Red Eyes Dress

For the Frog Princess?

Keliscope Print Dress

Simplicity Pattern # 2228

I made up some labels using my Print Perfect Deluxe program, The Electric Quilt Company's cotton satin injet fabric sheets, my printer and sheets of the Steam-A-Seam2 for an iorn-on self-sticking backing for the labels.  Below is a photo of the label in one of the dresses made up by another ASG member that I had added the label to her homemade Pillowcase Dresses for this project. She used a different pattern than I used that was similar to mine. She bought her fabric in JoAnns's when we were there last Wednesday, the 20th, when I had also picked up some for one of the ones I made up too. We make a trip to JoAnn's as a days outing for our ASG's sewing group, including a late lunch every once in a while.

Labels: Using Avery's business card size template, with 10 labels on an EQC's fabric sheet and Steam-A-Seam2 for the backing.

The above photo shows all 16 of the dresses that 2 of us Whiting Stitch Rippers made up that were sent to the Joplin, MO area. 4 (all blue, 1st rown running downwards) were made up using Simplicity pattern number 0460 by Connie. We actually did up all of the dresses in about 2 days.  Had mine all cut out before spending the 2 days on the sewing machine with them. The label I designed and made up for the dresses is shown on one of Connie's dresses in a close-up photo. I added the label to all 16 of the dresses before sending them out via Priority Mail.  I also took photos of Connie's 4 dresses using my shower curtain as a backdrop, too.  One of hers is different, with a red border on the bottom of it, with teh other 3 having a navy border.

Heard that there was over 1400 hand made outfits sent to Joplin, MO for the First Day Project from many, many seamstresses in the United States. Shown above are just 16 of them.

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The week before, I made up some teddy bears for Care Alternatives...

6 Memory Bears

Like my sewing machine is constantly on the go.

Even when we were having a heat wave last week.

I kept on sewing on and on. 

It was too hot to go outside.

And my air conditioner was on the go

As I sewed, ripped and stitched along...

Other Bears made up on another occassion:

 2 Memory Bears: Added a mint green dress to the white bear from the 2 fabrics recieved for same.

8 Memory Bears: Two of these Memory Bears have T-Shirts. A special request. Made them from larger T-Shirts along with making up the bears themselves from denimum shirts.  Have done up other Memory Bears that I didn't take pictures of.

Riley Marie's First Birthday Dress in the Works - All dresses lined with white fabric...

TWO DIFFERENT VIEWS.  

Still needs buttonholes and the final touches.

 3 PRACTICE DRESSES

Using Ladybug Fabric

 Ladybug fabric, pink trim & pink buttons & white rickrack

 Ladybug fabric, 3 rows of rick rack on bottom of dress

Ladybug Fabric, contrasting bottom pannel added

PATTERN USED

McCalls # M6193 

ASG Creativity Contest 2011 is Underway

The Simplicity pattern selections have been decided for the 2011 ASG Creativity Contest for 2011. Below is a photo of this years selection. Remember that you don't have to be an ASG member in two of the categories if you are 22 years old or younger. There's a third category that's strictly for ASG members. Like most other contest, there's a nice selection of prizes for the winners, too.

The 2011 Simplicity pattern numbers are: 2284, 2286, 2287, 2288, 2293, 2453 & 2469. Thinking of entering the contest. Picked out a couple of the patterns and already ordered them over the internet.

Our local Walmart store did away with the draws and draws of patterns when they reduced the fabric and craft departments. Miss browsing through the pattern books there. Spend a lot less time there since then.

Anyway, the 2011 sewing contest is on. Go to American Sewing Guild . Look over on the side for a list of available departments and click on the one for the contests. You'll find this one listed there along with some other ones. After getting the info and the contest entry form, you can head over to Simplicity and place your order for your own choice/choices of these patterns (and view more of their patterns online)  to get you started and on your way to creating your own look and entry into the contest if you don't have a local place for purchasing the Simplicity patterns.

I have a little bit more info on our ASG South Jersey chapters Neighborhood Groups website, the Whiting Stitch Rippers about this sewing contest if you want to check that out before going to the ASG website for the official rules and regulations and an application for same...

8 Memory Bears made up in December 2010

The ASG Stitch Rippers made up 8 Memory Bears for Care Alternatives in December 2010.

2010 December Holiday Blizzard

The snow drift in front of my walkway was close to 28 inches deep. To see more photos taken on December 27th, click here.