Knitting the Blues: My Sewing Mojo Is Rearing Its Head!

Today was a cutting day. I love when I have a day to stay home, plan and cut a bunch of things and then there are projects to sew on in the few minutes I have at home for the rest of the week. Among the things I cut today is the Swing Bag, yes I am probably the last one on earth to the Amy Butler party. That is me though, always the last to jump on the bandwagon, always one step behind the current trends. Whatever. (And yes, you Amy Butler enthusiasts, I know those fabrics are from different colorways, but again, whatever. I liked them and I'm going with that!)

This pattern called for 5/8 yard of two different fabrics, it will be a reversible bag. There is a reminder to purchase more fabric if you are going to be centering any motif, and I had purchased a full yard of each. The first fabric has a smaller pattern repeat and the centering was easily managed. The second fabric was purchased as a yard that was already cut and for sale as a yard cut in the store. I grabbed it and brought it home, which at first I thought was a mistake. Look here, see that large motif? Had I paid attention I would have had a piece cut that would have left plenty of space so it could be centered. There was a nano-second when I thought I would go purchase more fabric, but I can't get back to the fabric store before the end of the week and I didn't want to wait. After critical examination of the fabric I decide to try and center this part of it. It could work. And it did.

Actually, I think I like this even better. I'm especially charmed by the way the branchy, viney things that climb up toward the handle sections. It's almost perfect. Now, had this been a window treatment at work this next little snafu would never have happened, but see the very top of the design at the center? I so would have placed the pattern a little higher so the top of it wouldn't end up in the seam allowance. Crap. Well, even if the bag is reversible, it doesn't mean I have to reverse that hideous thing to the outside, does it?

Two hundred forty-one to go. Let the sewing commence!

July 2008