Apr
22
Happy Earth Day.
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Here at Farm Chez Bontje, we try to celebrate Earth Day every day. Practically that is - not the “way out there” back to the earth way.
We do things like hang up the laundry. Here in the country it is what you do. I can’t understand cities or condo’s who ban clothes lines in subdivisions. Even Toronto is considering changing those bylaws. I read somewhere that the City of Toronto Toronto Hydro is handing out 1500 40foot clothes lines this month. Yay them! I understand that they finally realize that a. clothing hung on a clothes line smell fresher and b. do not shrink as much as clothes dried in a drier. hmm
But on to my point- I want a new clothes line. Take a look at the one I saw demonstrated at our local Home and Garden show last weekend.
Hopefully this YouTube link works. http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=i4RLDKKdoQQ I will admit that you have to spend $135.00 in order to save the $30.00 you can save in energy, but it is sooo CUTE!
UNCLE - I give up! just go to YouTube search for CORDOCLIP, and I promise you that you will be amazed. Go on. Do it. I dare you!
Apr
18
The Handbag is Fini!
Filed Under purse, sewing | 32 Comments
In case you did not see the review on PatternReview, here it is.
Pattern Description: 300 mm Square “Snap” handbag. From the website - “This little framed bag is a bit retro, and EXTREMELY cute.” Nicole Mallalieu Design is a company in Australia. Before discovering this website I had not heard of her before, but I do now see mention of her handbags(always a postitive mention) on other blogs. http://www.nicolemdesign.com.au/
Pattern Sizing: None - well actually the frame is 300 mm (11.75 inches). The finished size is about 40.5 cm (16 inches) wide by about 14 cm (5.5 inches) tall.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Exactly. Even to the EXTREME cuteness!
Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes and no. The instructions were VERY detailed. There are so many instructions in fact that the first words are “Don’t Panic”! There are instructions on how to use the instructions!
I read them through first which was both a good idea and a bad idea! While it gave me a basic understanding of the order, it was getting a bit overwhelming reading! I mean 20 pages of instructions is a lot! There were a few “Huh???” moments, but really when I got into the actual construction, it fell together nicely.
The pattern pieces are well marked - perfectly marked in fact, and there are even instructions on how/where to mark the pattern pieces- ie on the right side, on the wrong side etc. This was an excellent part of the instructions as it prevented one from unnecessary marking or losing them.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I fell in love with the pattern the second I saw it. I was cruising round the net, looking for how in the world to use the handbag frames I bought in NYC. I found Nicole, we emailed back and forth a few times and 2 weeks later I had a pattern. And 2 frames. And one whole kit- which I used to make the first one. I decided to buy the kit as I wanted to see what materials were used. I had never made a handbag like this before. I adore the shape, and the ease of putting it together. The markings were in exactly the right place every time.
Dislikes - NOT A ONE!!
Fabric Used: For this one - a bronze-y alligator leather that I picked up in NYC on PR Weekend. Sewing it was a brute at times! I used some bronze lining that I had stashed. The contrast handle was also stash.
Construction Details: Construction was straightforward. All of the seams are straight seams and sewing in the corners, while a bit finickity, was not difficult. Working with leather generally requires a Teflon or roller foot. I used to have a teflon foot, but it ran away from home and never came back. So I got ingenious (and cheap) and ran out to our workshop where I stole the roll of Telfon tape and stretched some onto one of my regular feet. That worked well! It had to be replaced occasionally but still cheaper than a teflon foot. The materials list for this project included 40 cm by 11.5 cm of main fabric. I had about 4.5 square feet of leather (leather is measured by area). This amount was sufficient- barely! One ingenious tip in the instructions was to handsew a narrow cord on the the top seamline where the body would be inserted in the frame. This was to add stability and boy, did it ever help! To construct the leather straps, I cut the leather strips so that when folded in half they would overlap a titch. I first glued them down, left them overnight then topstitched. I hand stitched them on to the rectangular rings (um- can rings be rectangular??) and then glued narrow strips of leather around where they were stitched. I would like to add a metal snap or something there - but I have to first find what I am looking for.<
For a hard base I used some corrugated cardboard (I actually cut up one of my husband’s election signs, but what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him! I’ll just tell him that I wanted to carry part of him with me!)
