Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Using up my scraps

Our sewing teacher, mentor, supervisor, guru, wise woman is away for a few weeks so a few of us are trying to stick to the schedule and catch up each week to sew.

Last week we only managed to talk fabric, look at patterns and think about how best to measure and cut clothes that fit; but this week we are hoping to try to make a bag. Just a little project to keep us going till our class is back in the swing again.

I recently bought this book on Boro (The Boro Aesthetic by Jody Alexander) and was delighted to find inside a pattern for a quick little bag.

I have started accumulating a lot of fabric scraps, yet because they are so delicious I can't bear to throw them away - sounds a lot like me and paper.  So I thought the wee bag might be a good way to make use of some of them.

First up I laid a bunch of off cuts on the floor. We are asked to start with a 30cm x 120cm (12 inch x 36 inch) piece of fabric, so I decided to try and build my length of fabric up from bibs and bobs. Looked like I would have enough.


The pattern changed a bit as I went along - here is a progress shot; with the top half stitched and bottom half being planned.

I decided I really wanted it to look like a scrap bag so just sewed the fabric onto each other and let things fray, and kept as many beautiful selvedges as I could.


The bottom half bits in readiness.


Ah, the best part, the close ups of those edges.


and of some of those joins...




And then the finished piece of fabric.

Looks a bit different to the original plan; but it was a lovely organic process; putting something in, stitching it; responding with another piece and so on. Quite fun.


And now to see if I can turn it into a wee bag when we meet onThursday!

10 comments:

  1. i, too, like jody's book--and cool that you're trying out this bag form. i love the fabrics you're using here, they will look so good as a horn bag (or are you doing the bento? can't remember, it's been a while since i've made one.) glad your group is doing this, will you show us a group photo, pretty please?

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    1. Hi V it is a lovely book! And I would like to do more of the boro stitching; but of course, time. Hopefully we'll get all there finished bags together soon for a photo - it was fun!

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  2. Wow those are beautiful scraps, look forward to seeing the new bag!

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  3. So glad to know about this. I have Jody's book Keep and will look forward to adding her newest to my collection!

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    1. Definitely worth it I think Liz - lots of lovely imagery, ideas and suggestions...

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  4. This looks like a really delicious bag in embryo to me ... so organic ... makes me think!

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    1. It became a bag Margaret! IT is a very easy bag to make I must say...you would ace it!

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  5. The perfect palette and the perfect idea for using up the pieces. I'm sure the bag will be a delight but that beautiful rectangle also looks like it could be embellished with text or other things and made into a book wrap!I can see your embroidered writing on it... in rust or red thread...

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    1. So many ideas and I am already thinking about the next one Lesley! It has been fun and I do think they need a bit of stitching too...might go a'wandering along the bag with words...

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