A Duffel Bag for Travel

You may recall that, on my last birthday, my daughters and I stopped at one of my favorite local fabric stores. DD1 found a small-ish piece of home dec fabric (only 1-1/2 yards) that called to me. It featured oversized dots on a dark brown background.

I have a weekend retreat coming up this month, and I really need a roomy overnight bag. (Something better than packing my clothes in a grocery bag!)

A few people have suggested that the Koos bag that I made is ample enough to be a weekend bag, but not the way I pack! I use my Koos bag as a purse.

At first I considered using a pattern, but I realized that none of the patterns I saw made a duffel of the size I wanted. I had the idea of using as much of the fabric as possible. I wanted both external and internal pockets and straps that went all the way around the bag. I also wanted the bag to be lined, making it easier to create multiple inside pockets.

I ended up designing my own bag, combining techniques from a Zipper Pouch class and a Tote Bag class. If such a class is not available to you, I really like The Bag Making Bible: The Complete Guide to Sewing and Customizing Your Own Unique Bags.

The finished bag is quite large at 14" by 14" by 28". It features two external pockets, located on either side between the straps, and four internal pockets: 2 zippered pockets and 2 3D elasticized pockets. I used both sides of the home dec fabric, which is a brocade. The front side is solid brown with polka dots, and the back side features stripes with polka dots. I used the striped side for the external pockets and the "end caps".

I developed the 3D pocket with elastic when I made my artist smock. I used these pockets in multiple sizes on DD1's bed caddy.

I'm happy that I sewed this fabric up before it aged out in my stash!

If you are interested in the gritty details, here are the supplies and cutting info:

This assumes 1/2" seam allowances for most of the bag. The pockets use 3/8" S/A (or so).

Finished bag: 14" x 14" x 28".

• Bag Outside - from each fabric (home dec, batting, and lining) cut:
  • 1 pc: 57" x 29"
  • 2 pc: 15" x 15" (for the 14" end caps")
• Outer pockets - from each fabric (home dec and lining) cut:
  • 2 pcs: 12" x 12"
• Handles - from each fabric (faux leather (or similar) and batting) cut:
  • 1 pc: 4-1/2" by 156"
• Inner zipper pockets - from lining (or similar), cut:
  • 2 pc: 18" x 24" (I used muslin)
  • 2 14" zippers
• Inner 3D elasticized pockets - from lining, cut:
  • 2 pc: 12" x 23" (two of the corners on the long edge are rounded off w/ a coffee cup)
  • 2 pc: 2" x 46" (cut on the bias or out of a knit, includes a bit extra that can be cut off)
  • 2 pc: 3/8" elastic - 19" long

For the batting, I used Pellon Fleece. I attached it to the home dec and faux leather fabrics using Dritz spray adhesive. When sewing the faux leather straps, I used the Teflon foot on my sewing machine. This made the task much easier, but I still broke 4 sewing machine needles when sewing the straps to the bag, due to the extreme thickness of multiple layers.

Review - Ultimate T-Shirt Craftsy Class

I just completed watching my first Craftsy class! I've been late-to-the game, as far as Craftsy goes. But Katherine and Marcy Tilton have just released a class on Craftsy called The Ultimate Tee and I decided to check it out.

This class, which consists of more than 3 hours of instruction (over 9 lessons), is a great primer on how to sew knits. I know many sewists who are very intimidated by knits, and Marcy and Katherine are real experts on this topic. Included in the price of the class is Katherine's zipper-neck t-shirt pattern, Vogue 8793.

The class begins with a survey of different types of knits. The Tiltons explain which types of knits are easier to sew, which are "medium" difficulty, and which are the hardest to sew. They talk about pre-treating the fabric and how to care for the completed garment. In lesson 3, they cover issues related to fitting the pattern at the tissue stage, starting with how to measure the pattern. They cover how to pin fit the pattern tissue so you can work out any major fitting issues. (Additional tweaking of the fit happens in a later lesson.)

Lesson 4 is the construction lesson, starting with how to cut out the tee. The recommended type of seam and recommended stitch length are discussed, as well as thread type, needle type, and seam finishes. The importance of stay stitching the neck (and how to minimize distortion), how to stabilize the shoulders, and how to lower the neckline, are covered. The next two lessons include two techniques for sewing the neckband. First, Katherine shows her wrap-around neckband and then Marcy shows a classic binding technique. Both teachers focus on how to sew a binding that will fit the curves of the neck and not hang loosely or pull too tightly.

