Sewing – Page 2 – Thimbleanna

A Bucket Bag

8 Comments / August 14, 2020 August 14, 2020 / How-To, Sewing

Once Upon A Time Ago, I saw a big roomy bag at a market that I thought would be perfect for my knitting. The problem was, that it had a big roomy price tag. Gee, I didn’t want the bag to cost as much as the yarn I planned to put in it, so I filed the vision of that lovely bag in my head for another day. Not too long after that, I found a sheepy fabric that I thought would be perfect for such a project bag, so I bought it and hung it on the wall to nag me into making a perfect little knitting bag. And nag me it did — for an embarrassing number of years. Finally, last weekend, I thought “this is ridiculous”, so I took down the fabric and made my bag. And it was ridiculous that I’d waited so long — it only took a few hours to make. Why do some of the smallest jobs seem to take so long to get around to executing?

Anyway, it’s done and I LOVE it and I took pictures along the way, so I could tell you how I made it. (And so that I would have notes, should I ever want to make another bucket bag — and surely I will!)

Here are the things you will need for a bucket bag that will be approximately 17″ wide x 11″ tall x 8″ deep:

One 15 1/2″ x 34 1/2″ piece of Soft and Stable (I use this on most of the bags I make — it’s amazing and it gives your bag some stability — no one wants a floppy bag!)
One 15 1/2″ x 34 1/2″ piece of cotton or cotton canvas for the outside of the bag.
One 15 1/2″ x 34 1/2″ piece of cotton or cotton canvas for the lining of the bag.
One 8 1/2″ x 11″ piece of lining fabric for an inside pocket.
One 8 1/2″ x 11″ piece of fusible interfacing for an inside pocket.
Two leather bag straps approximately 20″ long.

Place the piece of soft and stable on top of the wrong side of the outside bag piece of fabric and sew a very scant 1/4″ seam all the way around the rectangle. Then trim the soft and stable in the seamline as close to the stitching as possible. Set aside.

Iron the fusible interfacing to the wrong side of the 8 1/2″ x 11″ piece of pocket fabric. Then fold the fabric width-wise and stitch around the three seam sides, leaving an opening for turning the pocket in the middle of the long side of stitching.

Trim the corners, turn the pocket, and fold the raw edges along the bottom of the pocket opening toward the inside of the pocket. Press the seams so they are nice and flat. Lay the lining fabric out, right side up, so you’re looking at a horizontal rectangle. Place the pocket 4 1/2″ in from the left hand side of the rectangle and 4 1/4″ up from the bottom of the rectangle. (Or, you might like your pocket a wee-bit higher on the inside of your bag — I think 5 ” from the bottom would have been a great distance too.) Sew the pocket to the lining along the right, bottom and left sides, leaving the top open.

Fold the outside piece of fabric with the attached soft and stable and stitch a generous 1/4″ seam along the side and the bottom of the bag. You will now have a rectangle that measures 15 1/2″ x 17 1/4″ that is open along the top, sewn closed along the bottom and one side, and folded on the other side. Iron the seams open where possible. Repeat this step with the fabric lining, except you will need to leave an opening along the bottom seam (the 17 1/4″ side) for turning later.

Now you’re ready to box-out the corners of your bag. It’s tricky to explain, but not really that hard. Hopefully the pictures and words together will help. Also, reading through the next few pictures before you do anything might help make it more clear. On both the lining and the outside of the bag, place a pin along the edge of the folded side, a few inches from the seamline along the bottom of the bag.

Now, using the lining piece of fabric, open up that bottom corner and place the pin you just placed in the fold, along the seamline in the bottom of the lining. You have to feel it with your fingers — you’re re-folding the corner so that the folded side edge runs along the bottom seam. You’re going to do the same thing in the other corner of the lining, except the side edge of that corner was seamed instead of folded, so you’re going to be lying the two seams on top of each other, right sides together. Once you have the corner re-folded, measure up 4 1/4″ from the point and then draw a diagonal line that is 4 1/4″ from the corner point. It’s very important to make sure that the diagonal line is perpendicular to the seamline of the bottom of the bag.

Stitch along that drawn line. After you’ve completed both corners of the lining, do the same thing for the main soft and stable piece of the bag. Then trim all corners off of the bag and lining.

Like magic, you can now stand them up and they have their boxy shape! Turn the lining right side out and place it inside of the bag with the soft and stable, right sides together. Pin or clip all around the top of the bag, matching the side seam and the folded edge of the lining to the side seam and folded edge of the bag. Then stitch a generous 1/4″ from the top edge, all around — don’t leave any openings.

Remove pins or clips and turn the bag through the opening in the bottom of the lining. Hand stitch that opening closed. Press along the top edge of the bag and then topstitch 1/4″ from the edge. Then, attach your bag handles according to manufacturers directions. (Mine were sewn on, some are put on with rivets or snaps, etc.)

