Of course, I still have to work for two more days, finishing up grading finals and packing up my classroom. But the students are done today and so it is the official beginning of summer vacation, as far as I'm concerned. Tomorrow is graduation, and I get to wish all my seniors goodbye and good luck as they head off to their various colleges.
That means that today I get to stay up late and sew. I got to go to knitting at my LYS (Wooly Bully in Tallahassee, FL) and now I'm working on getting a swap package together for a swap on Ravelry. Tomorrow is the deadline for mailing... nothing like waiting till the last minute! Since I wanted a little variety in the package, I decided to finally make a little boxy pouch I've been meaning to make for a while.
I don't know what tutorial I started out using, but I'd cut the fabric a couple of weeks ago and started pinning. The outside is Masai Swirl in Citrus (Alexander Henry), and the inside is a fat quarter that I picked up at a local quilt shop (Sew Faire). I ended up using this tutorial by Prudent Baby for the bag, though theirs is much larger than mine. I used my pinking shears to trim the inside because the fraying was terrible.
It's not bad! Definitely not perfect (the center seam is not perfectly lined up with the zipper, and the zipper could stand to be a bit longer, but I worked with what I had--I need to buy some longer zippers!), but not something I'm ashamed to send as a gift to someone.
However, I did make one major error. I had prepared a handle for this little bag, and I wanted to use it. So I cleverly stitched it in between the lining and the outer fabric, as I was sewing up the sides. I thought it was great, until I turned it right-side in and discovered...
Yup, that's the handle on the inside of the bag. Oops. Ripped out the seam, pulled out the handle, resewed it without the handle. Maybe next time.
I will definitely make more of these in larger sizes, and also at least one more in this size (it is the perfect size to carry around pens and mechanical pencils, and since I carry about 50 million of those it'll be nice to have a cute little bag to put them in). Ideally I can make these the perfect size to carry around a knitting project!
Edit: I am linking to Fabric Tuesday on Quiltstory!
That's a great little pouch. You could still sew the handle onto the outside. Just do a square with an X on it so it looks like that's where it's meant to be. You'll be the only one who knows :)
ReplyDeleteNice finish and congrats on summer vacation. It is my summer vacation too. Our work day was the 3rd so I have been really off for two days now. I know I always wait to the last minute during the school year. Luckily it is summer now and we can actually get things done. Right? :) heehehe. Cute pouch, I made a bag this week too and had to use the seam riper too!
ReplyDeleteMiranda--unfortunately I already mailed it to the swap recipient! But I'll definitely keep that in mind for next time.
ReplyDeleteJenniffier--I can't wait to start getting things done! I've been carrying my dry cleaning around in the trunk of my car for two months!
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