Inspired by Project Runway

As with many avid sewers, I have an obsession with 'Project Runway.' (Leanne and Korto better make it to Bryant Park this season or there will be hell to pay!) In the past, I have always steered clear of making clothes. One ill-fitting, uneven pair of pajamas made in high school scarred me for life. Lately, while watching the beloved 'PR' I've become inspired to start making my own clothes. I can never find what I want in the color I want in the size that I need, so I'm going to take an artistic stand and attempt to make my own. Key word...attempt. First up, a green corduroy jacket. In theory, it is going to be as polished and classic as this Michael Kors number, but it is probably going to be a tragic disaster. But, oh well, worst case scenario, I'm out the $12 of fabric and a couple hours. Wish me luck!

Saving the planet...one bag at a time

I've carried around an "errand bag" in my purse for years. You know, that little fabric bag that you fold up and tuck away so when you go shopping you don't have to use one of those hideous plastic monstrosities. The only problem was that it was fairly small, so I would inevitably have to get plastic when I went grocery shopping. So, I decided to make a monster errand bag so I would be plastic free for good. It didn't need to be super-polished, but I wanted it cute and durable. There are a ton of lollipop tree designs out there, so I hijacked one and modified. Around $5 in materials and 30 minutes later...voila, the perfect errand bag! The great thing about this bag is that not only is it huge enough to carry a small army...but since I don't have a seam along the bottom, I can carry 50+ lbs without worrying about a blowout. If you want to make your own, here's how:

What you need:
30" of heavy duty canvas (approx. 40" height)
3 yards of 1" (or wider) nylon or cotton webbing
Misc. fabric scraps (for trees)
Heavy duty thread

Instructions:

1. Fold the canvas in half with the selvedge edge along the top. Map out where you want your straps to be. Mine are about 8" in from each side.

2. Map out your 'forest' between where the straps will go. Put as many trees as you want, just make sure to leave at least 6" at the bottom. They can overlap or be free standing, just make sure they are all different sizes.

3. Raid your scrap fabric stash and cut out your trees and trunks.

4. Pin and sew the 'trunks' down first. Then go back and sew the circles down. If you have any that overlap, make sure to sew the bottom one down first. (You'd think that would go without saying, but you'd be surprised how often the seam ripper makes an appearance in my studio.) Since the whole concept of the bag is slightly rugged, I opted to leave raw edges on my 'trees.' I also know that I can't sew in a perfect circle, so I purposely made the stitches kind of jagged and uneven to add to the overall aesthetic.

5. Once your 'forest' has been stitched on, fold the fabric in half with the right sides facing each other and the selvedge edge along the top. Iron the fold at the bottom to use as a marker later. Pin and stitch along each side with a 1/2" seam allowance. It's a good idea to at least double-stitch any weight bearing seam, so go over each seam a second (or third) time. Again, I opted to leave the edges raw on the inside. Canvas is very durable a fairly resistant to excessive fraying, but I did treat the edges with FrayCheck just to be sure. You could also cover the seam with a coordinating ribbon.

6. Squaring the base can be the most frustrating part of any bag. With the bag still inside out, take one of the corners and match the side seam you created with the bottom fold line you ironed. It should create a 90-degree corner. Mark 4" down from the corner and draw a perpendicular line. Double-stitch across that line. Repeat for the other corner. Cut off the excess.

**Optional step: Since the selvedge edge on most canvas is fairly tight and not very frayed, I chose to just leave the selvedge edge raw at the top of my bag. But, you can turn over the edge and hem it to make it more polished.

7. Cut your 3 yds. worth of webbing into 2 equal sections. Tuck under the raw edge (about 1") of both ends and pin to the front of the bag. Sew straps down. Again, making sure to double-stitch. Repeat for the other side. My straps attach 12" from the top of the bag, but make sure to adjust yours to a height that suits you.

8. Clip loose threads and you are done! Now, not only will Mother Earth thank you, but you'll get tons of compliments as well.

Finished dimensions are 30" x 15" x 8".

How did your bag turn out? Send your pix to sarakateshop@gmail.com!

