Sewing Club Prototype Bag

We are making a messenger bag at sewing club, and I have never made a bag from a pattern before. I decided to make a prototype, which was a good idea because we were definitely missing a pattern piece. The one for the bag bottom.

The pattern and all of our fabric that we used was from the free stuff from freecycle.org that I collected last summer. It is great because I can use all of our bake sale money to get other things we need. I just bought an iron and some big, sharp scissors. I know that seems ridiculous that it took me so long, but I hate going to Walmart and I put it off until I have a list of at least 5 things I can't get cheaper elsewhere.

One of the (two) girls there said, "Wouldn't it be cool if we could make a reversible bag?" I said, "Yeah, but that would be too hard for us right now!" Then I finished making it and realized that since it is fully lined, it is reversible. Duh!
This is the "outside" to me, and also make sup both sides of the flap. It's a really cute 50s style print.
This is the "inside," which has pockets (to hold my precious baby phone).
The inside back, which also has a big pocket. I wouldn't say the prints "match," but they are in the same color family and are both pastel shades.
Anyways, it was really easy to make. It was the first "real" bag I have made! I need to make more and get better at it so that I could make myself a big leather purse/bag instead of paying a hundred bucks for one! (Which I will never do!)

Sewing Club

Sewing Club is down to three girls this time, but that's cool. We actually got a lot done. Two are wrapping up their pajama shorts and one is working on a headband pattern.

The old Necchi machine is starting to run better with use. It gets going half the time without having to spin the wheel that moves the needle and is sewing faster than before.

I need to take some pictures next time!

I talked to my brother on the phone instead of cutting out my pattern, so maybe tomorrow!

Closer to the weekend! Woot!

Sewing Club

With a 26th student in my honor's class, my room was getting really crowded. Well, crowded if I want to keep the desks in partners, which I do. So I got rid of my filing cabinet, and I wanted to get rid of my big cabinet too, which has all the sewing stuff in it. The principal agreed to let the sewing club use a room that is only used for lunch detentions.

Today we moved all of the stuff up there, and I brought the Necchi machine to school. I had a hard time threading it, which of course made the girls ask me why I couldn't do it. LOL, it's not my machine I use normally, I just bought it for sewing club. I did get it threaded and it works, but I can't figure out how to get it off of a zig zag. Oh well.

I think it is the perfect machine for learning to sew (minus the exquisitely complicated threading system) because it is so old that it only goes medium slow when the knee pedal is pushed to its limit. No girls will sew over their fingers! (knock on wood)

We are still working on pajama shorts, and I guess we will finish them after the new year. Wish us luck, they definitely need it!

Past Halloweens and an Owl

I posted this a long time ago when I had about 5 readers and my mom. I made this for Halloween two years ago, when I was just starting to sew again. It may have been my second or third project. I was insanely ambitious and made it all without a pattern. The sleeves are weird, and the back has slits instead of buttonholes, since I didn't know how to operate the attachment then. However, it is heavily interfaced so it's stiff as a board and it gives a corsety look. Plus, it has pockets, so that I could have my phone, camera, lip gloss, ID and money and have no purse. Actually, I am going to go rip open my red skirt and add pockets. What was I thinking? It also has a purple tulle underskirt to give it some foof.

I wore it last night to the Halloween dance. The kids had a lot of fun- there was a costume contest and a dj, etc, etc.
This was Wednesday's sewing club project. I took the idea from Burdastyle, where I saw these a few months ago. It's really a rectangle with a pointed top. Then you tack down the point to make the beak and sew on button eyes, stuff, and sew closed. It was a really cute and easy project. For our next meeting in three weeks, I am going to bring the Necci to school and we're going to try to start making pajama shorts. I just tried to spell that pyjama, and was confused as to why it was correcting me. Ha.
Super cute! Tonight we are going to the Quarter to celebrate Halloween, which should be super fun! Tomorrow I'll have pix of my costume, Andrew's, and the dog's.

Sewing Club #2

On Wednesday we made pillowcases. I didn't make an example one, although I should have. They are getting much better at sewing a straight line by hand. Next time, we will make fabric covered sewing boxes to keep their stuff in. I am going to make up an example for them.

This was my cupcake pincushion, made out of scrap mardi gras fabric. Kinda ghetto, but functional.

Off to work on my black and white dress!

First Sewing Club Meeting!

I don't have any pictures to post, but the first meeting of the sewing club was a success! I had about 22-23 girls come, mostly 6th graders and a few 7th graders. 8th graders are generally too cool for clubs.

We put the desks in a circle ( a sewing circle, hee hee) and discussed everyone's prior sewing experience. Most had no experience, but had moms and grandmas who sew.

Our first project was very simple. 2 pattern pieces to make cupcake shaped pin cushions. We spent a lot of time tying knots in thread, threading needles and practicing hand sewing small stitches. It was pretty funny- there were some giant and crooked stitches, and they kept stabbing themselves with the needles.

We ended with most girls having sewn the front and back pieces, so they will finish it at home and bring it next time to stuff and sew shut. I'll try to remember to take a picture! It's super cute and it was really fun!

Two weeks from today, we will make pillowcases!

Sewing Club

I have definitely decided to do a sewing club at school. From what I saw today, they are building one home ec room, but it is mid-construction, so I don't know if it will have sewing machines or not.

Hopefully some students will be interested and join- I didn't do this last year, so who knows.

In preparation, I asked on freecycle (a yahoo group where people can give or get things for free in your community) if anyone had sewing stuff to donate to a middle school club. I only got three responses, but they were all very generous.

One woman gave us a little singer box full of tiny spools of thread, one woman gave me a few patterns and four giant tins of buttons, and the woman today gave me four GARBAGE bags full of patterns and fabric. So I think we will be ok on supplies until we can do a fundraiser of some kind. How exciting!

I think for the first project we will be learning how to cut out a pattern and hand sew decently. I have received several craft patterns to make purses/bags. Does this sound too hard for a first project?

I also saw this online, which looks insanely cute to me- click click! Stuffed animals made from goofy drawings? Sooo cool.

There was also a pattern for a hideous fleece scarf with snipped fringe all over it. That would certainly be easy, but who wants a scarf in August in Louisiana? lol.

Any great ideas that would be super cheap and/or free?