Ha! I finally finished something! A bag for my new camera!
I found the tutorial here at Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom and found it very helpful. I haven’t quilted anything before, and even though this was a small, small experience, I have to say that I didn’t like the tracing lines or snipping countless threads at the beginnings and ends of stitch lines. (Mom–as an impatient person, how do you do it?)
stitched together incorrectly
I only had to rip stitches once! However, they were along three sides of the project, so it took awhile. I tried to remember all the advice I’ve heard for beginning seamstresses, about accepting that ripping seams and fixing mistakes is as much a part of the process as sewing or ironing. And I could have done more seam ripping if I wasn’t so impatient (see the end with the elastic that I sewed twice, once quite wonky). I just wanted to be done! Here are photos of the pouch without the giant button (for you, Mom):
My hoarding tendencies paid off big with this project: I didn’t have to buy anything for it! I already had everything, including a giant button that had come with an Ann Taylor maternity sweater years ago. I didn’t have the elastic cord she used in the tutorial, so I just used some thinnish elastic band I already had. The outside material is something I’ve been saving for years, and the inside material is from Big Girl Bee’s apron. And then I used extra fleece for the batting in-between layers. Yippee!
Notes for next time: I’m going to add 1.5 in. to the length, because although I added about half an inch this time, it wasn’t long enough for some breathing room. It’s probably related to the fact that I used thicker fabrics than the tutorial recommended (a corduroy and a home decor/duck-type fabric). Bulky. Definitely put my machine to the test.
Evie slept most of the time while Juni worked on her own project in the craft room with me. I gave her the scraps of my fabric and she would put them together on her own and ask me to stitch them together at certain places, which I would do on the sewing machine in between my steps. I don’t think she ended up with anything specific, but she seemed to be aiming at a bib for her baby doll. It was a great way to work together. Daddy ended up bringing both girls to the park as I was finishing up, and I put the button on this morning. It’s perfect! Now we can carry the camera around without damaging it.