Some of the best tutorials on bag making

I wanted to share with all of you a new friend I found recently. She caught my attention with a comment she left on one of my posts and so I checked out Janelle's blog.  I loved her tutorials. I have seen many how to's on adding  zipper pockets or making a strap, but hands down I liked Janelle's the best.

Zipper Pocket Tutorials, Strap Tutorial, Zipper Gusset Tutorial

Soon I was reading her blog regularly, but quietly. {I am not the most outgoing person.}  When she had a giveaway for a pattern I loved, I could not resist.  I entered and won one of her sewing patterns, the Emmaline Bag. 

 I loved the pattern right away, the quality really impressed me and soon I was e-mailing her. She is not only very talented, but she is friendly, kind and compassionate.  I have yet to finish her beautiful Emmaline Bag - due to life being complicated and not always going my way. I expressed frustration over this one night as I was e-mailing Janelle, and her kind words were soothing. Just goes to prove that you never know when or how you find a friend!

So, are you ready to get know Janelle a bit more too? 

How did you start sewing?

My mother always sewed for us when were children.  She will get all of the credit for influencing me, just as her own Mother gave her the bug – I got it from her.  There was never a time in my life that I don’t remember my mom owning a sewing machine.  I’m not sure whether I asked to sew or she just got me started, but I  began sewing when I was about 11 years old.  She set me up on her machine and let me run stitches through scrap fabric, and I believe that I made a little pouch or two, kind of like Barbie sleeping bags.  Soon after, in Grade 7 Home Economics class (about 12 yrs old), I really got the sewing bug with my first big project – a BBQ apron for my Dad.  It was peach!  I made it really masculine for him though, with a picture of an ape on the front done in liquid embroidery.  I don’t remember much from those years of school, to be honest, but I do remember most of my home economics projects!   I think, by far my favorite was hand sewing the stuffed animals.   I made a dolphin and a little black bunny.  By grade 8 or 9 my machine sewing had progressed to bigger projects like gym shorts and a duffle bag.  As well as sewing, my mom also taught me to crochet and knit, and I knit my first sweater when I was about 12.  

What are your favorite sewing projects?

I started quilting when I was about 20 and for a long, long time machine piecing and quilting, would have been my favorite sewing project.  This question would have been easier to answer then!  I have enjoyed paper piecing, strip piecing, hand quilting, machine quilting, hand appilique, machine applique... You get the idea!  However, I think I got burnt out on it and was getting a bit tired of traditional or heritage patterns, and to be honest when I moved to Australia almost 4 years ago, I completely changed directions.  Partly because I had to choose what to pack or sell to move here and I really felt like “cleansing” my stash – all of the country style fabrics were abandoned completely.  I got rid of a lot of UFOs!  I brought projects with me that were mostly machine applique projects like those of McKenna Ryan.  Projects that could be finished quickly with a fast reward.  Once those few projects were finished, I didn’t start anymore and had a year or two (recently) where I hardly sewed at all except mending – which, by the way, I HATE.  I think sewing for me was a very social hobby.  I sewed quilts when I was young with my dear friend, Lisa.  It was all we talked about and we learned together.  Later, I sewed quilts and wall hangings a lot with a few other girlfriends.  When I moved here, not only did I not have any friends that sewed, but I also spent WAY less time indoors than I did in Canada.  Also, where I live in Australia, the houses are very contemporary and some quite “beachy” and quilting just didn’t seem to fit anymore.  No need to huddle under a nice blankie here!  But  I still had the itch to sew, it never left completely – I had only taken a break.  I had been thinking about making bags for a while and had bought a few patterns along the way and last year around October, I finally did.  I started sewing bags and haven’t stopped!  I am enjoying the quick reward of sewing bags – and I just LOVE designing them.  I am bag crazy, bag obsessed!  Lately, I’ve been seeing some beautiful quilts with a modern flare and I’m really feeling inspired to make one or a few!  So to make a long answer, short... My favorite sewing projects are NOT mending.

What is your favorite fabric to work with? 

