While it's still (barely) cooler inside than outside & my daughter is doing something involving the exacting organization of every single one of her playmobil princess pieces (my son is at air-conditioned camp all day, lucky kid), I have seized the opportunity to sneak off to the sewing machine & try out one of the patterns I've been eyeing ever since Bend-the-Rules Sewing showed up on my doorstep, at approximately the same time it showed up on the doorsteps of every other craft blogger in the land, I'm sure. What a lovely book.
I'd consider myself to be somewhere around the advanced beginner level of sewing (I am a wicked hand at straight lines, but any sort of 3-d construction still throws me for a significant loop, though I do ok if I just follow instructions blindly & don't look until the end), also I have never sewn a lined bag before (I have stayed pretty far away from bags in general since I got a C on that stupid drawstring one in 7th grade home ec, & yes it still stings a little bit), & so I do confess that the fact that the Simple Tote pattern didn't tell me exactly HOW (or how far back) to square the corners or WHERE exactly to pin the straps gave me a moment, but I waded on in (muttering bend the rules, bend the rules under my breath) & am mighty happy with the results.
I've been looking for a project that would give me an excuse to stencil this plane of my son's (I am on an incorporating-kid-art kick right now), & this bag was surely it.
Up & away!
There are a few things I would, & will next time I make it, change: I loved the boxier shape as seen in the book vs. this sort of oblong one, plus maybe a smidge larger, but overall, I love this little pattern. Except, says my girl, the next one should be PINK.
The tote is really cute. I think I might have to get that book, since it seems I'm the only person on the blog-planet who doesn't have it yet.
Posted by: Anina | July 11, 2007 at 04:26 PM
i just posted about that book today too! your bag turned out darling - i love the plane and the pocket. so sweet!
Posted by: erin | July 11, 2007 at 05:18 PM
I really like how the tote turned out. The airplane is too cute.
Posted by: Robyn | July 11, 2007 at 07:57 PM
Love that plane! I just bought this book tonight and can't decide what to sew first...
Posted by: Jen | July 11, 2007 at 09:50 PM
So cute! I have yet to get that book, is it good ? Ps, its been tooo darn hot here in seattle!!
Posted by: colleen | July 11, 2007 at 11:06 PM
I love the bag, and I love the use of your son's artwork! Did you use a freezer paper stencil when applying it to the fabric? It's simply adorable.
Posted by: Leslie | July 12, 2007 at 09:20 AM
you bent the rules just beautifully...and I love J's airplane, its perfect!
Posted by: Blair | July 12, 2007 at 05:53 PM
Thank you ,it's really useful.
Posted by: pandora armband | August 31, 2010 at 10:52 PM