Posted on by agilejack

Is This Week Over Yet?

It’s been another week and I will be really happy to see the end of it. The weekend just can’t get here fast enough.

Plus… DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME STARTS THIS WEEKEND!!! The day the time changes in the spring is, literally, my favorite day of the year! I just love having light in the evenings.

I feel better just knowing it’s coming!

I was tired last night and didn’t spend one minute in my sewing room. So I got in there tonight after our walk and cut and fused the lining for my current bag project, finished the slip and zipper pockets, and made the zipper placket.

I was just too wiped out to get the placket sewn onto the linings. So I’ll save that for tomorrow night. I should get this bag finished tomorrow night and get it ready to ship this weekend.

I did something crazy on the zipper pocket. I rotated the zipper so the pull is on the opposite side. It just seems to work better for a right handed person.

Would someone even notice the different orientation for the zipper? Is there an industry standard for the proper way to install a zipper? Or is it like toilet paper on the roll and there are equal number of fans for over and under?

I’m a big fan of over.

I’m getting pretty fast at making these zipper pockets. But this was not one of my best. It’s not terrible. Just not perfect.

Here’s a photo of the zipper pocket after the zipper is sewn into the opening and before the pocket edges are all sewn together. It helps me understand how the mechanics of this all work.

And here it is after the pocket is folded up and the edges are all sewn closed.

I make these pockets a nice generous size… much bigger than in the tutorial I use. I might have to make my own tutorial that shows my measurements and how I place the pocket on the lining. I could use my new gooseneck!

As I was fumbling around in my top drawer for my zipper foot this evening I happened to notice some of the tools I use over and over.

Starting at the left, my brother gave me this wooden combo stiletto and seam ripper. Next is a pair of long tweezers. I’m amazed how often I use these… picking off threads, I use it a lot in paper piecing, all kinds of uses for this. Then there’s the Purple Thangle that a friend gave me. This is a great little tool. I’m not sure what it was made for, but I use it for all kinds of things. The next one is a fake bone tool. I think it’s made for folding paper, but I could be wrong. I use this for poking out corners, like on my zipper plackets and slip pockets. The tip of it isn’t sharp so I do less damage to my points. Next is that pair of scissors with the yellow handle. I keep those handy for trimming the fabrics off corners. They are serrated, so grip the fabric nicely. The last tool in this photo is a little pair of snipper scissors. I keep this at my right hand all the time to cut threads as I sew. I like to clip threads as I go along so everything stays neat and nice. I can’t stand having stray threads all over the back of a piece.

And my new plaything… earlier this week I purchased a goose neck stand to hold my phone so I can use it to video tape. I’m thinking I might make some quick little videos of how I do things that I can include here. I’ll have to come up with something to be the first thing I test it out on.

Here’s the picture from the box.

Here’s the real thing hovering over my cutting table.

The neck has a lot of heft to it, so it should stay in place once I get it set. It looks a little like some kind of prehistoric bird.

We’ve had a week or so of nice weather and we’ve been enjoying our walks.

The rain is supposed to come back on Saturday and will stay with us for at least ten days. pretty typical for this time of year.

I may have purchased a bag of 200 googly eyes a couple of months ago.

There are a good number of these around my neighborhood.

Here’s to the weekend . . . almost.

25 Replies to “Is This Week Over Yet?”

  1. I would love it if you would make a tutorial for the way you make the lining and pockets. I’ve started accumulating supplies for making some bags but am rather intimidated by the zippered closure and pockets! I especially love the bags you and others have made with the animal panels.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  2. I would love a video and maybe even a zoom class! I too have collected many of the things to make a bag and have printed your instructions but I’m hesitant to start. I love your work!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  3. 🙂 I think a LOT of neighborhoods could benefit from some googly eyes these days! I think I have hundreds of all sizes — (I teach elementary school.) You may have started something wonderful! I’m on it!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. Hooray! I am looking forward to your tutorials! Fancy gooseneck! I was sewing along – got my lining sides and bottom sewn then looked at the zipper tutorial – yikes – I will skip the zipper on this bag – not ripping out the lining because it fits perfectly. Next time I will review your tutorial first 😄. I might make some Franken placemats! It will be a good practice for some free motion quilting! Hi Rico and Bender! Here’s to a beautiful weekend 🍻

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. You actually CAN put the zipper placket in after the bag is done. I did the first one that way, and then forgot to add one at the lining stage and added it at teh very end. But it’s not as easy to do.
      Anne

      Like

      Reply

  6. I can see you working with those googly eyes!🤣 The gooseneck lamp head looks like a dragon 🐉 head to me! That will keep you awake. I really like the lining fabric and have not tried a zipper pocket yet so any info on your process is a big help, thank you. The boys look happy 😊 hope Bender is doing well!👍

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. Definitely an “over” the roll girl. Otherwise how would I make those cute little triangle folds that make the paper look like a fancy hotel? Don’t have the patience to go searching for the loose end behind the roll.
    I agree that my zippers go from left to right. I spent a fair amount of time obsessing over this, looking at commercial made purses, etc. Left to right won.
    That phone holder is one scary looking thing. I was thinking a cross between a pterodactyl and a dragon! I think you need to name it so it’s friendlier. Maybe something like Henrietta?
    Cute lining, luscious. And love the puppy pix. My favorite part of your blog.

    Like

    Reply

  8. Always love the bags and detailed photos you show. That goose neck device looks like it could be used for quilting bigger quilts on a domestic machine. I’ve seen photos of quilters who clamp two (or even four) similar devices to their sewing table to help hold the bulk of a quilt up behind the machine so it takes the drag off when quilting. May have to look for them. Thanks for showing it.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  10. Love the googly eyes! I have a pack of them also. I live in a bldg. that was previously a high school and the halls are filled with large framed pictures of high school events i.e. Prom, games, theater group, teams etc. Someone put googly eyes on some of these pictures and management was not amused! That camera holder is scary! Looks prehistoric.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  11. You blog post was great; the comments totally fun. I’ve just been to a natural history museum with a grandson so had prehistoric critters on my mind. The gooseneck definitely qualifies!

    When I make my bags I decide on which side of the lining I’ll place the zipper pocket and let that determine whether the pull goes to the right or left. Generally, I want the zip pocket in the lining for the front of the bag, so the pull on the left. I’m a leftie so I’m used to many things being awkward or backward.

    I would NEVER have thought of gluing Google eyes to anything outside. A little like yarn bombing……. Now I’m thinking…… 🤣👀🤣

    I’m super happy about DST too though it will be dark again in the morning.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. This is so interesting, because to me, it seems like the zip pocket should be on the BACK of the bag!!! And my mother was left handed. In school, they forced her to write with her right hand, but she did everything left handed. So her iron was set up so I ironed with my right hand with the iron pointing to the right. So awkward! I was 35 when I realized that I was free to just turn my ironing board around!!! So much easier!!!

      The googly eyes? They’re adhesive! All you do is peel off the paper and stick them on!!!

      Anne

      Like

      Reply

Leave a comment