Wednesday, December 19, 2012

the multi-tasking tote is done!

Here it is! I just finished up the tote/
diaper bag I've been working on --
the Multi-tasking Tote from Lisa Lam's
Bag Making Bible. Isn't it cute?
I used smoke gray and yellow duck (Artee), accented
with Joel Dewberry's Aviary 2: Bloom in Granite.
Both interior and exterior have lots of pockets.
And the base is internally reinforced and has feet!!
 

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

oaktag patterns

I'm in the midst of sewing up a diaper bag that a friend
of mine commissioned. It's the Multi-Tasking Tote from
Lisa Lam's The Bag Making Bible. Lam's patterns are all
layered up on the pattern pages, so there's no way I'm
chopping them up. Also, a while back I learned
from Fashion-Incubator that in commercial settings,
patterns are cut out of oak tag -- a heavy manila paper.
Instead of cutting around the pattern, the shape is traced
onto the fabric and then cut. I like to use white china
markers for this. This method works great, makes for
durable pattern pieces that are easy to track down later,
and produces fabric pieces that are reliable and
sew together correctly. So here's my light board
and my fresh, new pattern pieces!