Here goes nothing...

Cutting has been done! I followed the instructions and used LOTS of pins. This is the complete opposite to my normal strategy but I figured Nicole knows a lot more about cutting than me :-)

Sadly, I have discovered that I own the crappiest sewing scissors in the universe - both pairs. Yes, I own two pairs, the crappiest and the second crappiest. I also discovered that I still can't cut in a straight line, even when I do use lots of pins. Or maybe it's the scissors? Surely I can blame my tools this time ;-)

Oh well, continuing on. All the interfacing has been stuck on, and I've sewed the velcro bit to the bag front. The velcro is another one of my modifications, so if my brain explodes it's because I'm trying to work out where to sew the other bit on the lining of the flap. Complicated!

This afternoon I attached the bag base, so now it's time for the straps. Again, this may involve an exploding brain...

A conclusion to Episode 1

It is finished.

Hand sewing the binding was time-consuming, but the rhythm was quite therapeutic and satisfying. I suspect I'm not Mrs Efficient when it comes to hand sewing, either in my speed or the stitch I used! But it's relatively neat and I kind of worked out how to use a thimble :-)

I also like the way it's come up after washing it - the quilting indents are a little more pronounced which is nice.

So, the verdict:

I like it a lot more now than I did when I pulled out the partially completed top a month ago. Yay!

And I'm now dreaming up the next one - a quilt for my daughter when she moves into a big bed (I have well over a year so it's possible in theory!), and something that she might still like as a teenager. OK, so this last bit might be a tad unrealistic, but I'm only dreaming at this stage!

my creative space

This little muddle is my current portable project, carried about (but not often pulled out) in a drawstring bag made by me (!) from an op shop pillowcase :-)

This is take 2 - the first attempt grew an extra stitch somehow so got frogged. This is another one of those 'learn as you go' projects - so far I've discovered provisional cast on, attempted knitting in the round for the first time, and JOINED a round! I've been very reliant on Ravelry so far!

This is also a very good project to get immersed in while avoiding the bag ;-)

Visit Kirsty to see some rather special creative spaces!

cut-o-phobia

One of the things on my list of things to do this week is 'start the bag'. Of course, there are a few things that need to happen before the bag can be started.

So, I've washed the fabric. This is a good thing, because the brown drill I'm using for the outside of the bag ran everywhere when I washed it, so hopefully now when the bag gets wet it wont make quite such a big mess of the lovely lining! I still need to iron the fabric, but that will be good for some mindless meditation sometime soon :-)

The next pre-start job is to extend and trace the pattern. I worked out that if I make a 4cm fold in my greaseproof paper and keep the fold at right angles to the pattern when I trace it, it will give me an extra 8cm in width. My brain must have some functionality, because I've actually tried this bit and it worked!

Finally, before I can really start the bag, I need to cut out the pattern. And here lies the problem. The number of deep breaths required to cut out the PATTERN does not bode well for cutting the FABRIC!! Avoidance of cutting fabric is one of the reasons I rarely get anything done - the idea is there but cutting fabric is generally required to put the idea into practice. Arrrggghh!!

Right then. If exposure is an effective treatment for phobias, by the time i've finished this bag I should be cured! Take a deep breath. And another one....

It's a swap!

Jelly Wares is hosting a washcloth swap and I've signed up! I meant to sign up to a swap that was in MixTape a little while ago, but once I finally decided to participate sign ups had closed (typical!). So this time, I decided to be a keen bean and signed up straight away :-)

These are my favourite knitting needles ready and waiting for their next project. They're handmade and feel really lovely. Unfortunately, I probably wont knit my washcloths with them, as last time I knitted with cotton they seemed to 'grab' the stitches and it was really hard work. It was way easier when I transfered to metal sticks, but they don't look at all pretty ;-)

Knitting washcloths is good for me. It gives me a chance to practice different stitch patterns in something that's really quick (for me). As in, I should finish one washcloth in about a week. That's really fast for me!

I'm looking forward to getting the instructions for the swap :-)

My creative space

Yesterday in Melbourne was such a gloriously sunny and windy day that my relatively recently purchased fabrics just called out for a wash!

A few pieces are earmarked for specific projects, but most of it is for stash building.

Today's opportunities for creativity will be spent ironing all those bits! At least it means I get to have another look at them ;-)

See actual creativity at Kirsty's.

Is it time for a thimble?

I've had a productive weekend!

I worked out how to attach the walking foot to my machine.

I QUILTED my quilt! Not a very complicated pattern, but mostly successful :-) I discovered that feeding a quilt sandwich through the sewing machine is a good workout.

I made binding using Heather Bailey's very excellent instructions (thanks Leonie!), and attached it.

I'm now in the process of hand stitching the binding to the reverse, so once I'm finished that, it's done! Freaky! Though the speed at which I'm hand sewing may mean that it's not finished for weeks - I have a very sore middle fingertip where I've been pushing the needle through! I've never got the hang of thimbles before, so it might not work, but we'll give it a try :-)