Wool Tote Bag

This may be my last late Christmas present post, and I wanted to get this sewn and posted before the end of January.  While January is excusable, February is getting ridiculous.

This tote bag is for my sister-in-law.  She mentioned needing a tote style bag for church, and this is what I ended up making.  Mr. Carlee helped me choose the fabric from my stash (since it was for his sister after all).  The grey wool suiting was bought years ago at Savers (thrift store).  I've had good luck buying wool suiting at this particular thrift store.  The black and white corduroy hounds-tooth was another inherited piece from my friend who recently moved to South Carolina.  She said that it was left-over from a pair of pants she made in the 70's.  Wow.  I would have loved to see those pants.  I find the print kind of dizzying as the inside of the bag, and I can only imagine women's pants made out of it.  



The finished bag is 15" tall and 14" wide (with 20.5" long straps).  It's big enough for a binder, and a few books, but not so big that you feel like you are toting around a suitcase. 



I wanted to keep things simple, but still make it special.  I added a little D-ring on a black patent leather strip to the inside (for keys).  I think the yellow piping keeps things from being too serious. 



Mr. Carlee suggested adding the leather monogram to the front.  We both agree that the letters ended up a little bigger than what might be ideal, but we didn't realize this out until the entire bag was finished.  Next time.

Over the last five years that I've sewn with leather, I've learned that when you are sewing two layers together, it's best to cut out the second layer AFTER you sew them together.  This is particularly true if one of more of your pieces is stretchy.  Leather is always a little stretchy, but some is crazy, like the yellow, for instance. 



The finished bag is 15" tall and 14" wide (with 20.5" long straps).  It's big enough for a binder, and a few books, but not so big that you feel like you are toting around a suitcase. 


As an aside, if you are interested in making bags, and want to learn more about how they are contructed, Ikat Bag is doing an awesome series right now.  I have made lots of bags over the years, and I've learned quite a few new things after reading her posts so far. 

Christmas Mittens (Take III)

You may remember how I tried to make some leather mitts for Mr. Carlee for his birthday last year.  That was actually take two on that particular pair, and this year I was bold enough to go for a third try.  Not by Christmas, mind you, but in the second week of January.  No worries though, January is still plenty cold in New England, perfect for wearing mittens.

After last year's attempt and failure, I cut a big hole where the thumb should go, and drafted a new thumb piece.  I have come to love using paper towel for this type of job.  It drapes similarly to leather (or fabric), and it's cheap and readily available.  Sometimes when I'm making a pattern for shoes/slippers, I'll use paper towel and staple it together to give myself a sense of how it will sew up. 

I wouldn't say that these mittens are a perfect fit nor the sleekest of mittens.  But they do stay on, don't squish his thumb, and I think I'm calling it good.  I don't think I can really fix the problems without starting completely over again, and after making several pairs of mocs from the same leather, I am pretty much out.

Thankfully Mr. Carlee values me for more than my leather mitten making skills, and he has worn them in spite of their imperfections.  This has two possible explanations; first because he loves me and is a good man, and second, his other leather gloves went missing this year - complete coincidence I promise. 

Mass Production Feels Good

Over the last few weeks I've been really cutting into my leather stash.  Since I made my first pair of baby shoes five years ago, I've collected a sizable leather collection.  Most of it has come from thrifted coats, skirts, pants, etc, but I've also bought scraps and even a whole piece from a tannery in Salt Lake when we used to live there.

After making all those leather masks last month, I thought I would just keep going with the mass production of leather items.  I have made a few pairs of these little leather moccasins for gifts and for my own baby girl, but each time I've had to make some adjustments to my pattern.  I decided to just make a few more pairs to work out the kinks.  And then once my pattern went together properly, I just decided to stockpile a few pairs while I was at it.

 
The result was 9 pairs of shoes in a week.  Now I just need to get a few of those wrapped up and mailed off to some babies!  Oh, and clean out my sewing machine.  Sewing with leather, and suede in particular, is very dirty.   



Even though it can be a little bit tedious to make the same thing over and over, there is something very satisfying about making a pile of shoes.  And making a few pairs at a time make the whole process much faster.  It's also a bit of a relief to have a few baby gifts ready to go in case I don't have time to make or find something for a baby shower.  I seem to go to a lot of baby showers these days, so I don't think my little pile of shoes will last long at all.

Oh, and in case you are wondering if I'm ever going to make or show you anything other than leather masks or baby shoes ever again, I actually made a little top for Baby Girl that I just need to take a picture of.  I love how it came out and I'm excited to show it off.

Birthday Thank You Packages

I mentioned this earlier, but this year instead of handing out goody bags at the party, I decided to include a small gift with the thank you card.  I am no shining example of this, but I'm trying to teach my kids to write a thank you note when they receive a gift.  Emily is great at sending cards, and I think it's such a gracious habit. 

Since the party was superhero themed, I made little masks.  I know there are tons of tutorials/free patterns for masks, so I'm not going to reinvent the wheel here (although I can put up my pattern is anyone is interested).  Masks are pretty straight forward, which is nice when you are mass producing them.

 

I used leather for the front.  There are a few reasons for this.   First, I have lots of it on hand.  Second, I think it makes for a longer lasting and higher quality mask.  Or, in other words, leather seems fancier.

My one suggestion for making masks, or other small things with a front and back, is to cut out the front of the mask but not the back.  Sew the front mask shape to an uncut piece (for the back) and then cut it out after you sew.  This makes it easier to line everything up and is way easier to sew.

I gave my son free creative control with the thank you cards, and he decided to draw a picture of himself on the front, and on the back a little symbol.  I love the symbol.  I think it adds a nice touch.

He's still learning to write, so I wrote down the thank you message for him to copy.  I'm always looking for ways to encourage writing, and making cards is a great way to practice.

 

I also listed all the names of the children attending the party and he crossed off each name as he finished their card.

The party was a month ago, and he just finished making his cards today.  It was slow going, but I think it is such a nice gesture.

We hope our friends enjoy their masks as much as we enjoyed having them at our party!

Black Baby Mocs

I just went to a baby shower for a friend who is having a girl.  She also has a two-year old boy, so I was expecting the shower to be filled with pink, pink, and more pink, with possibly a little purple thrown in for good measure.  No surprise, I was right.  Just a few hours before the party, when I finally got around to making a gift, I decided to put together a little pair of black baby mocs (shamelessly copied from these brilliant ones like I've done before).

With all the girly things I knew she was going to receive, I thought it would be nice to bring something a little more gender neutral that will go with everything.  Oh, and they look hip and adorable.  The baby mocs that I made for my little one get tons of compliments every time she wears them - which I must admit is good for my ego.  They really are so cute on.        

Baby shoes are pretty fast for me to make at this point, but I only make them if I'm in the mood.  I'm fickle like that.  What do you bring to baby showers?  Do you make or buy?  Is there a standard present you bring, or do something different each time?