Ta-Da! You have a perfect little bucket bag, perfect for stuffing full of whatever project you’re working on.

Hurry and put something in there and admire your handy work!

That wasn’t too bad was it? I hope it wasn’t too confusing. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I really do need to go work on that little project I stuffed into my bucket bag — you won’t believe how old it is — I think it might be the oldest ufo in my house and I think it’s older than my oldest child — an embarrassing Eeeek!

XOXO,
Anna

A Crayon Caddy

9 Comments / July 27, 2020 August 5, 2020 / Sewing

Our little Sweet Pea FinallyAGirl had a birthday last month — FOUR years already! Where oh where has the time gone? It seems like she was just born — in spite of the fact that she has two little sisters LOL. Birthdays and Christmas always seem to be a challenge because our babies these days have everything — especially when they have parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts and uncles, great- aunts and uncles, cousins and friends that all adore them! Luckily we have the internet for inspiration and lots of fun gift ideas. So, this year, at the last minute, I decided it might be fun to make her a little crayon carrier from my stash of Heather Ross Kinder fabrics.

I pieced her name with letters from one of the prints for the front of the caddy. (And then I thoughtfully blocked out her name for the picture — just for you — you’re welcome LOL.) I used a size 8 thread to big-stitch around each letter and it was so fun.

I made it as a tri-fold pack with crayons and colored pencils on the left side, a blank drawing pad in the middle, and a zippered pouch where she can stash treasures or art supplies on the right side. It’s hard to take a picture of something that is long and skinny, but you get the idea.

The zipper-pocket has a vinyl top layer so she’ll be able to see the goodies that she’s keeping in her pocket. I had everything I needed to make this carrier in my stash — ahhh, the joys of being a fabric hoarder! I used the By-Annie’s Soft and Stable in between all the layers — I love that stuff. It gives the carrier such a nice feel and keeps it from being too flimsy. I also gave it a button closure with an old Sweetwater Make Life Special button and an elastic ponytail holder sewn into the binding of the right hand side.

I think our little sweetie likes it — she’s used it a lot. One thing I might change for the next version would be to put the see through vinyl behind the crayons — they mark up the fabric when you place the crayons into the holder. I imagine after a year or two it might get pretty marked up!

Speaking of next versions of things, I’m behind on making projects for FinallyAGirl’s little sisters. I’m at least quilting on the baby quilt for FinallyAnotherGirl, but I really need to start piecing the baby quilt for HurrayAThirdGirl — in hopes that it will be done before she goes to college. I’m finally working on her little bath towel (which will look like the hooded bath towel in this post except with the hippo instead of the elephants on the hood) — at 8 months it’s WAY past time. So, I’m off to get it bound — have a great week!
XOXO,
Anna

Whoosh!

16 Comments / October 11, 2019 November 1, 2019 / Sewing

Well Hello Invisible Friends! Calling you invisible friends is probably true now more than ever — is anyone even out there anymore? We’ve reached a new blogging standard low here in ThimbleannaLand – I had no idea it had been so long since I’ve posted here. The last few months have sped by — it makes me dizzy! And really sad — time is fleeting {sigh}.

I can at least account for the month of September — July and August are a big fat blur — probably adjusting to the fun of having the grandbabies living so close again. What fun it has been and I’m loving the chance to see them so much more now. As for September, we took a few trips. First, TheManoftheHouse and I went to Utah for a week. We love our little Utah getaways and it’s always a chance to catch up with the world’s greatest Aunt. She’s amazing and this trip, she taught me how to make relish. I don’t even like relish, but MeMum and TheManoftheHouse love Aunt Annie’s relish, so I thought I’d try to learn how to make it — it was great fun!

Then, I was home for six days before I left on a trip to Iceland with TheSecondChild. He was unable to go with us on our last trip (it hardly seems possible that that was six years ago), and it worked out well to go this year. We had a fantastic trip — the weather was beautiful most of the time and TheSecondChild is the perfect travel companion. Always cheerful and willing to go anywhere — even yarn stores! And, of course, the scenery in Iceland is always gorgeous.

I have been sewing and knitting during the little blog break too. A few weeks before our Utah trip, the nice people at Zakka Workshop asked if I would make a sample for quilt market from their new book Sew Cute Quilts and Gifts by Atsuko Matsuyama. I happily said Yes!

I chose to make the yoyo bag that appears on the cover, but I had such a hard time choosing fabrics that I ended up making two little bags.

I raided my stash to make the first bag and had lots of fun randomly piecing the patchwork panels. I was happily surprised at how well the Tilda ribbon from her Apple Butter line went with my little bag — I love it on those straps.

