Finished a vintage automotive vinyl tote bag I’ve been working on. The front panel is textured vinyl, I think for a truck with a bench seat because the pattern repeats horizontally. I had to push through some perfectionist blockage, but am happy to have finished!
Dimensions are 13.5”x11.4”x5” and straps are 26” long. Lined in vinyl and orange canvas with an interior patch pocket, and an external shelf pocket on the back. Magnetic snap, and rivet reinforced straps. Piping on front and back. Limited edition because of limited material (wish I had more!)
I am knitting Earthly in Patons Linen (cotton, linen, viscose) and it’s my first time working with linen.
Swatching: Using #6 needles I cast on 44 on size 6 US 32” circular needles, knit 40 stockinette rows. Swatch measures 7.5” wide by 4.75” tall. Gauge is 24st =4”, 33 rows =4”. Did another gauge swatch with size 7 needles…got close to gauge! 20st=4”, 30rows=4” (Goal gauge is 20 stitches and 28 rows = 4 inches, so it’s close.) Using EZ PZ Gauge Ruler (Crazy Cat Designs) to measure.
I was told, and everything I’m reading, and watching on YouTube emphasizes the importance of blocking my swatches. I hand washed in warm water with agitation, and am tumble drying now. After it’s dry, I’ll machine wash and dry the swatches like Y will when he’s living with the finished sweater. The swatches have become very soft, it’s going to be a very nice sweater if I can get the sizing right. From what I read the swatch will grow with the first blocking, and then the swatch will draw up narrower and longer than the original size.
Planning to make an XL (size 46” chest) depending on what happens with the swatches, since according to Google, I can machine wash and it will shrink up to 10%, (which would make the XL a 43.2” fit) but I had a bamboo tape top shrink to child size in my washer (still sad about that, the pre wash size was perfect!) so I’m gun shy. Son will probably machine wash it in hot at some point if he’s left to his own devices.
Finished back panel! I will look for my foam tiles to wet block to confirm it measures to the schematic; then block by machine wash warm and tumble dry when sweater is finally assembled, I made a size bigger (xl instead of lg so if it shrinks 10% it should still fit.)
Back panel of EarthlyFront panel of Earthly
Finished front panel, misread directions so there is an extra ladder on the upper right shoulder. That’s fine.
Went to a Yarn Basket knitting/crochet meetup at Lazarus this morning, saw a group of people leaving as I was coming in, wearing furry legwarmers/boots and fur vests, Viking helmet; one guy had a Lucia liber mask; a couple of the women were in dresses with floral crowns; they all got in a painted school bus and left. Not sure if they were headed to Sherwood Forest Faire, or just going around in costume as part of their sxsw experience. I love costumes and wish people would dress up more!
One of the yarn basket crew I sat next to showed me some nice linen/wool blend yarn she was working with (so soft!) and she was wearing a linen top (maybe cumulus?) and said it hadn’t shrunk when washed but did grow in length. Still glad I sized up Yoshio’s sweater, because I don’t think he’d be comfortable in a really fitted, bodycon sweater.
Three hand knits and my furry legwarmers. It’s warmed up from 27° to about 30°, the dog’s water dish is frozen solid. Glad to have a space heater in the studio! But I can’t glue in the studio (fumes + heater and lack of a box fan), the vinyl loses it’s flexibility when it’s this cold, and the sewing machine is a sluggish engine until it heats up.
It’s another cold day (40s-50s) I’m glad I have a space heater in the studio. I’ve been tidying up and getting all the pieces together for the vintage automotive vinyl tote bags I’m working on, but I think it’s too cold to glue outside, and the fumes if I do it in the studio are probably not safe (lack of ventilation, and flammable with a space heater.) Also, I wish I had a box fan to better ventilate when I’m gluing or painting inside the studio. Usually I just do it outside, but I’m at the mercy of the weather.
I finished two amigurumi projects while in Utopia, a Homer donut from Cute Crocheted Food (Emma Varnam) and a fortune cookie from Crochet Café (Lauren Espy). The donut took a couple of tries because I read the pattern wrong, and realized the directions in Cute Crocheted Food were in UK terms instead of US terms (dc=sc); and the fortune cookie is tiny because I used DK weight yarn instead of worsted (and a size 3.5mm instead of 4mm crochet hook) so I made it into a stick pin.
On New Year’s Day I made a list of my studio projects in progress, and wip’s (works in progress) and have been trying to work on finishing them whenever I’m taking a break from the studio, before starting new projects, and revisiting my wip list frequently.
