Progress

After I finished writing the last post, I had an email from Mary, who told me she’d seen a class to make this bag on offer in LA, cost $50.  Well, I don’t need much persuasion to save money, so immediately set to and began to cut out those pieces! 

I went carefully, ticking off each one as I went and marking the pieces with an identifier and an arrow as recommended.  I knew I’d need to set off well before lunchtime for an afternoon meeting at Denman College, so rather than begin the sewing I thought I’d just get all the pieces together, including the zips.  4 short and one very long one.

I could find only three.  (I’m sure I bought four, but who knows where the other one went?)

I bought another four zips on my way to my meeting and was thankful for the little sewing shop in Cirencester and the fact there were no traffic wardens around whilst I parked on a double yellow line to run and out as quickly as I could!

Another meeting this morning, so it was after lunch that I switched on my machine and began page 15 of the instructions.  I won’t say it’s difficult sewing but I guess it’s not that easy to explain which piece goes where.

I was very thankful for my zipper foot and being able to engage the dual feed on my machine!

As I thought, once the first one was done, it was fairly simple to continue in the same way.

Though it takes time to identify each piece and work out where it goes, place it accurately, stitch, press and topstitch.

But that bit is done!  Four zip pockets complete.  I’m now on page 22 of the instructions and about to install the magnetic snap for the Optional Fabric Dish.

I was about to leave it there, but thought I might as well continue and get that little magnetic bit in place.  Then I turned over   scrolled down a little further and decided to sew the pockets in place too.

Needless to say, I didn’t get one of those seams quite right, so had to undo it using my trusty seam ripper.  But one thing about that wonderful tool is that it leaves quite a few straggly little bits of thread behind, so I was glad of my new mini ripper (why do I hum a tune when I say that?) which has an “innovative thread remover” on the end.  (Though actually, I expect I could have done exactly the same thing with a pencil eraser)

Anyway, tomorrow, I’m ready to begin page 26.

Progress.