I’m late to the scrunchies sewing party. I was an 80’s child who loved a scrunchie. I can’t remember when they went out of fashion. I’m trying to think back if I wore them in my teens but my 90’s hair fashion isn’t something that I am remembering much. Scrunchies have been on my mental “To Sew” list for a few years now and finally I have gotten around to them. If you look on Youtube there are heaps and heaps of tutorials on how to sew them.
After watching a few clips on Youtube I finally jumped in and made the above scrunchies. I used the I guess traditional method of sewing a long tube of fabric and once the elastic was inside overlapping the short ends (with raw edges tucked in) and sewing across them. It is very simple method and I can see why it is popular. For these I used leftover fabrics from a bag I had made with each fabric. The stars scrunchie is pieced as I didn’t have enough fabric. My first attempt of it was too narrow so I made it again piecing more fabrics to make it wider. Instead of wasting my first attempt I kept it for me. With my undercut I don’t have a lot of hair to put up in a pony tail but it turns out I can wear a narrow scrunchie.
After watching yet more Youtube tutorials I came across a clip by DIY Today’s Sewing and Embroidery which is a slightly different method in making them. In this method you first join your short ends to create like a giant band then you fold the band to join the long edges in a continuous tube. It is kind of a hard method to describe so I do urge you to watch the clip as it will all make sense when you visually see it. On the Sew Everything Blog Samina also came across this clip and described it as the Burrito method. I’m now referring to it as that method too. Watch the clip, to me it was like sewing magic.
I had leftover fabric from my charity bags with the intention of making scrunchies so I tried out the Burrito method. This may not happen to everyone but on my first one it did feel a little weird. I think I was nervous that I would sew over the fabric tucked inside by accident and not be able to shift the fabric along. Once I got a feel for the technique it was like sewing magic and before my eyes this continuous tube appeared. In the clip it has you machine sew the opening gap closed, I did mine by hand. I like hand sewing so the majority of the time I slip stitched my opening gaps closed. I had enough fabric for 5 scrunchies so 2 of these were given to a friend who is currently home schooling her daughters during the Sydney lockdown, I thought the “teacher” could give the kids a reward for a hard day at school.
Late to the party but now that I have arrived I do feel a bit Oprah like “You get a scrunchie! and You get a scrunchie!” Scrunchies are a great way to use up small strips of fabric. If your strips aren’t wide enough you can always piece them. For my scrunchie I pieced 2 strips which were each 1″ wide which made a narrow scrunchie. For the elastic I used 1/4″ wide elastic. I seem to have a lot of this in my stash so it good to use it up as not a lot of projects call for it.
In my book review post on How To Sew Sustainably I mentioned a project that I was motivated to make after reading the book, the project I made was 3 toiletry bags.
I have made toiletry bags in the past using the same pattern so that part isn’t new but I hadn’t planned on making these ones until I read the book. The book talks a lot about using up supplies you already own. I try and “shop my stash” when I can however I don’t always look at my stash and think what can I make from it? I started thinking of the fabrics I had in my stash and ways I could use it up in particular offcuts from previous projects. If it is a uniform shape like a square of rectangle that is easy to use up as it just fabric but what about the odd shape offcuts you get from cutting out a garment. I’ve mentioned this year I have made a lot pants so I have offcuts from cutting those out. Since the fabric had already been prewashed and was ready to go it made sense to try and use it up. Looking in my fabric stash I found an offcut of ripstop nylon so I decided to make toiletry bags having the outer bags in cotton sateen (offcuts from pants) and nylon on the inside. I restocked my zipper stash late last year and I found 3 zippers to match.
The XL StitchNSew communal toiletry bag
The pattern I used was the large boxed corner version of the Essential Wristlet by Dog Under My Desk patterns. It is my favourite zipper pouch pattern. Over the years I have pattern hacked it and played around with sizing. On my previous toiletry bags I had enlarged the pattern to 150% which is a great size as it holds a lot but can be a little large. This time I enlarged the pattern to 125%, I refer to the 150% as XL so I’m calling this the L+ size . The pattern is a digital pattern so instead of printing it out at 100% I changed the print settings. If you are photocopying it from a book or paper pattern you can adjust the size on the photocopier. With changing the pattern size you will need to change the length of your zipper but that is easily done by referring to the zipper placement in the instructions and adjusting the length to fit. Another reason for making the new smaller size was that the pattern pieces fitted the fabric I had without having to piece together fabrics.
