Ugly Fabric Challenge

Earlier this year a fellow quilter sent several of us a piece of "Ugly Fabric" and challenged us to make something. I thought this is fun and raided my stash looking for fabric that would go with it.  I am very happy to say that the only thing I had to buy when making this purse was the webbing for the handles.  I did buy a zipper but decided that I did not want to put one on this version.  I also decided that I was not interested in making it into a quilt. I wanted something simple that I could actually finish, not something that would add to my UFOs.

For a long time I have wanted to make a purse of my own design using things I liked from other purses to make it one I would like and so I went for it.  I measured a couple of purses I owned that were about the size I wanted, and I looked at the pockets in others to adjust them to be useful to me. I also measured and adjusted the handles to a size that worked for me, as often the handles on purses are much shorter or longer than what I really like.

The end result was this purse:

I made the purse roughly 10 inches wide and 10 inches tall, and about 5 inches wide.  I used one layer of Temtex on each of the sides and two layers in the bottom.

I made the one inside pocket long enough to fit my iPhone laying sideways.

I added a smaller pocket on the opposite side of the lining.

I also reinforced the upper edge by using Timtex on both the inner and outer side and used polyester webbing for the straps. I sealed the webbing with liquid seam stuff that I got at JoAnn's.

Then I top stitched the upper edge to the outside of the bag and quilted the top edges to really hold in the handle ends inside and reinforce them, spacing the quilting lines about 1/4" apart.

The end result is a cute purse in my opinion is very functional and stands up on its own.  I also like the contrast of the light pockets with the darker interior, as it makes it easy to locate things.  The only thing I have not yet done is to spray the purse with Scotch Guard as it has been rather cold out, and I am waiting for it warm up before doing so, after all I do live in Alaska.

Ruler, 12"size, to give you a better view of the dimensions.

 


I plan to make another version of this purse. I have ideas for a few modifications to my basic pattern  and am thinking I will try adding a zipper to it and maybe even add an outer zippered pocket for my cell phone, or my keys.  I like that I have come up with a design that pulls concepts from purses that I like so that I can make it functional for me.

Reorganization Day Two

"Organize:  To put together into an orderly, functional, structured whole.

2.

a. To arrange in a coherent form;...

b. To arrange in a desired pattern or structure..."

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/organize

Organizing is a very time consuming process and the clearing out of clutter takes a lot of work.
I am having a hard time, but have found some things to get rid of and I still have a way to go before I have the room emptied out.  There is a lot of stuff just dumped in there on the floor.  I have too much stuff. 
I made one decision. Fabric from Joanns from years ago is leaving.  If I have not used it in a craft project yet, I never will. In reality I moving it over to my husband's room so he can use it for projects with his art students. Keeping only LQS (local quilt shop fabric), which is good quality fabric.
Old patterns for clothes are going out the door also. I even have a UFO that I am sending away. It is a skirt I started like 100 twenty years ago and never finished.  I kept thinking, I will finish that and wear it, NOT!  
I spent some time today going through scraps and making a pile of those too small to do anything with, so will take them to the LQS and donate them to the dog beds bag. They are collecting scraps for dog beds for the local shelters.  A couple of the women make them.
I am also trying to organize things that are for specific projects together in bags so I have it all together when I am ready and looking at a few fabrics to move from usable to possible quilt backs, since I have several yards of them. 
At the moment my goal is to empty the room and redo the shelving so I can organize things in a more efficient manner. I am putting fabric into boxes and will sort it as I put things away so they are categorized by color and amount. I do have a lot of the fabric already sorted by color and one yard or greater than one yard increments.  I just need to find a better way to store it.
Beth gave me a great idea. I need to bag and label things with the pattern I plan to use so they are ready to start when I am ready. 
I plan to put kits in fabric boxes on the shelves so they are ready to go, and works in progress in another fabric box, unless it is one I am currently working on. Those are in plastic 12x12 boxes with handles ready for me to carry to class or to workshops.

The Sewing Room Reorganization Begins

Tonight I started pulling things out of my sewing room. The room is a real disaster and I am not posting before pictures just believe me when I say it is a total disaster and there is not room to move around.

First was a box of jeans.  I am saving them to make another denim quilt.  I love the one I made before and though I use it in the family room, I like it in the car in the winter as it is heavy and warm.  I am thinking I may make another and back it with fleece to keep in the car.  I thought of making another denim jacket, but decided that if I did I would want to do a longer one and the weight would be too much, so ruled that idea out.  For the moment I am keeping the denim.

Next came the Christmas fabric, or at least most of it. I folded and stacked it in plastic bins for the moment.  I plan to go through it when I put it back in the room and decide if I want to keep it, share it with friends, or donate it.  This is the plan for all fabric.  I have two tubs of Christmas fabric and I know there is more hiding in my sewing room. Will I ever make that many Christmas quilts?

The third thing I pulled out and boxed up for the moment was quilt/wall hanging tops that are done or in need of borders. I have four 31 quart tubs and one 15.5 quart tub.  Now I should say that some of the tubs also have quilt backs or the fabric for backs folded with the quilts. There is one wall hanging pinned and ready to hand quilt as well as a wall hanging and a table runner that just need the binding hand stitched down  I did not count how many items are in topsville.  Plus there is one top and backing sitting to the side that is ready to drop at the quilters.  (She has four other quilts of mine at the moment.)  One goal this year is to finish these, including binding.  I have several backs cut and ready to piece in these tubs, but am waiting a while before sending more off to the quilter.  I also have several smaller ones set aside with backs for me to quilt.

I stopped for the night and will tackle my sewing room reorganization again tomorrow.  

I am hoping to get it all cleared out tomorrow and start putting things back together on Sunday and Monday.  I sub Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday next week and sew all day Saturday and Sunday.  I really do not want this to be stretched out over several weeks, so we shall see how much I can get done tomorrow.  There is an awful lot of stuff hiding in that room, and I have not looked in the closet in several years.