The Easy Purse

Even after all the purses I had made and all the compliments and all the encouragement to sell, I still felt like I wasn't that good. Patterns confused me, I made thousands of mistakes during the whole process and every purse had at least 10 problems. To top it off, I was getting tired of my boxy purse designs.

Then, one weekend my Grandma, who also sews, found a pattern in a magazine that was soooo cute. AND I could read it and understand it! There were color pictures, concise directions. I was in love. Not only that, the pattern showed me a whole new way to sew a lining into the bag body.

I have taken the liberty of drawing a less than awe-inspiring picture of the way I was putting in the lining and the new way I learned.

Here is the old way:
Now, if you know nothing about sewing, this might give you a better picture of what I'm talking about. You see, in sewing you always put right sides together to sew and have the "raw" edges to face the "wrong side" or the part no one sees. So, here I have drawn what the purse looks like when you are sewing in the lining. I would place the lining inside the bag, right sides together, and sew the top around and leaving a 3-4" opening to turn the bag right side out.

 The problem with this method is that the opening likes to move around when you are trying to edge stitch it shut. Edge stitching is a tricky business and you want to make it as smooth as you can because it is decorative and makes the purse look finished. Sometimes this way is the only way to put the lining in, but it is the hardest way, in my opinion.


Here is the NEW way:
This way is easier because you sew the lining to the bag first, then sew the two big pieces to each other and leave an opening at the bottom of the lining. It really made a difference in the purse and this pattern was the least time consuming one I have ever made.

 The new way to turn the bag right side out wasn't the only new thing about the purse. The design was so cool looking and the pockets were on the outside! And, like a good little seamstress, I did a practice one first and I whipped it up in about 4 hours.

Here is the practice one. I really didn't think was all the pretty but it went together relativlywell considering I used nothing but the scraps I had attained from my mom and grandma.

Not only do you get to see the bag, but you also get a glimpse into my old room. Don't you feel lucky?

Anyway, you can really tell how different this purse is from all the others. There are two straps the go down the purse, which gives you a sturdy strap and several pockets on the outside divided up by the straps. All three prints seem to work together and my Stepmom liked it so much, she wanted one made just like it.




That marked the first time I'd ever been asked to make a purse specifically for someone else.

 I tweaked the lining so it had some of the strap material on the top part. That was actually because I ran out of pink fabric and had to improvise. Usually, improvising is where the most creative stuff comes about.








I another purse and ended up giving it to lady I worked with who had been helping and rooting for me since The Great Disaster. A lot of people asked to have this one, but I gave it away then posted it on myspace ( Facebook was barely catching on). I miss this purse and after seeing it, I think I might have to make another. It's one of the rare purses where I picked out fabric that really worked together that didn't come from my scraps.

 Now, I haven't written too much about the mistakes I made with the last two because those didn't have any that really stood out. But this one, I will call Harder Than It Should Have Been.

First, I didn't buy enough fabric for the straps. I had to go back to the fabric store only to find they did not have the orginal, so I settle for something similar. Obviously, I was not going to use two different fabric prints on the outside, so I used one of the prints for the backing to the straps. This one change added probably another hour and a half to my overall time. When sewing straps, I like to fold them up to about 2" and sew four lines to give them a finished look. However I have to do this four times.

Then, I also wanted to lining to be like The First Custom Made Purse lining with the two contrasting fabrics. Well, I did this but I didn't need to. I had plenty of fabric and not doing it would of saved me another hour or so. All in all, this project took me three days whereas the two before took me a matter of hours. After that much sewing, your brain is fried and sewing is the last thing you want to do.

Even though the lining looks awesome, it was a bitch to do.

 Lessons I learned:
1) When making a pattern twice the size shown, buy more fabric than you think you will need
2) Don't choose fabric that makes the pattern harder than it has to be
3) Straps are the least favorite thing about a purse

I made another pattern like this for a friend who needed a bag for her bible study books. I used this pattern because it makes for a super durable purse. The fabric she picked was the hardest I'd had to deal with at that point and it seemed like every time I went to work on it, 10 things went wrong right away. The fabric would move no matter how much I pinned it, the lining fabric also moved and frayed like crazy. I actually may or may not of throw the thing across the room after poking myself with a pin. It took me 3 months to finish that purse just because I didn't want to touch it. I hated it when it was finished. I thought my friend was going to be really disappointed. However, she loved it and to this day, that purse is still going strong. She washes it and gets tons of compliments and people never believe it's homemade.

