Ench By Sew-45: A Purse for Pinto (Audio, Podcast,Green Sewing)

Click on this link in iTunes  to download the 45'th episode of the Enchanted by Sewing Audio Podcast,  recorded in July of 2016. Or listen directly on the web by clicking on this link.
 (http://traffic.libsyn.com/enchantedbysewing/FINALPurseForPintoButtercupLaurelShimerMadeByRae_EnchantedBySewing.mp3 )

In this show I talk about sewing Pinto's Purse using the free buttercup purse pattern from Rae at MadeByRae. Her original (free) pattern is available at http://www.made-by-rae.com/2009/02/free-buttercup-bag-sewing-pattern/

Rae's pattern is designed for laying out on a fat quarter.

My buttercup purse is an example of green sewing. I created it both from remnants saved in my fabric inventory and scraps from Pinto, a sleeveless princess-seamed shirt I had just finished.
 http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2016/07/summer-essentials-pinto-picnic-shirt.html

…

Snapshot of This Month’s Show

* Primeros Pensamientos//First Reflections  

Rae has created a number of patterns linked at her site. One of them is this darling free purse. It’s a tiny bag, though you can enlarge the pattern easily on a photocopy machine or extend the pattern freehand. I’ve made several of these purses both in the original small size and also larger versions. The small original, which is big enough to hold my keys, iPhone, iPod and maybe a little cash or a bag for a doggie’s needs, is perfect for a walk or an evening out.
http://www.made-by-rae.com/2009/02/free-buttercup-bag-sewing-pattern/

When you visit Rae’s site to download this free pattern, you’ll find the terms of use. It’s free when you’re making it for personal use. Rae sells a licensed-to-sell version of this pattern for only $10. She also links to sewists who sell these licensed buttercup purses from her site.

I often vary the size, construction, and details of this purse.

* Technicos/Techniques I use for altering and sew Rae's buttercup purse pattern

Rae includes directions for working at this pattern in the site, along with a how-to-layout the pattern.

The pattern pieces include:
a) Purse Outer Top – I call this the yoke. It shows on the outside
b) Purse Outer Bottom – . It shows on the outside.This is what you see the most of from a distance. This piece has tucks at it’s top edge to give the purse fullness, and make it blouse out from the bottom of the yoke.
c) Lining – The lining extends from the bottom of the outer bottom to the top of the outer top. This piece does not have tucks or gathers.
d) Strap (no pattern piece – Dimensions are Given)
e) Tab/Decorative Button Flap ( no pattern piece – Dimensions are Given)

My Buttercups
1) Turning Scraps into Lining and the Magic of the Zig Zag
2) How I increased the pattern size
  a. 129 percent size
  b. Extend the bottom for a bigger purse
 3) Play with it
            1. Paper
            2. Muslin
            3. Paper towels
 c. Vary strap length
 d. Add rings

4) Interfacing for Light Weight Fabric Body
5) Altering the original details to suit me
6) Considering Embellishment Options

  Pensamientos Finales/Final Thoughts

Buttercup purses Known and Loved – Kept and Given.
A few Buttercups that stand out in my mind

1) Red Toile Evokes Marie Antoinette
2) Think Vintage - Bluebird with Tatting
3) Little Christmas Cowgirl
4) Engagement Celebration
5) Buttercup Dreams …

. . .

I never get tired of using, sewing, or envisioning, these charming accessories. Thanks Rae! Your buttercups purses are just one more thing that keep me… 

Enchanted by Sewing

Dogs! Good Excuse for Sewing Slow and Green (Scraps, Green Sewing)

Completing a pillow cover from dressmaking scraps is a real sewing accomplishment with the world's cutest dog around the house!

Jasper

Yes - He adopted us four weeks ago

A great save-the-worlds-dogs organization - Lou was so helpful locating the right pooch for our household https://www.facebook.com/tiramisudogrescue/

About a year and a third old

Some kind of mix - maybe Australian Shepherd, Golden Retriever, and something with a curly tail

Oh Lordy, he is the sweetest dog I've ever known!

Yes, it is like having a new child in the house

Three-four walks a day - minimum

Haven't encountered a dog he doesn't like yet

Yes, Dog Park once a week Had our first hike Had our first beach trip

Jasper doesn't like it when I sit down at the sewing machine. He says "Hey, a walk would be better than that!" 