Although this size is smaller than my previous bags it still holds a lot. It easily holds full size bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body wash plus room for things like hairbrushes or other bottles of liquids. As the inside is nylon it can also be used as a wet bag to hold for example a damp facecloth or wet swimming costume.
These bags will be added to our Charity Bags this year. I really like them for so many reasons. These bags got me thinking of ways to use up my fabric offcuts, they challenged me to look at my stash and think how can I use it instead of it just sitting on a shelf. They are a practical item which make a nice little addition to the charity bags. I enjoyed trying out a new pattern size. Even just the choice of fabrics, combing fabrics from things I have made for myself in an item for a complete stranger who will never know the story behind it but I do. I have more nylon in my stash so I plan on making another set next year. I’m happy for fabric to sit on a shelf if I know how I’m going to use it.
It was way back in 2018 that I first attempted sewing undies. I still have the pair but I never wear them. I used fold over elastic on them and initially thought they were comfortable enough to wear but after a couple of times I realised I didn’t like them. They were too tight and the elastic irritated me. Back in January of this year the Rubyjam Fabrics Facebook group ran an undies sew-along where in a series of videos they made a pair of undies. At the time I watched the videos thinking I really should make them again this year. Prior to making these I went back and watched the videos again to refresh myself on how to do them and listen for any tips they had. By chance they made one of the patterns I tested out.
Over the years I have downloaded and purchased numerous undies patterns. There are a heaps of free ones online if you don’t wish to buy them. Undie patterns tend to be very similar but they are slightly different in the size, shape, fabrics and methods of construction. Finding the undie pattern that is right for you is like finding gold. I have scars on my hips and groin so didn’t know which pattern or style would be best for me as I didn’t know how my skin would feel in them. My biggest worry was that the seams would irritate my scars if done on the overlocker (serger)
For my 2nd attempt I decided to test out 3 patterns
Bunzies by Stitch Upon A Time Scrundlewear 2.0 by Stitch Upon A Time Quicker Knickers by Little Finch Sewing Patterns
The Stich Upon A Time patterns are purchased patterns, they tend to have a bit of a cult following. Scrundlewear is better known as Scrundies. The Little Finch Patterns was a free pattern which I think may no longer be available as I couldn’t find a link for it. Each pattern has various styles within that you choose depending on how high/low cut you want the leg holes and how high you want the waist to sit. You also have the option of using bands or elastic for the waist and leg openings. I was going to try the Kwik Sew pattern again that I tried the first time but I really wasn’t happy with how wide they were in the hip area even though I picked the bikinni style. For the fabrics admittedly I should have used the same for all 3 but I was quickly raiding my knit scrap box and found 2 cotton lycra fabrics and one cotton jersey knit fabrics. Cotton lycra has more hold to it, jersey is a little less structured. You can make undies in either fabrics.
When making a new undie pattern for the first time sizing can be an issue. If you go by your measurements you could end up with a pair that are very big so you may need to go down a size or 2. In the sew-along they suggested using your store brought RTW (ready to wear) undies folded in half as a guide to picking your size, you will need to take into consideration seam allowance. I took my measurements than held up my RTW undies to pick a size. My measurements which were Waist 42″ Low Waist 44″ (about 3″ below belly button) Hips 45″
Some people can make undies look nice in a photograph, I never can. Undies are full of curves and are stretchy, they don’t sit flat. After making them I tried each one out including wearing them with cloth pads and my verdicts are below.
Bunzies – Booty with knit waistband band and leg bands My measurements said I should make size XL but I ended up selecting size M. I used cotton lycra. I’m happy with the fit of these. They aren’t too wide in the hip area on the sides. I can’t feel the seams at all. They were a tiny bit tight the first time I wore them and overnight the seams did leave a marking on my skin. The 2nd time I wore them I had no issues so I think the fabric just needed to be washed a couple of times. Even though the crotch is wider than RTW undies the cloth pad had no problem fitting around snapping closed. Initially I thought the bands would annoy me as they are wide but again I had no issues. I had never worn undies with a band at the top but I found these very comfortable. The first wear I did think they rode up a little around the butt but the 2nd time I don’t think they did.
Scrundies – Brief with knit waistband band and leg bands My measurements again said size XL but I made size M. I used cotton lycra. Like with the Bunzies I was worried about the bands and hip area. Once again I had no issues with the bands. They are wider in the hip but not uncomfortable wide. I couldn’t feel the seams at all and they left no marks overnight. With the cloth pad the bands just kind of scrunched in a bit when I snapped the pad closed (as did the Bunzies) but these did it a little more. The bottom area didn’t ride up at all.
