Sewing Projects In August

 

I started a doll this month. I needed a hand sewing project to carry with me on the drive to church. I really enjoy making these dolls. I haven't gotten very far on this project yet. Check in September to see how far I get next month!

(If you want to make your own doll I do have my pattern available on Etsy.)

I have paused the doll sewing to make a pouch for my friend at church. She liked the sling bags that I have made for myself and my children. She didn't want a sling bag, though. She wanted a simple one-pocket pouch that buckled around her waist like a fanny pack. I drew up some pattern pieces and asked her if I had the shape and size right. She was happy with my design!

I went shopping in my stash for fabric, interfacing and a zipper. I found everything I needed except for the strap and buckle clip that I would need for the waist.

I looked at a few listings online for buckles and nylon straps. I kept thinking there has to be a strap around that I can salvage. I love to salvage as you have seen in many of my projects. 

I decided to pray that God would lay a strap in my path. Perhaps I could find one at the thrift store. I had another item that I needed so I decided to make a trip to the thrift store in town. What do you know! There was a fanny pack with a perfect strap for $1.99! I thanked God and got busy.

I used some iron on adhesive to make my own iron on interfacing/padding out of some heavy flannel.

I assembled the zipper with the fabric, interfacing, and lining. I did top stitching just like I did with the sling bags.

The band for the center of the bag came out to 11 1/2" measured while folded in half.

The first step I had taken was to fuse all the interfacing to the outer fabric. Once I sewed the lining to the panels, I trimmed everything to match the lining shape.

I created tabs for the waist belt and topstitched them. I put an extra piece of facing in the tabs for strength and stability but not the all-out heavy interfacing that I was using in the rest of the project.

Once the tabs were ready, I basted them to the back panel. This was confusing I had to do it twice before I got the straps oriented correctly.

I marked the stitching line on the panels, which turned out to be in a slightly different place than the seam allowance that I had figured on using would have landed. I guess that is because the padding/interfacing took up some room and caused a little easing and shifting to happen when I assembled the panel sandwiches.

I had to hand stitch the side panels to the middle band because of the difference in seam allowance. 

Now all I have left to do is bind the seams! You'll have to wait until September for the reveal!