And so we do.

Embellishment - Hot Fix Crystals

I used these Swarovski  hot fix crystals with my hot fix Elements Tool. This tool was recommended to me as being better than a Bedazzler.  After applying the crystals, I test washed my Shabby Chic Mobile pocket bag - turning it inside out before washing - and all the crystals stayed in place.

Looking forward to using this to embellish other future sewing projects, and also ready-to-wear clothes - like jeans.

Shabby Chic - Mobile Pocket Bag (Green Sewing, Embellishment)

Embellished sewing scraps are green sewing at their best - and I also test washed the bag (inside out) to make sure I didn't loose any crystals. 

Goals

- Test to see how jeans type denim takes to embellishment with my Swarovski Elements tool and Swarovski hot fix crystals

- Use up a variety of Scraps

- Make something I'll get a lot of use out of - A multi-mobile device pocket bag

The little coin pocket from an old pair of jeans is the perfect size for my iPod

Minding My Own Beeswax (Hand Sewing, Green Sewing)

You can buy beeswax with other sewing notions
But I like to use up the old ends from beeswax candles I buy at the Farmer's Market

In the final steps of finishing off my bustier project, I'm doing lots of hand sewing. I took this photo will waiting in the car, pick stitching away on the zipper, listening to NPR on the radio, and waiting for a family member who needed to be picked up after a medical procedure. (No, I was not driving!)

There's a traditional German saying "Langes Fädchen, faules Mädchen". That is about the extent of my knowledge in German. Anyway I disagree. A long thread may indeed make for a foolish girl (Girl? Are adult women and men never fools?) if she doesn't know enough to add some texturizer. I like a long thread that doesn't knot up as much as anybody. So I keep the old ends of my beeswax candles for just that purpose, running the thread through the stubs just after I rethread my needle, and also every so often while using the thread. 

Some people say you need to iron the thread once it's beeswaxed. But I never do. Also I imagine you might have some problem with beeswax piling up at the stitch entrance in glam fabric. But it works fine with denim, cotton, and linen for me.

You can, of course, buy hunks of beeswax for this purpose. You can also buy thread texturizer. I don't know what name that's sold under, as my old candle stubs work just fine. 

I love the smell and style of beeswax candles on the supper tableand I love to use the remains up to the last waxy morsel in my sewing.

With the scent of honey of honey in the air, as I pick stitch away on my bustier zipper, I'm  just that much more....

Enchanted by Sewing!

* * *

If English isn't your first language....

"Mind your own beeswax" , also abbreviated as MYOB, is an old idiomatic phrase used by children to indicate that someone should not be listening in on a private conversation, or asking questions that are not their own business. It's a joking reference to the similarly somewhat rude phrase, "Mind your own business".

Using up Scraps (Green Sewing)

In response to Ruth Ann's "Wee Scraps" posting

Once a small stained vintage linen napkin
Saved for a useful life as a button on my jacket

Things I do with scraps
1) I use selvage edges for seam stabilizers. Particularly to strengthen pants side seams just above, through and below in-seam pockets, where I like to use drill selvage edges for this particular garment. I use the drill fabric itself to create strong pants pockets bags.

Drill is often sold in mainstream fabric stores as a "utility fabric". You may need to ask where it is.

2) When I have leftover long strips of fabric, I hang them over a hook by my machine and use them - raw edges and all - as  a) impromptu hair ties b) twist them in twos or braid them in threes- for deconstructed trimmings for tee shirt necklines. c) plain or twisted together, they make nice gift ties in place of ribbon

3) I use them for sample sewing. That's too obvious, right? Often I plan my sample sewing so that it can become an 18" doll's garment. Then the dollie can pose as a model in this blog!

For example, when I was practicing pintucking, Doll'ing Kaity Rose benefitted - acquiring a new Victorian 'esque nightie. http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-new-nightgown-for-winter-holidays.html

4) I'm starting to use them for scrapbooking - tiny dresses for paper dolls, backgrounds for pictures. I also cover spiral notebook covers, gluing them down. If there isn't enough of one scrap to cover the whole notebook, I collage them. I'm not sure this counts - it's not sewing.

