Commentary about works in progress, design & creativity
The deadline is looming and I am slowly making progress. I have come to terms with not finishing this bag before the deadline. However, I think the main thing is that I started it.
The other day I finished the front panel pocket. There were some confusing bits, but I found a video that showed me what I needed to know. I don’t think it is an official Sewfisticated video, but it did the job.
Now I am working on the back panel.
I do not have a UFO category on this blog. That is intentional. I really do not want to let projects languish as I tend to not like them, or remember what I was thinking, if I stop working on them. This doesn’t happen so much with quilts since I cleared off the 26 Projects list. The first post was a list of all of my UFOs at the time. The second was a post on my thoughts on UFOs. I also included some resources. Many are probably dead links, but there might be a few you can use. My category is ‘Works in Progress’.
The guild UFO challenge is making me work on bags that have been on my list for awhile, or started and never finished. This seems to happen more with bags than quilts these days.
I had made a very small start on the Pandora Charisma before the challenge. The other day I really got started on the sewing.
OMG, the Sewfisticated Quilted Diamond Vinyl in White Quartz was awesome to cut. I was talking with my mom, step-dad and DH about the bag and trying to explain this substrate. I described it as pleather. I didn’t remember that it was vinyl. It doesn’t feel like vinyl. It doesn’t feel like the glitter vinyl I love or the star vinyl I used on the Cosquilla pouch. The quilted Diamond vinyl is very soft and buttery. It feels like a very expensive leather.
I am struggling a tiny bit because I have to get used to a new pattern designer/writer, but in general the project is moving along well. I didn’t want to stop working on it last night and am excited to have another go tomorrow. This is due on February 7, if I want to get credit in the challenge. Fingers crossed I can do it!
One of our guild members offered to host a UFO Challenge. She had participated in one at another guild. I am all for members participating so I told her to go for it. She roped Friend Julie in to help, which I thought was a great idea.
This is a Sew Day to Sew Day group project rather than a meeting project. I think it is good to space activities out. Also, some people only attend Sew Days, so it gives them an opportunity to participate in a group project. I don’t want to be in charge of everything or tell people how to do everything, which means letting the UFO team run with the project.
As president of the guild, however, I feel I have to try and participate in most activities. As a result, I dutifully made my list of UFOs. All of mine are bag related since I knew I wouldn’t be able to finish an unquilted quilt in a month. I could certainly finish the top, but not the quilting.
Most of these projects have been on one of my lists or another. You can see links to the ones that I have started on the 26 Projects list, like Serendipity Lady, the EPPic Bag and the Rose Petrillo Bag. The Paris Cell Phone Wallet should be on the list, because it is cut out. I don’t know why it isn’t, but I will add it.
I have cut out a few pieces for the Sheffield. I also made a Sun Hat and didn’t like it so have started another one using the Bardot pattern from Sew Hungry Hippie, but otherwise all of the projects are on my “I want to make this sometime list.” I put the Joni Tote Bag also from Sew Hungry Hippie on my list in order to try some fabric (one of the weird substrates) I bought from Sewfisticated.
I only had 10 things on the list, which was ok, but I decided to add the Catalan Storage Cube to round out the list. I accidentally bought a frame for the pattern with a recent order and I might as well put it to use instead of having the frame sit around the workroom. The Catalan Storage Cube is part of Minikins Season 4, another one of the Sew Sweetness 12 bag bundles.
Finally, I decided it was time to make the Pandora Charisma, so I added that as number 12 as well. This is one the bags I got from the Bag of the Month Club for which I signed up last year. I know I have the skills to make it, but it is a little scary for a couple of reasons. First, I haven’t made a pattern by this designer before. Second, the pattern is 52 pages. Third, there are a lot of weird shapes making up the pattern. The bag is cool so it is time to make it. It is different than any other designs I have seen or made. I can’t imagine that I can’t do it.I need to make it, though. The bag does me no good sitting around on my computer looking pretty.
I have bought several different fabric substrates lately. You saw that I replenished my supply of vinyl. Cutting and sewing that is no problem. The only thing I think about is whether I need a dedicated vinyl rotary cutter.
As I was sewing the vinyl this time, I used Tim’s Teflon foot. Honestly, the foot felt like plastic to me, but it was a GREAT. It really did work. I didn’t have to use any tissue paper. Don’t get me wrong, tissue paper works great and you don’t have to buy a new foot.
I made a lunch bag as a gift and decided to use ripstop nylon for the interior. I wanted it to be somewhat water resistant, though I knew it wouldn’t be very water resistant.
What a pain.
I followed Lynette’s directions for pressing the ripstop and it got all bubbly and didn’t look as flat and perfect as hers did. Mine might have been thinner. Or lesser quality. I don’t know. Not sure I’ll make another project with ripstop. This and the Falabella might be my limit, though I have more of the fabric. We’ll see.
During the Sewfisticated sale, I also bought some different substrates to try make more robust bags that wouldn’t get as dirty and would hold up under pressure of daily use. I want to make the Pandora Charisma for a gift and I want it to be sturdy. One of the substrates was VibrantVue Canvas (not shown). Something easy and/or small to see how my machine handles it? The other was Diamond Quilted Vinyl. I don’t know what I will sew with the former, but I will use the Diamond Quilted Vinyl for the Pandora Charisma.
Not exactly substrates, but I also bought of their Sewfisive Foam Stabilizer. I don’t know that I would buy it again as it looks and feels the same as Soft & Stable. I am reserving judgement until I sew with it.
It is good to try new things. I am looking forward to trying out these different substrates, assuming my machine behaves.