Project Completions

 SO, I got some projects to finish from my Mom. This is a giant bag to carry her sewing machine in. 

I can see why she set this aside. The edges weren't going straight and the parts were slipping around and it was just not a good situation.

SO I trimmed it up quite a bit. Then I knew I'd struggle with the two layers slipping around too. What to do, what to do? Aha! I decided to quilt the layers and then carry on.

I just used my big yard stick and made chalk lines to follow. The layer of heavy nylon and the layer of foam padded liner went together great!

It cam out really good. I trimmed the size down quite a bit, but it's still going to be a pretty big bag.

And here it is! I made the big outside pocket with an adjustable strap to hold the embroidery module. 

SHe had the webbing for the handles, there was just exactly enough!

I used some scraps of fabric to make the flap and to bind the upper edge of the pocket too.

I love how it cam out! It is pretty darn big though!!

The other project is a rain cape. She had a pretty good start on it too. It was a little bit too big though. SO I trimmed off the seams and took in in about 12 inches overall. 

I had never sewn this laminated fabric before. It went very well, It helps when you have the vinyl sides together and are sewing wrong side out.  I got the hood fitted on and made a drawstring for it. I also finished the arm hole openings. I added plastic snaps to the front and it's shaping up pretty well!

Then I used cotton fabric to make binding for the bottom edge, it gives it a nice finished look. It should work perfectly on rainy days when she needs to carry stuff and manage her cane too. 

SO those projects are done! Now to work on that star quilt that's been waiting for over a year now. I think it must be covid stars!!

Fix it Time

 So, the microwave oven stopped working. It turned on but the turntable didn't turn and there was no heating up happening. So I googled what to do, and it seems like there is a door switch that is bad and can easily be replaced...if you believe the youtube folks. Well first thing is the screws on the cover of the microwave are this unique kind. They have a bump in the middle so I had to go find the proper tool. It only took me two trips to the hardware store to get the right bit!

The T20 size was the right one...who knew?!

Here's what it looks like inside the microwave.

 And here's the switch that might be bad...well I watched the youtube video again and I was supposed to check the current before I removed it...ooopsy, so I poke it back in there......

 And guess what? It worked. The switch must have been loose or something because when I put it back together it worked just fine! Well how about that!!

 The other thing I fixed, well finished, was this-it was a project in a nice plastic bin that Mom started...I'm guessing in 1982...when I moved her sewing stuff around, I came across it.

There wasn't a pattern with directions with it, but it looked like the pieces she had cut out it was going to be some kind of tote bag. So I just made my own idea of what it should look like. Shae had the top bottom and four sides cut out of the quilted on both sides with coordinating  fabric and she had lining parts out of rip stop nylon.

And here's what I came up with. A cute picnic kind of bag with a zipper on top and lines with the nylon fabric. It could also work for swimming suits or damp stuff too.

 I think it's pretty cute, and there's nothing better looking than a finished project!!

The Reversible Adjustable Bag

Craft Passion
had a nice looking tote bag on their blog the other day. I like the curve style on the top. Well the blog is pretty much an attempt to translate from some kind of Asian language into English. Not the best when trying to follow directions. 

"Make a snip on the seam allowance 1″ below seam (b). Remark: I reserved 1″ seam allowance for (b), but I trimmed it to about 1/2″ later.
Fold in the side seam and press. Top stitch near side edges (a).
Slot in square ring either on tote side of lining side, with right side facing, sew alone seam (b)."    I don't have a clue what she's talking about but I'm pretty smart, haha... I mean it's a bag not an evening gown.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

I don't have square rings, but these D rings ought to do fine.

 To use up the scraps I think I'll make the inside pocket shaped like the curve at the top...YAY! no more scraps.

The original tutorial makes a big deal out of making these ring tabs match the reversibility of the bag. I'm just not that picky!

But here's a reversible ring tab. Oh Boy...whatever.

And a finished bag. Took about an hour, not too bad. I like the strap tie idea best.
Drafting the pattern from the tutorial's drawing is not a good thing. It's pretty obvious that the tutorial's strap is a lot longer than  the 40" it says on the PDF page.  But it's a pretty good idea anyways and I got rid of the last of that print fabric!

 I better stop putting it off and get the SFO work done now. .