5) I make spare patch pockets out of them when they are particularly pretty. A pocket doesn't have to be made out of the same fabric as the garment (or purse) it's used on.

6) I cover buttons with small scraps. Those kind of buttons that come in a little kit and are designed to be covered. (Also I use pieces of antique/vintage embroidered napkins that are partly spoiled but have a little embroidery left)

7) I make small purses that are almost like hanging pockets, for my cell phone and keys. Especially nice for walking and biking. I like the free buttercup purse pattern out on the way by Made-By-Rae. (I also upsize it for bigger purses)

A couple of postings about the buttercup purse pattern, including the free pattern link
http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2012/09/tit-fortatting-embellishing-my.html
http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2012/09/do-you-love-butter-in-praise-of.html

8) Fabric flowers
Ideas and patterns, from books at my public library and also many I've pinned at http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/0-sewingfabricflowers/

9) Appliqué

10) Buttonhole facing squares. How do you describe that? Sew it down and pull it through to the back. It has to be the right kind of heavy duty/no fray material. I also use grosgrain ribbon for that. Those are often called Spanish Snap buttonholes.

11) As a diamond or square around a buttonhole. Like an embellishment.

Reusing snips and scraps is the kind of thing that keeps me....

Enchanted by Sewing!

African Beads Embellish My Sewing (Suministros especializados/Special Supplies)

Reasons I like these speciality supplies?
       * They support Low-Income Women by buying their product (member of the Fair Trade Federation)
       * How much greener can you get? Recyling waste paper
       * Their colorful designs compliment my casual, arty, romantic style

* The Bead for Life web site says....

"BeadforLife's loose beads are the perfect way to make your next jewelry project more meaningful! Our beads are handmade from colorful recycled paper by women in Uganda who are working to lift themselves out of poverty and create a sustainable income. When you create jewelry using BeadforLife loose beads, you'll feel good knowing you're looking good and doing good!"

I received a bag of this beads for a holiday present. My sister-in-law bought them for me at a beading party, but I've since found that I can buy them directly on the web without going to such an event. Though I used to make beaded jewelry, I don't anymore. However I've sewn these lovely little recycled jems on a number of tee shirts and sweat shirts, in and around the neckline, and they add a nice touch. 

I sew them on with fishing line or heavy-duty clear thread. I go back and forth a couple of times through the hole to secure them. When I sew them onto lightweight tees, I stabilize the back side of the tee in the sewn on area, using scrap fabric or ribbon.

I usually wash my home sewn clothes in regular warm machine cycle, but I hang my homemade garments to dry. The beads haven't obviously faded after many warm/hot water machine washings, but I'm suspicious that they might do so over time if they ran through a hot dryer. I would recommend testing one or two of them in the dryer, if you like to dry your clothes that way.

Holly's New Vest (Doll Clothes)

A California Gal Can Always Use a Cute Vest Topper

I sewed this vest for Holly the Dolly when I was prepping for my January Enchanted By Sewing Podcast. The show theme was vests, and I was reviewing the steps I described in the Technicos/Techniques section of the podcast. I really like these minimal hand-sewing vest construction method I learned from my class at the Cañada Community College, Fashion Sewing Program.

We're talking a little green sewing here. This fabric is one I saved from a dress I made myself way, way back in college. You're right that the style wasn't exactly up to date. But some prints continue their appeal, right? I didn't hold onto this material just to be environmentally correct. I simply never got over loving it. The rest of my one-time dress will either go into a vest or buttercup purse for me.

Holly is getting a lot of use out of these new-to-her threads. That's one doll who's as enchanted by sewing as I am.

Technicos: Sharpening Flannel Buttonholes (Green Sewing)

Green Sewing with Leftover Stabalizer Scrap
The irregular hole on the left hand side remains from the fabric's
previous life supporting machine embroidery.
Plenty of area remains to help out my buttonholes.

When I made my first test buttonholes on my birdie vest, the first thing I learned was that two layers of flannel, even though they were interfaced on the inside, did that gummy thing under the needle. I bet you know how that gummy thing works, the fabric just doesn't move through right. Two layers of flannel will do that to you. They just want to stick together.