Quicker Knickers – Foxy (bikini style) My measurements said size 18 based on my hip but I made size 14. I just the jersey knit on these. They were comfortable but were more loose fitting. I think it was to do with the fabric not having the same recovery you get with cotton lycra. I wasn’t in fear of them falling down or anything. They left no markings on my skin. I had no issues sleeping in them. The cloth pad fitted the same as the others in the bands scrunched in a bit but with all 3 it never made it feel bulky. The width of the hip area was more inline with my RTW undies.
After testing out all 3 I think I need to make a few more before I finding my golden pattern and go crazy making all the undies. In all 3 the size I made was different to what the instructions said. The foxy’s I would like to make in a cotton lycra in the same size. The Bunzies I would like to try the full coverage version which has more coverage over the butt. The scrundies I was pretty much happy with that pair but I might make them in a cotton jersey to see if there is a difference. None of them irritated my scars even though they were all wider in the hip than my RTW ones.
My intention long term is to never buy RTW undies again and one of the reasons for trying them again is that my RTW ones are starting to become unwearable. Undies are a great scrap busting project providing a) You have the right type of knit fabric b) Your pattern pieces fit your scraps size It is seeming that I have a preference for cotton lycra for my undies. My knit fabrics box is mostly jersey scraps, I struggled to fit my pattern pieces on the cotton lycra scraps that I had as the scraps weren’t big enough to cut a front or back on the fold or even for the bands. I do have cotton lycra in my stash but I haven’t made a project with it yet so I don’t want to cut out a pair of undies from it first. On the Love To Sew podcast they mention having your favourite undie pattern on standby so when you cut out a project you can cut out a pair of undies as the same time from the scraps. Long term that’s how I want to make my undies. In terms of undies I am pretty boring and tend to go for neutral colours such as black, white, grey and cream. I am going to have to buy white and grey cotton lycra as I have none in my stash so once I settle on a style/s I can replace my RTW ones. Providing you can’t see them through the fabric I’m wearing I don’t care what colour or prints are on my undies. I do draw the line at Sesame Street though, I can wear a Sesame Street skirt but I can’t wear the undies.
I’m happy with attempt 2 of sewing undies. I have 3 functional pair of undies that will get worn. Attaching the knit bands was a good exercise as many of you who sew already know this but there is such thing as over pinning knit bands. Normally with bands I pin less than every inch but on these I only put in 8 pins per band and was able to stretch the bands and make them fit better. To be honest I never followed the instructions which were provided in each pattern but they were all done in the same way. Each pair has 3 seams (back of the undies and the 2 sides) In all 3 the lining piece in the crotch was left open at the front end. After the 3 seams are done the waistband and then the 2 leg bands (which holding the lining piece in place) are attached. I repeated the same step on each pair at the same time. They are a quick project.
As mentioned all my fabrics came from my scraps box. Making these my inner 2 year old was screaming “My Undies Match My Skirt!” as I went to bed wearing my heart ones “My Undies Match My Top!” No matter how old you are some days you do still get excited over your undies.
So if I had paid more attention to dates I would’ve posted this on the 4th May but I didn’t think of that. My bestfriend B hinted she needed a new bag and straight away I knew what to make her for her birthday with the perfect project in mind.
I mentioned in another post that my go to gift pattern this year is the Full Moon bag by All Well patterns. I love the circular shape of this bag and it is fairly simple to make in terms of bag making. In my stash I knew I had leftover Star Wars fabrics from previous gifts I had made B. When I walked into my craft vault the fabric gods were smiling and I was able to locate the scraps instantly. Knowing I wouldn’t have enough fabrics for the entire bag I teamed them up with black cotton twill from my stash which I again found very quickly.
I did modify the pattern slightly. Aside from again using cottons not canvas and putting interfacing between the layers to give it structure I added in tabs on the outside of the gusset to thread an adjustable strap through. Originally I had lobster claws on the strap to attach it to the rectangle bag findings on the bag. When hanging the bag was lopsided and it didn’t look right as the straps kept drifting to one end of the rectangle. Fortunately I had enough length in the strap so I removed the claps and threaded the ends of the straps straight through the rectangle pieces. The bag sat flush and there was no movement.
