I'm The Designer!

I've neglected poor Louie's coat.  I got to the welt pockets and then I took a little break, I mean, I made like 5 or 6 practice welts before I felt confident about the look of them.  I've sewn them on but I fear that one is a touch higher than the other.  I needed a break before having to go back in rip off the pocket and stitch it back on exactly like the other one in exactly the right spot.

So what did I do during my little break?  I could say, I relaxed, handled some business, ran some errands and I wouldn't be incorrect but it's the extra activity that I'm absolutely thrilled with.  I made this:

With the sides folded in.

                                 

Main pattern pieces

Huge tote-ing capacity

FEET!!

Silk lining, but no pockets :~(

I'm taking an online class on how to make a designer handbag over at How To Make A Designer Handbag.  I'm in the beginner class and this is the completion of assignment 1.  Now I am to go from where I left off with this bag and create an new one with some different added features.  I'm really enjoying it.  I never knew there was so much paper and glue in a bag.  Seriously, when you look at these $3000 handbags, you wouldn't assume you're looking at a paper bag but really that's kind of the heart of the bag.  I had such a great time creating this pattern and bag.  I can't wait to get started on assignment 1a.  I made a very similar pattern for the next project.  I didn't want to do this particular one again as it is a very, very big bag.  I used the silver leather I got some years ago at Metro Textiles  in NYC and some dark olive patent leather from some other New York shop.  The hardware is all from Fashionista Fabrics and the statement fabric is from Haberman's in Royal Oak.  I was there looking for lining for Louie's coat and I happened upon this remnant.  Mickey insisted that I get it because according to him, "it's your vibe, you're a peace and love chick." Never one to argue about fabric purchases, I allowed him to buy it for me, it was a remnant and only $10, score!  I knew I wanted it to be a bag and I thought that this was the perfect opportunity to take this class. Besides, I've been trying to do this since Tina and I first started discussing making new handbags this past summer.

It was sometimes an epic battle and I feel like I had to go to the store nine million times but I really dug it.  I'm thinking about adding a cylinder bed sewing machine to the family.  The straps were a bear to sew but that's because my needle kept getting gummed up from the variety of rubber cement I used.  Mick had to help me sew the top trim on, oh god what a nightmare, but it's finished and I'm happy.  For the next bag, I found a lovely vinyl remnant at Joann's (which I'd like to go on a rant about, but I won't...for your sakes) and I'm going to be doing a version of the Diane von Furstenberg Harper tote.  I have to do something with a front flap pocket and an inside zippered collar.  This one was based on the Milly shopper tote. Mine is very much my own and I'm sure the next one will be as well. Here's to the fun cool bags.

Welt Pockets and Tote Bags

Welt pockets people, welt freakin' pockets.  Isn't my tracing wheel fabulous? It belonged to my grandmother and then my mom; it has a bakelite handle, but I digress.

I've made a bunch of sample welts and I suppose I'm ready to go, I'm going to also be taking an online handbag class.  I hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew.

First welt pinned in place and ready to go.  Wish me luck!

The Menswear Coat Continues

Well of course it does, one doesn't make a coat in a couple of hours.  Especially me, I'm slow and deliberate and I analyze everything way too much.  Here's the stack of books I'm using to help me on my way.

Already, I've done some things (or not done some things) wrong.  I'm glad I have all the books and each time I go through the different ones, I find cool things to do, like this pocket.

 

  My one word of advice is to staystitch your pieces immediately.  I didn't and I have stretching.  It's minimal and I can mitigate it but it's an extra step in a long process that didn't need any extra steps.  

I'm also taking a handbag class online here.  I've actually been watching all the videos and I think I could skip to intermediate but because there are some core concepts that I don't have a good handle on, the beginner class is my best bet.  I got some home dec fabric to make a cute tote, hopefully to bring with me to the PR weekend this spring.  I know I'll need a bag to tote all of my junk that I'm going to need back to the apartment.  I also have some great leather pieces that I want to use with the fabric.  I'll have to start working on my design.  

Speaking of design, has anyone used sketchup for that kind of thing?  I started playing with it yesterday, that's a good way to design a bag, I think.  I'll know more once I get better at it.  Louie told me about it and we were messing with it over the holidays.  He's doing the specs for Hamish's dog house.  Poor dog hates coming in but can't stay out all winter long, like now, it's raining pretty significantly and all he wants to do is go outside and sit in it.

Being that it is raining and I don't have to take dogs on any treks this afternoon, I can hopefully get a lot done on the coat.  I expect to at least have it all interfaced and taped.  I'm not sure about all the hand stitching, this coat doesn't have a lapel so I needn't worry about all that padstitching.  I'm waiting on the lining fabric until I have it basically assembled and can see how much the whole thing weighs, if it feels oppressively heavy, I won't use Kasha lining but he did say he wanted it to be warm and warm is what he'll get.  Wish me luck, I want to make this coat and get on to sewing my SWAP.

