Sewalong mayhem

Why oh why don't I think before I do things???

Full of bag sewing enthusiasm after Bag Camp , I decided that it was my civic duty to keep the new bag makers from camp sewing........as if they need me egging them on. I think most will continue the baggers journey with or without my encouragement.......

So what do I do??? without much of an idea I decided to do a sew along..........Sounds easy? well that's what I thought too. I have to say I have a new respect for the art of creating the instructions on sewing patterns now...

So........a sew along........ whats it all about? .........photos of every stage of the making process, lots of encouragement and ideas, tips and generally helpful comments. To add to the experience I wanted to make it a learning forum too, so added a double welt zipper pocket to the pattern.

So what bag are we doing........my faithful friend the hobo by sewing patterns by Mrs H
pattern available here......https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/246657812/the-reversible-hobo-bag-pdf-sewing?ref=shop_home_active_19

Just in case I fall flat on my face and my supreme confidence lets me down I keep it small.........just the ladies who came to camp.......I'm using them as guinea pigs..........they don't mind they say.

I offer some options to customise the pattern a bit and the ladies seem keen so I go for it....

two bags, two lots of fabric, pockets galore, overlays......all sorts of things.

I HAD NO IDEA IT WOULD TAKE THAT LONG!

I can make a hobo from start to finish in about 3 hours....its a bag quick sew, but when your taking photos every step of the way, having to keep charging your phone, it takes hours.

I realised my ironing board cover wasn't overly photogenic, so nipped to Sainsbury's where all they have is a lurid Barbie pink effort with tropical flower on.......it will have to do. I cant share my torn grubby looking ironing board with the world....

Its amazing how many processes there are in sewing a bag. so many things you don't really think about but you need to explain. I'm rarely lost for words, but finding the right words to describe some of these things is almost impossible. In theory, the people participating should be able to create the bag using the pattern, all I'm doing is giving a few more ideas and explaining in my words what I'm doing. So if I need help with the words I can crib from the pattern. Not so with the pocket. I do my welt pockets the way I feel comfortable doing them and just try to break it down into manageable portions........It's really hard to describe something you can do with your eyes shut in words that everyone will understand........

''you take the thingy and tuck it into the whatsit wrong sides together, then pull the oojemyflip over the doodah...........''

You get the picture? finding the right words is really hard to do.

Photos..........hundreds of them..........loaded onto the computer and sorted into order.......the ones of my feet or the wall deleted, a couple of short videos of the bits I just couldn't describe......

my three hour hobo is no more, in all seven hours to make the first one, stop start stop start.........redo take more photos...........open wine...........drink wine.......

no less than 200 photos later..........lol

40 posts........2 videos...........

and my lovely ladies have created hobo bags to be proud of......yes just 6..........but I couldn't have been more delighted that my instructions worked and the bags speak for themselves......

Encouraged by the success of this event I decided to go bigger......this time I asked the lovely Liz at Moments ( http://liz-moments.blogspot.co.uk/) if I could do her beautiful Fine and Dandy pattern......pattern available here...https://www.craftsy.com/pattern/sewing/accessory/fine--dandy-pouch/193508?rceId=1464378130754~pufq8ddb...... ...and we decided to do my hacked version of the pattern so people could make something 'off piste' from the original pattern.......when its a small group of ladies you know, its fine if you make a mess of it, when its open to anyone its a whole new ball game. I don't want to look a fool, not do I want to let Liz down. you might think once burned twice shy, but oh no........straight back in there and off we go again. this time it was so much easier, although for a small pouch there are an awful lot of processes to get through to get a finished pouch.

My ladies didn't let me down, at the end of the week we had no less than 13 beautiful fine and dandy sewing pouches.

When it was all done, I felt almost as though I'd given birth......exhausted.....relieved it had all gone well.........in need of a stiff drink...........and very very proud of what had been produced.