Faster than a speeding Singer HD-110

Probably one of my favorite presents of all time was a sewing machine I got about 10 years ago from my parents. It was nothing more than a $100 (or proabably less) white plastic Brother model. I've used it off and on since then, but since I started my Etsy shop a year and half ago, it has been working overtime, and it was starting to fade a little. That machine was designed for making pillows and the occasional set of curtains, not really for commercial use. After weeks of research, I finally settled on the Singer HD-110. It is a really straight forward machine. I just wanted a powerful machine that had a straight stitch and zigzag stitch and could sew through multiple layers of fabric without fail...and I thinkI found my match. It is a commercial grade sewing machine with a wallet-friendly pricetag. I have been using it for about a week and for the most part I am totally impressed. There is certainly a learning curve with all the new bells and whistles I'm not used to, but I think it will be a good investment. It is considerably faster than my old machine and I find it much easier to stay in a straight line. The tension is a little trickier than on my old machine but I'm certain I will eventually get the hang of it. Though the drop-in bobbin makes life easier, but I'm kind of stumped with the automatic needle threader. It takes me 5 seconds to thread the needle, and 30 seconds to set up the automatic needle threader. Go figure. The only major flaw I have found thus far is that the light is a little bit dim and tends to reflects a little too much off the stainless steel bed plate. It's not terribly distracting, just a little annoying. Overall, the machine is great. It came with an extension table and a bunch of different feet which I haven't tried yet, but I can't wait.

Sharp as a tack

I'm going to guess that most people have the red tomato pincushion with the dangling emery-filled strawberry. Thankfully, I don't. I have this really great pincushion my aunt bought for me in Hawaii. In college, I accidentally swallowed a straight pin while quilting and she bought it as a joke insisting that it was "a safer place to store sharp objects." I adore that pincushion, but the only drawback is that there isn't anywhere to sharpen pins and needles...it is just a big pillow in a wooden base. I had all but resigned myself to buying the cliche tomato pincushion just to get the strawberry. But, further proving my theory that you can find almost anything on Etsy, I was able to find Dottyral, an Etsy seller that makes tiny emery pincushions. Better yet, she makes them in flawless black and white material. Needless to say, I bought one immediately. I use my pins every day and over time, they just get dull and you don't notice it. Kind of like before you know it, your nephew is four years old and making jokes and going to preschool...okay, I'm getting off topic. But, it is amazing how much easier the cursed pinning is when you have nice sharp points. This pincushion is a must-have for anyone who sews often.

My love affair with buttons

I have a long standing love affair with buttons. I hardly ever use them, but I simply NEED to have them. They make me happy. Until this week, they had been tactlessly stored on a shelf in *gasp* tupperware. I know, I know. So embarrassing. Well, I have found my buttons a nice, new, lovely home displayed on top of my desk.

Introducing 'The Flirt'

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day...I introduce 'The Flirt' in Emerald Green! This is the latest design in the Sara Kate portfolio. A gorgeous, silky smooth, bright green satin paired with a fun and funky pale lime green cotton interior is perfect for that night on the town. The outside features delicate pleating and an extra wide strap. This purse can add that splash of color to you favorite little black dress or spice up a pair of jeans. Currently, the Flirt is available in three colors: Emerald, Ruby and Sapphire.

Cleveland Handmade Update

A few months back, a rogue group of 3 Etsy sellers embarked on a journey to bring the world of handmade products to the masses of Cleveland. Smashing, Virtual Lori and yours truly, Sara Kate have met up a couple times to lay out the design and functionality of Cleveland Handmade . As of right now, we have the site up and running, but we are just waiting to launch the redesign. If you are a member of the Cleveland art community and would like information on becoming a member, please feel free to email me at sarakateshop@gmail.com.

Introducing 'The Socialite'

When working out a new design, I typically make about 4 'oops' bags before I am happy with the design and the dimensions. So, after many oops bags and a couple yards of muslin, I am happy to introduce 'The Socialite.' It is made out a heavy black and white twill that is both classic and contemporary. It features a small flower on the flap and a thin black piping around the edge. Since there always seems to be this inner struggle with professional women...we want to have a cute fun purse that is easy to carry, but we also don't want to have the boring, stiff 'I am a CEO with no sense of humor' bag, I think the Socialite is a nice, happy compromise of the two.

First Big Milestone

So, it is official, Sara Kate has hit the first (of hopefully many) milestones. Today, I had my 100th sale! I printed out this little chart to mark my progress the week I 'opened' my shop thinking it would take me years to sell 100 items. Who knew I would do it in under 9 months. Normally my incredible OCD/Martha Stewart complex would have required me to print something a little nicer to keep track of my sales, but it has a certain charm doesn't it? Here's to 100 more...

Entering the realm of blogging

OK, so I've been putting it off for awhile now, but decided to finally start a 'blog' no matter how much I hate the word itself. Welcome and thanks for stopping by. Make sure to check out SaraKate.etsy.com.