It's time to make (Christmas) presents

Lately, I have been busy making bags as Christmas presents. There are lot of free bag patterns on the internet. I have downloaded this particular pattern from the wonderful website that I visit regularly. The clear instructions made the bag easy to 'execute'.! I also modified the pattern slightly and added a few extra stitching lines. I enjoyed the process, the bags were well-received, and I, of course, was very pleased as the effort was all worth it.

Em's nifty 'sewing' bag

The day before I left for Seattle, WA, I kept thinking that I wasn't ready to go to GHME 2011 Conference because then, I was still waiting for the results from DISMOD analysis before I could put together slides for the meeting after the conference. And waiting for DISMOD to process the data, sometimes, it seemed to take forever... Staying cool while waiting, I decided to retreat to my sewing room and made this nifty sewing bag from scraps (left over fabrics from quilt backing) with my own little touch by adding the orange star shape buttons to it. I have got the pattern from Handmade Vol 28 No 11. I finished the project the night before I left (for Seattle). It ended up being a multipurpose bag. It was my toiletry bag for the trip, my tatting tools bag for last Sunday, 3rd April, at the Castle Hill Show, and for now, I'm using it to keep bits and pieces of my English paper piecing project. It is, indeed, a very 'nifty bag' and I love it. :-) [I did finish the slide presentation of DISMOD results at 2am the morning I had the meeting...just in time...].

My 'Monster' Bag

I have bought my beloved Bernina Aurora 440 QE in December 2009. I thought to myself that the best way to learn to know my new ‘friend’ was to join the Bernina club at the local sewing centre close to home. A year-long project for 2010 is to make up panels and put them together as a craft bag. Kits were made up for each lesson and everyone in the class learnt to use different techniques and sewing feet to sew up panels with their own 'finishing touch'. It has been almost a year since then. I missed three lessons due to my work commitments but did have the kits to work on in the early hours of the day when it’s quiet and cold.!! This weekend, I have finally caught up with the project and put together all the panels to make up a bag. The bag turns out to be quite large, so I call it ‘Monster’ bag. The colours and designs aren’t my style. But as part of the learning process, I’m prepared to accept what comes. I took it to the Tatters’ Guild get together yesterday and the ladies loved it. They all thought that the bag was great and ‘arty’. I will have to make a point of using it now and then when I feel like being a bit ‘different’ from my usual creative self, especially when I go to sewing lessons.!!

 

Em's 'evening handbag'

At the Hornsby Bernina club last month, we were learning to make an evening handbag. I never thought that I would be making anything like this with my sewing because I'm such a homebody and going out at night is just not me. Anyhow, I always like to finish a project that I have started and I did finish making the bag. It didn't take too long for me to get it done, with my own favourite touch of simple and 'plain Jane' style. As it turned out, on top of enjoying the process of making it, I quite like the bag. I, now and then, make a point of carrying it around the house in my pyjamas/nightie before going to bed because it's an 'evening handbag'. :-)