That is the last I have made of that exact pattern, I do modify it later on though. The next series of purses are inspired by a patchy purse I bought on sale. None of them turn out how I imagined they would...

Jackpot - Updated

Okay, I'm going to mix it up. Instead of going through more history, I'm going to do a blog about my current sewing happenings. Please contain your excitement.

So, a guy I used to date not too long ago texted me asking if I wanted a bunch of fabric and other sewing related items that he found packed away that was his Grandmas. I was caught of guard hearing from him as things did not end ideally between us, but how could I refuse fabric? And more importantly, I was flattered that he thought of me when he found that stuff, although he also didn't want to just throw it all away. But still. That was pretty cool of him.

Any who, I was thinking I was going to get a box or a bag and some other stuff maybe. Well, I got two big black trash bags and several boxes. My car was filled with all the stuff he gave me. This picture shows part of my messy room, but at least you can see all the stuff I was given!

I wasn't able to look over all of it right away, but I did go through a box of patterns circa 1940s. There was mostly baby clothing patterns but there was a few clothing items. One was a baby shirt that had a Roosevelt election pin on it! Naturally, I had to tell him because I'm sure he did not know it was in there. Obviously, he wanted it back.

 Well, today I went through the rest of it and it took a good hour to hour and a half! Soooooo much stuff. Much of it was small scraps that I couldn't use, but there was still tons of great vintage fabric that is just amazing. This woman had great taste in fabric!

This is just a small portion of all that was in there. But all of it is equally amazing! Also, I can't even tell you how much rick-rack I got. Even after that huge rant about it in the last blog, maybe it can grow on me?

Another thing I found was a box filled with the beginnings of a quilt. I'm told that this quilt is called "Flower Garden" and they were a really big deal back in the 1950s (give or take a decade). They are usually hand stitched because that is the better way to go about the quilt but I've read ways to do it on a machine. It's pretty impressive though, considering there are about 40 hand stitched blocks! I guess my Great Grandma made one too and it was her "pride and joy" as my Grandma tells me.

I tried to get as close as I could to get an idea of the prints. I will admit that my cat's tail is in the bottom of the picture, sorry.
But anyway, I really want to finish this quilt. It is hopelessly vintage and I just love it. It's going to be a challenge though! But, if the guy who generously gave me this stuff wants it, I would do so but it will break my heart!

 There are quite a few "blocks(?)" here but not enough to make a full quilt. But, she did have a huge scrap box with the pattern, the cut pattern pieces and the material she was using. I think I can finish it. What is odd though, is that every single block has a bright peach center except one has a green center. I'll have to think of a way to work with that. Maybe make a few with a different color to balance it out.

I will say that I am not going to hand stitch it. I just do not have the patience. Too many modern conveniences I have grown accustomed to just can't compete. I've tried cutting some pieces with scissors only and it did not go well. And even thinking about all the extra steps for hand stitching brings up all the possible things that will probably go wrong.

There is so much more: flat sheets, foam pillows, ironing board covers, LOTS of lace, other patterns, tracing paper, yarn, thread and other notions. Old sewing magazines and a book. So many different fabrics it's insane. She even used newspaper to make copies of her patterns. That is pretty ingenious to use newspaper in my opinion. She also used cardboard, paper bags and tissue paper. It's possible many women did this, but it's new to me!

Well, that is my huge jackpot. I'm pretty excited and my head is swimming with possibilities!

The other problem...is my fabric closet. It's bursting through the doors as of now and there is a huge pile of fabric I got at the thrift store that I haven't even managed to fit in. Needless to say, I'm going have to do a lot of organizing and throwing away. Am I the only sewer who hates to throw away scraps? After looking at all the scraps his Grandma left behind, I can say with confidence that I am not.

It's hard to keep blogging about old projects when I have so many going on right now that are so much better than those made in that first year or so. Also, after seeing all these other sewing blogs with ladies sewing stuff with fabric so cute I couldn't hope to compete, even now. Yet another reason why I don't sell my stuff...*sigh*.

The next several purses

After those two purses, I felt a tad defeated. The purses I had sewn were nowhere near what I had envisioned. When I looked at the purses, all I saw were the mistakes. It is only now, with perspective, that I can appreciate the purses I started out with.

