Like Getting Back on a Bike

Possibly not the best title as I stink at riding a bike, and me getting back on one would be a terrible experience for both me and any witnesses to the event... Anyhoodiddlehoo....I have hardly sewn a thing in months. I don't know if it's because I haven't felt like it or if because nothing has grabbed my interest or because winter seems like the right time to snuggle on the couch with some knitting. For whatever reason, needle and thread have rarely seen fabric. But I've slowly been getting back to it--I sewed something tonight I can't show you yet, and I have a few bags on order for a wedding (which I haven't done yet so I can't show you), but on my snow day a couple weeks ago I sewed a bag. And then promptly forgot to share.

Ok. So I have a wedding coming up, and have this beautiful navy blue fit and flare dress that I am actually excited to wear because it is so comfortable (which, take note--I don't know if I've ever said that or will ever say it again), and silvery shoes that are comfy too, so I'm not dreading dressing up! I didn't have a bag that was a good size, and I couldn't find anything I really liked. I came across this frame that I had bought a while ago and never got around to using:

This is the frame I used (from u-handbag)

I didn't feel like doing any major thinking on making this work, and I knew that u-handbag used to have a pattern for this (it's called the Kyoko Frilled Pouch). As luck would have it they were sprucing it up for a re-release, so my timing was excellent (for once). I spent one night cutting and fusing and adding an internal zipper pocket, and a few hours the next day assembling everything. And now I'm all ready to par-tay!

The outside is this great batik I found at Joann's. It's hard to get the colors right on this one as it's got a swirly blend of navy, dark teal, and just a hint of purple thrown in (which is what I was going for, as I crocheted myself a shrug of the same colors to go with the dress). 

The inside is a teal and silver polka dot. I don't know if it matches, but it's perfect because Z-man picked it out. I was a little fingers-crossed hopeful while sewing that pocket in as it's not part of the pattern and I didn't know if I'd placed it too high or too low, but it (thankfully) came out OK. The inside is really a nice size for the essentials for an evening out. My favorite part is that the frame screws apart, so you could actually make yourself a few bags and then switch them out as needed. Much more economical than buying bag after bag.

The bottom is an inset bottom--no boxy corners, no gusset, just a rectangle to inset into a tube (my least favorite kind). I long ago gave up on expecting perfection from myself on this method, so as long as it doesn't look like my dog sewed it I'm good with a little bit of a human touch added to it.

The only part I had trouble with was the casing for the rod part of the frame. Either my ruler is crooked or my eyes are (and I just came from the optometrist this afternoon and he assured me my eyes are in good shape so I must have a shape-shifting ruler) because my casing kept coming out a wee bit off. I had to pull the old mafioso one-liners out from my mental store of movie quotes to convince that thing to go through, and at last it did. 

There are little loops attached to the frame in case you'd like to attach a chain or a strap of some sort, but I feel a little fancy carrying it by the handle so that's what I'm going to do while I pretend I'm a fuller-figured version of Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn (can you tell I'm a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl?).

Ok, I guess I should trot. If my computer reminds me one more time that it wants to install updates I'm going to utter unladylike phrases, which one should not do when one has a perfect dress and a lovey bag, both within close proximity.