Thrifting For Materials and Bags From Jackets

I'm now making a bag from this jacket - hope it will be done in a couple of days!

There are many places to find materials for sewing projects: the usual fabric stores, online shops,  own closet filled with I-will-never-wear-this-again clothing, a friends closet, also filled with some unwanted clothes, a fabric stash, hidden in bottom of the closet with fabric we can’t re-call purchasing, thrift stores and probably some very unique places which I forgot to count.

The assortment in local fabric stores isn’t as big as I wish it was and it doesn’t change as fast as I hope it one day will; the online fabric shops aren’t for such picky shoppers like me, who must to test the fabric before spending money on it; my closet is already in a state where I can’t look at it and think of what I can get rid of; my fabric stash is small and now only contains things that are in I-will-finish-it-one-day condition, some big sewing flops which I can’t force myself to throw away and the very first garments I ever made. So, I have one option that works quite fine for me: the thrift stores. Even though I usually leave thrift stores empty handed (as I said, I’m very picky when it comes to this matter), I still go to them with expectations to come across garments with interesting materials that I can use in my projects. And sometimes I find something I really like.

There are a couple of things to look for while thrift shopping: old handbags for either leather, either interesting hardware; silky scarves for lining and leather garments for outside of the bag.

So I’d like to share a few points how to choose materials for bags project in a thrift store:

1) Price – the very first point to look at. I have set a limit to spend on a garment in a thrift store and I don’t pay above that line. Reason is very simple – I like to keep my hobby as inexpensive as I can, because I would lose motivation to create if I could buy things for less than it would cost me to create.

2) Condition – it’s pretty clear why: if the garment you would use as a material looks very “used” there’s a great chance your creation from it won’t look good or will not last long.

3) Material – of course, it’s very important to know what you are going to make. For example, I like making bags that’s why the first thing I check when in thrift stores is the leather jacket section. Originality of material can also play a role when choosing. Also, be sure that your sewing machine will be capable to deal with chosen material: I had left a couple of nice jackets only because the leather was too thick and my sewing machine wouldn’t sew it.

4) Size – if you buy leather jacket with expectation to make a big bag, be sure to look for a large size with little details – in this way you will have enough material :) That’s why I usually buy men jackets instead of women – I have more space to create!

Now let me share my latest purchase (see the photo above), which fits in all 4 categories mentioned above: 0,75 Euro cents; great condition – seriously, I almost didn’t want to cut it!; amazing material – alcantara, which looks like suede, but made from polyester; large size - plenty of space to create. Great choice for a bag (which is in a process of making right now).

I hope this will encourage you to look for materials for your projects in thrift stores! Have a nice day :)

Tutorial: How I Make Basic T-Shirt

So, I’d like to show you how I make my T-shirt. I hope it will be helpful if you (like me) don’t have a serger and have to make the best with what you have – the very simple sewing machine. Note that the actual tutorial is really short, but I wrote many tips so now it looks harder than it should ;D

Homemade T-Shirt: Why Not?

It might have been a bit too boring to show you simple T-shirt, so I prepared some outfits by using same T-shirt (made by me), jeans, watch and shoes matched differently with 2 scarves, 1 jacket and 2 necklaces. (Click on photo to see bigger view). Now if you would add different hair-dos', earing, shoes and etc. you can create infinite number of outfits based on one basic T-shirt!

T-shirts are considered to be a wardrobe necessity and I couldn’t agree more. Having some basic T-shirt in simple colors like white, black or grey can easily expand your clothing choices as you can wear the same t-shirt with jeans, pants, skirts, hoodies, jackets and etc. and look different each time. I’ve noticed that many home sewers don’t like making this clothing as it’s “too simple” or “boring” and “why bother making them when it’s easier to go to any clothing store and buy some for a little price”. However, I am one those people who gives a huge plus to homemade T-shirts. And let me tell you why.

