Some days everything comes together perfectly, other days....not so much.

Hey everyone,

Here's something I made this summer for my sister. I had so much fun doing it, and everything just worked. Considering I wasn't using a pattern and just made it up as I went along, that's pretty impressive. This is the front of the bag, oh, and these are the last of the cell phone pictures. Got a new camera before our vacation. I used a bunch of Art Gallery fabrics, one Michael Miller, and one really old Jinny Beyer that just worked in well.

This is the bag with the flap open. The inside panel there has a couple of pockets.

This is the back of the bag, complete with a pocket big enough for a paperback book. I also made a book cover with a beaded bookmark, but I didn't get a picture of that.

Now for the ugly. I'm of the opinion that most clothing pattern designers have never seen an actual human being. Maybe they were locked in caves in the 30s and forced to design patterns all these years. Maybe they're aliens with odd proportions 'cause the measurements on the patterns don't match up with any human I know. What I do know for sure, is that I am talented enough to read a clothing pattern, reproduce it in fabric, and wind up with something that I can't wear. As if 10 years of 4H sewing didn't prove that already. Sigh. Yes, people, I took measurements before I bought the pattern; yes I tried it on at various stages; yes I changed seam allowances and pleats. What I was trying to make was a wrap-around dress to use as a swimsuit coverup when we went to Florida last month. And this is what I got. It's a fair approximation of the pattern, and pretty cute, despite the shapelessness hanging on a wooden hanger. It simply doesn't fit. I think I'll boycott any patterns that don't include elastic or drawstrings.

I did learn two things from this project: Don't set in sleeves when you're tired and eyelet is really a b!@*h to rip seams out on.

Here's what I am working on. These are the fabrics I've pulled together for Oh Fransson's Tokyo subway quilt-along. You can find it here. I've got blocks one and two done.

That's all for now.

Ann