Drawstring bag, test piece

[wiseheart]

Originally, I planned to type up all the stuff I'd written in the last couple of days. It would have been a sensible thing to do, as it is not so much yet that the task would depress me beyond help. But then this happened:



I've had the pieces of three drawstring bags cut and pre-sewn for weeks by now, but always hesitated to attack the last phase because the original tutorial seemed so bloody complicated. Then I decided to change the design a little and make it my way. It meant an awful lot more work (hand stitching, basically), but at least this way I actually understood what I was doing.

I used this bag as test piece because it is made of recycled fabric; the eye-wateringly retro stuff was a stand dress of mine at the age of about 10 or 12 years. When I grew out of it, Mum cut up the fabric and it was waiting in a box all the time to be used again. And lo! half a century later, it found a new purpose. The string casing is made of the same orange stuff as the lining of the bag (which, alas, can't be seen in the picture, so you'll just have to believe me).

This heroic effort of sewing took the whole day, save for the hour or so when I made lunch. But I'm really glad I gave it a try; now I know how to make the other two with a little less pain and - hopefully - without mistakes that made me undoing a whole hour's work.

Comments

[meathiel]

Wow - talk about retro fabric!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

It is eye-watering, isn't it? To imagine that I was actually wearing it, back in the 1960s... I remember it was a short and a waistcoat-like upper part. They were a very popular combo in those unenlightened times. *g*

[motodraconis.livejournal.com]

That's pretty cool that the material has found a new use after all this time.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Being a hoarder can prove useful sometimes. *g*

[akane42me.livejournal.com]

Oh that is adorable! I hope, with you, the other two will be easier, now that you've done the learning the hard way! Eeek, you had to undo an hour's work. I would be so mad.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Oh, I was mad all right! A momentary lack of concentration and such unpleasant consequences...

[akane42me.livejournal.com]

I know it's all part of the learning curve, learning how not to do something:)
But arrrrggghhh

[aeris444.livejournal.com]

That little frog is so cute!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

That is actually an ironed-up motif. I bought a few when I was making the quiet book for my goddaughter's little son, and the frogs somehow didn't fit into it, after all. I was a bit angry back then, because these things aren't cheap, so I'm glad I could use at least one of them now.

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

Cool fabric, though.

[elwenlj.livejournal.com]

That fabric is very sixties. Love it.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Even if it makes your eyes bleed? :))

[mirasaui.livejournal.com]

That fabric brings back many memories! The bag is cute, glad you figured out a way to make it easier on yourself.