The spring issue of Knitty is out! Too bad the seasons are reversed here and all these pretty little spring things aren’t exactly appropriate for an Aussie winter…
Month: March 2003
Y’all probably realized it a while ago, but today is 03-03-03. I didn’t get that til it was almost over.
I found a great bookmaking tutorial today. I might have to try making a journal! (Not for me; this is my journal. But they’d make nice gifts…)
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade was last night. I think Madam Sadam and Her Weapons of Mass Seduction is the Greatest. Float. Concept. Ever.
I want a kitty. There’s a pet store just around the corner with kitties. Every time I walk by I all but press my nose to the glass and make kissy faces. The Snook and I are discussing the pros/cons right now. If you have any suggestions or advice (for or against), speak now or forever hold your peace…
I had to delete a couple entries from my Oscar Contest this morning. They all came from the same IP address and had the exact same answers, right down to the tiebreaker. If these were legitimate entries and I’ve deleted them in error, let me know and I’ll reinstate you.
New Poll: I’ve been feeling conflicted over the “crafty” turn the site has taken in the last few months. I used to have a lot more “Random! Web! Links!” stuff, but nowadays I spent 40 hours a week at a job where I can’t really surf. Do you mind? Do you roll your eyes whenever I start talking about knitting or marble magnets? Put my mind at ease (or tell me to shut up) with the poll down on the right…
Cordury Jeans Bag
Cutest. Bag. Ever.
I’ve been obsessed with bags lately. (It offends my feminist pride to admit I carry a purse.) I keep accumulating them because I can never find the ideal one. I got a suede one recently that’s damn near perfect, but every time I carry the thing it rains. Anyhoo, last night on the train home I had a flash of inspiration – why not use one of my now giant (courtesy of the diet) pairs of corduroys to make a bag? The result is before you. It’s lined with a red bandanna and I appliqued felt hearts to the front. Isn’t it cute? Read on to get the instructions and more pictures…More pictures:
  
  
I’d seen several people on Glitter recommending the “chop off the legs and sew up the crotch” method of making a jeans purse. When I spread out my cords, though, I had to give up on that idea. I mean, they’re huge. I can’t believe my bum was that big. It wouldn’t be a purse; it’d be a duffel bag. So I decided to go halfway. I cut off the legs and then cut it in half vertically near the zipper. Then I spent a good half hour messing around with pins and basting to try and decide how to sew the thing up. Eventually I just said “screw it” and sewed a semi-straight line down the side. Then it came time for the bottom…
The bottom was the hardest part. See, jeans kinda “pooch” out more in the back to accommodate your bum. So I had more fabric on the back side than on the front. The solution, I eventually figured out, was to put a couple of darts (i.e. folds) in the back piece to make it work out. You can kinda see ’em on the picture of the back. Again, I just kinda eyeballed everything, but it came out looking much better than anticipated.
Next was the strap, which I made from one of the legs. I like a long strap, so I slit a leg lengthwise and sewed the lengths together to make one really long piece of fabric. Then it was just a matter of folding it together so the seams didn’t show and running a line of stitching along the edge. (I’m happy to report that my little Janome sewing machine handled layers of corduroy very well. My only problem was that occasionally it was a tight fit getting everything under the presser foot. There’s probably a way to lift it up higher though that I just don’t know of.) I sewed the straps to the inside of the waistband, trying out my zig-zag stitch for the first time. I figured there was no way to hide the sewing, so I might as well make it look intentional. 🙂
Looking inside the bag at this point, I realized I needed a lining. The front pocket was still hanging in there, and the seams and stuff just looked really messy. I had some bandannas in my fabric stash so I grabbed a red one and fashioned a pocket of similar size to my bag. (Because my bag is kinda trapezoidal in shape, I sewed the lining rectangular at first and then progressively angled in new seams at the top til the opening fit the waistband.) The I just stitched it in place inside the waistband.
Lastly I decided it needed a little decoration, so I pulled out a piece of felt and cut out some hearts. Then I just sewed them to the front panel (being sure not to go all the way through). They’re just tacked on, so they should be easy to remove if I want to change it in the future.
The whole time I was making this, I kept imagining that I’d ruined my pants (not that I could wear them anymore anyway) and that the end result would look ridiculous. But when the Snook got home and complimented me on it, I realized that it actually kinda works. I like the fact that it still has pockets and stuff for my mobile and train tickets. It’s yet another product for my eventual craft stand! 🙂
Beware the Ides of March! It’s two weeks until I officially enter my “late twenties”. That sucks. I cannot possibly be four years from thirty. It’s just… inconceivable.