For awhile, I took a break from sewing (like a week or two at most). But, it wasn't too long before I started to conceptualize how to modify the patterns I had made. I kept envisioning fabrics and designs and had big dreams. Everyone was so encouraging and reassured me that I was an artist and artists never like their work. I'm quoting others, of course. The labeling me as an artist is something I'm not quite comfortable with even now.

Now, it's hard for me to remember exactly the order I made these next purses. It's kind of like trying to guess the order humans evolved in. I can only guess, but I am 75% sure that these are the order they went in.

All of these were inspired by another pattern or purse I had. I was running blind as a novice sewer trying to make her own designs.  Guessing measurements and execution were not as easy, which I should of learned by then. None the less, I learned a lot from each one. I've also decided to give each one a festive title in case I have to refer to them in later posts.
That's just how I roll.

The Pillowcase Purse

The purse on the left is one I bought from Target and at first I didn't like how everything in it bunched together. I had to dig to find anything in it, but for whatever reason, I'm still in love with it.
So, I figured once again "how hard could this be?". Well, not that hard really, but I made so many stupid mistakes. This particular design is a marriage of The Horrendous Pattern Purse and the purse on the left. There are two pieces sewn together at the top and the body is sewn on second, just like my good friend Horrendous Purse. Again, hard to tell but the next ones will show it.

I did get a lot of compliments on it and even inspired one guy from my work to make his own!

If you couldn't tell by now, I love lists. So here is a list of things I learned:

1) When designing my own purse, accounting for seam allowance in all parts is very important. As a result, there is an accidental pleat in the middle of the bag that doesn't really go well. A pleat happens when you have excess material when you get the end and you have to bunch it up, resulting in an accidental pleat.
2) Never, ever line a purse with dark fabric. You will not be able to see anything in it.
3) Make sure the opening of the purse is big enough so you can easily search through it
4) Make sure to check the seam lines of the outside part. Sometimes, it looks like crap.

The Rick-Rack Purse

 Yet again, a purse I owned inspired one I designed. This is a purse I bought cool fabric for, envisioning one thing and getting another.

The purse on the left was a huge favorite from Target (so was the Pillow Case Purse inspiration) and this is where I actually started thinking about how easy this one too would be to make. So, I roughly copied the shape, did the two pieces in front and added a magnetic snap. AND RICK-RACK!

What the hell was I thinking? Once again, I was thinking "Ohhh, rick-rack, very retro". No, it looks stupid.
I also decided to use flimsy interfacing, probably because I was broke and couldn't afford the Pellon stuff that makes a purse stand up. I honestly don't remember but I do remember hating it. I still hate it. It's a really crappy design.

Lessons I learned:
1) Magnetic snaps need re-enforcement and are often have too strong of a magnetism
2) Don't use dark fabric to line a purse (you see what I mean when I say I make the same mistakes over and over?)
3) Rick-rack is like Kim Kardashian: no one knows what the hell they do and we serioulys contemplate if they have a function.

The Most Liked Purse

After all those problematic purses, I finally had a successful one. The purse on the left is The Horrendous Pattern you saw before and the one on the right was the accumulation of all I learned.

Here is the best picture for the two pieces on the top sewn together, but I also did that for the bottom. So there are four pieces on each side. You can tell because the flow of the print changes four different times.

This one turned out really great. I made it out of a pillow case too and the lining was scrap fabric I had that worked perfectly. I tried several new things, one of them being the four pieces sewn together. I also:
1) Used ribbon for the closure (inspired from the black and purple Target purse from above)
2) I made a wider strap that would stay on my shoulder better
3) I folded the lining over the edge of the purse and used it as the edging

Here are some better pics of the purse that I have on Facebook:

Now, despite my love and the huge amount of compliments I got for this purse, I still had my qualms with it:

1) Purses need pockets
2) The strap is too wide
3) The lining was too big



The Purse I Thought I Would Get More Compliments Than I Actually Did

I Love argyle. It is just the trendiest print and really gives a purse an elegant and expensive look to it. But, it is hard to find in your local anywhere. I had to compromise but I thought it was still a pretty damn nice print. I want to say this was inspired by a coach purse my sister-in-law Alexis has but I'm not sure. Just the design of the purse, obviously not the fabric.

This photo was taken right after I made it, so this is the purse in it's full glory. I still love this purse, I think it's beautiful and I knew that once I wore it out, I was going to get compliments left and right.

