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:: December 31, 2006 Grocery Bag Dispenser Tutorial
I made and gifted a handful of these grocery bag dispenser-things to go with some more hot mitts I made from the Denyse Schmidt book. They are VERY easy and quick -- and so close in spirit to the toilet paper cozy-type grandma crafts that I hesitated drawing up a tutorial for them, but what the hey.
Prepare a rectangle of fabric, approximately 18" by 30". Mine is pieced. The measurements do NOT have to be exact by any means! You can also use dishtowels, embellish the right side as you wish with embroidery, ribbon, buttons, etc.
Fold in top edge, so that wrong sides are together, approximately 1/4" and iron. Again, measurements do not matter as long as it is even all the way across.
Fold over again to encase raw edge and iron down again. Do not sew top edge at this point. This will just make it easier to sew once it's in tube form.
Bust out some elastic. I do not measure the exact amount but you will need a length that measures at least the width of the body fabric to make things easy on you. This elastic is 1/2" wide, so I will need to fold the fabric in (wrong sides together) and press a little more than 3/4" to allow for a 1/4" seam plus room for the elastic. Again, you can eyeball this.
Sew in 1/4" from raw edge.
Attach a safety pin to end of elastic and feed through the tube you just made.
Sew the elastic in where it comes out the other end a little more than 1/4" from the edge, then trim the excess elastic off.
Bunch the fabric toward the edge you just sewed. Again, no measurements -- maybe down to about half of the unstretched width? Then sew in the other side of the elastic and trim.
Turn the fabric right sides together, pin (matching seams), then sew a 1/4" or so seam. Make sure top edge is unfolded.
Turn inside out (so the right side is now on the outside). Fold in along those creases you pressed in steps 2-3. Topstitch around the outside so that it catches the edge around the inside.
Make a handle for the top. For mine I cut a 2 1/2" by 17" piece of fabric, folded in half right sides together, turned inside out with a loop turner, then pressed again. You can also use ribbon for your handle to make things easier. Another option: Forget steps 2-3 & 10, leave top edge raw and bind with some bias binding, creating a loop on one side for hanging.
Pin one side of handle to inside top edge, turn to right side, and sew in. Repeat with other side. Finished! Now stuff the top with all those stray grocery bags and pull them out the bottom when you need one. This tutorial is also on Flickr. posted by in Finished Projects , Patterns , Sewing :: Comments (12) :: link :: March 14, 2006 A Fabric Order, and Some DSQ Thoughts
This haul from Reproduction Fabrics arrived recently. It was my first time ordering from them, and I can heartily recommend them. For one, they stock some Japanese imports that I haven't seen elsewhere, and some of these were discounted. The fabric arrived quickly. I had ordered two yards of the blue print up top there, intending it for some quilt backing, and they called me shortly afterward to tell me that they only had two smaller chunks of the fabric, and did I still want it? I got the message too late -- we're SO bad with checking our voice mail -- by the time I heard the message the package had arrived already, with an extra 1/3 yard to make up for the problem. Isn't that nice? --- Jane and Liesl have some recent posts on Denyse Schmidt that resonated with me. They talk about the disconnect of having patterns for DS's loose, improvisational quilting methods, likewise having a fabric line that is coordinated in a traditional fashion when her aesthetic is very much more serindipidous. I agree with both of them, but I don't mind the disconnect at all. I have been kind of bothered by the fact that I'm making two quilts out of the DS Quilts book and following the patterns almost exactly, down to the colors and everything. If you will allow me the pretention of quoting myself, here is a comment I wrote to Sarah a while ago in response to her post about a creative slump she found herself in: I've been feeling that way a lot lately -- that I should be doing more than just following other people's patterns. Especially down to the letter, with the same colors or quilting patterns or whatever, like I tend to do. Some I guess would define following patterns vs. improvisation/"coloring outside the lines"/making something original as the line between craft and art. If so, it's OK to "just" be a crafter, right? I'm telling myself that, anyway. I figure that it's still valuable for learning, and when I've gained enough of experience, my own ideas will