When one of the ladies from the Fine and Dandy sew along posted her pouch on Facebook, she commented that it had been like having her own personal tutor...............those words alone made me decide that this wouldn't be the last time I do this, it was fun..........and a huge learning experience.......

Watch this space for details of the next one ..........lol

Sew Brit Bag Camp

Its almost here, the event of my year. To say I'm excited is an understatement. BAG CAMP fever has struck my world and I'm all of a dither trying to get myself organised.

 So.........for those of you who are reading this and scratching your head wondering what on earth I'm on about....... Bag Camp............in simple terms its a bunch of ladies who like sewing bags, or who would like to learn more about sewing bags, gathering together to do exactly that! sounds boring? I imagine it might to someone who doesn't sew bags........for me???.........its like Christmas has come in March, without the need to buy hundreds of gifts for people I don't necessarily want to be bothered with.  Two and a bit days of uninterrupted sewing, with people who understand........ it doesn't get better than that! Bag camp is being held in Derbyshire.....3.5 hours away from me, but do I care....oh no......im going to enjoy the journey, singing at the top of my lungs no doubt.....this is where ill be heading too...

http://www.somersalcottages.co.uk/coach-house.asp

So let me give you the run down, what I know thus far of bag camp..........we will be given a goody bag, camp has been sponsored by several different companies......so goodie bags will have a selection of bits and bobs, fabrics, threads and goodness knows what else......until we arrive we wont know but the list of sponsors is impressive.

We have a bag pattern that's been written especially for us, although we know what the bag looks like, we thus far have only have the pattern pieces, allowing us to prep some of the fabrics beforehand........the bag is a biggy........two versions, one for the mainstream group and another a little more complex for the advanced group.

almost four hours of cutting and adding interfacing and I'm not nearly done......

We have three instructors.......Samantha......from https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SewingPatternsbyMrsH

all the way from welsh Wales.......

Liz, our pleather queen from http://liz-moments.blogspot.co.uk/

all the way from Germany (I need to be careful with this one or I'll be sacked as one of her testers.....lol)

and Katy from http://www.the-littlest-thistle.com/

coming from deepest darkest Glasgow.(assuming she isn't snowed in as can sometimes happen north of the border)

Then we have the other campers........ladies who mostly have never met, but many of whom communicate through Facebook about camp, bags, life in general.  We all come from different backgrounds, different areas of the country, we have different skill levels and different likes and dislikes, but we are all drawn together by our love of sewing, a passion for fabric and a wish to learn more........so we know we will have something in common. I'm looking forward to meeting them all, hearing about them, sharing stories.......and yes.....we are an all female camp..........not that camp was exclusively aimed at women...........but not many men sew handbags!

zz

Husbands all over the country are being given lists of things to do with the children, lists of instructions for the washing machine, timetables for kids activities so nobody arrives late for anything. Its only one weekend but by golly it takes some organising when its not just your own stuff you have to get sorted, but everyone else in the house too........lol

Packing has started........not clothes......FABRICS.........much more important than clothes at this point....

Fabrics, pleathers, glitter vinyl and interfacing/stabilisers various......my faithful machine has been cleaned and oiled...........and I'm getting there with all the other bits and bobs.....assisted by the fab trolley my husband unwittingly brought me for mothers day......ooppps, was that your amazon account I signed into dear??? sorry.....lol

sat nav is charged, alcohol brought ......or should I say fermented.......all home made........cakes on the agenda for Thursday...... then I'll pack my clothes........and my new wash bag.....yes I made my own.....a fine and dandy from moments (nothing like sucking up to the teacher eh?)

So I'm almost ready.........well I think I'm as ready as I can be with two days to go........panic packing will start Thursday evening no doubt.

This will be my first sewing retreat, but if I enjoy it, I'm sure it wont be my last........and maybe one day, when I have a little more experience under my belt.......I'll be able to be one of the instructors.......who knows

I will let you know after how it goes!