I love fabric like a scrapper loves paper.  No, more.  I walk through fabric shops and touch and pull and ooh and ahh!  I do love quilting cottons the best though.  I went through stages where it was all about 30’s prints, country prints, and then asian prints.  When my girls were little, there was always inspiration for quilts, dresses, and barbie clothes to come from quilting cottons.  Because of my new found addiction to bag making, I’m branching out though, and I’m really experimenting with other fabrics such as tweeds, canvas and cotton décor fabrics so if you ask me again in a year, my answer might be different!  But I will never like to sew chiffon... let’s make that clear. 

Favorite fabric designer?

This is a tough one!  I don’t think I can narrow it down to one favorite fabric designer.  There so many inspiring fabric designers out there, and after seeing the reviews from Quilt Market, there is just no end to the fabric design talent!  Sometimes I fall in love with single fabrics and no name fabrics and just have to buy them and sometimes I fall in love with whole ranges.  I seem to gravitate towards Moda fabrics, they have amazing designers but there are a few stand outs for sure.  Heather Bailey, Anna Marie Horner, Tula Pink, and definitely Joel Dewberry and Amy Butler.  Amy Butler’s fabrics are so cheerful and happy and make me smile, I use a lot of her fabrics.  She just puts colors and prints together that I never would have dreamed of and it turns out so beautifully.  Someday I will learn to coordinate like that!

Do you have a quick tip or trick?

Quick tip #1:  When you need to leave a hole open in your lining or in a pocket for turning, while it is still inside out, press back your seam allowances on the opening.  If you are using a 3/8” (1 cm) seam allowance, press back 3/8” on the opening so after you turn the pocket or the bag lining right side out, you don’t have to turn that seam allosance in.  It’s already done for you and the hole will sew closed nice and neat.  
Quick tip #2:  For topstitching 1/8” or 1/4” - If your presser foot doesn’t have a clear mark on it where the 1/8” or 1/4” marks are, place ruler under your foot and mark your desired seam allowance right on the foot with a permanent felt tip pen.  

Favorite sewing machine?

My favorite sewing machine doesn’t sew great stitches or sew quietly.  My sewing machine broke my foot!  When I was a teen (who thought she was all grown up), just moving out on my own at 16 years old,  my mom and I drove down from Canada to California to visit my beautiful Grandma.  She was generously scrounging items to give me to help me set up my first home.  Along with a bright orange shaggy bathroom mat, I was also given my first very own sewing machine.  A 1942 black singer sewing machine with an electric plug and a domed wooden cover.   It worked, I used it. I used it for mending in the beginning, and then to sew little crafts for craft fairs, and then later, clothes for my first baby girl.  By the time I was 20, I was quite fed up with it not sewing quite right and traded up to a cheap Singer from Costco, but I still have it.  It’s tucked away in storage in Alberta, and will find a place in my home when I move back to Canada in two months.  I still love it, even though it broke the top of my foot.   Apparently the lock on the cover doesn’t quite lock to the base on the VERY heavy machine.   As far as modern machines go, I don’t have a favorite right now.  I was really loving my Janome Memory Craft, but it was sold this week in preparation for my move home.   I know I will never sew without the “needle up/needle down” button again, but I look forward to test driving many models when I get home. If anyone has any suggestions, I would welcome them!

Any advice for beginners?

Try not to get frustrated if something isn’t working out.  There is always someone to help.  Not only is there now a wealth of information and tutorials on the net, but also a lot of experienced sewers to share their knowledge.  As I was mentioning earlier, my good friend Lisa and I started quilting very young and we looked at a lot of magazines and watched a lot of “Sewing with Nancy”.   But our biggest roadblock was salespeople in quilting shops that didn’t take us seriously.  As girls in our late teens and early twenties, we would go into quilting shops to buy fabric and ask questions and sometimes the ladies working there would ignore us, thinking we were browsing and didn’t know anything.  If we asked questions about the right foot for free motion quilting, for instance, or anything really, they would talk down to us an say things like “you don’t really need a foot like that if you are just learning to sew dear, that is for QUILTING!”  So if you are young and just learning, learn to smack them old hags!  Just kidding, my advice is to make sure you get the service or advice you want and deserve and don’t walk out empty handed because someone didn’t think that you were old enough or knew enough for their time.  

