What a process

I'm guessing that for those of you who don't sew, you aren't fully aware of the the entire process, start of finish of how I make bags. I thought I'd enlighten you today!

First and foremost, choosing fabric is no small feat. Personally (as you can see from my shop) I lean toward bold, modern fabrics or fabrics with ethnic flair. Most bags that I make require about 2 yards of fabric total, which isn't very much. Other items needed to actually make the bags are magnetic snaps and lobster hooks (purchased from suppliers, usually on Etsy), interfacing to line the fabric (from a fabric store, usually Joann Fabrics) as well as coordinating thread. Then I have to choose a pattern. I'm currently in the beginning stages of designing my own bags! Right now, I use patterns that allow me to sell the finished products (usually crediting the author) and am working on designing my own, stemming from all that I've learned from the patterns I've already used. Then I have to wash, dry and iron the fabric. This is actually a nice part - there is something wonderful about simply handling the fabric! Then it's time to place the pattern, pin, and cut. I must do the same for the interfacing. Then, since I used fusible interfacing, I iron the coordinating pieces to the fabric cuts and voila! Ready to sew. As you can see, most of the work that goes into making a bag is actually prep work. The actual sewing doesn't take too long! While I sew, I like to listen to NPR or music, though lately I've been sewing in silence. I've found it's a wonderful, calming time. I'm INCREDIBLY fortunate to have a whole separate room in my house that's just for sewing and other crafts. It really makes the exercise of going to sew and meditation/escape. The room colored in a warm, soothing brown, which a couch and a window air conditioner to keep it cool.

Once the bags are done, it's time for pictures for Etsy. Stay tuned - LOTS of new items will be appearing in my shop over the holiday weekend.

Hope you enjoyed today's lesson. :-)