This was my first major sewing project, and all done by hand. The Summit Pack pattern from Cloudsplitter Bags on Etsy was easy to follow, even the zipper installation. This was my first encounter with fusible interfacing, which is amazing – it can strengthen a normal cotton to stand up like a light canvas. I bought all the fabric and notions from Joann, and I didn’t intend for it to turn out like an Oreo, but it does look good 🙂 I modified some of the interior panels to have padded pockets, which are much more functional for me than credit card pockets.
Some friends and I went to an amusement park and I was “Purse Mom”, we could get sunscreen, two water bottles, a couple wallets, and four phones in at one time. I made the shirt I’m wearing, too.
I used a buckle on the strap so I could, theoretically, un-clip it from myself and/or clip it onto something. I added a little band at the top which is usually holding a carabiner to hold jackets, shopping bags, hats, etc.
Isn’t the lining fun? Sunscreen for scale.The zippered pocket on the back is where the entire thing was turned right side out when the construction was done.
I made this backpack for a friend, we chose the fabric together at Joann and then I constructed it off of the Ruther Backpack pattern from IThinkSewBags on Etsy. I added a laptop sleeve with foam padding, and some additional pockets on the inside flap. This was my first big project using a machine, which I used for most of the construction. I did the top stitching and strap attachments by hand for a homey look.
I made this top + skirt for a friend’s wedding. I got the fabric from Spoonflower, a site that takes designs and can print them on many different fabrics. I chose a polyester satin that turned out to be a bit slippery. I used tissue paper to stabilize the fabric and ensure it didn’t fall down the hole in the machine where the needle goes through or stretch out. It worked super well, but was kind of annoying since I had to sandwich each seam in tissue paper, sew, then rip the tissue paper off.
I modified the Lekala #5446 Classical Blouse pattern again, and sewed 3 circle skirts together to get the full volume of the skirt. With the blouse, I constructed the entire thing save for the collar, since I wasn’t sure I wanted to go down that road and have it turn out weird (again). I used buttons that I was able to cover with the same fabric as the shirt (they have a separate back and front, you wrap the fabric around the front, stuff it into the “bowl” of the button, and click the back into place, securing the fabric).
Shirt in progress
Trying to decide on the collar
Decided to fold the top in to make a V-neck
Custom / improv fitting with darts
I used improv fitting while the shirt was on my body to create darts that (a) flattered me and (b) ensured there wouldn’t be wrinkles when I tucked the shirt into the skirt. I pin inside out so that I can sew the darts directly, which assumes my body is symmetrical, and no one’s body is, but it’s close enough.
The skirt used about 5 yards of fabric. A basic circle skirt is just that – a circle of fabric with a circle cut out for the waist (more of a doughnut, really). I cut out three doughnuts by folding the fabric in half, and in half again, so I only had to cut out a quarter circle. Then I had three doughnuts, and I cut each one on one side so I could have 3 vertical seams on the finished big doughnut. Now, I had planned to have the inner radius be my waist radius, but I forgot to divide by 3 before I cut out the doughnuts… But it just so happens that knife pleats divide the length by 3, so I added pleats all along the waist to bring it back to the right measurement. This also gave it a bit of poof and volume, which was great!
A hopefully effective way to explain pleats – the red-green-purple section turns out to be the length of just the red section aka 1/3 the length
Originally, this project was supposed to be a dress, but I realized that I wanted to wear the skirt separate from the shirt, so I decided to not attach the shirt to the waistband. I installed a zipper with the waistband, and included some elastic after learning from the Skirt of Projects Past. I wore a tulle petticoat underneath to fluff it out even more than the 3 circles and pleats were fluffing it.
I made this quilt for my wonderful coworker whose wife had a baby 🙂 It is self drafted out of (primarily) HSTs. I based the pattern off “hugs and kisses XOXO” and used a fat quarter bundle from Joann. It ended up ~60″x60″, which is a bit large for a baby quilt but I don’t care.
Powerpoint design
Finished blocks on my wall
HSTs ready to be laid out
I ended up quilting the whole quilt with “stitch in the ditch”, where you quilt between units along the seam lines. For this to work, you have to iron both seam allowances to one side (instead of open). This makes one side of the seam a bit taller than the other, and the quilting goes on the lower side – the ditch. I used some scraps and the same background for the border, and quilted little heart shapes around the entire thing.
Stitch in the ditch on the left in the main blocks, heart shapes in the border on the right
I self-drafted this little zipper bag for a friend for her D&D dice 🙂 It’s a triangular prism, and fully lined. She’s super into space stuff so the outer fabric is suns and stars. Project completed July 4, 2018.
I made this tote bag for my cousin for Christmas – partially inspired by another tote bag she likes to use. I used the 4girlsdesigns shoulder bag pattern with a fun marbled outer fabric inspired by a paper marbling experiment we did together, and cute strawberries for the inner lining. Project completed November 18, 2018.
I self-drafted this little black and gold purse using some scrap fabric since I needed a purse that was in between casual and fancy. The top is closed with two buttons and fabric wrapped around little elastic strips. I made it the perfect size to keep all my things inside, and the only thing I’d do differently in the future is have a thicker strap. Project completed March 5, 2019.
Finch's Creative Endeavors 