Archive for April, 2009

Hello!

Chances are that you've got your hands on a copy of the May issue of Canadian Living by now. (It's the one with the fabulous cupcakes on the cover – and yes, they taste just as good as they look!) This issue was exciting for me because it marked the first time I'd ever had a craft published.

Like the best crafts, that travel bag was invented out of necessity and refined over time. Since I moved to Toronto I've been lucky enough to be able to travel to see my family in Niagara fairly frequently. I keep my overnight bag ready, so that when the urge strikes to go for a visit, I can just take the bag with me on Friday morning, then head straight to the train station after work. The one problem? Remembering to pack my toothbrush! That's where this travel bag comes in. It's the perfect size to hold a weekend's worth of toiletries (and a spare toothbrush).

I think I made – and unmade – about five versions of these bags before I came up with something I liked enough to bring to work for show-and-tell.  It took a few more tweaks, such as adding the ribbon tabs near the zippers and experimenting with different kinds of interfacing, before I came up with the published version. (Don't tell anyone, but several of those test cases became Christmas presents!)

These bags are fairly straightforward and easy enough for a novice sewer; it's all straight seams. The one thing that I found difficult to explain was the process of creating the boxed corners. One thing that helped me was to mark the seam line before I refolded the corner, as seen below:

Doing this makes it easier to place and mark the seam line once you've refolded the corner. (The process sounds complicated, but it's like a game of cards: much easier when you're actually "playing a hand.") I found it easiest to fold, mark and pin all four corners at once; it was faster, and I could make sure the seam lengths were even without having to employ my trusty seam ripper.

Once all the corners were marked and pinned, it was quick work to sew and trim the corners before turning the bag inside out and starting to work on the lining.

I've made several of these bags as gifts now, and they're always a hit. Why not give one to your daughter as she heads away for her first sleepover, or make one for your husband's bowling shoes? A bag made up in a pretty fabric then fill it with fancy toiletries would be a nice Mother's Day gift. And while you're at it,  you could sew one for yourself to hold your yarn and knitting needles, so that your commuter knitting doesn't get all tangled up in your purse!

Have you tried this pattern? How did it turn out? Did you have any questions? I'd love to know - leave questions, comments and links in the comments section, or email me with your photos for the Great Results Roundup

Two quick notes:

• Don't forget to leave a comment on Monday's post to qualify for a chance to win a copy of Mother-Daughter Knits by Sally Melville and her daughter Caddy Melville Ledbetter, just in time for Mother's Day. One entry per person, please.
• Can't get enough of Make+Do? Sign up for "Get Crafty," my e-newsletter, set to launch May 11. The first newsletter is full of suggestions for things to make and do as we head into summer. Don't miss it!

That's all for now. Keep crafting!

We have a winner!

Congratulations to Ingrid, who won a copy of Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross. Ingrid, I hope you'll let us know how your weekend sewing projects turn out!

Now, on to Weekly Giveaway #2. Mother's Day is just two weeks away, and if you're like me, you're thinking about what you can make for your Mum. How about a knitted gift? This week's prize is a copy of Mother-Daughter Knits, by Canadian knitter, designer and author Sally Melville and her daughter Caddy Melville Ledbetter.

Whether you're a beginning knitter who's looking for something simple like the knitted headband on page 24, or something more involved, such as the beautiful lace-and-cable jumper on page 135, I think you'll find a project here you'd like to make for your mum (and then, maybe, one for yourself!). The best part? The authors give clear, easy-to-understand instructions for customizing each pattern so that you'll get the best, most flattering fit. Nice!

Interested? You know the deal: For your chance to win, leave a comment on this post by Friday, May 1, at 5 p.m., and I'll announce a winner on the following Monday morning.

*Not so much about the knitting? Don't worry - I'll have a few ideas for you in the days to come. Stay tuned!

Hi friends,

Thank you so much for the warm welcome! I am as excited as you are to watch Make+Do come to life. I think we're going to have lots of fun together.

One thing that I'm really enjoying is reading your comments and learning about the different kinds of crafters out there. Sure enough, we've got experienced crafters like Judi, who's been knitting (and more) for over 50 years; Jills-of-all-trades like Indiana and Rita; and relative novices like KLMusic, who admits that craft-wise, she sometimes bites off more than she can chew.

I've certainly been in those shoes.

Many years ago, when I was still in high school, the Jewel-Box quilt pattern in an issue of Canadian Living caught my eye. Thanks to my Mum, I was handy enough with a needle and thread, but I was nowhere near skilled enough to turn out a quilt! I ripped the pages out of the magazine, though, and held on to them, thinking that one day, I'd be ready...

Almost 10 years later, my parents gave me a sewing machine for my birthday, and I knew exactly what my first project would be – that quilt! Ever the optimist, I told everyone I'd be finished by Easter. Except that my birthday is at the very end of January, and Easter was early that year. And did I mention that I'd ambitiously chosen to make a double-size quilt, and that, living as I did then in rural Nova Scotia, the nearest fabric store was almost an hour's drive away?

Sure enough, I spent that Easter weekend sitting at the sewing machine.

And I kept sewing, and sewing, and sewing. Once the top was together and I had the quilt sandwiched, I decided I'd teach myself to hand-quilt. It seemed that any time I had a few spare minutes, I was sitting down to add a few more stitches.

In the end, it took me three years (almost to the day) to finish that quilt. It wasn't the only quilt I made during that time, but it's the only one I kept. I learned so much – about sewing and quilting, sure, but also about myself – that I don't think I could ever part with it. Talk about a labour of love.

Do you have a favourite Canadian Living craft project, or a story about your own crafty labour of love? I'd love to read about it in the comments.

(There's still some time to enter to win that copy of Heather Ross's Weekend Sewing! Just leave a comment on my first post by Friday, April 24, at 5 p.m., and I'll choose a winner on Monday.)

I'm so pleased to welcome you to the new Canadian Living craft blog. Whether you're passionate about one particular craft or, like me, a curious crafter with different works-in-progress piled all over the house, I'm sure you'll find something here to catch your eye.

As the blog grows, I hope you'll check back often to see what I'm up to at Make+Do. You'll find crafting ideas for yourself and your kids; get ideas for green crafting and crafting for charity; and find suggestions for things to make for yourself, your home or to give as gifts (it's never too early to start Christmas crafting!). I'm going to introduce you to crafters from across Canada, share some of the things that inspire me, and maybe even give you the occasional peek at what we're up to behind the scenes as we prepare a craft for the magazine.

Of course, craft blogs are all about sharing. I hope that you'll leave me a comment and let me know what project you're working on. Have a question? Send it my way, and I'll work it into the Crafty Q+A. Proud of what you've made? Send me a photo and a brief description, and I'll share it in the monthly Great Results Roundup. Can't believe it turned out like that? We celebrate the failures, too (goodness knows, I've had my share) in the occasional Craft Fail Collection. Have your own craft blog? Let me know, and I'll add you to the blog roll.

And did I mention the giveaways? I've got a groaning bookshelf loaded with inspiration-filled craft books, and I can't wait to find them a good home. To get things started, I've got a copy of Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross to give to one lucky reader. With projects that range from super simple to a bit more complicated, but all easily doable in a weekend, this book is just the ticket to get your spring or summer wardrobe off to a fun start. For your chance to win, leave a comment on this post by Friday, April 24, at 5 p.m., and I'll announce a winner here on Monday morning.