The Anatomy of Lemonade
June 11th, 2012
I bought some great London fabric by The Henley Studio (from Makower UK/Andover) from both Pink Chalk Fabrics and the Fat Quarter Shop. My big plan was to sew with it on the weekend of the Diamond Jubilee, as well as simultaneously with Fat Quarterly’s London retreat. Transporting myself to London from my little spot at our Portland MQG All Day Sew. I had it all planned out - I would make another Lunch bag from Ayumi’s pattern (I think this makes 9 bags, now). I was so careful, too. Making sure I had my directions running in all the right ways.
Easy, this is the 9th time I’ve made Ayumi’s pattern.
Focused and mindful.
No sweat.
Piece of cake.
I can make Bag9.0 with my eyes closed.
I can sew this bag in my sleep.
I don’t even need to use a machine… I can mind-sew it.
Of course… naturally… I am full of $#!+. Oh yeah (Kool-aid Man voice).
Sigh. Not gonna toss it. I sewed the outer and inner units together and trimmed it with some top stitching. I guess I have a too-small iron cover.
Or a hat for Traci. (Meg, Amber and Jen are the happy little sewing bees in the background)
With no purse to finish now, I’ll just watch Violet make her beautiful bee block for Sally.
After PMQG All Day Sew we go out for Mexican food (so very London-ish, eh)… I watch Traci and Violet drink something out of giant cereal bowl that tasted like Froot Loops with tequila to me. One sip and I was glad I was sticking with a Coke. This has nothing to do with my sewing fail - I’m just so amused by this drink that I’m making it a part of Bag9.0’s story.
The following day I pick up where I left off, and redo Bag9.0’s main body. So cute is Ayumi’s pattern, and I love it in this London fabric (+ some of Darlene Zimmerman’s long ago Little Darling’s from my stash for the band and handles).
I’m so glad I Instagram’d/tweet’d/flickr’d my Bag9.0 Diamond Jubilee Edition fail - Sandie left me a comment on my flickr pic with a great tip: “Turn it inside out and then fold a couple inches to the outside. It’ll still be upside down inside, but once you fill it, who’s gonna notice?“. And that’s just what I did.
Lesson learned: When life gives you lemons… Instagram/tweet/flickr about it. Thank you for the lemonade, Sandie!
Posted in Quilty n Crafty, I Heart Oregon |
Farting around with needle & thread and then blogging about it.
Good save - but I really REALLY like it as a hat for Traci!
June 11th, 2012Well if madame Zombie can blow it I’d better stick to reading the patterns everytime! BTW I finished Taking Turns weeks ago but no photo yet..soon I promise. I loved that pattern so much I have been thinking of making another, its such a fun way to use a whole pile of cute things and not have to work to hard at the piecing.
June 11th, 2012The funny thing is, I read this post about 4 times before I figured out what was wrong with the bag…couldn’t figure out why is wasn’t working?! Ha, maybe I should have stuck with Coke, too :P
June 11th, 2012I love that bag.I need that bag. Will you sell me that bag? I try to sew, I have not one lick of common sewing sense. Try as I might, I am sewdicapped.
June 11th, 2012I love your ‘mistake bag’…by the way if anyone ever made lemonade when given a lemon, it’s you. I had a slight similar idea…psychically…I purchased some of the O Britannia collection to make myself a quilt to cuddle under during the London Olympics….I am a major Olympics fan..Winter/Summer..love it all. I so enjoyed your visit to the Winter Games because I could ‘feel’ your major enthusiasm. I’ve always thought that as much as I’d give to get to attend an Olympics..those at home in front of big TV’S have the best seat but it is up to us at home to create the ‘atmosphere’.
June 11th, 2012I made NO APPOINTMENTS for the entire two weeks..one childhood friend wants to come and watch with me for a few days..she shares our enthusiasm. I wish I was as good a sewer as you and could create her a throw also.
So glad you “had another go” at the London bag, and the great tip needs a tutorial all it’s own, cuz I want one of those folded baskets!!!
Froot Loops and tequila? Gah! Count me out too :)
When did you switch from unsupervised scissors to needles? I missed that…
June 11th, 2012Ahhh Monica - you never fail us! I was hoping you would comment on the Queen’s Jubilee Weekend. After your great project for William and Kate’s wedding, I wondered if there would be a follow-up pattern for Her Majesty.
By the way… I did the Royal Wedding embroidery and gave it to a friend who went to a Royal Wedding Tea Party at 4:00 a.m.! She’s no longer with us, but she was surprised and pleased to receive it.
June 12th, 2012That’s TOOOO stinkin’ cute! Now I WANT one. WANTY WANTY WANTY. Guess I’ll have to go in hot pursuit of that fabric to add to my UK stash. LOVE your little bag SW!!!!
June 12th, 2012Love it! The fabric is adorable - I hadn’t seen that print before! And I love it as a hat :)
June 12th, 2012You’re so welcome! I’d love to be brilliant, but I made several similar baskets a couple weeks ago and that’s about the length of my retrievable memory lately.
Besides, that fabric is too stinkin’ cute to be a lemon!
June 12th, 2012So cute!
June 12th, 2012I love the fabric and wow the bag is sweet!!!!
June 12th, 2012Hee, hee, you are such a HOOT! Laughed out loud at your “fruit loops with tequila” description. Need to sew Ayumi’s lunch bag one of these days myself!!
June 12th, 2012Oh dear, I’m afraid I chuckled throughout! Not at your misfortune but at the wonderful way you blogged about it! I love the way you saved bag 9.0 - I think I need a box like that on my sewing table!!
June 12th, 2012P.S Bag 9.1 also looks brill!
It looks like you had a jolly good sewing day with your mates. I find it utterly impossible to sew anything other than simple squares together at a day retreat…that or hand tack binding on. There’s too much excitement and I just can’t do anything that requires even a teensy tiny bit of brain power or else I might miss something! Your basket and bag ended up brilliantly in the end!
June 12th, 2012What a fabulous save - I love the “wrong” one!
June 12th, 2012Bwhahahahaha! Fruit Loops with tequila. Love it. So glad the bag was saved and turned out so cute. Yay for Instagram helpers.
June 12th, 2012Super DUPER cute!
June 12th, 2012Whenever I stalk you via your blogs, you always have me laughing and transporting me back to my childhood in the 70s. This time it was the Kool Aid voice.
June 12th, 2012Great lemonade!
Super extra bonus points for using the KoolAid voice. :-)
June 12th, 2012Craft WIN! Great story and really cute bag.
June 13th, 2012i am interested in that bowl of tequila! ;)
June 13th, 2012I love this post. Sometimes it is nice to know that other people, even people we admire, make mistakes too.
June 13th, 2012It’s such a relief to see seasoned quilters goof up once in a while! Cute bag and cute holder-thingy! ;)
June 15th, 2012Help, help, please tell me the name of the pattern for the quilt that “Violet” is holding up! I love it!
June 21st, 2012Oh Monica! How did I miss this awesome post???!!
June 25th, 2012I am even happy that your 9th one turned out to be the box full of potential! It looks so cute in any way you used it! (Maybe the hat is my fave!!) Your bag is so stinkin cute as always!! I looove the English theme!
OMG, I absolutely adore the London fabric. And your hat/iron cover turned out pretty darned fabulous, too.
June 27th, 2012