Trial and error it seems

 I wish that every time I posted there was something wonderful to share - some achievement, completion or brilliance. But of course that is not life.

Instead the blog is receptacle for, and record of, my thinking, my working, my testing and my process, and this is a classic example.

I am trying to sew a small linen pouch.

I decided I wanted to draw some threads on the front of it; and spent quite a while happily tugging and drawing and creating random 'stripes'. So far on track.

The sewing machine played up a bit as I sewed the seams - partly because the needle occasionally landed in one or more of these gaps and got a bit caught up and messy. I also decided that I wanted these seams to be really neat; so I was doing French seams which made me feel quite flash.

And then I got to the turnover and the channel for the drawstring, and I came seriously undone.

It intrigues me how hard it is for me to see far enough ahead with sewing to know what is needed and how to achieve the outcome I want. Being a bit kinder to myself, this tricky problem solving may have just been a bit too much for this overloaded brain right now.

I had elected a bunch of possible drawstrings, and assembled a bunch of drawstring pouches to see how to get what I wanted. I watched YouTube videos about sewing drawstring pouches, and still I couldn't sort it in my brain.

I sat and stared at it a lot.

The top bag is what I was trying to do; the bottom grey bag is what I managed.  I was trying to get that gap in the vertical seam as part of the drawstring channel. What I ended up with was a gap in the horizontal turnover sewing.

I thought I could work it out when I got there, but it appears I can't, so it will be back to the drawing board for me.

It may be trickier because I was doing French seams, and maybe the seam in the turnover needs to NOT be a French seam, just a plain, ironed flat seam. But I remain a bit bewildered and will let it sit and percolate for a bit and return soon with fresh eyes.

So apart the abject failure of this project to date; there is this. Our gardenias are in full magnificent bloom and these buds found their way into our rusty nest with blue glazed ceramic eggs and all is well once more.

And we had breakfast with a friend at the cafe this morning - the mountains are still there and I love them in their soft and moody greys...