For the second bag, I raided my etsy shop and used the adorable fabrics from Kirsten Sevig. The house and meadow prints are my very favorites and it turned out to be perfect timing. I was getting ready for a trip to Iceland, and she was inspired by two years of living in Reykjavik when she created this line. (Can you spot the little kitty peeking out of the meadow fabric?)

I used my clover yoyo makers to make all those yoyos — it really doesn’t take long when you have the right tools.

I’m planning on going to quilt market in a few weeks (yay! it’s been a few years since I’ve been), so, hopefully I’ll see my little bags there. ;-)

Ok, must run — I have lots of blog-reading-catching-up to do LOL.
Have a great weekend!
XOXO,
Anna

Smocked Dresses

15 Comments / May 30, 2019 May 30, 2019 / Sewing, Smocking

Well, here we are at the end of May, and I’ve finally finished a little project I was hoping to have finished by the middle of April. Completing projects that have handwork is easy enough, but I really struggle to get time on my sewing machine. Now that MeMum lives with us, she wants me to be with her all the time, and my sewing machine is in the basement and she is upstairs in the living room. I need two of me. Anyway, I made little smocked dresses for our little cherubs. (Please note my fancy new clothes hanger — it’s a trampoline for 2-yr olds LOL.)

I used the Lee pattern again — I seem to always go back to it, because, why mess with a good thing. The pattern only has a traditional Peter Pan collar, so I altered it a little and added the little ruffles around the necks.

For fabric, I used the Danjo Libery Tana Lawn print in pink . It’s a classic print and I love it. I also used the Spechler Vogel little pink check that I have in my etsy shop for a few of the contrasting pieces. I struggled with what to do for the smocking and had pretty much decided to just make something up, but the day before I started smocking, the summer 2019 issue of Classic Sewing (featuring a dress with this smocking pattern) arrived on my doorstep. Perfect timing!

The smocking is pretty subtle and that’s the way I wanted it. The star of this show is the beautiful Liberty fabric! Little details are also fun — I haven’t used a hook and eye in a long time.

Grammy lucked out this time and those little dresses both fit. Here are our little dolls in their new dresses. It’s really hard to get a picture of two little girls both smiling and looking at the camera. Maybe next time LOL.

Have a great week — unbelievably, summer is upon us!
XOXO,
Anna

Brace Yourself, Effie!

15 Comments / January 28, 2019 November 1, 2019 / Knitting, Sewing

Or Batten Down the Hatches. Or something like that! It’s going to be brutally cold this week — I sure wish I didn’t have to go to work — I’d love to just hole-up this week and stay in front of the fire all day in my jammies. Our HIGH on Wednesday is forecast to be -9F (that’s -23 for you Celsius people) and very windy, which puts the windchills well below -40F (which just happens to be -40C). OUCH!

It’s been a busy winter here in ThimbleannaLand. We’re still working over at MeMum’s and the light is finally at the end of the tunnel. A few more months should do it — I’m looking forward to checking that BIG job off of our list. In the evenings I’ve been working on an old UFO sweater, and I’m hoping to wrap that one up in the next few weeks. I also recently finished a few more things for our little cherubs. I made them matching little pink dresses. It was a fun, quick project. The pattern is The Karina Dress from The Freckled Pear and the fabric is a cute little floral that I have in my etsy shop. I made sizes 6 months (which is currently drowning FinallyAnotherGirl) and a size 3 (which is almost just right for FinallyAGirl.) (Sorry for the terrible, dark pictures — it’s winter, you know. ;-( )

I also made a fun little coordinating mustard colored sweater for FinallyAnotherGirl. (FinallyAGirl already has a cute mustard colored sweater, so I made her the sheepie sweater that I showed in the last post.) I loved knitting this sweater and will surely make this pattern again. It’s the Norwegian Fir Top Down Cardigan from OGE Knitwear Designs and I used Cascade 220 from my local yarn shop. It has a little button at the neckline, which was added after I took this picture ;-D.

And here is the cardigan with the little dress. They were made for each other — meaning, I actually planned it this way LOL. I’d decided to make the little sweater, and then I went shopping in the shop and I loved the little pops of mustard in the floral print. I like pink and gray and mustard together and I actually had several other fabric choices in that color combo, which was a little surprising.

It does seem like this blog has just turned into baby makes, but that’s the stage we’re at now. I love (LOVE) sewing and knitting for babies (in particular little girls) and, as you know, they won’t be little for long. Before we know it, they’ll be too old or sophisticated for Grammy’s makes, so I’m making hay while the sun shines (or something while the snow flies LOL.)

Have a great week — February is almost here! Stay warm out there (or cool if you’re down under!)
XOXO,
Anna