After the neckband sections, Katherine talks about how to refine the knit of the tee, once it's partially constructed (but before the sleeves have been added or the side seams sewn). Then Marcy shows her easy technique for setting in a knit sleeve, and how to press the armscye. I should add that Katherine and Marcy have different preferences for some aspects of construction, and they clearly explain the differences, why, and encourage you to choose the best technique for you. Katherine leads the last lesson, which discusses how to finish the t-shirt. She discusses various hemming techniques and shows both her favorite technique, and Marcy's.

For the last 10 minutes of the class, Marcy and Katherine host a trunk show. They pull from a rack of creative and artistic tees they have made and share info about each one: what interesting techniques were used, how they combined different weights of knits or different prints, how they changed the hem/side seam shaping, the use of stripes - how they varied things up. I love this section.

I should add that neither a serger, nor a coverstitch machine, are required for this class. (I do not own a cover stitch machine and often sew knits without a serger.)

Even though I am an experienced with sewing knits, I learned some useful nuggets. An "a ha" moment for me was Marcy's technique for transferring the pin alterations to the front and back of both side seams. (I have always found this step to be a pain.) Sprinkled throughout the class, they have included all sorts of useful tips, such as "how to tame a rolling edge". I find that this is often how I learn - even one or two tips can make it worthwhile.

If you have never taken a Craftsy class, you should know that you can ask questions in each lesson. You can also see the questions that other students have asked, as well as the responses from the teachers or from other students. I noticed that Katherine and Marcy are very actively answering the questions and, in some cases, going into lots of detail.

As I watched the class, I found myself obsessed by the adorable iron that Marcy and Katherine are using. I did some sleuthing and discovered that it's a Rowenta DW6080 Eco-Intelligence Iron 1700-Watt Steam Iron with 3D Stainless Steel Soleplate.I really love my Reliable V100 and don't need a new iron, but this is soooo cute! If you own this iron, or have used it, I'd love to hear your review.

Wow, it's Friday! I have a lot of sewing I'd like to get done this weekend, but we'll see how much I accomplish. I hope your weekend is a good one!

Free Vintage Pattern Drafting ebook

Would you like a very cool, vintage pattern drafting book in ebook form? And it's free?

Head on over to the blog, The Perfect Nose, and you can download it. It's a PDF file, so you can view it via any app (eg, Preview on the Mac, or Adobe Reader) that can view PDF.

I leave you with a photo that DD1 sent me a few days ago. It makes me smile.

Technique - Inserting Jumbo Zippers

Here's a short and sweet tutorial for inserting an exposed zipper into the hem of a garment. In my case, I put zippers in the hem of a pair of jeans, and also created front angled zipper pockets.

The zippers I used were 1.5" wide and 7" long - the zipper teeth are 3/8" wide. I decided that I wanted to expose 1" of the zipper.

Before you begin, make sure that you have the hem length worked out. Once the zipper is in, it will be *very* difficult to make the hem shorter, for example.

• Change the order of sewing so that the side seams are completed before the inside leg seam, if you plan to place the zippers on the side seam. Top-stitch the seam if desired. The zipper will be inserted while the leg is flat, before the inseam is sewn.
• Using a scrap of muslin, draw the zipper opening onto the muslin. The zipper was 7" long, but I drew the vertical lines 8" long, to accommodate a 1" hem. Draw another vertical line, exactly in the center of the first two lines. This is used for positioning the zipper opening onto the garment.

• Lay the muslin on the outside of the garment. The raw edge of the muslin is aligned with the raw edge of the garment. You can place the zipper wherever you want, but I wanted it on the side seam. Align the center line on the muslin with the side seam and pin in place.

• Set the stitch length on your machine to a short length, and stitch around the three edges of the outline. (If you've ever made the window for a welt pocket, the process is similar.) The picture below shows both pant legs, one on top of another.

• Cut down the center of the "window", angling to the corners. Trim away the excess fabric.

• Press the seams open and turn the muslin to the inside of the pant. Thread baste into place.

• Pin the zipper into place, making sure it is centered in the opening.

• Put the zipper foot on your machine and top-stitch into place.

• Remove the thread basting and hem the pants as normal.

The process for inserting the zippered pockets was similar. In that case I drafted a pocket bag and put the pockets in at a 60° angle.

Before adding the pocket bag

More About Vogue Sizing

I want to talk a bit more about a subject I brought up in my Open Letter to Vogue Patterns post. This post is thanks to Anne, who commented on my pants post. In her comment, Anne wrote:

" My hips are now 34", which is a size 4 in the Big 4. Most patterns do not even go down to a size 4. "

I don't understand - 34" hips are between an 8 and a 10 in Vogue patterns.