I've used different kinds of stabalizer in various ways when it comes to buttonholes. Having recently been working on sewing area cleanup, it occurred to me this time to try out some of the scrap pieces I've saved from machine embroidery. There's such a lot of stabalizer leftover around the design. (Yes, I can't help but keep it. Occasionally I use it to write project directions on for myself.)

In this case I was able to pencil my buttonhole measurements and guidelines onto the sheet and sew through onto the buttonhole. Not only did the fabric slide really well, My buttonholes came out nice and straight!

Seasonal Sewing: Scarves O' Flannel

I try to always buy an extra yard and a half of flannel when I'm creating a nightshirt or nightgown. I like my scarves to give good cold season coverage, so a nice big 45" length, folded on the diagonal provides a good big width of warmth.

No sewing required, of course. I fringe a little along the edge if I'm in the mood. Mostly they just keep my neck snug with no itchiness. They're highly washable and compliment a lot of outfits. Indoors, tucked into a neckline, they often take the place of a light sweater. Outside, down inside a light weight jacket they are the finishing touch that keeps me cosy.

In a pinch, if I'm out walking a little later than normal or hit a sudden cold spot, I can tie one of these beauties over my head for an impromptu head cover. When I do that I feel a little bit like Maureen O'Hara in film "The Quiet Man".

Scraps:Covering Buttons (Letter to Sharmila)

Dear Sharmila,

In sewing class the other day you asked me about the covered button I'd made for my vest using scrap fabric from the project. Here's the lowdown.

* The covered button forms are available in normal places, like Joannes. There is a version with a tool or a no-tool one. I just get the no-tool type and snap them in place with my fingers. Maybe the other kind is good for heavier fabrics? I'm not sure.

There are different sizes of button forms
They come in round head
or flat head style
I have also used the flat head style for
creating beaded buttons, using
scrap fabric as a base to attach the
beading
Make sure the beads don't go to far out if you
do that, but far enough to cover the scrap fabric
You really need to make a test covered button with
the same sized forms to figure that out!

* I use a piece of scrap paper (like a recycled mailer card) to match the pattern on the back of the package. It's just a half circle, but of course I cut out the entire circle. Some covered button packages have multiple circles depending on the size you bought.

* Then I center the pattern over a great design in my fabric. I have also cut up an old stained embroidered linen napkin, making use of the embroidery and cutting away the stain. (I need to find the jacket I put that on and photograph it!)

* I glue stick the circle on top of the rounded button form. When you and I were talking about this, Ronda suggested that you could interface with a lightweight fabric, like silk organza, if you were using a light or sheer fabric, like the beautiful sari fabric you were sewing with when I first met you.

* Then I turn the form over and catch the edges of the circle on the teeth on the back of the button form. I have to do lots of smoothing of the edges to avoid puckering.

* Once I'm happy with the placement of the fabric and it's caught well on all the teeth I snap the button back in place. I always get confused by which side goes inside, but one part has grooves that fit better. I have to push hard, but eventually it snaps in place with a satisfactory click. They don't come apart after that.

* Sometimes I make them up with scrap fabric, not knowing how I will use them and just put them in my button collection.

Hope you enjoy making some. I'd love to see what you come up with!

Your sewing buddy,

Laurel

I forgot I had these with me yesterday.
I made three different types and tried them all out on my vest.
I might use one like a pin on the vest, just for decoration.
They are also nice on a purse or bag.

Scraps of Wisdom

Birds Nest ?
Or does an environmentally conscientious sewist live here?
These scraps from my pieced vest project
Are just too pretty to toss
And what a waste of resources, eh?
Heather's idea would be great for these

I save strips of pretty fabrics that get cut off along the edges of my sewing. I use them for

- Stabilizing the edge of an inseam pockets
- Hair ties
- Ribbons for presents and other packages
- The string that goes through the hole in a vintage-styled luggage tags I create in Photoshop.

A frayed edge is great for an arty look in any of these reuses. The stabalizing strip doesn't care if it's frayed.

Scrap Strips
Awaiting Repurposing

I keep a cup hook screwed into a bookcase near my sewing machine and toss them over that as I'm working on projects.

Heather of The Sewing Loft had a posting about turning even smaller fabric scraps into yardage, that I plan to try. I love using up every bit of fabric, which clearly don't do much good in the landfill. I get to a point where I have tiny, tiny scraps and this looks perfect.