I got to do a little sewing recently. I’ve been dragging around my Purl Soho tote bag for months and months and it is sorely in need of a wash, but I hate all my other bags. So I thought I’d make something similar, but less NPR-free-tote. (Not that I don’t totally love a free tote).

So, anywho, I started checking around the interwebs for some inspiration and found about a zillion people had made this lovley Jane Market Bag. As evidenced by the very numerous search results on flickr here and the fact that it has it’s own group here. I should note that this pattern is actually supposed to be used as a fun grocery bag. Most of the changes I made (that I’m about to talk about) came about because I wanted to turn it into more of a big catch-all purse.

I bought the pattern for the bargain price of $6. It took me longer to pick out some fabrics than to do the cutting for this VERY easy and user friendly pattern. (Kudos to Alicia at rosylittlethings.com for such an easy to use pattern.) Recommended for beginning sewists. (sewers? I always think that reads like sewers where rats live…not sowers.)

So first - here was my initial fabric selection:

I really needed a neutral bag that I could carry anytime. So that eliminated most of my prints for the outside. I love linen, and although I’m not sure it’s really sturdy enough for a bag, I went with it. Sadly, I didn’t have enough of this brown linen to do a front and back pocket, so I just did a front pocket.

I deviated from the pattern a little by adding some piping strips to the front, back and handles. I also added pockets inside and a little key hook inside so I wouldn’t have to dig around for my forever-missing keys.

Front:

Inside:

Back:

I really liked the piping, but it was a little too fat. I used a one inch strip, folded in half and sewn into the seams between the panels on the front and back. I should have just done a half inch. So it looked more like this piping (the super skinning piping on the left and right of the pocket):

For the straps, the pattern calls for 4″ x something (21″ I think?) strips. But that seemed like it would be too short for me (I measured my Kroger .99 cent grocery bags as a baseline because they never fall off my shoulder), so I went with 4″x 26.5″. But to get the print on the edges that I wanted, I did 1″ of brown and 3″ of pop garden - sewed them together along the long edge, and then closed the loop by sewing the other long edge of brown to the long edge of pop garden. Make sense? It gave me a tube - inside out. I used my crochet hook to flip it right side out, and pressed it centering the brown linen. Then I top stitched it inside and outside the brown.

Finally, instead of sewing the straps to the outside of the bag like in the pattern, I sewed them in at the same time that I sewed the lining to the outside of the bag. I’m not spatially smart enough to explain how this works, but you sew them in before you pull everything out through the bottom hole. You can see a great video of this ‘birthing’ method here: birth of a bag video by sugar sugar bags. She’s got the straps sewn inside also.

I’ve been carrying my new bag around for a few days now, and overall, I like it a lot. I’m planning a 2nd one, and next time, I’ll sew a bottom seam at the bottom of all pockets so my cell phone doesn’t slide down UNDERNEATH the bag. I just hate that. Also, I may consider interfacing. I was too lazy to put it in this time, and the pattern certainly doesn’t call for it. But even cotton batting would make this bag a lot more stable.

Here’s the fabric selection for the 2nd one - natural linen body, green red riding hood fabric for the pockets, green solid for the inside and piping. Should be cute!

Is anyone watching this new show on Lifetime? I have to say, I truly love Rosanne. I loved her show when I was a kid and I felt like Darlene was my kindred/sarcastic/deadpan spirit. Dan and Rosanne reminded me of my funny, dysfunctional parents. I’m so happy to see her nuttiness - literally (because she has a nut farm!) back on TV. On the first episode, she sang the National Anthem at a softball game. Her kids were like, “please don’t do this again.” And you could tell she was afraid, but she did it because she wanted to wipe the slate clean. It made me cry, it was so good. I mean, not Carrie Underwood good or anything, but still - it was good. She redeemed herself, if she even needed redeeming. Anyway, if you get the chance, check it out. She’s the funny, down to earth mom (and now grandma) that I remember, and I am happy to see her.

My favorite part of the show is the three Hawaiian guys that are like a Shakesperian chorus…or the mariachi owls in Rango.

And since this is my first non-sewing post in a while, I may as well go whole hog. In TV land, I want Ashley to choose Ben, not JP. I’m totally enjoying Switched at Birth on ABC Family - heartwarming and sweet. I’m so glad The Closer started back up - it’s been great, as usual. I don’t want Brenda to get in trouble because of this lawsuit, but it would seem she’s going to have to…it doesn’t seem that her decision to leave that boy behind can stand. I’m also enjoying True Blood, Haven, Camelot, Eureka, The Outcasts, Warehouse 13, Falling Skies, Alphas, In Plain Sight, The Protector, Royal Pains, Burn Notice, Melissa and Joey, Franklin and Bash, Memphis Beat, American Pickers, Pawn Stars, American Restoration…the list goes on and on. I’m so glad there are summer shows and fall shows. And I’m looking forward to Project Runway, which I think started tonight!

Oh! By far, my favorite show right now is called Misfits. It’s a British show - Hulu is running one episode a week. Very funny. Nathan is my favorite. I think you can watch all the episodes on e4.com, but I like it so much, I’m trying to be patient and not watch it all at once. I’m making it last.

For some reason, SYTYCD has seemed boring to me this season. I just want to watch Jess and Melanie and Marco. Let’s just move right to them as the final three. (Shoot, I hope one of them didn’t get voted off this week while it’s sitting in my DVR!)

I try not to talk about TV on here because my crazy TV mania really starts to show. You should know I’m well rounded, though. I also watch too many movies and read too many books. I’m currently reading any Scottish Highlander romance I can find. So far my favorite authors are Karen Marie Moning, Mary Wine, Margaret Mallory and Michelle Sinclair. Got any recommendations?

Hope everyone is having a great summer!

My kid is dino crazy. They had a special Dinosaur Train deal at the Houston Zoo a few weeks back, and if you wore a costume, you got a prize. Well, we only have superhero costumes around here, so I whipped up some pterodactyl wings real quick.

For inspiration, we used this shirt…now a little too small, but it worked for one more day.

First I sketched out what I was aiming for - just the webbing that hangs down from their arms.

I started with a rectangle folded over to give me the double sided wing that I was aiming for:

Then I used some fancy stitches that kind of look like fangs to make casings for my bendy straws - these are the ‘veins’ in the glider wing, so they hold their shape. After sliding the straws in, I cut away some arches in the bottom and then sewed the bottom closed with some top-stiching. I sewed right over the straws so they wouldn’t fall out.

After making two ‘wings’, I connected them with some binding with a backpack clip in the middle (because pterodactyls grow so quickly!). On each end of the binding, I sewed a smaller double fold bias strip with a little snap, so I could attach the wings to his wrists.

And to keep the glider up in the center of his shoulders, I just safety-pinned it to his shirt.

Ta Daaaa!

And some action shots:

with claws: