zip-away shopping bag.

i won't lie, this is a post i should've written months ago, MONTHS!

way back at the start of july, nikki, put a call out on her blog for beginner sew-ers to test a pattern that she had been working on, the zip-away shopping bag.
now i'd purchased a few of these in my time, and used them until they fell apart, and then repaired them and used them some more, so it was definitely a pattern i wanted to try out.
plus, i'd read through nikki's book and had it completely blow my mind how little i knew about all things garment and bag sewing.

fast forward a week...



and i had a bag.

now this is not a big pattern. it's not hugely involved in processes but the pattern has SO many tips and tricks that i learned probably close to a billion things.

for instance, see that zip there, i'd never sewn one in before like that, on a curve, but after reading nikki's instructions (a few times, to let them properly sink in) i put it in like a PRO!
pleased with myself was an understatement. until i realised that i'd put the zip in back to front... my fault, not understanding how zips work. but then i put it in again, like a PRO! ha!

in putting in that zip, i learned which foot was the zipper foot for my machine (truth: i've never used anything except the regular one before :S) and i've used it since!
almost all of the super secret hen's night sewing used the zipper foot to get nice, even top stitching.

i also learnt a whole heap of things about interfacings...
as in, i learnt everything i currently know about interfacings...
fast2fuse is some awesome stuff, as is vliesofix! i used both of them in the super secret hen's night sewing :D

in case you're wondering what the bag looks like all zipped up...



it looks like this!
when it's open, the shell of the bag, becomes the base. it's super handy for carrying heavy stuff, milk, juice, a six pack of cider...
i use this bag on a daily basis, and after a few months of use, it's definitely holding up!

i'm really hoping to get a few of these made for presents for christmas! CHRISTMAS, EEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPP!

you can get the pattern here here, with only one pattern piece, it's an excellent downloadable pattern :D


have you made anything from a cool pattern recently? or started to get anything written for christmas?

no longer secret sewing.

now that the hen's night has been and gone, i can finally reveal all of that super secret hen's night sewing i had going on!

from the very beginning of the hen's night plans, i had some very definite ideas of what i wanted to do! i knew i wanted to make some handmade bits and pieces for the guests (and bride) to take home and be able to use...
AND i wanted everything to match!

first thing to do, was to head to spotlight and find an appropriate patterned cotton (or similar), with enough metre-age and at the right price...

following that, i scanned the fabric, and set to making invitations featuring it!

then came some maths, some cutting, and MUCH sewing!
a planning afternoon saw a pattern made for a simple tote, to serve as a goody bag...



which i kindly left, for the sister and mother of the bride to finish off. they did a fabulous job!

i then got to planning for a little special something for all of the goody bags...



a teeny sewing kit!
i used some skills i picked up on a previous project (which i still haven't blogged about... stay tuned for that one!), to apply to this!
i'm pretty happy with how these turned out, considering i pretty much just made them up as i went!

the final little bits and pieces to go into the bag, we originally had just loose in the bag, but thinking about it at midnight the night before... i came up with this idea...



i sealed the little bits and pieces into cellophane bags with little slips of paper: "refresh", with a few mints, "re-energise", with some lollies, and "recover", with a couple of panadol and a berocca.
and of course, i sealed them with some sewing on my machine :D

i was super keen to get these couple of things done, as i felt they were a fair representation of the bride, a keen quilter and crafter :D


what secret crafting have you been up to lately??

day 22.

day 22 of blogtoberfest and i have nothing to say...

well that's a lie, there's plenty to say, but no time or energy to say it!


after the massive weekend i've had, followed by a busy day at work today (and stupidly spending my lunch break running errands...) and then getting into a cleaning frenzy when i got home from work (apparently i've caught the spring cleaning bug, finally) i. am. pooped!

so here's some gratuitous cute kitty photos.



i'll be back tomorrow with a real blog post.
promise.

sunday snippets.

this week's sunday snippets, are all from a certain hen's do yesterday...
i'll let the pictures do the talking as i'm feeling a little, ahem, delicate.



do you have some snippets to share from your week? join in over here!

finder's keepers - the haul.

last night, brianna (basically blogless), and i, went for a little trip to finders keepers.
and it was pretty fabulous!

it'd been ages since i'd been. weekend shifts at work had meant that i'd missed the last one (and basically missed the one before too...) but i thoroughly enjoyed the new location :D much closer to public transport and i didn't get the horrible feeling someone might shove me and i'd end up in the murky waters of docklands!

as usual, i was a little too busy, to actually take photos of any stalls or anything really at all...



with the exception of my drink. with all of the crowds around, it helped calm me down a little ha ha!
i really don't deal well with people in my personal space...

being the first time i'd visited the market since finishing university (and hence, no longer being a poor uni student) i actually got to make a few purchases!

i found the frankie stall quick smart and popped a copy of their 50th issue AND the new diary into my bag.



i bought the diary last year (for this year) and it's been the only diary in my life's history that i've used ALL year! probably because it's so full of cute things

i also found a couple of super lovely sweet william prints. adorable!



aaaaaaand...

these super cute ombre socks from printink studio



they're going to go perfectly with my new work uniform!!!


we finished up, finding beatbox kitchen and having a delicious dinner...



under the stars!

how's your weekend going so far? are you heading to finders keepers?

last minute.

i know that i'v been posting lots of sneaky peeks at the sewing i've been doing for the hen's night i'm helping to organise...
but i swear this is the last of it!



now i'm off to finders keepers for the evening!
and you better believe i'll be knitting up a storm on the train, i'm really excited to get this finished!

what are you up to tonight?

my creative space.

oops! another late creative space happening again this week!
but it's an exciting one!



i'm putting the final few centimetres of knitting onto my reversible wrap!

there might even be a big reveal of the finished item in the next few days...
"might" as it's completely dependent upon whether i can find the motivation to sew in ends and join all the bits and pieces together, we'll see how that goes!


what are you creating today in your space? join in over here!