It’s a general thinking that there is one type of T-shirt and the variety of shirts is so big only because they come in different colors and with different pictures. In reality, there are many different types of T-shirts: with different necklines, different length, different fit… Because having a basic T-shirt is quite essential (at least for me), the shirt has to look perfect on you. This means the length has to be perfect, the fit has to be right, the neckline has to be carefully chosen, sleeves have to be comfortable and the color has to compliment your face. You may think that these are just small unimportant details, but believe me, they make a huge difference. Now what are the odds that the T-shirt in a store is going to be perfect for you in every way and will look as it was made for you? Very small odds, I believe, if you don’t have the perfect 90-60-90 figure (or whatever the perfect figure is).

The next thing I’d like to point out is the quality. I cannot tell you how many T-shirts I’ve bought in recent years that I had to throw away after less than one season due to low quality (yep, I want my clothes to last long, therefore garments just for one season are not suitable for me). It’s quite hard to predict the quality because it shows its “true face” only after wearing it: sometimes the fabric washes out, sometimes it stretches out and sometimes the shirt turns out to be wrongly cut (or whatever that is that makes them turn around waist…). When you are making a T-shirt (or any garment) you are the one who is responsible for the quality and you can make it as well as you want. I am not saying that all shirts in stores are bad, because there are so many good ones, but the ones that look perfect on me and are well made usually have a high price tag.

These points led me to making my own T-shirt. I had a thought to make a shirt by myself before, but I thought my very simple sewing machine couldn’t handle it. Turns out – with a little persistence - it did a decent job.

So why not take some nice stretchy cotton the next time you’re in a fabric store, spend one evening with sewing machine and make a couple of perfect T-shirts? Small details – big difference.

P.S. I'd like to send a huge "Thank you" to my friend, who not only took the photos, but also gave both necklaces and one scarf for the photoshoot and had to deal with my very very low skills of modeling while it was just about +2 degrees Celsius outside  ;D Thanks dear!

P.P.S. the tutorial for homemade T-shirt is coming soon! Updated: the tutorial is here

2011 Overview / Plans for 2012

All the bags from the 2011

As the end of the year is coming, people usually take a moment to look at the past year and make the resolutions for the next year.  I usually don’t do this, but this year I thought to myself “Why not?” So while the year 2012 is just around the corner, I decided to take a look at what I made this year and plan projects for the upcoming year.

Firstly, since I’m a huge fan of statistics (who would have guessed?), the statistics about the year 2011:

 

Made 8 bags (2 of them I gave to my friends, 1 is once again in the process of remaking, 1 I don’t like, so I have 4 bags left for using), 1 case for sunglasses;

Made 5 tutorials (2 for bag-making, 3 non-bag related);

Started a blog (I just had to mention this fact ;D);

The most popular post of the year: Tutorial: Backpack (I actually noticed, that posts about pattern making are more popular than the ones about assembling, so maybe I should do more of these posts next year? What do you think?)

Favorite bag: can’t decide between Classic Shoulder Bag/Clutch and Linen Tote

Most used bag: definitely  The Simple Bag (very comfortable to carry all the necessities)

Least favorite bag: ah, it’s so sad to say, but I’d have to say it’s The Day Bag. Please don’t get me wrong- I would love to use it every day, but the leather is terrible and very unreliable and I haven’t used the bag for this reason! Very wrong choice of leather for the bag that supposed to carry a lot things... Lesson definitely learned.

2011 was all about experimenting with sewing and searching for limits of what I can make at home, so quite often I took quantity over quality (you know, the situation “the more bags I make – the better”) and it was Ok, because, well, I had a lot to learn. However, 2012 should be more about the quality, because if the collection grows as fast as it does now, I’ll soon run out of space in my closet!

So, plans for the 2012…

Firstly, I’d like to make more classic shape bags since I love them (already have a top handled bag in my mind!).

Secondly, make a bright color statement bag (maybe deep red? Or coral? Or green? Or… ?).

Thirdly, make more tutorials! I really like making them and, I hope, you like reading them :) (by the way, if you ever made a bag based on my tutorials - please show them, I'd love to see them!) 

