Purse kick

So I guess I am on a purse kick now. This one is my first all leather purse. I often use leather trim but have never made an all leather bag.
This isn't a great photo so I will need to take more as soon as I can. The bag has a large front pocket with appliqued leather on suede. It is stitched with a straight stitch set at a 3 on my Husqvarna Mega Quilter. I had to leave long tails on all the interior shapes, pull through the threads and tie them off before cutting. Fortunately many shapes began and ended at the edge.
I tried to cut all of the shapes leaving the negative ones in undamaged condition. I am not sure if it will work, but I want to try using them as a negative applique.

Some handbags

I have been very busy with work sewing and no time for personal sewing, but NEEDED to make something else. I saw a purse style I like at Anthropologie http://www.anthropologie.com/ and tried to emulate the style. The purse is called "Flash-And-Fete Clutch" and I cannot seem to link directly to it.

This one is made from tapestry fabric and lined in a snake embossed synthetic suede. Licarrit from Artisan's Square used to have a tutorial on her blog, but I couldn't find it so I had to wing it.
It has a zipp closure and a snap to hold the flap down. I put a topstitched fisheye dart in the underside to encourage it to flip over. I used a heavy cotton fuse inside and it is very firm. I went softer on the next one.
I put a pocket in the back, using the same fabrics.

Then I had to go and get all applique-ish with the design.

This one is a bit shorter, more like the original from Anthropologie. I used a synthetic sude in turquoise over brown cotton. I did this as reverse applique, but didn't love the result so I satin stitched over the edges.
I was going to applique the entire front, but realized half the design would be covered by the flap, so I cut the piece and used part on the base and part on the flap. They kind of line up with a little gap between.


It is lined in Kasha sating and there is a banded pocket in this one as well. I interfaced every piece with a soft interfacing, but would go a bit firmer next time. It takes a few to get it right.
It seems a bit three bears-ish. The first was too hard, the second was too soft, perhaps next will be the baby bear one and be just right.

Just so I am posting something

I have been working as much as I can. Monday was the first day I actually felt better and Tuesday/Wednesday saw that trend continue.

I finished this dress today in order for it to be worn at the All Irelands in Killarney in the next week or so.

I had a great time adding rhinestones, especially to the sleeves. The dancer looked lovely in it as well, but I only have pics with her face in them so I won't post any yet.

Thanks

Thanks everyone, for your supportive comments. The keyhole surgery definitely IS much better than getting the big slice. I cringe at the thought of that again.
My mum has just left after staying nearly a week to help out. She is still going strong at 78. She got all my laundry caught up and left a well stocked refrigerator. Thanks Mum.
The little one is in daycare tomorrow so I hope to get some sewing done. I have someone arranged to take her there so no slipping on the treacherous walkways for me. I would like to keep these stitches where they are for a few more days still. Thanks David.
Many friends have dropped off something a meal or baked goods and or called to make sure everything is OK. Thanks everyone.
I do appreciate the help.

When it rains...

...it pours.
I am just back from hospital after undergoing emergency surgery to remove my gall bladder.
I hadn't a clue I had problems, but from the state of the organ it must have been flaring up for months. The surgery was laproscopic and took four times longer than the surgeon anticipated.
Now I have a drainage reservoir coming out from a tube on my side so I will not be fitting anything on myself for a while.
It is a good thing I have a few dresses booked.

latest

This one nearly killed me, might have saved me. They have just sent me the nicest email with this photo! The fit looks great. Yay!

Thanks

Thanks everyone, for your support. I am sitting beside the same window now with a blast of cold, fresh air on me. Funny thing is that I could smell something I associated with a cow barn and never put it together with gas.
I am desperately trying to get a dress completed. This is the dress that pushed me over the edge with the symptoms. Despite it being for a lovely girl and family, I will be glad to get this one done and gone.

Classical Gas?

This is an unusual post. I named the blog" Merry Patter" quite deliberately. It is a place to put happy thoughts and leave off descriptions of the outside pressures we all must deal with. I have a problem with depression in a mild way and I did not plan to write about that.
My posting has been sporadic for some months. I have been unable to cope in general very well. It took an enourmous effort to fulfill my contractual obligations regarding my work and just cooking supper seemed a daunting task. I have been exhausted, nauseous, befuddled and overwhelmed. I have been concerned about mental illness, brain tumours, Alzheimers disease. Testing didn't show any such thing. Anything at all in fact.
Part of this I blamed on my daily debilitating headaches. They have been very hard to cope with. I get migraines with barometric pressure changes, generally before it rains. Once the weather breaks, the headache does as well. With all the rain we had this summer, I thought that was the cause, but the headaches never broke.
Funny thing is that I didn't have them over Christmas while at my brother's house, but they started again when I returned home. I guess I should get away more.
My husband noticed a bad smell on our veranda on Thursday. I called the gas company who sent someone out immediately. Sure enough, there was a gas leak right outside a window about four feet from my computer caused by a faulty washer. He told me it had been going on since before summer (someone thought they could smell something last summer, but I couldn't smell it and didn't call the gas company). Once he fixed it he discovered another leak.
The window is generally open at least a crack even in bad weather to disperse the fumes from my adhesives. Natural gas is an asphyxiant. I have been depriving my brain of oxygen for months now. It has made it difficult to get my work done and then I would need to stay here longer to work on it, thus perpetuating the problem.
I haven't had a headache in days. It is a good feeling. I hope this means I can become productive again.
Thanks for all the comments. Ruthie- those were some good thoughts you put down about next time I can't focus, although I hope that being unfocussed in general will become a thing of the past from now on!

