Bunker

I don't have space to quilt, currently, and sadly. Well, not while keeping peace in the house, lol! One day not too far off...

But in the meantime I am sharpening my skills back up on other projects.
I was pretty much expected to live, eat and breath house remodeling for a decade, and my husband is weirdly surprised now to learn that I actually have other interests.

I like making bags.

When I was poor I bought corduroy pants from thrift stores, deconstructed them and made patchwork / quilted bags. My hippie friends in the 90s loved them and I only have two unfinished specimens left.

But back in modern times (lol), we got into buying from auctions. And while my husband was scoring some tools, I spotted a lot of upholstery rolls, fabric samples, and a vintage sewing machine at the same auction and scored it all for $50!

So now I'm thinking bags again, and I have nice materials to work with this time!

So I got partway through the first bag and I'm already designing the next one because those tedious parts to finish it are my least favorite ever. 😆

I am not using the Wheeler and Wilson for this project, I have much fine tuning and cleaning to do on it first. I did make it sew but found tension issues and I still have to fit the belt, and this and that...

I am using a Huskystar 224, it was a pretty nice wedding present considering my relatives are cheapskates. I need to Google why it keeps pausing to get all looped up with top thread in the bobbin area. Cleaning only gets me a longer stretch of good sewing before it does it again. I can see that there is still oil around, but maybe I need to add more.

Aside from that level of error, I warmed up my skills pretty quickly and am liking my work on all this pleather I now have to work with. [ATTACH=CONFIG]620461[/ATTACH]

Kathy T.

So glad you found some exciting things at the auctions - and such a good deal. As you do your house remodeling, it's good to get some sewing "therapy" in because you get a cute product in a shorter time than the house will take! I intend to fine-tune my 1927 Singer soon. Needs a new electric cord due to excessive fraying, but still sews beautifully. You'll get your machines humming soon.

nativetexan

Oh goodness, great work coming along. come over to my house and teach me how to make bags. i even have two books by a lovely oriental woman. Soto i think is her last name. Not that I would make many like hers. so intricate and lovely. but bags. i have several placemats i want to make bags with one day....

Bunker

I'm just free handing it, honestly. Pins pins pins and more pins! I'm kind of liking pleather, I can catch through the fabric on the back without piercing the front leather face. The fabric samples are about 15" x 12" so I cut a matching square of pleather, and cut them both into half. The second one laid out will need to be on a diagonal to make the best use of the print. The black flower and leaf edge is raised velvet, lol!
I changed my mind on the shiny slate gray with bag number 2, I'm going to go with purple, it goes better with the pink trim.
I got this huge spool of pink trim at the auction and NOTHING goes with it in the fabric samples, just this one piece and another with a stain on it. So I'm going to try to get the stain out, make reasonable use of pink where I can on potential bag number 3, then try to dye the pink trim. There's so much of it... Brown or a blue would be better if I can get there...[ATTACH=CONFIG]620475[/ATTACH]

Jingle

Very nice bags.

luvstoquilt

Nice bags. Good for you to be sewing again!

lawsonmugs

Nice bags. Can I ask where you are getting your pleather? I love printed pleather but can't find any near me. We have a super Wal-Mart but they only have solid colors. I make 18" doll purses and shoes using pleather and would like some more prints.

Ellen 1

I am not familiar with the machine you are using but when my threads get all jumbled up like you described, my thread has come off the puck up lever. (My machine is not an antique so maybe yours threads through a hole?)

Iceblossom

Those are lovely -- something I see a lot of but don't use myself are the discontinued fabric sample books for interior design stores. Pieces that size would fit in nicely in your projects. I see them in the thrift stores and on Craig's List. Usually pretty darn close to free.

Lawsonmugs, I saw this on Amazon the other day when I was browsing the Cyber Monday stuff. I don't usually notice these things but my friend Barb also makes bags and wallets and I thought she would like it. Do a search on
David Angie Faux Leather
So much fun potential if the sizes work for you (9x13). I think affordable, the Cyber Monday sale wasn't that great a deal off so don't need to feel bad about missing it.

lawsonmugs

Thanks. I'll check it out. No problem with that size as these are 18" dolls I'm making shoes and purses for. Not much pleather used.