I used the Star Wars fabric for both in the exterior and interior sides of the bag and the pockets. The black print on the outside blended in with the cotton drill and it didn’t look obvious that I was short of fabric. On the interior pocket I did a line of top stitched halfway down it to split it into 2 sections so you could place keys or a phone in it.
When it came to binding the raw edges on the inside I attached the binding a little differently to my normal way. With binding I normally first iron it in half with raw edges together, attach it to the project with all the raw edges together and slip the the folded edge over all the edges to enclose it. This time I stitched the binding on flat aligning only 1 raw edge of the binding to the raw edges of the bag. Once it was on I folded the other raw edge of the binding over enclosing all the raw edges and slip stitched it in place by hand. I got a much neater finish this way.
Not knowing a thing about Star Wars I thought I would call this bag the Death Star because of the shape until I randomly quizzed B about it who informed me in Star Wars the Death Star was a bad thing so this bag is not the Death Star. I still have a small amount of the fabrics left so who knows what other projects I will come up with to use them up in.
Mr StitchNSew uses an electric wheelchair when not a home. He asked if I could make him a bag to hang off the chair to put things in if he wasn’t wearing a jacket or shirt with a pocket. I had never made a bag for a wheelchair before but challenge accepted.
When designing the bag I had a few things to consider:
Size of the bag
How to attach it to the chair
How it would be accessed
The fabric / colour
The chair has a bar on the side of it which holds the hand controller. I measured the free space on the bar to find the maximum width of the bag. I measured the length from the bar to the top of the wheels to see how long the bag could be without touching the wheels, this included any length added by the straps holding it. I had to work out an easy way to attach the bag so it could be removed easily if needed. Lastly I had to think of suitable fabric options.
I actually worked backwards picking the fabric first. Aesthetically I wanted the bag to look nice and be durable. Mr StitchNSew didn’t care about the colour as he just wanted a functional bag but I wanted a fabric which was in line with his tastes (simple and sophisticated) In my stash I found denim scraps leftover from my skirt last year. Denim is durable and is a classic look. With the measurements I had taken decided on a little box cornered bag that would be open at the top so you didn’t have to fumble around trying to open zippers or flaps. The bag is fully lined to add strength and give it more structure. I cut the bag pieces on the fold which meant I had to work out how deep to cut out the corner squares and then stitch the corners with a fold on the bottom edge. I did do a couple practice pieces first to test out the size of the corners.
For the straps I opted to attach it with snap closures. Mr StichNSew attaches all my snaps on projects so it was a way to get him involved in the making of his bag too. The straps are attached to the outside of the bag. My first thought was that the straps would thread over the hanging bar and be only on one side of the bag but when I tested it out by pinning the straps into place over the bar. I discovered the open bag hung out too far so the straps needed to have the closures on the opposite side of the bag. You can still easily access the bag and there is less chance it will get caught on anything.
One small touch I added was on the inside of the bag I attached a piece of fold over elastic which a pen could be clipped over, Mr StitchNSew always carries a pen so I wanted him to be able to access it easily.
Mr StitchNSew loves his little bag and I enjoyed the challenge of making it. I like to sew practical things and this bag was a practical solution to a problem we had.
Our new place never came with any window furnishing. Prior to moving in I thought I would like to make curtains. I don’t make a lot for home but I thought curtains would be nice. We only had 3 areas that needed curtains so how hard could it be. When we moved in I discovered exactly how big our windows were. They are all floor to ceiling and even standing on a step ladder I am about 1 metre short from reaching the top. We opted to get custom made blinds instead as I couldn’t risk me falling trying to measure and install them. I left Mr StitchNSew the task of organising them as I frankly I didn’t care what they looked like, I’m not into interior decorating or stuff like that. When they arrived Mr StitchNSew said he had a little sewing job for me, make tie backs to hold the curtains during the day. That was a job I could do!
I gathered the curtain together and measured around which was about 26 inches. I still haven’t unpacked my fabrics but I do have random pieces which were used in boxes for packing that are out. I found a fat quarter which is a mottled navy. The curtains have navy specs on them so I decided that was a close enough match. I was able to cut the 3 ties from the one fat quarter but I did have to piece together my strips. I cut them 3″ across the square. Once I joined 2 pieces to form a long piece I measured my 26.5″ from one end and cut them that way the join wouldn’t be in the middle of the strip and have a lot of stress on it.
