Inspired Creatives

Still trying my hand at crochet. I’m starting to remember why I prefer knitting. Getting the hang of it though. Now I can use these flowers to cover up my mistake on the clutch I attempted recently.

Well, it’s far from a masterpiece.  In fact, I’ll be including this as one of my first craft fails for the  next Craft Social, co-hosted by Barbara Forbes-Lyons (@penguintrax on twitter) and Diane Gilleland (@sisterdiane on twitter).  These are great crafty ladies.  You should definitely plan on taking part if you’re at all inclined toward the handmade or just want to see what’s bubbling up in the Maker Movement explosion.  They’ll be hosting the next one Saturday, February 20 from 3 – 5 PM, EST.  Check for hashtag #craftsocial.

Now back to my handbag escapade.  I was “inspired” by this lovely little clutch on Pfaff’s site.  The tutorial was much more focused on bead placement and using Pfaff attachments than actual purse construction.  Being a beginner, I should have opted for a much more detailed tutorial.  The fabric is a lovely retro sample piece from Waverly with a coordinating broadcloth lining.  I made two major mistakes with this fabric.  First, I pre-washed it.  Since it’s technically home decor fabric, it probably should be dry cleaned.  The feel changed dramatically.  Second, I fused Pellon Peltex #70 stabilizer to this fairly light weight fabric.  Perhaps the pre-wash contributed to my folly, but the Peltex creased pretty badly, showing through the fabric.  I think a slightly lighter weight stabilizer would have worked better.

I’m satisfied with the general structure of the clutch.  I’m even impressed with how the contrasting side inserts turned out.  I’ve learned my lesson on installing magnetic closures though – find a tutorial and follow it.  Of course, the closure is not supposed to be showing through to the top flap.  I’ve since had the aha moment that the closure goes on BEFORE the bag and lining are sewn together.  Oh well, live and learn.  This has caused me to be on the look out for a retro pin, flower broach or something to cover up my mistake.

All and all, the project was fun, and it does LOOK like a clutch.  I’ve got several weights of stabilizer now, so I think it’ll be trial and error until I get a good feel for what weight goes well with what fabric.  It’s definitely a fail, but as soon as I find something to cover the obvious closure mistake I think I’ll take it out for a test run anyway.  Like I said, it does at least look like a clutch.

I know I posted briefly about this early on, but I got some updated photos and really think this little gem deserves repeating.

We’ve lived in Grandview Heights for 3 years and I just discovered the absolute most wonderful fabric source on earth only 2 blocks from the house.  Chelsea House Design Source is a Trade Design Center serving the design community in Ohio, Kentucky & West Virginia.  I could never afford designer fabrics the likes of Robert Allen, Beacon Hill, Waverly or F. Schumacher & Co.  But in the warehouse of Chelsea House I can feast on discontinued designs and promotional samples to my heart’s delight.  A shopping bag full to the brim of promotional samples, called “memos” in the trade, can be had for a mere $5!  Yes, I said $5.00!!!  And these fabrics are stunning.  They’re generally 18″ to 27″ squares, but you can find larger pieces. Simply dig deeper in the bin.  Bolts of fabric can be had for as little as $2.50/yard up to maybe $6 or $10!  Fabrics whose retail prices may be well over $100!  I just couldn’t believe a find like this in my own back yard.  This is a crafter’s paradise.

The other day as I was sprinkling the last of this shredded cheese over my salad, and about to absentmindedly toss the bag in the recycle box, I stopped short in my tracks.  Ok, let me back up and be completely truthful about this scenario.  I was actually scarfing down the last of that shredded cheese, bag poised strategically over my mouth like a bag of chips, head tilted back at just the precise angle to savor (er inhale), in oh so savage a manor, every last shred of that cheese.  Wew, that piece of humbling truthfulness is out.  I’m a slothful savage, I admit, when it comes to getting the last morsel out of a container.  But that’s not what I’m posting about here.

I stopped mid-toss to the recycle box because I realized, for the first time, that this resealable ziploc inspired plastic bag just might have a little more life in it.  Why, in my efforts to reuse, reduce, recycle, do I think it a travesty to throw away sandwich bags or freezer bags I’ve purchased after one use (as long as there hasn’t been anything really yucky in them) , but never thought about reusing the countless bags that come into the house already containing purchased foodstuffs?  I’ve already become my mother in that I’ve started saving bread bags.  I can’t remember my mother ever actually reusing those saved bread bags, but like her, I’ve got enough stocked up that in case of a nuclear holocaust, we at least have bags to get us through.  No non-perishable food, but lots of bread bags.  And don’t get me started on aluminum foil…  Got enough of that, meticulously washed and folded, to transmit to Mars.

So, did I have an epiphany?  Is this a “going green” breakthrough?  Or am I taking things a little too far?  You might say, why are you still using plastic anyway?  Well, I am cutting down.  Baby steps, you know.  I did use one of those bread bags in my husband’s lunch the other day, much to his chagrin (“are we that poor now we need to save bread bags?”).  No dear, we’re supposed to be reducing, reusing & recycling. The “that poor” part can be debated, though.  Men are sometimes slow to “get” these socially/environmentally responsible things.

One disclaimer on reusing these types of bags:  Only reuse those bags that you are certain you can get absolutely clean.  Wash in really hot sudsy water.  Turning them inside out helps to get in the nooks and crannies.  Make sure they are left out to thoroughly dry, again inside AND out, before storing.  We want no salmonella, e-coli or other yucky yucks entering into the mix.  Getting yourself or your family sick just wouldn’t be worth the reuse would it?

So,

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