Stuff I’ve Made

I’m having a burst of creative energy, so let’s talk about a couple of things I’ve made recently!

Making my new flute bag was a long process. See, sewing is an uphill battle for me. I only started sewing two years ago out of creative necessity, and when I’m working on something, momentum is key. I try to stick to basic projects I can finish within a couple of hours. But all bets are off when you’re making it up as you go, which is what I did with this bag.

In my community band, we’re responsible to bring our own music stands to practices and performances. Mine is a folding stand, and the sharp end of it stuck out of every tote bag I used. I worried about accidentally impaling someone (and/or myself). The only solution was to make a sturdy custom bag that I could drop everything into vertically and zip up. I started with about a yard and a half each of canvas fabric and quilt batting, and this Simple Tote tutorial.

Instead of using her measurements, I laid out my flute case, music binder, and music stand and eyeballed how much fabric I would need. Then I followed her instructions, using the quilt batting for lining. I’d never boxed corners before, and found this explanation easier to understand than the one in the tutorial. Even then, I needed a demonstration from my mom. The good thing is that once I finally Get a sewing skill, I usually don’t struggle with it again.

Finishing the bag part was very satisfying, but I got hung up (ha ha) on the handles. I made them double-layer for extra strength, and subsequently couldn’t get them turned inside out, so I had to cut and sew a second, wider pair. By then, the task of finishing and attaching them, adjusting the bag height, and putting in the zipper was not high on my priority list. Meanwhile, the bag itself was functional. So for about two months, I carried that bag over my shoulder, hobo-style, to and fro. I KNOW. Finally I faced reality and asked my expert mother to finish it off for me. It sat completed on my porch within 24 hours and now I tote it around happily. Thanks Mums!

This week I made a multi-strand necklace from embroidery thread. My inspiration was, randomly, a necklace Hillary Clinton wore in an NBC interview. Upon closer inspection I realized it was beaded, but at first it had a textile look to it. As it turned out, I’d already pinned a Gold Ring Necklace tutorial that had the general feeling I was after! Total cost: $5 and about an hour stringing and knotting in front of So You Think You Can Dance.

The necklace turned out a little shorter than I wanted, since I didn’t measure precisely. I also wanted more strands, so I might make a second one to layer with it! The tutorial is so adaptable for different colors and accessories, I could really go nuts making these.