come naturally I'll have the skills to make them reality. So yeah. When I started quilting, I had aspirations to do grand, improvisational things, but quickly found myself overwhelmed, paralyzed by options, and lacking the solid basic construction skills and/or courage to carry anything out. I bet that some people with the same level of experience have aspirations to do grand improvisational things, then go forth and do them. But for someone like me, the DS Quilts book, with its improvisational quilts distilled down to patterns, is perfect. By mimicking, I am learning things that I will be able to take into my own original patterns. Sure, I am ending up with what, as Liesl says, "a quirky, off-center quilt block which will match everyone else's quirky, off-center quilt blocks," but I love the original quirky, off center block so much that I wanted it for myself. Besides, I don't know anyone in my real life who is doing this kind of work, so I do think I am making something rare and great. In sum: sure there is a disconnect between patterns and the DS style, but having patterns provides a path that some of us need to take to get to a higher level of artistry. As for the fabrics: I guess I did expect a more eclectic line as well. Then again, read Jane's first paragraph. I sometimes wonder if the craftblog world gives us an inflated idea of the demand there is for the Denyse Schmidt/Heather Ross/vintage-retro-modern aesthetic. What do you think? posted by in Fabric , Patterns , Quilting , Sewing , Shops :: Comments (20) :: link :: May 30, 2005 Threadbared
Threadbared has one mission, and it is to ridicule old sewing and craft patterns. Like this one, about which I am speechless, but fortunately they are not:
posted by in Other Weblogs , Patterns :: Comments (2) :: link :: January 3, 2005 Battle of the Boatnecks
Free pattern: Arena Twisted Rib Raglan Pullover. Unfortunately the biggest finished size is 34" in the bust and I'm not smart enough to modify a pattern of this level. I'm just attracted to it because it's a boatneck raglan similar to the Hourglass Sweater, which I want to make. But, I haven't coughed up the cash for the book yet. posted by in Knitting , Patterns :: link :: July 29, 2004 Toots
Two great tutorials that have recently surfaced: Super Eggplant walks us through standard pillowcases and a Craftster shows us the way of the Zippered Pouch. posted by in Patterns , Sewing :: link :: May 19, 2004 Monmouth Cap
The Knitlist is abuzz with talk of the men's knitted hats on PBS's Colonial House. Apparently they're called Monmouth Caps, hearty things made in bulky yarn with what looks to be a double-knitted cuff. Someone already replicated one and put the pattern up for all to use. Here is some history behind the Monmouth cap. I have a skein of Classic Elite Gatsby that would be PERFECT for these caps, except there's not enough on one skein! Of course I could order more ... posted by in Knitting , Patterns :: link :: May 7, 2004 Recent Finds
Some interesting things I've come across recently: Paper Grocery Bag Baskets tutorial on Craftster. Keep the Faye: I recently acquired a "Choose Your Daily Disaster" magnet, and like the other goods too. Actual Size Graph Paper Generator -- makes graph paper (in pdf format) to fit your exact knittin' gauge. Knitted Fiestaware-inspired tea set from the upcoming issue of Interweave Knits. posted by in Miscellany , Patterns :: link :: April 2, 2004 Spring Knitty
Ooh, Spring Knitty. I am liking Bad Penny and Sueet. Lots of helpful information in the articles Knitting Patterns 101 (a healthy rant about knitting patterns that assume too much of the reader) and Breaking Away (about getting out of knitting ruts). posted by in Knitting , Patterns :: link :: March 27, 2004 Grace Ennis
Grace Ennis Knitting Patterns: Cool sock patterns created in the 1950s by a "pretty Bel Aire blonde." posted by in Knitting , Patterns :: link :: March 26, 2004 Gusseted Messenger Bag Tutorial
Gusseted messenger bag tutorial posted by in Patterns , Sewing :: link :: January 29, 2004 Interweave Knits Free Patterns
Some intriguing free patterns from Interweave Knits: Monk's Travel Satchel, a vintage-y capelet (crochet), and a wedding gown, which I might have tried for my 2002 wedding if I'd been able to start knitting it in like 1994. posted by in Knitting , Patterns :: link :: January 16, 2004 Elvis Wig
Knitted Elvis Wig Pattern. This opens up a whole new world. The possibilities for wig knitting are endless. posted by in Knitting , Patterns :: Comments (1) :: link :: January 14, 2004 Flapper Hat
On the future projects list: Flapper Hat by MLM Inspirations posted by in Knitting , Patterns :: link
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