07 Boxed In
Feeling a little bit like that this week.
I cut 3 squares measuring 3", 2" and 1". I traced these in pencil into a geometric design on my 5x7 Fluid Mixed Media 154lb paper.
I used my dip pen with Rotring Payne's Gray acrylic ink to trace the boxes.
I added the pop of yellow in the .75" circle.
Today, I worked on getting the slow stitching pieces sewn to squares.
I wanted to get caught up before the renovations start.
I continued with the decorative stitch in navy thread on the navy seam binding folded in half.
I am mitering the corners and that is working well.
I have cut enough to have 55 squares which is more than I need for the slow stitching square I will create with the K3N challenge.
It is better to have too many because I really don't know what the end product will be.
This way the rest of the fabric can be put into the cotton pile.
I worked on creating squares from my slow stitch challenge projects.
Today, I did 11 to get caught up with the 19 pieces I have made so far.
The grey cotton squares measure 7 inches.
I am using a navy seam binding to cover the raw edges of the pieces and stitching it would a decorative stitch which covers the width of the ribbon.
This time I used navy thread which looks much better.
This is the last of the 7 inch cotton poly squares in the Navy and Taupe which I received for free. I paired it with some navy microfiber cloth to have enough fabric to complete the project. I created two 6 square panels then serged all the seam edges. I then sewed the 2 panels together with a French Seam hiding all the raw edges which created the bottom of the bag.
Realizing that it was not tall enough and I needed handles as well I dipped into my good microfiber fabric and chose this navy. Works well with the pattern in the squares. I cut the navy panel 12 inches wide and ironed it half to 6 inches tall. I then measured the width of my bag and sewed the strip to be exactly the same width then serged that seam. Now I sewed the navy panel to the top of the squares bag with the serger then top stitched fabric to the serged edge from the top on the squares piece.
I then changed my thread to navy for the rest of the project.
I ripped my handles to 3 inches wide and 41" inches long. I sewed them and turned them inside out. I fold the raw edges of each end to the inside leaving me a 40" handle. I pinned the bottom of the handle to the bottom on the first rows of squares 5" inches in from the right and left side. I created my reinforced squares on the bottom and the spot where the handle meets the top of the bag. The handle is top stitched on both edges for both handles.
I added a decorative stitch along the top of the bag to keep that fold in place and to add my elastic to the inside of the bag which I can use to roll up if I want it to take less space.
This bag will replace my shopping bag. This one I made a year ago. It is polyester and is very thin but I just loved the color so I just enjoyed for as long as it was going to last.
