Finally! Tree of Life afghan

It's done! And already packed up, along with the Baby Surprise Jacket, to be sent to its future owner. It's bigger than I'd expected, but still a very baby-friendly size - maybe about 3 x 4 feet? Since I ran out of the main color, and also because I really just wanted to be done with this, I skipped the leaf-lace border and just did two rows of applied I-cord in a different color for the edging.

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A mushroom

When I saw this pattern, I just had to make one. It's pretty cute and the recipient apparently likes to shake it!

Cage comforters

Here are three of the 11 Cage Comforters I have just finished. They are going to New York Animal Care & Control, where I hope a few little critters will get a bit of comfort from them. I'd saved some clothing and sheets from a big closet purge to reclaim their fabric for this project, so all I had to buy was batting. Each cushion is 12" x 18" and about an inch thick, tacked together with some bright yarn. I hope to be able to make a bigger batch next year, but as this was a new project in my charity crafting repertoire I figured I should start small.

Laptop bag tutorial

I've been accused of not loving my new macbook enough. It's true. I kind of hate it. My loathing for my new computer (who I should not talk bad about as I type on it!) didn't stop me from making it a fun new bag. I didn't feel like buying a bag for it, so I decided to make one. I also figured, since I'm making the bag, I might as well share the process. If there are any errors, please let me know!

Here we go!

Materials:
bag fabric
liner fabric
buttons/snaps/buckle
matching thread

So, I do this every time I buy fabric. I didn't keep track. I don't know how much I bought. I had some leftover green corduroy that I used for the outside of my bag. I bought maybe 1 yd or 1.5 yds for the liner. I had plenty left over so I think a safe amount would be 1 yd.
I also bought some buttons to cover with the liner fabric but seem to have misplaced them so they're not a part of the tutorial, but hopefully I'll find them one day and add them.
Finally, I really wanted to add a buckle that would let me lengthen or shorten the strap but I couldn't find a buckle of what I wanted, and I ran out of steam making the bag.

*All seam allowances are 1/2", unless stated otherwise*

Cut these pieces (all these dimensions are allowing for the 1/2" seam)

Outside fabric pieces:
Front/Back piece x2: 15"x10.5"
Side piece x2: 15"x3.5"
Bottom piece x1: 3.5"x10.5"
Top flap piece x1: 7.5"x10.5"
Bottom pocket piece x1: 8"x10.5" (split into two pieces: 5", 3")
Strap piece x1: 37"x2"

Liner fabric pieces:
Front Back piece x2: 15"x10.5"
Inside panel x2: 14.5"x10.5"
Side piece x4: 15"x2.25"
Bottom piece x2: 10"x2.25"
Top flap piece x1: 7.5"x10.5"
Bottom decorative piece x1: 4"x10.5"
Bottom pocket piece (liner) x1: 11"x10.5"
Strap piece x1: 37"x2"
Inside pockets
-itouch size x2: 5.75"x3.75"
-ipod nano x2: 4.25x3.5"

Interfacing:
I put a fleece interfacing on all the front/back/sides/bottom/middle panels to give the laptop a little protection. I added it to the outer sides and the inner panels just so the sewing would be easier.

Final dimensions:
14" tall
9.5" wide
2.5" deep

Sewing the outside of the bag:

*iron interfacing on before starting*

1. Sew side pieces to bottom piece. Trim seams.






2. Sew outer pocket together
a) sew bottom decorative piece to bottom pocket piece. I split the pocket into three pieces, from top to bottom: 5", 4", 3". Using a 1/4" seam allowance, sew together to form one 11"x10.5" piece that will match the liner piece. Press seams to the outside. Top stitch along the decorative piece to create a nice finish.
b) Using a 1/4" seam allowance, sew liner top to outside top. Leave sides and bottom unfinished because they will be sewn into the sides at a later time.






3. Using a 1/4" seam allowance, baste pocket to outer front piece.







4. Sew Top flap liner to outside on three sides. Trim seams, clip corners, turn out, press, and top stitch around three edges, leaving one edge rough.

5. Sew strap together.

*add interfacing if you want a thicker/softer strap*

a)With right sides together, sew one piece of the outside fabric and one piece of the liner together.
b) Stitch along the long edge of each side, forming a tube.
c)Turn the right side of the strap out, and press.
d)Top stitch the strap for a nice finish.

See this tutorial for a visual

6. Sew Side/Bottom pieces to Front/Back to form the bag. Trim all corners and edges. The fleece adds bulk that can be trimmed away.









7. Baste Top Flap and Strap pieces to bag.













The Outer part of the bag should be complete.








Sewing the Liner:



1. Sew the inner panel together.
a) With right sides together, stitch the top of the panel. Trim the seam, turn so right sides are out and top stitch across the top.





2. Sew the sides and bottoms to the inner panel.
a) I attached the sides to the inner panel and sewed the sides at the same time.
b) I lined the bottom of the sides up with the inner panel. The sides should extend beyond the inner panel. The inner panel is shorter than the outer part of the bag.






c)Then attach each half of the bottom one at a time. This is a little tricky. Don't sew the other sides into the side.









Lining up the corners isn't pretty. Just go slow and it's ok if things don't match up exactly--just make sure there aren't any holes when you're done sewing.






It may get ugly. Just keep going!










3. Sew inner pockets together and attach to Front/Back liner piece.
a) Using a 1/4" seam allowance, sew pockets with right sides together, like a pillow. Leave an opening for turning. Trim corners and turn.
b) Attach pockets where you want them on the Front/Back liner piece, making sure opening in facing down so it will be sewn closed when the pocket is attached. Sew three sides to form a pocket, closing the opening as you sew.








4. Attach Front/Back pieces to inner part of the liner. Trim all the seams so there is less bulk.











The liner should be complete now.







Finishing the bag:


1. Stuff the outside of the bag inside of the liner, right sides together. This is a little tricky. Put the outer bag in just one part of the liner. Match up the corners and pin all around. Be careful with where the back flap and straps are.








2. Sew all around, leaving an opening to turn the bag. Be sure to have the opening where the back flap is not. It's easier to top stitch it closed. I did not do this and it didn't work as well as I wanted it to.









3. Turn and top stitch all around, closing the opening.




4. Add buttons or snaps to the flap so the bag stays closed.

It's done!










Perfect timing...Michael Phelps just won his 8th Gold medal! yeah!

What I'm up to

Here's the Baby Surprise Jacket, finally all done. There's not much I can say about this amazing pattern that hasn't already been said - it was fun to knit, and a blast to see it come together in the end. I was pleased to find these little purple buttons in my stash, which I think go very well with the pretty yarn.












Above left are the Cage Comforters I'm making out of recycled clothing. They are close to done; I'll post in more detail when they are. On the right are some little dog toys I made for a friend's dogs, using the scraps from the cage comforters. I saw something like them online somewhere, but couldn't remember where, so I just improvised these.