I was worried about the part where they have you put the body in the frame. “How the heck was this going to work”, I wondered. It went together surprisingly easy. I put some glue in the channel of the handles, made some markings on the purse and on the frame to make sure things lined up, grabbbed a dull knife and started - well- stuffing! It fit beautifully with no swearing and the cording really made it fit well. It was suggested that I could crimp the edges of the frame, but I found no reason to do so- it is very secure. I wiped up the excessive glue, and had a To-Die-For handbag. Well in my opinion anyways! Looking at the photos, I have to say it looks better even in person- so come visit and see!
Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: I only changed a few things. The instructions for the portion of the handles on the bag itself had you topstitch 3 or 4 rows before sewing them on to the fabric , then topstitching OVER the previous topstitching to attatch it to the main fabric. I can’t topstitch straight for the life of me, so I opted to first topstitch the inside 2 rows then topstitch the outside two rows right on to the purse. Here- a few pictures are worth a thousand of my words! You can also see the topstitch guide I used.
I added an inside key leash a la Ann Steeves as well. I considered pockets, but decided that this purse is not “right” for pockets.
What is great about this pattern is the possibility for may design changes- handles, hardware, fabrics, even length.
Even the bottom is pretty!
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Definately and Definately! Nicole is Extremely Easy to correspond with, and made my first Australian purchase a breeze! The time involved in obtaining the handbag, from my initial inquiry to seeing the flag up on the mailbox was only about 2 weeks! I have already made it twice, and have been commissioned by one of the FFCX5’s (for the unintiated, that is “Fashion Critics Times 5″ which is what I lovingly -most of the time- call my 5 daughters!) Anyways, FCX5 #2 wants a narrower black one, so I will adapt the pattern to fit a handle I already own.
I haven’t carried it out of the house yet (although I will admit to slinging it over my arm and parading around the house with it!) The handbag I made as a prototype has garnered many compliments though.
Conclusion All in all a wonderful pattern! I accomplished something that I never thought I would do, and I love the result. I will most certainly see what else Nicole Mallalieu Design has to offer! Here is photo with “She. the dress form” to show the scale.I have a few more details about the handbag here on my blog - And you can see all the photos (there are a lot!)on Picasa -http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/connie.bontje/Leatherpurse
Apr
13
Meet my family….the sewing one that is!
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I thought that it was about time you meet my Sewing Family. Yes the purse is almost done, but I want to wait till it is finished now before I show it off! A disclaimer here- Miss Kate says this entry is confusing. I am fighting with my Wordpress theme and no matter what I do, the photos’s do not line them selves up properly. My sincere apologies. In the meanwhile, you are smart. You can figure out which photo goes with which explanation!
I seem to have a dress form fetish! My first form came compliments of a great sale at Fabricland about 10 years age. Your plain old fashioned Dritz style, turn the knobs to adjust, every day form. 
No, she doesn’t have a name. I have enough trouble remember the names of my children, why the heck would I want to dream up another name I will not remember! So I call her “the red one”. Clever, Non? Here she is with a coat in progress on her(Miss Lauren please ignore the fact that the coat is no further along than the last time you came home- you should see the purse though. It is great….sorry!)
Dress form #2 is my duct tape dummy.
She is wearing yet another Unfinished Object- the silk charmeuse blouse. Showing you the blouse is hopefully an kick in the pants to get it done! She is actually not complete either as she needs a covering and doesn’t want to stand quite upright. I took the class to make her on PatternReview a couple of years ago. Good class- I reccomend it. Mike the husband had fun that night! Gulp- here she is naked! -Sorry!!!
Unfortunately she looks like me! If I was going to give her a name, it would be Cornelia. My real name. The name that my grandmother put on my birth certificate but no one has ever called me. Well cops have. And they do at the blood donor clinic. But that is all.
The 3rd one I picked up at an auction sale. The same sale that I picked up a gazillion bolts of red fabric for the Fair Board and a gorgeous oriental rug for a song. I think it is a Uniquely You form. I bid $5. I don’t think anyone else there sewed! I got it for that $5!! The best part? It pretty well fits me with the original cover.
Well except the hips. I am planning on making a new cover for her that is more me. I think that is do-able. The foam is really compressesed so it will fill my bulges. Here she ( yeah just “She”) is weaing a Sew Stylish dress.
This dress is done, Reviewed no, done yes. Oh and the black one is just something I picked up for “display purposes”.