Rag Dolls and Menswear

Well, I still haven't gotten my twin made.  We were all ready to do it over Christmas but we couldn't find the DVD and no one wanted to commit to the project without the DVD (me=scared, mick=freaked out). I ordered a new one and we'll be watching it soon and the wrapping begins.

I completed the muslin that I was to give to Mick for Christmas.  He tried it on, it was too small so we know to go up a size.  Louie tried it and it was pretty darn close.  After thinking about it, he needs a new coat and I wanted something to sew.  I just cut the fashion fabric out yesterday.  He wants it super warm so I'll underline with flannel or maybe thinsulate (???).  I love working with wool, it's so malleable.  I'm very pleased, at least I'm actually involved in a good project.

Nope I really haven't been sewing.  I've been working on FashFab and doing this Primal Blueprint thing.  When I wasn't doing that, I was fixing my broken house.  Sadly, the only thing I can say I've actually made was a pair of pajama pants for Mick and three rag dolls.  Of course, I've made rag doll clothes (just a Christmas outfit, I mean if you're gonna go there, you might as well make the whole trip!).  I'm normally not a doll making person, in fact, I used to deride doll makers but no longer. Not because I've fallen in love with dolls or doll making though.  It is actually a fun process which is why they ended up with Christmas outfits.  See, I have a little neighbor who is 8 and likes to hang out with me.  I'm teaching her how to sew. Julie came over one day to show me her latest medium (she's an amazing artist) and it was those little tiny, tiny Edith Flack Ackley dolls.  Pippa (my little neighbor) saw the dolls and Julie encouraged her to draw on it and try to make one herself. As a person who wants nothing more than to see every household in America take their sewing machines out of the closet and stitch up some clothes, I was thrilled.  Of course I would help, trouble was, I didn't know how to make one so she and I worked through it together.  It was super fun.  Pippa loves using my Featherweight, it's the perfect machine for a little kid, I wish I'd had one of those when I was her age, she's really good at using it too.  She made a little doll that looks like her and I made a big doll that looked like me.  She named her doll Mrs. (latest celebrity boy crush) so I named mine Mrs. (latest non-celebrity husband crush) Mick.  Well, of course it just spiraled out of control from there. If there were a Mrs. Mick doll shouldn't there be a Mr. Mick? I was working on them on vacation with Louie so we thought it would be fun to include the "Louie" in the mix.  It was so ridiculous! Here we are three middle aged people playing with rag dolls at the beach house. But if you hung out with us, you know that we are goofy to our core. I have a Star Trek phone cover & I love the BeeGees/Peter Frampton travesty called "Sgt. Pepper's LonelyHearts Club Band". (dammit, that should have been our christmas movie!)

Anyway, Louie kept calling his doll the serial killer. Because the hair wasn't right at all,  it didn't have a face or clothes yet and yeah, it's creepy--especially when we've attached an identity to it.  I wanted to surprise Louie at Christmas with his doll all dressed up like a Christmas elf.  Then I thought "well, if he's gonna be a Christmas elf, then Mr. Mick should be Santa and Mrs. Mick, the Holiday fashion girl".  I really hadn't planned to go that far but by the time I was hand stitching a teeny tiny set-in sleeve, I knew all hope was lost and I might as well surrender fully. I finished on Christmas Eve night and here they are.

Mrs. Mick, Mr. Mick, Mr. Louie

Libby looks a lot like the grinch, no?

Ingredients Have Arrived

Well, it looks like I'm all set with everything I need to complete my dress form.  The foam arrived the other day in 4(!?) containers.  I'll first need to get Mick to wrap me in plaster bandages, then cut me out of said bandages and then, I suppose, pour the foam.  I would be doing it right now except Mick is on the roof attempting to finish fixing the leak that we thought he'd already fixed.  My guest room looks like this:

and I'll have out of town visitors in about 10 days.  Yup, I'll be doing the drywall repair and the room repainting, Mick's too busy for that. I have a feeling that dressform won't be realized until after Christmas.

Mick's decided that he would like a car coat for this season so I'll be creating a muslin version of Burda 7780.  He said he wanted to make it himself so, I'll wrap the muslin

for under the tree. He and I will have some time together while I teach him how to sew, get annoyed with him, give up and ultimately do it myself.

Yesterday I made beef jerky for us and I tested a batch of Jelly Shots (Cosmopolitans) for a party this weekend.  Good thing I tested.  I can't get them out of the molds.  Now, what to do with all these jelly shots that didn't come out right?????

Also there's the SWAP at Stitcher's Guild which kicks off on December 26th.  I'm actually really quite excited about that.  I haven't done a swap since the one that inspired this blog years ago.  I have no idea what I'm going to make but I think I have enough patterns and fabric to come up with something ;~D