As I was going to install a snap closure I wanted to interface the fabrics to make them a little more sturdy. I save all my interfacing / trace and toile scraps which are a usable size. In my scrap bag I found a square of interfacing that I was able to trace out 3″x13.5″ rectangles. It was just the perfect size. I laid the interfacing end to end on the fabric strip and pinned it into place so it didn’t move as I stitched up my fabric tubes which I then turned out and slip stitched close. I did my usual top stitching around the edge of 3.5mm. Mr StitchNSew is lord of the snap press so he installed the snaps for me.
I’m super happy with these. I’m not bothered that I didn’t make our curtains. I made useful items to go with them using materials that were in my stash.
For my charity bags this year I did make a few things to add into them.
Firstly were the sleeping eye masks. All the fabric and supplies came from my stash. The fabric used was leftover from another project, the elastic and binding were items I had on hand. A useful project made from stash items.
The second thing I made were infinity scarves from the leftover fabric of my Brickwork poncho. These are narrower than the infinity scarf I made for myself but I think are still a good size. They folded nicely to fit in the bags. The brickwork fabric has 3 colours in it – blue, gray and white. I realised I had the same shades of cotton yarn in my stash to match so I had to knit bangles to match the scarves! Knitted bangles are super easy to do. I love that I could make them match the scarves. I knitted myself a set of the bangles to match my poncho whilst I was making these.
I loved adding in handmade items into the bags this year. It is something I will do again for next years bags. I’m not sure what I will make yet, bangles for sure but as for other things I’m undecided at this time. I have 12 months to figure it out!
This top is another from A Beginner’s Guide To Sewing With Knitted Fabrics. I made this a couple of months ago and have made nearly all the patterns in the book now so I can’t remember which order I made it in.
This top is incredibly simple to make. It is a basic front, back, bands around the neck / arms and bottom hem. If you were a super speedy sewing master you could get this easily done in a couple of hours if that. If you were a beginner and wanting to pick a pattern to start on from the book I would recommend this top.
Fit wise I am pretty happy with it. I did make the largest size as I need to with all the top patterns in this book. The back is gaping a little but not enough to bother me. Perhaps I may take out some from the back next time but the fabric is a cotton knit so it more forgiving and less noticeable than other recent top patterns where I have had that issue. My sewing is a little bit dodgy around the bands on the neckline and one arm. I didn’t hand tack my fabric before attaching the bands on the overlocker so I did have to go over them in parts to correct bits I missed and my machine ate some of the bands in the process. I am lucky due to the nature of this fabric I can get away with as the print is busy.
This is a great essential little top. You could wear it under jackets or layer it under dresses, in summer this would look cute under a York Pinafore. I think it would make a great gym top, the neckline is high so you’re not exposing yourself as you bend forward. The side of top goes up nice and high under the arm so again you don’t have any side expose. It is not too high under the arms or around the neck that you feel uncomfortable or that it is choking you. I am very tempted to now make one in a black cotton lycra for summer gym sessions with my trainer when I am finding the peak t-shirt I made earlier this year and have been wearing to the gym to be a little bit hot and boxy in the warmer weather. I have no problem wearing a fitted top the gym as I am there to work out and not be a fashion show so as long as I am comfortable I don’t care what I wear.
The fabric used was leftover in my stash from when I made my skirt a couple of years ago, at the time I thought I would like to make a simple top with it so I could have entire outfit but in my cupboard it went and I forgot about it until I was “playing” in my stash one day and found it. I had just enough fabric left to squeeze this top out and that was with making the largest size. I really did fall in love with the print of this fabric when I first saw it. To be honest I haven’t really worn my skirt since I made it. No particular reason I just put it in my drawer and forget what I have made. Now that I have a matching top I think I will wear it more this summer. I can wear it to work as an outfit even though I will be wearing my work jumper over it because you will see a peak of the neckline under my jumper.
Looking at my points to consider when making clothes
Comfort √
Classic √
Creative / Quirky √
Natural Fibres √
It is super comfortable due to the fabric so ticking the comfort and natural fibre points. The style is very much a classic tank top that can go with any skirt so ticking that point. The fabric is a little different, pretty but in a non girly pink way so I think it ticks the creative/quirky point.
I am super happy with this top. Not only did I make another pattern from the book which I aim to sew my way through but I also made a top from fabric I had set aside waiting for the perfect pattern (ok and forgetting about) Sewing and decluttering working as one and giving me a fantastic outfit.