What challenges do you encounter when sewing (as in , what frustrates you if anything when it comes to sewing)? 

I do face some challenges while sewing with my machine and I’m learning to adapt the way I sew to help.  About 2 years ago, I put my neck out WASHING MY HAIR!  I know what you are thinking, I was probably using Herbal Organics, but no I wasn’t.  There was no head whipping, no hair flipping, I just reached up to shampoo and it was all over grover.   I spent about 20 minutes sitting on the bed with only a towel around me, freezing, waiting for my husband to come home so he could help me get into a lying position.  It has never been quite the same again, even after many numerous chiropractic appointments.  It wasn’t until I started sewing bags again that I realized what a strain I was putting on my neck while hunching over the machine.  Could years of sewing have caused this?  Hmmm.....  Or maybe it was because I just turned 40?  I have worked around this the best I can by raising my sewing machine up!  I don’t let it sit in the handy hole in my sewing desk.  I pull it up and set it on the table top, right near the edge.  The higher the better.  Try a phone book underneath, it really helps!  

THANKS JANELLE!

Homemade Fruit & Veggie Juices

I recently bought a juicer and am so pleased with the great concoctions I can now make.  Although full of great vitamins and minerals, I am not a big fan of chewing lots of raw vegetables and fruits.  I just don't have the patience.  BUT as I do drink lots of water throughout the day, I thought that a juicer would be a perfect way to get those vitamins without changing my lifestyle drastically.

A juicer (or juice extractor) is a pretty handy thing: you can toss in just about any combination of fruits and vegetables and, voilà, you have something super to drink!  I also LOVE the colors and the layering that happens as a natural result of putting in one ingredient at a time!  (The gorgeous red is from red beet.)

I don't have pictures to show the step-by-step process, but there are plenty of videos to look at that will show you what to do.



Basically, the steps involved are:
1. set up your machine and a glass, container or measuring cup to catch the juice
2. wash and cut up your fruits and veggies into sizes that will fit into your machine - lay them next to the machine
3. turn on the machine and drop in your ingredients one by one, pressing down very gently with the tamper -- this goes very quickly on mine!
4. turn off the machine, throw away the fibrous leftovers and clean your machine parts.
5. stir it up and enjoy!





I've found some nice recipes online and some of the ones that I've made are listed here.

Almond Macaroons

 

Almond macaroons - I have so many good things to say about these!

If you happen to live where you can purchase bags of lovely ground almonds, this recipe is super fast and a great way to use up egg whites.  Almond macaroons also have that lovely slightly crunchy-on-the-outside feel with a sink-your-teeth-into-chewiness inside and all with that delicious subtly sweet almond flavor.  Yum.  

Here's how to make your own:

- preheat your oven toe 325°F/170°C.

- mix together 3 cups ground almonds with 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

- stir in 3 egg whites, 1/2 tsp. almond extract and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract and mix well

- form teaspoon-sized cookies on a lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes - they should be golden on the edges

- let cool on the baking pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely

 

Now you can enjoy them with some tea.   

Here I'm enjoying my favorite, a South African tea called Red Bush Kalahari which has a slight lemony flavor.  This comes from Mokka, one of two local tea shops, that also sells coffee beans and delicious pralines.  (Dangerously delicious pralines - rich chocolates, ultra creamy fillings,...  the kind you can easily hoard and eat vicariously all by yourself... *happy sigh*  But that's another topic!)

Guten Appetit!

Janice

 

Zebra Striped Reversible Bag

  I have been avoiding sewing. Life got too stressful and I did not feel like doing much. Then, I got a phone call and someone wanted 2 Reversible Bags. So, I had to stop moping over things I have no control over and decided to start doing something.