I was wrong. I never get one kudo or comment on this one. Nothing. It kinda broke my heart. I had the fabric perfectly straight! I mean, you can see near the edge how the triangles are perfectly cut when they meet the white bottom! But, still nothing. No one saw what I saw...

This shape is just like The Most Liked Purse, but a different design. I also added a pocket! Oh la la! I used jean material for the bottom and coated it with scotch guard, which I lost right after. But I digress..

I also contemplated a zipper for this one, but when it came down to it, I couldn't conceptualize how to put it in. I have only recently done a clutch with a zipper and it took me a few brain storming sessions to work it out. In the end, I went for the ribbon closure stand by.

 Things I learned:
1) Argle prints like this one are easy to cut straight because you can just follow the triangles
2) One strap on a purse sucks
3) The baggy lining problem had to be fixed (which I won't figure out for a while).
4) Ribbon closures are starting to be stupid


Well, there you have a bit of evolution. I gained a bit of confidence in my sewing skills but still only saw all the flaws of each one. It was at this time everyone was telling me to start selling some, but I didn't (and still don't) have the faith that anyone would buy one. There were too many problems to sell these things to innocent buyers who were looking for quality. And mine weren't quality. Plus, after I sew a purse, I want it for myself as it is made to suit my tastes.

After The Never Complimented Purse, I got tired of that pattern design but was at a loss of a new design. I realized that even though patterns were confusing, they still were all I had to go off of. I kept envisioning different fabrics and seeing what I wanted to sew but had no idea how to go about sewing it.

I soon found a new pattern that changed up my designs and wasn't a nightmare to follow.

The pattern that almost made me give up...

Now that I have taken you through my first purse experience, I will speed up the process. I'm not going to write a blog about each project I've done over the past 2 years because that would take for-effing-ever.

After I explain this next hurdle,  I'm going to show some pics of the gradually more successful purses I made. This pattern inspired many other ones I will show in the next blog.

After The Great Disaster, I learned to buy thrift store fabric. Mostly pillow cases and place mats. Place mats work really well because they usually have interfacing in them or the fabric is stiff enough that you don't need any. I will admit, I'm not big on the thrift store fabric these days... but maybe I should start again.

This one is made out of two different pillow cases. On the plus side, they were easy to cut and sew with and the match! On the downside, it's a stupid print to have for a purse unless you live in the 70s. Even then I think it's pushing it. Retro is cool, but I seriously missed the point on "trendy retro" or "mod" if you will. Being able to see what would make a striking and "mod" purse just by looking at the print comes later on (kinda).

Also, on the downside, I used flimsy interfacing. The kind that comes in a bag and is used for giving the fabric more integrity. Not for structure like to stand up. I call it bulls**t interfacing.

This purse was the next purse I tried after The Great Disaster.

I hate this pattern. Then and to this day.

It looks simple ( it always LOOKS simple) but it is actually quite hard. So hard, in fact, it took me a week of literally staring at the instructions and the cut fabric pieces just to figure out how in the world I was going to do the straps.  I finally figured out how to finish it when my then boyfriend and I were watching tv. I shouted out "OMG!" and he was like "WHAT! WHAT HAPPENED!". He wasn't amused when I told him and he gave me a look like i was crazy. He gave me a lot of those looks throughout our relationship...

ANYWAY, It was not what the instructions said but it got finished. To this day, I have no idea what the instructions are trying to say. Most straps are separate from the purse but that top part is all one piece PLUS that middle seam is sewn first. If you know anything about sewing, you know what I am talking about. But if you don't, it's hard to explain.

I took a closer pic of the center because that particular design (two pieces sewn together in the front) is going to be a reoccurring design in future projects but not the way they do the straps. I know it's hard to see here, but future projects will show it better.





This purse really made me think that maybe I couldn't sew purses. That I was in over my head. Patterns were so confusing and the instructions were overwhelming and poorly written. It really put me to the test. Staring at that pattern over and over for a week really made me think that I sucked at sewing. But, I know now that patterns just suck.

This very purse is were my aversion to patterns have steamed from. I do not buy purse patterns now because I can figure out how to make them just by looking and most of the time, the fabric is what makes you want to but the pattern. The design might be cool too, but the fabric is what makes it work. Most patterns don't come with the fabric. KEEP THAT IN MIND!!! ( Amy Butler is challenging my thoughts on this, though. She is amazing with both inventive designs and fabric choice)

Here is the horrendous pattern that should die...