And, last but not least, sew some clothing. Since starting making bags I put clothing sewing aside, but now I really need more clothes (especially good quality basic ones), so expect more entries on this theme next year!

Have a nice day and a great year! :)

Where To Look For Information

Hi Everybody!

I’ve noticed that it’s been almost a week since my last blog update. The reason is that my sewing machine was taken to be repaired (nothing serious though – it was making a weird noise while sewing, so I decided it needed to be checked by a specialist) and it won’t be fixed until weekend. And now, first time in 3 years I’m without my sewing machine. It would be fine, since it’s not like I am sewing every single day, but I have so many ideas in my head! I guess if you like to sew you know what it’s like to want to do something and not to be able to :)

So I figured it would be a great time to talk about useful sewing information.

The internet is full of information on sewing, but the more information there is, the harder it is to find something you need. I’d like to share with you a couple of sites (mostly sewing themed), that you might find useful:

http://wkdesigner.wordpress.com/ - amazing blog, which inspired me long time ago to start sewing without exactly following a pattern. Even though it’s no longer updated, you can find great inspiring ideas here. I really recommend you to check it if you haven’t already.

http://bagntell.wordpress.com/ - blog about handbag making. The creator of this blog previously wrote wkdesigner.wordpress.com, so once again – great blog, great tips, great ideas.

http://www.burdastyle.com/ - probably most of you already know this site, but I’m writing this just in case you don’t. It’s a site where you can publish your creations, find patterns and tutorials. Great for beginners and advanced sewers.

http://craftgawker.com/ - great inspirational website, though it’s for crafts overall, not only for sewing. But I still think you might find it useful.

http://www.etsy.com/ - a site to sell/buy crafts. Great source of inspiration!

And finally:

Blogs – blogs are great information sources, but it takes time to find the ones you like/find useful. The blogs I like are on the right bar of this blog (I'm always checking other blogs, so the list is frequently updated). As for this blog, I hope I’ll start making tutorials soon (as soon as I get my sewing machine back!).

I hope this was helpful to you! :)

Pattern making

    When I became interested in bag making, which I must admit was not so long ago, I was surprised that there are so many patterns online, yet there is little information about how to make a pattern by yourself.

    Why do I think it’s better to make a pattern than to download it? The answer is simple: rarely will the bag pattern meet all your requirements. You may want to change the size, change the details, change proportions and etc. Why make a bag, if it’s not your dream bag?

    The solution is simple – make a pattern. When you have a simple understanding of how the bags are constructed, you can easily draw a pattern for a handbag you have in mind. My idea is that you can easily make a pattern even if you’re not a professional and you have never made it before.

    When I wanted to learn how to make a handbag, I took a bag (any bag – design doesn’t matter here) and looked closely at it, analyzing what details does it have. After this, I draw a bag I want to make and then draw details that I need. I would then draw the details in its original size and voilà – the pattern is ready.

    I know it might sound complicated, but let me show an example of the bag you saw on Show and tell №1 :

The basic pattern of a bag. I didn't write measurements: you can make it in any size you want. You can add any detail you want. Feel free to be creative! 

  

If you make a sketch like that, all you have to do is to think of a hardware you want to use and how to connect pieces together (and what seams to use: visible, invisible or decorative ones). And that's it! 

P.S. when you make a pattern, don't forget to leave fabric for seams!
P.P.S. I will show more examples in the future!

Hello!

If you’re reading this blog, you probably like sewing. So do I.

I have been sewing for last couple of years. I’m not a professional, though. I never took any courses, never had anyone to teach me how to make something. I usually make things for myself and from time to time I would make something for my friends. I don’t sell anything that I make.

The idea to start a blog haunted me for a couple of months. At the beginning of this summer I started sewing handbags. And I liked everything about it: from the idea in my head to putting stuff in my new bag. However, when I searched for blogs of handmade bag making, I didn’t find a lot that I liked (some were too professional, others were just not my style).

And so I started this blog. I hope to show that you don’t need lots of skills to make something, you don’t need to have an expensive equipment: all you need is a few hours, inspiration and to know, that you can do it.