August 30th - September 1, 2019
One thing that is rather upsetting for college football writers and their spouses is that opening weekend continues to grow. No longer do college games only occur on Saturdays. Opening weekend (and multiple weekends throughout the season now) consists of games from Thursday Evening -Saturday night. That's a lot of late nights, and a lot of crankiness!
But in the case of my new adventure, it's actually made for more crafting time. YAY!
For a LOOOOONG opening weekend, I decided to tackle one of the patterns that has been pinned to my "Sewing" Pinterest board for roughly two years- the gorgeous Bow Clutch by Whitney Newby of Elm Stree Life.
The Material
For these clutches I once again turned to the fat quarters I purchased from my local quilt shop. One set was completely happy and fun, and the other was full of holiday cheer. I couldn't wait to see how they turned out!
The Clutches
After further review, this pattern is a Clutchdown! Hats off to Whitney for a clear, beautiful pattern. Each step was so easy to follow! I learned a new way to install a zipper and I loved how simple it was to create such a gorgeous bow accent.
I decided to get all of my material together on Thursday night, and make a first attempt at the bag on Friday evening. I used my beautiful pink dot and sunshine yellow fabric. This bag is full of happiness and cheer! Perfect for a summer night with drinks on the patio.
Saturday I attempted the same pattern with my super fun holiday fabric. You guys, I'm completely obsessed with this. How perfect is this clutch for Black Friday shopping or a holiday party?
I am so happy to have had this pattern to get me through a tough opening weekend.
Sunday Funday- FANNY PACK Day!
With so much content from the weekend, there was no way my hubby would have any time on Sunday with me, so it was time to find another project.
Inspiration
My inspiration for this fanny pack actually came to me one day while lying in bed. While I haven't been tailgating in a while, I knew that my Brother-in-Law and his girlfriend would be doing a lot of it this fall. I've had enough experience at tailgates to know that it is crazy difficult to handle a phone, a drink, and a plate full of yummy food gracefully. I thought, "Hey, a fanny pack would be a perfect addition to a tailgater's wardrobe!"
The Material
This material actually came from Joann Fabrics. The local quilt shop does not have any licensed fabric, and I had to purchase many other accessories alongside the fabric, so it was off to the box-store I went.
The Pattern
The pattern I used was the Adjustable Slimline Waist Pack by Sew4Home
This pattern to me was ok for beginners, but I was a bit disappointed by a few aspects of it.
1) The inside is not extremely clean. While you can do a zigzag stitch to "finish the seam" It's not my favorite for the inside of a bag.
2) More information is needed in regards to the adjustment of the bag strap. The pattern tells you to adjust the strap through the male end, but if you just leave the end hanging as it says to, it WILL slip out of the buckle. There are no suggestions in the pattern for how to secure it.
The solution I found for this was to cut the bag strap according to your waste size, and then tie a knot at the buckle to secure. It doesn't look too awful, but it's not my favorite approach.
Overall, it was a great kick-off to the season with these three projects. I enjoyed learning new techniques and working with such vibrant fabrics. On to week 2!
Mail Carrier Note
Unfortunately the happy pink/yellow bow clutch and fanny pack didn't make it to their home :-( These have been lost by USPS. I will hopefully be re-making and sending them soon!
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