I finished a latch hook kit I started Christmas of 2020 or 2019, and today I made a pillow case with an envelope style opening using some canvas that matched one of the leaves. It worked out great, and I was glad to have a walking foot sewing machine.
In the studio I organized the things I had in progress and made sure all the parts are together, and I will be finishing those projects too, fitting them in between the new pieces I’m starting. Sewing like the wind!
I am working on some new bags, and preparing for BGAB May Market. Many of the vinyls I have been using have been discontinued by the manufacturer. I’m working through my stash of vinyl, and the vintage automotive vinyl I have.
FrontBackVintage automotive vinyl pouch with boxed corners, fold at the bottom
Made some convertible grommet vinyl bags, 8.25” x 9.5” x 2” Depending how you pull the cord through the grommets you can have a 40” crossbody strap, or two 22” straps you can use as a shoulder/handbag. The black is a reptile print. The red, olive, and green bags are vintage automotive fabric, and limited to an edition of three/four bags, as much as I could make out of that vinyl I had.
I also made some 6”x7” adjustable strap essentials bag/pouches, and some 5”x7” Texas flag essentials bag (straps adjusts from 37” to 73” with cord lock.) Texas bags also available in Blue Genie Art Bazaar online shop.
Other photos: Vintage truck vinyl, and sequin textured zippies. Animal print zippies, card case, and billfold wallet. Black mesh zippies.
I’m sewing like the wind, the Blue Genie Art Bazaar started November 15 and is open 10am-10pm every day through December 23, and 10-6 December 24th at 6100 Airport Blvd. 200+ local artists in one place!
Vintage automotive vinyl convertible bagsOlive vintage automotive vinyl convertible bagsGreen vintage automotive vinyl convertible bagsRed vintage automotive vinyl convertible bagsBlack reptile print vinyl convertible bagsGreen vintage automotive vinyl convertible bag, in double strap mode Green vintage automotive vinyl convertible bag, in single strap modeTexas flag and other adjustable strap essentials bagsBlack reptile print and Texas flag adjustable strap essentials bagsVintage automotive truck vinyl and silver sequins textured zip pouchesTexas flag adjustable strap essentials bagTexas flag adjustable strap essentials bagAnimal print zippie pouches, billfold wallet, and card caseBlack mesh zippie pouches
After wearing my cargo pants yesterday and being spoiled by decent sized pockets (I could fit my phone in the front pocket, keys, and lipstick without it falling out when I sit) I’m pissed again about the pockets in my current pants, back pocket I can only put my hand up to my second knuckle in the back (might fit a lipstick but it would fall out) and the front ones, stuff keeps falling out when I sit. I think I lost my lip pencil!
I’m going to lengthen the pockets based on the cargo pants pockets, I don’t care if it ‘ruins the line of the pants, and adds bulkiness’ because as I always say, women’s pockets, when pants have them, are bullshit. And I don’t care if they make me look fat because I value function and comfort more. My son can fit a whole keyboard in his.
I’ve been gradually lengthening my pockets as I get to them, or wearing a fanny pack or apron, but had to go to a funeral Sunday and got pissed again about my pockets. I want to empower other women with decent pockets, so we can take over. That poem about seditious pockets comes to mind. Or at least carry phones and keys. Will post photos. #sewing #pockets #womenspants #clothingmods
Dangerous Coats” by Sharon Owens
Someone clever once said
Women were not allowed pockets
In case they carried leaflets
To spread sedition
Which means unrest
To you & me
A grandiose word
For commonsense
Fairness
Kindness
Equality
So ladies, start sewing
Dangerous coats
Made of pockets & sedition
Stupid fake pocketsPocket goals!Pockets will be added to this muchPocket lining, with add-onResewing lining to pants seam
I’ve been making repurposed banner bags with webbing handles as a collaboration with Blue Genie Art Bazaar using banners they have from past holiday bazaars and May Markets. They are large tote bags measuring 18”x16”, great size for an overnight, gym or swim bag, etc. The material is stiff enough that I have to wrestle it a bit in the corners to turn it right side out after sewing, so I don’t want to try smaller totes because of that from this material. There is a little bit of distressing due to these being used banners. I think they’ve turned out nicely.
They will be sold in their webstore after the bags are photographed and listed. They are kind of limited edition as the material is limited, for now I’ve cut as many bags as I can from the material I was given for this purpose.
Blue Genie Art Bazaar holiday banner bagsBack sides of those bagsBlue Genie Art Bazaar holiday banner bagsBack sides of those bagsMay Market banner bags