Bless you, Anne!! When I read your comment (and at least one other person mentioned this too, but I couldn't find her comment), I was perplexed. I grabbed one of my Vogue patterns and, yup, a 34" hip is between a size 8 and a size 10, according to the Vogue chart.

It took me a minute to realize what happened, and why I wrote what I did. And then I was totally delighted!

I was delighted because this PERFECTLY illustrates the point I was trying to make about the sizing of the Big 4 (Vogue, McCalls, Butterick, Simplicity) patterns.

In these patterns, I do NOT choose my pattern size based on my body measurements. If I did, it would often result in a too-large garment, because they use so much ease.

Let me illustrate how I got to a size 4 from a 34" hip. Two of my favorite recent pants patterns are Vogue 8859 and Vogue 8837. These are, respectively, Marcy Tilton's and Katherine Tilton's skinny pants. I love them and made both last year. I ordered a new copy of each pattern because of my size change, as I had chopped up my original copies. (If I pay $20 for a pattern, I trace it off. For $3, I cut it up.)

When I open up the pattern tissue of a pattern, I first look for the finished measurements that they usually print ON the pattern tissue. I dearly wish they would put this info on the envelope/website so you would know before you order. (And, by the way, it's good to double check this measurement, because it can be wrong.)

For Katherine's pattern, the finished hip measurement for the size Small (size 8-10) is listed as 36". For me, that is more ease than I want in a skinny pant made with a stretch denim. I want zero ease. A size XS (4-6) is listed as 34" at the finished hip.

Before my recent weight loss, my hips measured 36" which, according to Vogue, is a size 12. However, I routinely made my Vogue pants in a size 6 or 8, because there was so much ease built into the patterns.

Also, if you are wondering why I always list my measurements and my sizes on my blog posts, let me tell you why. It is because I am, fundamentally, a very lazy sewist. I do not keep a record of these things, outside of my blog. I list them because I often go back to my posts to check these details. It's not about bragging, because I don't think many people would brag about a 32" waist. ;)

So, THANK YOU to Anne for pointing this out! These days I have the memory of a gnat, so I had already forgotten about the process I go through for choosing my size, which is based on finished measurements of the garment. I know how much ease I want in a t-shirt, or a blouse, or pants, so I can make a more educated decision when choosing a pattern. The faster you learn how much ease YOU want in a pattern, and understand the large amount of ease that the Big 4 pattern companies use, the more quickly you take the power into your own hands on fitting your garments.

I am eager to write some other posts for you, but I am also eager to sew. It's a dilemma, I tell you. I am working on a weekender sort of bag. I am going on a retreat soon and I need this, but I am feeling the pull to make more clothes. It's a pickle, given that my time is somewhat limited by work and other obligations. ;)

Hot Date Jeans!

Sometimes, the sooner one accepts that one is a freak and gets on with it, the better.

I accepted this fact a long time ago.

With my recent weight loss, I have found myself pining for pants that fit me. Really fit me and that do not swim around my backside. People will say to me, without much sympathy, "just make some!"

If it were only so easy. None of my TNT patterns fit me any more. I have "measured out" of most pattern lines. My hips are now 34", which is a size 4 in the Big 4. Most patterns do not even go down to a size 4. I have tried a couple, but they have a "trouser" like fit through the rear - in other words, they loosely skim the derriere region.

I do not want a trouser like fit, with no butt definition. I want a jeans-like fit. I used to go down a size in the back for a better fit, but I can't do that anymore, at least not in most patterns.

I have become a butt-less wonder. Woe is me.

Finally, out of desperation, I bought two pair of jeans on ebay. I went to the store to figure out what size I now wear in the Not Your Daughter's Jeans brand. The size 0 fit me through the hips, but I could not zip them over my ooshy-gooshy belly. Because, you see, if you have a 34" hip, you are supposed to have a 25" waist. My waist is somewhere around 32", depending on the time of day and how snugly I'm pulling on the tape measure.

In the end, I compromised on a size 2 in the NYDJ brand. These are still a bit roomy through the hip, and they also throttle me in the waist. It's nothing I can't handle, but it's not the most ideal situation.

So I decided to give the Jalie Jeans pattern another try, mostly because of the enormous range of sizes they come in. Back when I last made a pair, a couple years ago, I had traced off a size V. According to their chart, my hips are now a size Q.

That is a childrens size. The size of a 13-year-old, if you believe their chart.