I was informed that the bags were going to be packed full by the users, so I added a small modification. I added padding to the strap. I simply got some felt by the yard and put a layer of felt inside the strap. Also, cut out 2 pieces of felt from the pattern for the body. I sewed the felt along with one of the bag body pieces to add more structure.

The bag certainly feels heavier and more sturdy. I could have used Pellon Decor Bond or another stabilizer for the body, but I wanted the fabric to still have a slouchy, casual feel. The felt worked great, except I think it added too much bulk in some places and I had to go really slow. I am going to use canvas with the next bag instead of felt. It should still make it more sturdy but the bulk should be greatly reduced.

One more thing. This arrived today:

A serger!!! I got it on e-bay. It is a Bernina Bernette 234 overlock serger and it was a steal. It is all metal and heavy as can be. I took a peak inside and got scared. I can only hope I will be able to figure out that maze in there! I am taking it to Melvin, my sewing machine repairman (you can read about him and his sewing tip here), who not only helped me find it, but will check it to make sure it works well - it should, it came from a reputable seller, but he will also teach me how to use it! I am telling you, he is gem! 

Paul Street Shop

This post was shared at:

Craft-O-Maniac Monday * Made By You Monday * Today's Creative Blog * Hoo's Got Talent? * Show Off Your Stuff @ Fireflies and Jellybeans * Somewhat Simple * Simply Link Party *Frugal Friday @ Shabby Nest * Sunday Showcase Party * Tatertots and Jello * 

     

Can you believe my 12 year old helped build this?

Since we home school, I try to find opportunities for my boys to have experiences I cannot provide at home myself. For the past year, my 12 year old son has been learning wood working skills from a friend. He is a great teacher and has a natural talent for building furniture. For their last project, they built a cabinet with shelves for my son's games. I did not see the finished project until last night and I love how it turned out.  I am so grateful for the experience he provided my son with.

Grilled Nutella and Banana Sandwiches

Last week my local grocery store (HEB) had samples for Grilled Nutella and Banana Sandwiches. My kids gobbled up the samples faster than I could even say "thank you" to the sweet lady who was making them. Not sure where the recipe is from, but whoever thought of it should receive some kind of award!

They are so delicious we could not get enough of them!

The recipe is simple and easy. 

Grilled Nutella and Banana Sandwiches

1 loaf of your favorite bread (we used honey wheat)

1 jar on Nutella

4 ripe bananas

butter, softened 

powdered sugar

1. Heat griddle or a pan over medium-low heat.  Peel and smash bananas with a fork.  

2. Spread mashed banana on 1 slice of bread, and Nutella on another. Put them together and butter both slices. 

3. Grill on each side until nice and crispy. Cool off a bit and sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

See, a nice and easy recipe to remember. I wonder how some Blue Bell HomemadeVanilla ice cream would go with it....

This post was shared at:

Craft-O-Maniac Monday * Made By You Monday * Today's Creative Blog * Hoo's Got Talent? * Show Off Your Stuff @ Fireflies and Jellybeans * Somewhat Simple * Simply Link Party *Frugal Friday @ Shabby Nest * Sunday Showcase Party * Tatertots and Jello * 

     

Paul Street Shop

Happy Mother's Day!

Motherhood is near to Divinity: it is the highest, 

holiest service to be assumed by mankind. 

It places her who honors its holy calling and 

service next to the angels. 

The First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - day Saints

Happy Mother's Day to all women who have the heart of a mother. 

Images for a Happy Mother's Day!

Things that make a happy Mother's Day for me:

1. my nearly 16-year old son getting deeply immersed in my new Donna Hay cookbook!

2. my little two having adventures in the garden

3. 'waking up' my 17 1/2-year old daughter at 10 a.m.  (hee hee)

4. two more paper suncatchers for my window (tutorial coming soon!)

5. sunshine, slight breezes, lovely temperature

6. baking almond macaroons and chocolate-cinnamon wontons with my kids (recipes pending!)

 

  

  

 7. counting my many, many blessings!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms out there
Janice