Whatever the heck I want

Sometimes I think I should just do whatever the heck I want. I never do though because there is always something I should be doing. The problem is that I then don't get anything done. Example- I have a custom order to complete. I want some distance from it, but don't want to get off schedule. I need to get it done.
Is it done? No. Have I worked on it? Not much.
What have I done instead? I have made tea, looked at the computer, spoken to two clients and one supplier, made tea, eaten chocolate, made soup, planned dinner and am about to go fetch yet another cup of tea.
If I had decided I would make myself a coat today I am sure I would have worked on that. In the end I have no coat and no dress and at $44/day for childcare I really should be getting something done.
Now off to get tea. The upside of all of this is that I will be unable to sleep tonight due to all the caffeine and able to catch up on the work I have missed.

Catching up post

Thanks everyone for your comments on my recent projects. I did not get to finish my tree skirt. It seemed pointless since we decided not to have a tree this year. My husband had to work over the holiday on ten hour shifts so the kids and I had a week with my Mum and brother and his family over Christmas. Maisie and I shared a room, occasionally with the Boy as well. Since then, she has been plastered to my side. This is the first break from her I have had and as much as I love her, I really need it!

I tried on the teal jacket yesterday and the fit is not too bad on the altered side. I will mark it, change the pattern, then sew it as is. Having some distance from it makes for a much more objective opinion.

Maisie received some Dora the Explorer slippers for Christmas. Here she is the first night after receiving them.

I made another hat for Maisie for Christmas, utilizing the time being driven to Niagara to embroider.

It uses the same basic pattern I made for the owl hats, but I didn't add the straps.

Maisie here is dressed up in her new fairy costume and turtle neck with some funky tights and her new hat (pre-tassels). There is alot going on here even before you add in the silly faces!

WHOOO doesn't love an Owl (Hat)?

I have been making these felted wool knit hats for a local boutique. Here is Maisie modelling one of them for me.

I purchased the knit at a great price and felted (or fulled) it in the washer/dryer.

The applique is in a wool felt and they are lined in polartec. The ears, braids and tassels are in a doubly fulled batch of the knit. Less stretch to it, but less chance of it pulling apart.

Teal Jacket, post 2

I am not liking this.
I have it all stitched and seams pressed. I was looking large in this so I put the side darts in. Still looked large, so I have made the darts even larger. Still not in love with it.
I am going to go the collar or edge trim and go back to the fitting. I don't want to overfit it. I have the sleeves cut and stitched, but not pressed. If I need to take it in any more I might need to change them so they have to wait as well.
The collar pieces are separate from the main body, unlike most shawl collars and they enormous! I will not be cutting them from the correct fabric yet. I want to muslin this separately to see what I will do.

On a more pleasant note: Maisie made me laugh today. She found a piece of black fur in the studio, picked it up and started calling "Blackie? Blackie?" as if it would answer her. Blackie is one of the cat's names. As much as I pretend not to like the cats I would never turn them into fabric!

Another teal jacket

I am working on a version of this jacket-Vogue 1147. I started it mainly because I needed some of the leftover fabric to make a custom ordered hat, like this one, but smaller.

The teal is a boiled wool/rayon blend. I want it to be like a sweater, so I am not sure if I will line it. I may not even add the collar on this one. If possible I would like to develop this into a TNT pattern and make several different versions of it.

In order to cut it out, I first needed to make a muslin. The measurements of the finished garment on the pattern envelope looked close, so I cut out a size F in a wool that I found too scratchy to use. The only alteration was that I shortened the length above the waist by an inch. It fit around at first, but wasn't flattering. I really looked like I had a barrel body.

The back is cut for a lot of curve to it. As a pear shape, I don't have as much bulk above the waist as below and not as much curve to my back apparently.

I pinned out the amount I thought it needed removed from the back and tried it on again. There still seemed to be a lot of excess under my arms and through the waist. As a plus size I am always glad to have something go around, but this as just too big through the waist. The bust was good, although not defined. The back did not dip into my sway. Both aspects are fine. I want a looser style, but still shaped somewhat to my curves. The pattern has a one piece side front and side back and I thought I would like the A-line shape in there. I played with all fitting seams, then finally added a dart where the side seam would be. It extends from just below the armhole, getting deeper toward the waist, then tapering out to the hemline again. This forms a more fitted sillhouette, but is not tight in any way.

At this point I have the teal cut out and the dart marked. I am going to leave it unsewn until the rest is together and have a look at what is needed in the actual fabric. It might be fine without it since every fabric acts differently.

Trying to show comparison

I took these before I finished the last few. All are embroidered and now I need to decide if I will be adding any more at top or bottom. I might just add a trim to the bottom edge and get it done.
Hmmm, there is that attitude coming through again!

Christmas Tree Skirt

I designed this tree skirt last summer and put it aside since I had so many other things to work on. Then, of course, I was in a rush and just wanted to get it done when I finally had time to work on it. However, I have learned my lesson in this area before. I did my basic satin stitching around the applique design of holly and ribbon, then let it ferment for a while while I thought about it.
Here is the basic stitching. The "ribbon" is in a deep red velvet, although it looks much darker in the photos
Two sections out of six showing how they will line up.

This is what I added after waiting a while. On the right there is a lime-ish green added to the top edges of the holly and the brown stem joining the brances. I am not sure if the pictures capture it, but it makes a big difference in real life.
This is the basic layout with all six sections. You can see that I haven't completed all the secondary stitching on all sections yet.
I will be adding rhinestones in red to form the berries. I just hope it gets done in time for Christmas.