So, a while back, I said that I was going to keep y’all posted on my progress with my sewing project. So here it is…the beginning.
The first step of any project (after selecting the pattern and purchasing all of the fabric and notions (ex: zippers, velcro, etc.)) is to wash your fabric before you cut into it. This makes sure that your project won’t come out all funky because it shrunk or something the first time you wash it. I didn’t take a picture of this step because I figure everyone has seen fabric be washed at some point or another.
While the fabric is washing you can begin cutting out all of the pattern pieces. Pattern pieces are printed on big sheets really thin paper so you have to cut out the individual pieces. Then you pin the pattern pieces to the fabric and cut out the fabric pieces needed for your project. For this project, there are 22 pattern pieces. So that = a lot of cutting for me! I would have PBS Create on in the background so that I would be inspired to continue creating! 
cutting out the pattern pieces
I had to spread the cutting out over two days because there was just SO much to cut!! There may only have been 22 pattern pieces but most of those had duplicates or triplicates including the lining so I ended up cutting 45 pieces of fabric! All I can say is that those expensive fabric scissors are totally worth it!
everything finally cut out!!
After cutting everything out, some projects (like this one) have some pattern pieces that have linings that have to be fused (read: ironed) on. Practically every piece of this pattern, being a laptop bag and needing mores support, has lining. Once all of the fusing’s done you can start stitching. I’ve been stitching a little bit here and there, didn’t have much to show for the several hours that I put in until….TODAY! Today, I finally just sat down at the machine, popped in the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows CDs and stitched away! So after a total of probably 12 hours sewing (8 of which were today) this is what I’ve accomplished so far:
YAY Progress!!
It might not look like much to you but that’s the first 55 steps of this 80 step project! The only reason I really stopped today was actually because I ran out of thread! I never thought I’d say that but there you have it. I actually finished off my first ever spool of thread. Accomplishment. sigh.
Some new stuff that I’ve done on this project that I’ve never done before: sewing zippers, making actual pockets and piping.
Who knows, if I have another day or two like this one, I could finish this project up real soon (as in, by the end of next week!) and I’m sure that my sister (who is to be the recipient of this laptop bag) would appreciate getting it sooner rather than later!
In other news we just started a house/dog-sitting job for the next 10ish days and it’s going really well! The family has two ity-bity dogs that Serisse ignores of course, unless they’re trying to get to her food. This is what the littlest one, Vista, did as soon as we got there:
She makes Serisse's pillow look so HUGE!
On a side note, I discovered something interesting about myself the other day but again, in order to explain it, I have to go back a ways. A couple of years ago, when Shawn was unable to work due to back surgeries he started reading a LOT. Mostly fantasy and science fiction but also some classics like The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Muskateers. Since then he’s encouraged me to read some of his favorites. The most recent is the fantasy books in the Vlad Taltos series by Steven Brust. In these books the main character (who can of course do magic) has a mini-dragon type pet that rides around on his shoulder. I imagine that he’s kind of like the parrot for a pirate. Anyways, I brought the book with me to a coffee house so I could read a bit while waiting for my friend to join me. It was at this point that I realized that I have an aversion to being seeing with a book that has any kind of fantastical or science fiction type of character on the front! I didn’t want anyone to see the dragon on the cover of my book so when I was reading it, I kept it flat on the table. When I wasn’t reading it, it was resting on the table, cover down with the spine of the book facing away from everyone else. Why? Why do I do this!?! I’m not entirely sure but I bet it has to do with the idea/perception I have that these books are not as intellectual as the classics. I’m sure if I was reading The Count of Monte Cristo I would be holding the book up proudly and displaying it for everyone to see as if to say: “See how intellectual I am. I’m reading THIS…for FUN!” Well I’m not sure where I was going with all of this but the point is that these books that I’ve read have actually been pretty good, if not really good. And while I may be a literature snob and still prefer my beloved Pride and Prejudice, it’s really good to get out there and explore other genres and styles of writing. And I think the most important thing (is to not start sentences with “and”???) is that you’re reading at all. It’s good to give your brain the work out!
So, I’m going to take break from sewing and enjoy some fantasy reading before I go to bed. G’night y’all! Bonne nuit!
Wow, I’m so impressed with your sewing! And the time you’ve dedicated to the project! I’ll have to interview you sometime about it – I’m trying to talk myself into getting more into sewing.