 

My First Purse, the Great Disaster

Like I said in my background blog, it was the summer of '08 I decided to try and make a purse. How hard could it be? Hell, I made pajamas! What was a purse compared to pajamas? In my head, purses made sense and they were easy.

Oh.... how naive was I?

It turns out that purses are a whole new ball game. You aren't just dealing with fabric, you are dealing with interfacing too! Zippers, magnetic snaps, button holes, pockets, edge stitching, top stitching and mass confusion for a novice sewer like me. No one had told me this before hand but then again, they probably thought I knew. BUT, I didn't and I had a thousand questions..

What the f**k is interfacing to begin with? 

Do I really NEED interfacing? 

Where does one even get it?

Can't I just have ribbon to close the purse with?

There was alot of "Do I really NEED to do that" throughout the project

And the answer is HELL YES to most of those questions. The others aren't important.

 To complicate matters more, It never occurred to me to have scrap material to practice with. I barely had materials to begin with! My step mom had supplies but fabric I had to go find.

And find fabric I did. But not just ANY fabric....

As I wondered through Joann's, I only looked at prints. Different textures, wafts, waves, stretchiness meant nothing to me. Fabric was fabric! So, I chose some really cool looking, soft feeling fabric for $10 a yard.... 

I found a free pattern (compliments of http://craftapple.wordpress.com/2006/02/21/the-lindie-bag-free-pattern/) , had my fancy fabric, a fresh face and a determined look. I was ready to go!

But I didn't get just ANY fabric. Oh. No. I got probably the most difficult fabric to deal with, diagonal stretch cotton! Dun, Dun, Dun!!!! You know, that kind you can cut with the ut most care and it will still need manipulating when matched up with a lining? Yea, that's the one.

 One good thing was the interfacing. I actually asked the lady at Joann's where I could get it and she asked me what I needed it for. I told her a purse and she got the perfect kind I needed.  This was an actual success!

The best part was the lining! I chose an old, jersey cotton t-shirt. I could just cut it up and it would match the fancy fabric perfectly! 

Needless to say, this project was doomed...

Now, for those of you who don't know the ins and outs of fabrics, here is a list of what is wrong with this combo

1) The interfacing I bought was very thick and sewing through it when folded will make the sewing machine shake and stop in mid sew.

2) Diagonal stretch fabric moves when you cut it, pin it, sew it or look at it. 

3) Jersey cotton rolls when you cut it. This is why your favorite t-shirts are hemmed in the fashion that they are with a fancy $2,000 machine. You can't iron it so it won't roll, you just have to learn how to seduce the fabric.

4) Jersey cotton, especially faded black, looks terrible next to polyester blends. It looks terrible period. Jersey cotton needs some polyester friends.

Well, the first problem I ran into after cutting all the fabric and what not is learning the whole trick "right sides together". I make this mistake to this day and each time I scold myself. Each time, I find a new and interesting way to overlook it. This particular problem happened with the straps. As you can see from the picture below, the raw edge of these straps are supposed to go on the WRONG side of the purse, the side no one sees. You can also see why faded jersey cotton looks like crap next to this particular type of fabric.

 Here is the finished purse. It's all wrinkled because it's been stuffed in my purse tote for awhile. Trust me, the wrinkling isn't what is making the purse look like crap!

Here is the same shot but with a white background for more contrast.

If you try, you can see how the strap edges are pointing out! And you can get a glimpse of the horrid lining.









Well, let me some up what I learned with this purse:
 1) How to box corners. On this particular purse, I went over board and now the purse sits wide open.
2) How to get strap edges to go in the wrong side of the purse
3) Do not buy fancy fabric and use it on a pattern you have never made before
4) Jersey cotton is the devil
5) Interfacing is awesome but requires patience.

Everyone I showed it to was very nice about it. They told me I did a pretty good job and the straps were hardly noticeable. They were impressed that it could stand up and that I edge stitched the sides. Looking at it now, maybe it isn't as awful as I remember it but the result was not what I had hoped for.

The good thing is I didn't let this deter me. I went on and found some actual patterns to buy. But that is a whole other can of worms...

A brief background

As the title implies, this is how I got into sewing. It might not be the most interesting story, but I will try to liven it up. IF I feel like it....