Hence the freak comment.

My waist is between a size U and W on the Jalie chart. That is no problem, of course, but just a matter of a minor alteration, of several pattern pieces.

I traced off a size Q, enlarged the waist and all of the corresponding pattern pieces (mostly pockets), straightened the lower leg to remove the boot cut, grabbed some pink denim and some printed denim, and my plans for Memorial Day weekend were complete.

I first made the pink jeans. For these, I used a straight leg, but otherwise followed the pattern as designed. Wait, that's not quite true. Instead of an actual zipper, I used a mock fly and an elastic waist. Now, I know many of you scorn the elastic waistband. And if you have a waist that is several inches smaller than your hips, I understand why. But if, like me, you have a 1" or 2" difference between your waist and hips, an elastic waistband makes a lot of sense and doesn't add bulk. Believe me in this and do not scorn me.

Working on the front pockets
and the back pockets

I have to thank Margy for this excellent denim, sourced from Emma One Sock. It was listed as red stretch denim, but when it arrived, Margy didn't feel it was her red, so I gratefully inherited this lovely fabric. It it such a light red, that I call it pink, though it's more like a soft strawberry red.

I was pretty happy with these jeans, so I went back to the pattern and created a more tapered leg. For the second pair, I wanted to change things up. I wanted to use some big, bold zippers I had found locally and a wild printed black-and-white denim. (I'm not positive, but it may have come from Emma One Sock, but long ago.) I wanted to make this pair more tapered, with angled front zipper pockets and zippers at the hem. I had pinned some pants to my Pinterest Jeans board for inspiration.

This pair sewed up quickly. I had to change the order of construction around, due to the zippers, but it was not difficult.

I just love these jumbo zippers! I wish I could get more of them. They are 7" long, 1.5" wide, and the teeth are 3/8" wide.

I plan to create a tutorial showing how I inserted the zippers into the hem.

Oh, you probably want to know, are these jeans really for a hot date? No, I was joshing you. I did wear them tonight, but it was to an event at DD2's high school - she was giving her senior project presentation. Afterwards, a friend and I went out for dinner. A fun evening, but hardly a hot date. :)

Blogger Meetup - Fare Thee Well, Amy!

Thanks to Britex for the photo!

You know that I love me a good blogger meetup! And this was a great blogger meetup, though the occasion is a bit sad.

Amy, of Sew Well, has abandoned our fair city and escaped to northern climes. I hear that she wanted to be closer to Puyallup and the famous Sewing Expo. Or she is tiring of temperate weather and seeks a climate that requires more layers of clothing with opportunities to sew a larger wardrobe. Or maybe she just wanted to follow her husband to his new job.

We may never know the full truth.

The worst part is that it means we must now be deprived of one of the nicest sewists (and people) that you could ever meet.

Because Amy is a natural born organizer (and I am not), she arranged a farewell get together. Britex graciously offered to host a blogger gathering, complete with champagne toast.

After leaving Britex, we repaired to a local wine bar, for more bonding.

It was a great meetup! I have been lucky enough to attend all of our meetups since the first one that Beth, of Sunny Gal Studio organized a couple years ago.

Both Jillian and Beth have already done a great job of recapping the evening, but, I have to say, we just about closed down the wine bar with our amiable chatting.

Yes, the window of the All Saints store, next door to Britex, is full of antique Singers.

It is so nice to be among one's own kind! I think that Kelly summed it up well when she said that it's rare to be in a group of people, and mention something, like the "Colette Sew Along", and people understand what you mean!

Amen, sister. Amen.

Vanessa and I are deep in conversation. (Thanks to Jillian for this picture!)

I am very grateful for my sewing community, both in person and online. At least I can continue to keep up with Amy's activities through her blog. And, one of these days, I just may make it up to Seattle and I will have a sewing friend locked and loaded.

I also want to link to all the bloggers:

• Bottom row:
  • Beth of Sunny Gal Studio
  • Jillian of Jilly Be Joyful
  • Jean of j.kaori sews
• (Behind Jean and Jillian) Kelly of bennomusik
• Next row:
  • Rebecca
  • Vanessa
  • Elisabeth (in the blue sweater) of e-bethknits
  • me
• Top row:
  • Amy of Sew Well
  • Veronique of verte-adelie
  • Geana, our Britex hostess
  • Erin, of Seamstress Erin
  • Laura Mae of Lilacs and Lace

(Thanks to Jillian for this picture!)

Amy, may you find a warm and welcoming community of sewists and bloggers in your new city. I wish you all the best!