Penny Inn Sew Along - Week 3 continued! (and a quick zipper tape tutorial)

I apologize to anyone that likes to work at a nice steady pace, I seem to start out like that, have great plans, procrastinate (or take on more than I should), then do a mad rush to finish stuff in time.  Since it's almost mad rush time, we need to use the rest of this week to get a little further along!


Step 12 - More card pockets!

Did I mention that this wallet has a million card slots?  Ok, not quite that many, but it's a LOT.  Now that you are an expert from making the first set of card slots, time to make more!  And just to make sure you are an expert, you're going to do the same exact set of card slots twice, one with a back and one without!

Step 13 - Zipper Pockets!

It's very important to have the top marked correctly on this piece, otherwise you're going to end up with some odd pockets!  If you are using zipper tape instead of the pre-made zippers, you can cut it to the exact length needed, but make sure your pull is on first.  I seem to always end up with one end shorter when I add on a zipper pull, so I started putting them on before I do the final cut for size.

Step 14 - Two more zipper pockets!

Maybe it's time to buy stock in a zipper company!

If you are interested in using zipper tape, here's a quick picture guide of how to get the slider on!  There are tons of videos, so be sure to look for those if you need more help.

Step 1 - Get out your roll of tape, and a zipper slider.  Find the end.

Keep an eye on your zipper pulls, they like to wander off.

WIP Wednesday - Coffee Makes the World Go 'Round

Coffee is my drug of choice, but with lots of cream and sugar.  It helps me fight off the zombie effect from staying up too late trying to do 'stuff' and it keeps me moving in the afternoon.  That being said, last night's sewing saw a lot of my seam ripper...so it might have been better to sleep instead.  I did get it all fixed at least!

Usually I just use this seam ripper for the 'eraser' on the cap to pick up threads, but Jack ran away and is hiding.

A Few Questions For My Readers!

I'm amazed that people seem to enjoy reading my ramblings, but I worry that it gets boring seeing similar things all the time.  Is there anything YOU would like to see?  Maybe a tutorial on how I add pockets to things, or a guide on how to do something in embroidery?  I'm no expert, but I can share what I've learned from all my trials and errors (lots of errors.  LOTS AND LOTS!)

We're all mad here!  That's the best kind of people, in my opinion.

Bella Sew Along And a little catch up

There is another sew along going on in the ChrisW Face Book group, so be sure to join in if you have the time!  I've never made the Bella, but I'm hoping to have some time to jump in soon. 

May is always a busy month for me, we have birthdays galore and school drawing to a close, so everything goes into overdrive! 

Here's a few things I worked on last week -

Giving Birth...to a Purse. Almost As Painful as Real Labor.

When you are almost finished with a purse, there are a few different ways to attach the inside to the outside.  One method is called "Drop in" where you put one inside the other and VERY carefully sew over lines you have already sewn, usually having to do some hand stitching to close where your machine refuses to reach.  My hand sewing is...special, so I prefer other methods where I can hide my stitching.

Another method I call the "Birthing" method.  It involves sewing the right sides together, leaving a small hole, and then forcing the purse right side out through that hole.  Usually the hole is in the lining or on the top and it will be closed with either hand stitching or top stitching.  And of course the hole never seems quite large enough.  For the latest purse I'm working on (The Laney Hobo bag by Swoon) I think I made the hole even smaller than I was supposed to.  Usually I measure and mark so I leave at least as much as they recommend, but not last night...

(about 5 minutes into the birth)

WIP Wednesday - More Sugar & Spice! Plus Riveting tips

I will get this bag finished!  I'm actually taking my time sewing and not rushing for once.

This week I have the rivets to install, and then to start on the lining! 

(Look, it stands up!!)