No Trade Secrets

Every morning, when I click on new post, I can see how many blog followers there are. It's always interesting when someone joins or leaves. What did I say that was intriguing? What did I say that wasn't. I doubt it's personal more than it's the ebb and flow of blog reading and I certainly don't want to be so caught up in that number that I cease to write the blog that I want to write and start to "advertise". Been there, done that. It's just interesting. I like numbers.

What's your blog reading routine like? Once I'm up, the first thing I do is write my blog entry. Sometimes, I write it the evening before but usually in the morning. While writing, I drink water to get started on getting enough. Once I'm finished writing, I make a big cup of coffee and read through a listing of blogs. It's a word document filled with the addresses of blogs of interest.

The document morphs. I doubt there are more than seven or eight of the original addresses. As the lives of the blogger change or they stop blogging or they move away from a type of creativity that I'm interested in or I move in new directions, I delete and add addresses limiting the list to a specific length. When I delete an address, I leave a space for a new one. This will be filled either by clicking through to a blog of interest after reading a posting or by spending some time working through the list of links on another blog that interests me. I figure if she likes these other blogs, I might too.

Blogging takes no more than two hours a day - one to write and one to read. If I was working outside the home, I would have to look at that amount of time closely. It would be cutting into my creativity. Right now, it's informative, and connects me to the bigger world of sewing. I learn so much from other bloggers. It's a wonderful resource.




Carrie wrote - I have loved watching what you are doing with the purse fabric! How do you sew the flower petals? If you are not revealing trade secrets, do you sew free motion?

No trade secrets that I know of. They are done free motion starting from the center and going out and back in, out and back in. I work my way back to the starting point trying to vary the width and tip of the petals somewhat so they don't look terribly uniform.




Because of the way the larger flowers were situated on the original scarf, I had to piece the bottom or lose the largest blooms on one side. For something different, I used exposed and bound seams. They form a heavy bottom that will help the bag to sit.

It's easiest to put the bag together using curved corners. On the green bag that I showed a couple days ago, the bottom corners of the front and back were curved and the side wrapped around and under. On this bag, the corners of the side pieces are curved and the front/back/bottom of the bag will wrap around and under. Using this format, I'll be able to sew the binding on with one continuous seam and tuck the ends under a handle without having to neaten any exposed edges. I like that idea.... a LOT.




To add the turquoise strips at the top, I measured evenly from the center outward, pinned one strip, sewed it in place, matched the second strip on the opposite side, and stitched again on the same line. The strips end up wrong sides together with the bag in-between. The zippered panels were added at the same time.




To give the edges some rigidity, strips of firm interfacing were added to the top of each side. These were cut evenly with rotary equipment, sprayed with basting spray, placed against the seam line, and then enclosed by folding the turquoise strip up and in place. All the layers were held together with three rows of decorative top stitching before I trimmed the edge evenly and added a row of basting at the top that will eventually be under the binding.




Above, a lid was used to draw a corner curve. After the binding is stitched in place, the seam allowance will be trimmed and shaped.




The inside shows the reverse side of the thread work. I use a bobbin thread that blends with the top color rather than one that matches the backing fabric. It's much easier than trying to balance the thread exactly which never quite works. AND... it's interesting.




Yesterday, I made the binding by cutting and stitching together 2 5/8" bias strips that were then folded and pressed in half lengthwise. Because they are bias strips, they will both curve around the edges nicely and show less wear. Any broken threads will be short and diagonal as opposed to long and continuous. I hope to get the binding sewn on today. Wendy comes to quilt tonight so it should be doable.

THANKS for the support with my haircut. I should clarify that my hairstylist is a friend which makes it a bit more difficult. That was probably not a good idea but it is what it is. She was my stylist first and has become a wonderful friend. I'm not turning friendship down.

This was the fourth or fifth time that she has cut my hair. I don't get it cut that often - maybe every six to eight weeks. She thought that she was giving me something different based on what she has seen/cut before. It is a shorter version of what I had and similar to a cut I've had before. Not horrible. Just not radically different.

I'm quite particular about my hair but I also experiment with it a lot. I used to be a hair stylist. I was changing it constantly with cuts, colors, and perms. It might be hard to give me something completely different and add a few hormones in there and the task is daunting.

The cut is EXCELLENT. A good cut with lots of support and internal/external texturizing can last well for weeks. I've been exploring new options for how to blow dry it. Years ago - when I was a teen - the only difference between Farrah's flips and Pam's curved under edges was the direction of curl. The cut was exactly the same. I'm playing with that.

OH... and it was free as a thank you for the two boxes of hand dyed fabrics that I gave her a few weeks ago to use in woven rugs.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - the comfort of routines

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Personal Growth - I just finished reading In The Red: The Diary of a Recovering Shopaholic by Alexis Hall. I was looking for tips on how to live on and spend less. Alexis had a excess of clothing, shoes, beauty products, even household items that I can't relate to. I actually need some of those things. I also can't relate to the designer labels and it bags. I've never been interested in fads and designers. I'm more interested in what suits me, what's makes me look good, what feels wonderful, what completes a look. That said, the emotions of shopping are the same. Put me in a fabric store or Value Village and I'll find potential in something and want to take it home, chop it up, and make something with it. Creatives are like that. After that, I'm positively thrilled in book stores. I love learning. Alexis dealt with her spending using limits and limited exposure. Something to think about.