Margaret Bag

This weekend I made a lovely sling bag for my sister-in-law. The pattern came from Oh, Fransson! The look is very similar to the one I made a couple weekends ago, as I used the same brown linen fabric for the outside, and a more colourful print for the lining. I also appliqued on a flower from the lining fabric onto the outside.

It is a very pretty style, but it is quite large. If I was to make it again I might make it a bit smaller. After making these two bags recently, I have so many ideas running through my head for other possibilities! I just need someone else to make something for! Well, and having my own sewing machine would also help. Right now I am using my mom's. So, I can really only get things done on the weekend when we visit. I have a small apartment, so I am looking into a half size sewing machine that I can hide away when I'm not using it. For now, I'm content to get my sewing fixes on the weekend, until my mom has enough of me taking over her sewing room!

Feeling crafty

Lately all I want to do it make things. I can't stop looking at fabric online. I don't know what has gotten into me. Maybe I've been unemployed for too long. So, this weekend I whipped together a tote bag for my friend J's birthday. My goal for the year is to make most of my gifts. Not really because it is more economical, and it is definitely not easier that just buying something off the shelf, but I think the personal touch is so special.

I love how simple it is, yet still has a punch of fun. The exterior is a simple brown linen, and the lining is fabric a friend brought me from Japan recently. I looked online for free tote bag patterns/tutorials, but didn't really see any that I liked. They weren't box-y enough. Instead, I used a bag I already have as a rough guide.

Coverings

This weekend I tackled two projects I've been meaning to do for quite a while. First, I recovered our cube. Before the makeover it was bright yellow with a fuzzy texture. Super fun, but didn't really fit with our room.

I wanted the cube to have continuous pattern around the sides of the cube, so I only cut out two pieces - one for the top and one long panel to cover all four sides. Then I pinned them together and went to work sewing. The corners were a little tricky because I used just one panel for the sides, but they turned out fine, especially considering I haven't touched a sewing machine for years! I considered making it removable, but I wasn't in the mood for velcro or elastics at the time - stapling the bottom seemed like a much easier solution.

I had also picked up a bulletin board to recover with the same material. I wasn't sure how to deal with the frame. I considered recovering just the board and have the original frame showing, breaking off the frame and having smooth edges, or covering the board and the frame.

I went with the last option. It was the easiest, and I think it gives it a unique look. All I used was hot glue to attach the fabric, and I tried to get nice definition around the inside of the frame. Voila!