Ruffles Demystified

So I have a list of sewing to-do projects that I am diligently working through. One is a mini-dream project based on a super girly, ruffled laundry bag I saw in Blueprint magazine awhile back. The real bag costs $40+ so obviously I have to make my own. So I killed 1 1/2 birds with one stone this weekend. I finally got the balls to try ruffles and marked off another project all at once. This misshapen mess is my new scrap bag with my first prototype ruffles. I didn't hem the raw edges because, hey, it is my scrap bag and I was too lazy. But the ruffles were actually quite simple I just maxed out my thread tension and stitch length and then quickly sewed a line up the edge of each extra long strip. It looks a little cuter in real life but absolutely too huge for my one bedroom apartment.

Hand Drawing

This post is mainly for my mom to see my progress on my current learn to draw program. I am reading Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain and having pretty cool progress. I am going through it pretty slow because it does take a lot of time to really sit down and do it because it is so hard. And way scarier than it would seem to try to draw something. But for me, drawing has been something that I was so "bad" at that I never wanted to try and fail. So anyway, here is my second hand drawing on toned paper.

New Bag

This is my version of the Wasp Bag from this free pattern I found. It worked like a charm (nearly). And the bag is great. Very roomy and comfortable. Maybe it was just a good pattern but I really think my sewing skills have improved. Making this felt like a special treat after the boring chore that the quilt became. The yo-yo's were my own embellishment idea. Currently, yo-yo's are my favorite thing.

Zippered Pouch

I have a new purse in the works so as a little warm-up I made this new zippered pouch. I designed the embroidery myself. Can you tell?! I find it entertaining, so there.

Kansas Dugout

I finally finished my "official" quilt. I took the pattern from a book of classic quilt patterns, the slip of paper I wrote the name on has been lost. Also, I was too stingy to even cart it home for a night so I traced the shape of the dugout onto a tissue with a pencil during lunch one day. Needless to say there were a few size issues and the perfect symetry thing didn't happen. But I pretty much loathe those precise geometric quilts anyway.

I think I will go back to slapping together random shapes and hoping like hell that I have enough fabric because making the same block over and over again was tedious.