One Down

So much for being a sewing machine. I feel more like a sewing tortoise. Came home, had a quick coffee with the boy and then locked myself in with the Miranda bags until I was done. Or almost done. The first bag (which is actually the second bag, unless you count the layers of fabric, in which case it's the fourth bag) is finished. The second bag just needs some hand stitching and another pressing.

As I said back when I first started these bags, I like this pattern. I want to make it for myself in leather. I will qualify that by saying I don't want to make it too soon. I've put myself through too much angst over these bags. It's not a difficult pattern, especially if you pay attention to the very clear instructions, color-coded drawings and stop thinking you know everything. Which, it turns out, I don't.

What this project drove home for me is something they mentioned on last week's episode of Project Runway - even though the designers were sewing for someone else, with that someone else's clothing, the end result still had to have something of their own design aesthetic about it. That's where I went sideways on this project.

Both ladies are older, like bright colors and think the original Vera Bradley bags are adorable but ridiculously expensive. I went for Amy Butler fabrics (the pattern calls for 4 different fabrics) in 2 different coordinating colorways. I was a little iffy when I unpacked the fabric, but I didn't listen to that little voice. You know the voice. Yeah, that one. The one saying, "Ummm, this might be a mistake?"

I didn't listen until I quilted both exterior fabrics, cut them up, re-sewed them, sewed them together, attached the lining fabric and sewed on the pocket. Then I listened, because working with those patterns and those colors was making my eyes go wonky. Then I did what I should have done to begin with, shopped my stash, and since I didn't have any more batting and I really liked the Craft Bond I had ironed on to make the bag sturdier (didn't have any more of that either), I cut the new fabrics to size and basted them right on top of the existing pieces. Then I channel quilted the stripes in the brown/red bag and the diamonds in the blue/pink bag.

I got a little overconfident on the red/brown bag. The hand sewing I have to do is to camouflage the seams between the bottom and top exterior fabrics, which are slightly off on one side. If it wasn't 5 days to Christmas, I would pick them out, I swear to all the sewing gods I would. But Gladys won't notice, and though I will, it won't be as bad as going to the house and seeing that horrifying chrysanthemum fabric. (Okay, it's not horrifying in and of itself, but it's damn scary when combined with morning glory vines, stripes and dots. What was I thinking? I was trying to think like a 75 year old woman with colorful, suburban grandma taste, that's what I was doing).

Bag 2 will be finished tomorrow, and hopefully the third gift along with it. Except I'm not happy with that either, but I don't have time to remake it. I don't think I do . . .