You are here: Home / 2008 / Archives for March 2008

How do you solve a problem like Sophia?

March 30, 2008 By 8 Comments

False bottom

Since I’d finished all the necessary bits I thought I would slip the lining into the bag to see what my bag would look like. I’m so glad that I did, because I realised I wouldn’t be happy with the end result. This is what the pattern tells you to do with the false bottom – simply lay it inside the bag. I don’t know about you but I have enough rolling about at the bottom of my bag(s) without the bottom roaming around in there loose as well. Other women might be able to keep better charge of their handbags but I am not of their number.

The solution:

Insert and feet

I’d decided that it needed purse feet anyway, because the fabric is pretty, and so I decided to add another bag bottom. I’d cut two anyway, from the plastic grid that I use for bag bottoms usually – I can’t find timtex over here, although I hear that it is no more, so we’re all looking for replacements now. Only one piece of my plastic would fit inside the fabric covering for the false bottom, which is no hardship since it’s very sturdy stuff, so I decided to make good use of the piece left over.

Cut slits for the feet

Firstly, cut very small slits with your seam ripper for the purse feet. I measured 1.5″ from the short seam and 1″ in from the long seam. Make sure that you cut through all the layers.

Insert the feet through the plastic

Push the feet stems through the slits, and on the inside of the bag push through one of the holes in the plastic. Open out the wings and press flat to secure them. (You can do this by making a corresponding slit in your stabilise, if it doesn’t have holes.)

Glue!

when you’ve done all four, take the false bottom and cover one side with some good fabric glue.

New bottom

Press down on top of the other bag bottom. This will ensure that you can’t feel the feet or the plastic through the lining of the bag. Secure the corners with a few stitches if desired.

So I know I said I would follow the pattern to the letter but this is one instance where I felt the pattern let itself down. For other tips you can check out the flickr group for the Sophia Sew along which is being run by Monkey Foot designs and Stacy Sews. One tip I wish I’d known is to make the handles just a little bit longer, more so since I’ve realised that my iBook fits inside it. This means I not only want to make one more as a gift, but another for myself. I’m a glutton for punishment.

Now since the clocks went forward last night I’m feeling that I’ve been cheated out of some of my Sunday – the remedy can only be to find a costume drama on the telly and do some more of my blanket…

Filed Under: Bags, Sewing, Sophia Carry All, WIPs - 8 Comments

In which our heroine thinks she can see light at the end of the tunnel…

March 25, 2008 By 4 Comments

After playing around last week I thought I really ought to get down to doing some work with the machine today and maybe clearing out some stuff from the wip box. What I did instead was dance around for a couple of hours to mid ’90s dance music, so by the time I sat down it was a bit later than intended. I apologise therefore for the dark photos, taken by the miracle of electric light and not by lovely daylight, as was my intention.

Lining top panel

Oh Good Lord it’s the Sophia! Yes, indeed. We are moving on to the lining, made out of lovely, lovely cotton. The first job is to make the inside top panel, so you only have to sew a very short seam and leave the rest open for the zip. It was here that I realised how useful my seam guide is – screw it in, set for half an inch seam, line fabric up against the edge, sew, done. Then simply attach the end panels and that part is done. It was here I started to suspect that it might come together rather more quickly from here on in.

Pockets

So I quickly moved onto the pockets. The only seam sewn on the wrong side is the top one, and you then turn right way out and press, before topstitching (again using the seam guide to keep things neat…). On the right side you simply stitch a basting seam 1/4″ from the edge, because this will be hidden when you put the lining together.

Seam guide

I used the seam guide again to do another basting set of stitches to attach the pocket to the main panel. I don’t normally mark out seam allowances with a pen, so it shouldn’t really seem much quicker, but I think the confidence this tiny bit of metal gives me means that I sew that much faster. I really felt that I was whizzing along.

Lining panels

The final part for tonight was sewing a centre seam down the pocket so that you divide it in two. Or you could divide into three if you were so inclined. I half wish I had myself.

And there I stopped for the day. A quick sewing session but it felt productive, and I’m actually looking forward to doing more tomorrow. Who knows – maybe it’ll be finished by the end of the month…

Filed Under: Bags, Sophia Carry All, WIPs - 4 Comments

Cake. And Marzipan.

March 23, 2008 By 6 Comments

The joys of spending a morning with Mr Joleo playing with marzipan…

Simnel Cake

cake2.jpg

cake3.jpg

Happy Easter Everyone!

Filed Under: Life - 6 Comments

Mysteries Solved

March 21, 2008 By 7 Comments

Seam guide!

Well, would you look at that? Indeed there was a hole on the right of my plate which I’d never noticed before and yes, this does screw in and for the last eight years I could have had much neater seams. Such a simple piece of equipment and yet if no one tells you how to use it you’re no better off. Thanks hugely to Another Yarn for the solution (but Anna – I would have been delighted with a quilting accessory too).

As for the other mystery of sewing with twin needles, Florence, it involves something else that came with my machine that at the time just wasn’t interesting, since I could barely thread one needle:

Twin needle

It must be special because it’s wrapped in foil inside the special packet. It attaches just like a normal needle. On top of the machine I discovered another hole, into which I slotted the spare spool holder, so that I ended up with two threads like so:

Twin spools

The second spool threads in the same way as the normal spool, with the exception that you don’t tuck the tread behind the little hook above the needle. (Such technical terms…)

Threaded twins

And then you sew. The manual recommends using straight and zig zag stitch, as well as triple stretch straight stitch, which is the one using all the thread. I used a different colour for the bobbin as well, so you can see how it catches on the back of the piece:

Twins sewing back

I had a quick look in JohnnyL yesterday but they didn’t have any twin needles for sale. However, the internet always saves and there are some at cottonpatch (you have to scroll down to see them) and guess what? They come in different widths! I’m so glad I sat down and did this – Marceline, get your manual out, because you won’t regret it.

The only thing is that now I know more about this machine I feel more justified in wanting a fancy one. That doesn’t mean I’ll run out and get one tomorrow, but I think it means I’ll experiment more with this one while I save my pennies, just so that I know I’ll really deserve it.

And now I have to go and cover a simnel cake with marzipan. Have a lovely Good Friday!

Filed Under: Equipment - 7 Comments

Playtime

March 20, 2008 By 7 Comments

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a woman in possession of a sewing machine has probably not discovered all the things it can do. So yesterday I sat down and read the manual and played with scraps for a few hours.

The first thing I did was line up my feet and match them to the illustrations in the manual:
These feet I know… Feet These feet are not in my manual… More feet
I had to google the ones on the right. The top one is of course a blind hem foot, and the middle one is a straight stitch foot, like the normal foot, but for stretch fabrics (I think – I could be wrong (edit: I am wrong – it’s for lightweight fabrics)). I still have no clue about the other thing so if you know what it is, please let me know.

But back to the feet that are in the manual: a button foot! I can sew on buttons? You see, I have avoided doing this for so long that I have never before known that it could do that. The only stumbling block is that I cannot make buttonholes, but then I never practice. So guess what?

Buttons and button holes

This is the reverse side of the button holes because I just attached the button to the same piece of material. Ok, so I still need some practice, and the instructions on matching tension down both sides are enough to make me want a machine with an automatic button hole, but it’s a huge improvement from where I started.

Then I tried every stitch on the machine, which was terrifically enjoyable but also humbling – I should use the stretch stitch when working with knits, I get it now. I also had to try out the blind hem foot, which made doing a blind hem a piece of cake:

Blind hem stitch

And I appliqued half a little house, before I ran out of thread:

FlossieT inspired house

And I found out I have a kind of overlock stitch too (though no special foot for it, Florence.)

Overlock stitch on my Brother

And so then I tried out the real overlocker:

Overlocker proper

I so enjoyed taking the time to play with the machine and it made me realise, rather shamefacedly, that it’s capable of much more than I thought. (Doesn’t stop me wanting a new one mind you…) The other bonus was using up odd ends of threads and bobbins I had lying around so it served the duel purpose of tidying things up too.

I’ll leave you with a picture of my favourite discovery – twin needle sewing! Why didn’t I know about this before?

Twin needle stitching

Filed Under: Equipment - 7 Comments
« Older Posts