When I made Daniella I wanted to make a little blanket to go with her. My original plan was to crochet her one but the one I started with some scrap yarn in my stash looked terrible to I raided my fabric scrap stash and came up with this little blanket.
I have a basket of scrap pieces just under my ironing board. This project actually started with finding the back fabric first. I found a rectangle scrap of the flannelette paw print fabric in the basket and measured it over the doll. It fitted well so I decided to use this as the size blanket. The pink around the edge is part of the front boarder folded over and hand sewn in place to bind the edges. In between the 2 layers I placed a scrap piece of polar fleece to make it into a mini quilt.
In the basket I initially found a pile of the little aqua heart scraps that were offcuts from when I made a previous project, they were just bigger than a 2.5″ square so I decided to use them as the guide for my pieces. In the basket I also found pieces of the 2 grey bubble fabrics, these were perfect as the blanket was for the child that I used those fabrics in originally in. I love it when I can incorporate the same fabric into multiple projects for the same child. The other fabrics were from strips I found in the basket, I wanted to keep mostly pink to match the doll. I cut all the fabrics I found to a 2.5″ then played around to get them to fit the backing fabric nicely. I took a photo of the final layout on my phone to ensure that I stitched them in the correct order, thankfully I didn’t need to refer back to the photo as I got the order correct.
I am super happy with this little blanket as it turned out really well. The colours all match in with the doll and as a bonus I used fabrics from a previous gift for the child. The child can actually use this on the other toy I made her too if she wants. This project cost me nothing as it all came from my stash which was another bonus and it helped me declutter some of my scraps so everyone was a winner.
I thought my outfit was complete after I had made my top, skirt and cape but something was niggling at me. I had the leftover portion of the fabric left that had the paint markings on it, the fabric looked really useful and I didn’t want to throw it out as it seemed such a waste. My brain got ticking and I got experimenting.
I decided I needed a bag. The fabric was very drapey and lightweight which was great for the skirt and top but not so great for a bag. If I did a traditional bag where I cut pieces from the fabric I was going to have to stabilise it all and line it. In my mind I wasn’t happy with the type of bag I would get from it, plus I couldn’t cut around the paint markings so you would see them. After much pondering I decided to cut up the fabric into strips, sew them together and make my own fabric yarn. I attempted fabric yarn once before and it was a disaster so I was hoping it would work this time.
Original Fabric
Cut Strips
I cut strips of the yarn around ½ wide using my quilting ruler and rotary cutter. All up it was about 50cm of fabric that I cut. It was interesting to see where the paint markings were on the strips.
To join the strips I used a zig zag stitch on my sewing machine. I sit it to a width of 5.0m and length of 1.0. This width and length gave it a nice secure join.
My machine can sometimes eat narrow bits of fabric so I cut a length of tear away stabiliser and placed that on my sewing bed. I took each strip and overlapped the ends on the stabilizer and stitched across to join them. I chain pieced them just like you do when machine stitching multiple pieces at once when making quilt blocks. this way was really easy to do and sped up the process of joining them all. I joined the strips in a random order so some had paint markings on them some didn’t.
In the end I had a large length of cut strips which in a way reminded me of paper dolls. I trimmed each piece apart from the chain and removed the stabiliser. This was a little fiddly but a pair of tweezers and a thread catcher container beside me kept the mess under control. Once it was all trimmed up I rolled it into a ball.
To make it up I chained 37 and did double crochet stitches back and forth to form a rectangle piece. I first started with a 6mm hook but I wasn’t happy with it so I switched to a 6.5mm. I just keep going until the piece looked large enough to fold in half. To create the bag shape I folded it in half and did a single crochet stitches up the 2 sides so it formed a pouch. I then hand stitched a zipper in to close the top. My sewing machine would have had a heart attack if I tried doing this on it, it took no it took no time at all to stitch the zip by hand plus less stress. For the strap from scraps leftover when I cutout my clothing pattern pieces I cut strips and joined them in the same way as I did the bag. This time I divided the strips into 3 lengths so I could plait them. Using upholstery thread as it was thicker I hand stitched the strap to the bag. I left a length of fabric at each end for a tassel. The cut strips did shed a bit so I did place this in the dryer after I finished to take off any excess loose fabric.
This bag was complete experiment that worked. I’m really happy that it did. It combined my love of crochet and sewing so it is a very unique piece. I love that I have been able to turn fabric that would have else just been wasted into something that is usable. The paint flecks and the strip joins add interest throughout the bag.
stitchnsewcreates 