Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Mama's Got a Brand New Bag

I was overdue for a new bag and decided to get motivated to make myself one today. I knew I wanted to use black instead of brown this time because I seem to have a lot more black in my closet now as opposed to the brown that I always used to wear. I adore this fabric and am really happy with how it turned out.

































































No, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you, THAT'S A FREAKIN ZIPPER!!!! A real life, functioning zipper. Can you tell I'm excited? I am seriously so proud of myself, I'm considering making some kind of girl scout style sash with merit badges. So far, I've earned the serger, button hole, and zipper badges. Maybe this isn't a big deal to other seamstresses?

I've always been excessively afraid of zippers but since sales in the store are down right now, I thought it would be a perfect time to learn a new skill. And, a skill that might make my bags stand out. So, I read about 20 different tutorials last night and walked away from the computer just as lost as when I started. I finally decided to sit down today and make it up as I went a long. You can see it's not perfect...

















I used a glue stick to keep the zipper in place while sewing (read that trick online) and it turned my fabric blue. Not sure whether that will dry clear or not. And I don't even care. Seriously, Matea can draw all over this bag with a Sharpie and I'm so damn proud of myself, I'll still happily carry it around. I also had to shorten my zipper - I'm sure I did that wrong. And making the gusset, or whatever that piece is called - definitely needs some tweaking. All in all though, I'm really happy with the result (in case you hadn't figured that out) and hope that my family will throw me some kind of congratulatory party tonight - although that most likely won't happen. Go ahead and have some ice cream in my honor.

6 comments:

Tonya said...

I am so proud of you, Kelci! I would give you a badge if I had one : )

Actually zippers are one of the harder things to do, IMO. They can be very fiddly. Your first try looks awesome!

Kristi said...

That's my girl...always giving me an excuse to eat ice cream! Congrats on the zipper badge. I totally think you should make yourself a sash or vest or something.

BumbleBee Bagz said...

Love the zipper, once you figure them suckers out you cant stop!

Anonymous said...

I look for your blog everyday. I am a retired home ec. teacher and love, love your writing. The zipper excitement is so true. My daughter still avoids a pattern if it has a zipper and she is 33 yrs. old. You are a hoot and your family is so beautiful too. Keep up the good work, your bags are great....with or without a zipper. Your color sense and precise construction really make your bags special.

Marie said...

I like the idea of a sash with merit badges. That would really motivate me to try out all that other stuff. Your zipper looks great and your new bag is fabulous!

Keeley Kirwan said...

Great New Bag...love the colors and way to go with the zipper!! You are a woman of all trades.