Anywho, I have always had a fascination with sewing. I can remember when I was little just having a needle, thread and scrap fabric, trying to sew but not really sewing anything together, per say. The idea of being able to create everyday things was just mind boggling and cool to me from the get go.

My futile attempt at "hand sewing" fell to the wayside, having been only 5 years old. Barbies were just too time consuming for much else. And baths. I'm a huge fan of water in general, but that is another issue entirely.

Like most people, my first actual sewing machine experience was 6th grade Home Ec (spelling?). We had races for threading one's machine the fastest and I ALWAYS won... small accomplishments but I was a classic underachiever. Little things like that stick out.

The first project was a pillow and any after that I don't remember. But, I got a very good grade and compliments on my invisible stitch (the 5 year old me set the stage for greatness, I guess). For whatever reason, sewing just made sense to me. After that, I went on a pillow making frenzy! I made at least a dozen pillows for myself and for my brothers.

But again, that was short lived. I remember the loss of hope when I proudly fished out four different fabrics to do a quilt. My mom saw this and laughed at my goal. She said that quilt fabrics had to match and be of the same material (which is not true!). I don't know if it was my mom's kick in the pants remark or just more barbies but sewing fell to the wayside once more.

Then, in Juinor year of High School, I took a "Fiber Arts" class as an elective after seeing my friend Naomia make the most beautiful table runner ever. I still remember the fabrics and how they were just simple and beautiful! (good job Naomia!). This class was a huge turning point. We made a blanket first, which I was so proud of and wanted so badly to keep BUT all the blankets were made for newborns at the hospital.  I guess a newborn might need the blanket more than me. Whatever...

Then we moved on to pajama bottoms. Mine did not work out for several reasons, but mainly because they weren't long enough. Pajama bottoms are stupid anyway.

Then came the table runner. I really wanted mine to be as fabulous as my friend's. Elegant and pretty but mine ended up being cutesy and I hated it. Never the less, I learned quilting basics. And a very important rule to sewing: the fabric you choose is always going to be hit, miss or meh and that you never stop making mistakes.

After that, we made hats and scarves. Mine weren't cool looking and I would never wear them out but they were well made (kudos to me). We made other things small projects for different holidays, but those 3 projects were the biggest ones and they were still very fun.

That class taught me a lot, such as:
1) The wonderful world of rotary cutters and mats
2) See through rulers
3) Husqvarna sewing machines are A-mazing
1) Rotary cutters are very sharp
2) When you are panicking because you cut yourself after doing what the teacher told you not to do, you don't notice how much blood you are getting everywhere
3) Grain lines are important (but I don't remember why)
4) Following grain lines may cause you to have short pajama bottoms
5) My fabric selection process should be more thought out

Many more, I am sure. At the moment, those are what stick out the most.
Oh and....

6) SCREW GRAIN LINES

 My interest was renewed but short lived. I didn't have my own sewing machine, fabric or supplies to support the kind of range I hoped for. I briefly dabbled in crochet, knitting and rug braiding but they were are all too time consuming to keep my interest. Once again, Barbies stole the scene (okay not really, but I will admit I love Barbies to this day and I would totally play with them if it was socially acceptable).

Several years past by and I hadn't tried to sew anything. I remember taking Intro to Theater at college and the Professor pleading that anyone with sewing skills to please help out the drama department. I wanted to say something so bad, but I chickened out. I didn't want to do it alone and I was too shy to say anything. Plus, I knew next to nothing about sewing clothes.

It wasn't until the summer of 2008, when I was a broke college student making minimum wage and working 20 hours a week that I starting itching to try again. Even though I was broke, I would hopelessly wander in clothing stores, torturing myself with things I couldn't afford. One such thing was purses. There suddenly so many cute purses that I wanted, but at $40 each, I found I couldn't afford even one.

And that is where it all got started. Since then, I have ventured to dresses, costumes, quilts, hats, reading pillows, scoodies and it just keeps on going. I never seem to retain half the mistakes I make note of when sewing either. As a result, I do a lot of seam ripping and impromptu trouble shooting. And some serious abuse of stitch witchery and liquid stitch.

Anyway, each blog will detail a project or two, starting from my first and then going on from there. I've made a lot of stupid yet occasionally funny mistakes and many failures. Even to this day, I have much to learn and I continue to do sew on my own for reasons none other than laziness and frugality. It's gotten me this far, so I might as well see as far as I can take it...right?