Todays Challenge-Tote Bag-Draping Dress -Doggie Billow- 2 fleece and Minky Quilts

I posted a tote bag on my last blog that I was covering on the outside and inside with Clear Plastic.

Everything else on that blog was finished and posted... Nuno felted scarves, and my wonderful blanket type Kwik Sew Minky Coat that really hit the spot this past cold week.   Now I have to get ready for the summer.   I am either going to buy something on the water where I can slide my kayak in or do my ususal 4 weeks near Assateague in cottages on the water.  I haven't decided if I am up to the challenge of purchasing... but I have to decide soon or my cottages on the water will be gone.

This is the same gauge plastic as you can use to make a picture pocket on the outside of a grannie tote to put her grandchildrens pictures in.  I am just totally covering the fabric so I can put wet kayaking clothes in the tote when I am through kayaking.  I ususally layer with a cover up T and shorts and then take them off of the top of my bathing suits and then put on a long lycra dress and go out to dinner when local kayaking or at the beach when I am going to the boardwalk.

So first I will go back to the tote.  It is about 1:00.  Finish it and move on to the Billow etc.

So the outside is covered with the plastic...

The handle is a skin from GStreetFabrics.com that I will shape into a tote handle.

The clear plastic is from GStreetFabrics.com and is sewn in a one piece half yard piece over my very own fabric-with my photos printed on it.

This was made with the regular eco canvas fabric.

The other side is my solo kayaking fabric-Kayakin at sunset

 The inside with be a cotton batik from GStreetFabrics.com... There are many to choose from

Many Batiks to choose from at GStreetFabrics in Rockville, MD   see Google Maps for location to visit...

So you Sew your outside of your Tote....  and then sew it to the clear plastic.... so you have as few holes as possible in the clear plastic... this is the same gauge as the plastic used for photo pockets on Grannie Totes...  Also purchased from GStreetFabrics..... as I work there... most of my fabrics are purchased there, GstreetFabrics site- order on line

unless as in this tote the fabric is something I printed.

Tote outside is made by flat felting a seam between front and back and then sewing the plastic on around the selvage.. the least sewing through the plastic is the best as they are hole punctures that may let water in.

The seam is only in the fabric at one side.... the clear plastic is 54 inches wide so you only have to seam on one side.... so my intent is to seam one side on the outside and oneside on the inside layer and then sew the two sides together...and flip so the batik covered by plastic is on the inside.

The tote handle has many decisions.... if you are putting hard stabilizer interfacing inside the two layers it will practically stand alone with a rectangular side and bottom.... so you can use a long handle or two smaller handles and carry like a purse handle...  I don't use shoulder straps, so I will not be putting that on... but here is how your layouts for the straps look:

This is shorter handles all of these in this color are cut from one small skin sold at GStreetFabrics

There is enough skin to do a long tote handle from one side to the other if you are making Rectangular totes... this will be rectangular... and with stabilizer inbetween

The ends of the tote will look like this when folded rectangular after sewing

If you are doing a shoulder strap you will attach at the top of the side ends

You can also do it in two pieces and use a D-ring so it can be adjusted.

I will be using the shorter handles and it will give me enough left over to do another tote another day, with two small handles....  In the picture you can see how long the leftover half is to be able to go from one side to the other of the tote.

Both Tote handles finished

Now finish the dress.... Change thread and finish Tote....!!!!  7:30 

 Dress is done!.... Now hmmmm... Jacket?... Tote?... Jewelry?...  see my dilemma???.... okay... finish tote... then jewelry and jacket and wear tomorrow.... and do billow and get those quilts off the tables...

 

For my totes I will be placing the handles here.

I use this pattern for my lycra blouses but have it adjusted to fit me the way I like... Long loose sleeves and I added a bit to the center drape so it drapes more.... I just folded the pattern and put it at a bigger angle in the upper center front... hey, it works for me.....  

so  for this dress... I put the top with the bottom of the simple dress pattern

So again... all those who love my suits, or at least say they do, my suits are different patterns with just a straight skirt with simple kick pleat and an elastic waist.... very comfortable... I keep trying different jacket patterns... and the scarf that matches the blouse that is under the lapels is just a leftover strip of lycra whatever is left...

Bottom-McCalls 4176 and Top Butterick 3131 my old standby

If time, maybe a drapie black Jacket out of some matte jersey I have sitting here.

This dress will be the bottom of the dress above and the top is the usual drape blouse pattern I love and I just overlapped them and cut around.

I couldn't fit the front, so I cut it totally biased so I could fit the front piece.  This is good as it will drape better, but that was the only way I could fit it... There won't be any darts, and no facing, but the back neck facing.. so I will be able to so it up quick now that it is cut out...  I will hang it and take a pic when I totally finish it... I will make covered button earrings and a marble double bracelet out of the scrapes... and I am planning a fused glass pin, if I can find some red and black glass chips in my box of chips and frits.

NOW another cup of coffee and a brownie.....!  Days off are fun...

I have an excuse... I have to do everything that is black thread before I move onto the Doggie Billow, because that is white thread...So  Tote Handle, Dress, then Tote body and Doggie Billow... and thennnnnnnnnn  Quilts... Whew...

OMG! 5:45PM...... Finish Something Kitty!!!!!!:-)) 

Finished one handle and then use for pattern for the second...

The handle ends will be folded under and top stitched in a square and then the square below the rounded handle will be topstitched at each end in the center of the bag as centered here.

The handle itself is turned under and rounded for gripping above the square

Before you start it is faster to not blog, have all your supplies lined up and all your projects lined up and already have eaten your lunch.... :-)) 

Don't forget I am taking pictures as I go tooo!!!

Be Back as I finish the next Two items with pics....OMG! it's 3:15.... time for more COFFEE in my cup...!!!!

Okay... I am all over the place... you know I only have off today and then I have to go back to work tomorrow... so ..

I cut out the sleeves and the back, but I couldn't get the whole back to fit.

As usual the fabric came from the "Treasure Hunt Room" at work at just 2.97 a yard.  That meant I had to take the size piece it was and make it work.   I love the colors and the fabric weight.... soooooo

I had a few pieces cut out to a dress... my typical draping front as my blouses I wear with my suits to work..

I combined 

 

Dress is done... Fabric from "The Treasure Hunt Room" GStreetFabrics in Rockville -Black Jacket will also be from Treasure Hunting at G

Now.. Jewelry?Jacket?Totes... okay Totes... then jewelry and jacket and wear tomorrow... change thread for totes and back for jacket , then do billow... and then start on quilts and get them off the tables once and for all... 

hopefully all done and mailed by weekend... GOAL... because I want to go do something on FRIDAY.... look at dream house goal... but I can't if I can't finish these things!