Last but not least is my pant form. I call her “my pant form” - do you see a pattern here? She is another one I picked up at the auction. For five bucks. Again she is pretty well me.
She is me if I undo the front zipper a la “I ate too much again at the buffet”. She is modelling my favourite pant pattern in the entire universe, but that is a whole other blog article.
So there they are. You now know my entire Sewing Family. The Red One, Cornelia (if she had a name), She and She, the pant form. I love them all even though they all too often wear clothes that are not finished, or look better on them than me! I really want an old antique one though….and a half size…and a head. Yes I need a head! Oh but you know one I REALLY want? We were at an art show near Ottawa and saw a dress form covered with mosaic mirror pieces. It was SO fabulous. If I had a studio I would make one and have it the focal point of the entire studio.
Another time I will show you my sewing area. Sewing areaS. I’ve kind of taken over most areas of the house as the girls move out. And back in. And out again!
Apr
11
Leather Purse Progress
Filed Under purse, sewing | 4 Comments
I found some time to work on the purse this week. Bontje Baby Girl # 4 whoops #2- moved out last week (again!) and the house has been too quiet, but now I feel like I can get work done. It will stay that way until Bontje Baby Girl # 5 comes home from University for the summer, then we will be sure to have chaos again! The best news of the morning has been that Bontje Baby Girl # 3 )whoops 4!)called home to announce that she had just handed in her LAST university paper and is now officially a university graduate. Congrats Leah! (apparently my children numbering skills are poor this week!)
Oh right- the purse. First off, I should mention some sewing type items.(consider this the blog version of “housekeeping” items at a conference. You know, when the moderator goes up to the podium and declares such mundane facts as “breakfast will be available in the solarium tomorrow morning beginning at 7:30am”, or ”last night someone left their room key in the hospitality suite. You can see me later to retrieve it”.) Unimportant, yet relevant facts.
So, housekeeping details… I used to have a teflon foot - I LOVED that foot. One day I was doing a mad, frenzied cleaning of the sewing room. I no longer have that foot. I think it went out in the garbage. I paid like $25 for that sucker! One day -soon- I will have one again. So now instead of a telfon foot, I went to the workshop and stole our Teflon tape. I keep it by the sewing machine and put some on my regular foot whenever I need a teflon foot. It only lasts for a little while, but it does the trick. Also I was having some difficulties getting the leather to move. I tried stabilizer, wax paper, baby powder - the wax paper worked the best, but ultimately I adjusted the presser foot all the way up - down- as heavy as it will go - on my machine that means 9. That worked best. Okay enough sewing info. On to the purse.
The handles were first. I decided to go with a two-part handle using 2 different materials. A bronzey wool for on the body and the leather for handles themselves.
The straps required 4 rows of topsitiching. Now I am not the neatest topstitcher in Thorndale! (actually that prize goes to Miss Lauren(Bontje Baby Girl #5), so I decided to use I tip I read and use a Post-it note pad as a guide. If this is your tip please let me know so that I can attribute it correctly. I like to give credit where credit is due, and this one deserves acknowledgement.
The first photo is the Post-it note taped 10mm from the needle.
Photo #2 Topstitching the strap. For the straps on the purse body, I decided to initially only topstich the middle two rows. The pattern says to do all rows, then topstitch it on to the purse body over top of the first rows. This would, in my opinion, look messy. I did the outside two rows of topstitching when I sewed them on to the purse body.
Photo #3 There it is!
I hand sewed the rectangular rings(?) (whatever the heck they are called) to the straps. You cannot tell from the photo, but I need to add some hand topstitches to make the strap look complete.
Here are the leather straps- I simply cut the leather a 2 1/4 inches wide. Then I glued them in half, overlapping the raw edges slightly to make the desired 1 inch finished strap. I left them overnight and topsitched them this morning.
Oh I almost forgot to mention this little part. The pattern has you sew on some boning on the wadding under where the strap goes. Like this-
It is a bit hard to see- okay I admit it, a LOT hard to see, but it is something that I would never think of doing on my own and it makes the body more stable. And luckily for me I had exactly - to the centimetre- enough plastic boning. I usually only have steel spiral, but happened to find a small piece. Otherwise I would have had to go back to the workshop and hunt up some cable ties!
Next up - the body!
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