Monday 5 September 2011

Bring on Tomorrow!

I am linking this post to Quiltstory for Fabric Tuesday. Have not linked in a few weeks due to the summer holidays taking precedent and it is time to get back in the swing of things. I'm off to read some posts from other people who are linked too.

What a day! I came close to tossing my dummy out the pram, or just plain losing the will to live. But here we are, posting late (for me) and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. That light is the one that is on in the school, waiting for my children to arrive tomorrow morning. I love my girls, but I'll be shoving them through the door tomorrow morning with a grin on my face!

We had to go into town this morning. I was required to renew my drivers licence. Apparently once it is ten years old you need a new photo. Pain in the a**e? Most certainly but (and I mean this most sincerely) I so needed a  new photograph! The last photo I looked like a prisoner who had just been given the death sentence. It was grim! Easily explained when I tell you I was 38, in the early stages of my second pregnancy and my less than one year old was a goat. She could climb just about anything in the house and sleep was a superfluous activity. I looked like crap! So new photo it is. I may look ten years older but surely it can't be as bad as the last one. Can it?!

While we were in town Emily suddenly remembered the school bag I had made her (to her design I might add) that just did not work as a school bag. 'So, Mummy, why don't we pop into the charity shop and find another pair of jeans and you can make me another bag to use tomorrow?' Why not indeed?!! It was at this point that my day went down hill quickly. But I will return to the subject of book bag shortly.

On our return home I found that no one had pieced my Across the Sea QAL blocks while we were out and that they were still taking up a large percentage of the floor space. I considered returning to the computer and taking notes about Hadley's and Sarah's design suggestions, but realised deep down that they were only messing with my head (right ladies?). I had a quick shuffle around and came up with this -


Almost as quickly, I sewed them together, before I could change my mind again. Too much pondering can be a problem some days when you do not have the time for it, so I nipped it in the bud sharpish. While the girls made sushi for tomorrow's school lunch I did this -


I thought I was all caught up on the Across the Seas QAL until I read some posts this morning and everyone is supposed to be moving onto their borders now. Yeah, yeah, soon!

Then there was the school bag. I knew it wasn't going to be as easy as before when I took the time to read the label on the jeans, something that I should have done in the shop.


Stretch! Arrghhh! I don't do stretch - well, I do in the trousers I wear but not with the stuff I make. Never. Not stretch, not shiny slippery stuff, not velvet or anything that doesn't say 100% cotton - that's my general rule. And (a little plug for M&S) these things were made really well. The bits where I needed to pick out stitches when I was deconstructing the jeans were not giving up without a fight.

Eventually I got on with the sewing. And I sewed my little heart out. I pinned for England to keep the stretchy bits from getting the better of me. I pushed my machine to its limit and beyond. When I was sewing through very thick layers of denim like when attaching the shoulder straps my machine was not happy. It didn't sound right. I worried. I may still be a bit worried, but I will give it a wee clean tomorrow, a drop of oil and speak nice to it. Hopefully that will see it through this hiccup.

All this happy sewing was done to the cheerful sound of my children in the background. Highlight of their various conversations? Had to be - 'Oh yeah, well your armpits stink!' Lovely little ladies, aren't they?!

Due to the fact that I did not use a pattern for these school bags I had no instructions to review. Which might explain why, after I sewed in the lining, I found the shoulder strap to be firmly esconced inside the lining and completely useless. Needless to say I had stitched and back stitched several times to make sure that strap was very secure. The seam ripper earned its keep.

I sewed the thing back together again. And I still got it wrong! Honest to God, if I only had a brain! So I ripped out stitches, again. And I sewed - again. Is it any wonder my machine was getting a little unhappy? Four hours after I began we had a new school bag. I don't like it! Secretly I do, but I am so pissed off at it, and me, right now that I could sling the thing in the bin.

With my luck the shoulder strap will fall off the second day of school.
Same lining as the previous two bags.
I have a lot of that blue stuff!
A bit of top stitching for added detail.

It's a good thing for the girls that there was enough leftover curry in the fridge to feed them for dinner because I have no idea what they were going to have otherwise. Food preparation got forgotten somewhere in the day. But, new uniforms are all laid out and ready for the morning. Book bags too! 9am tomorrow I will be doing a happy dance.

Susan

28 comments:

  1. Nice bag - seriously!

    I also got asked at 11am today if I could make a new school bag for tomorrow 'like the one you've got on your blog.'
    So i did too...although mine fortunately only took an hour...sorry!

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  2. You are crackin' me up, Susan! I'm sorry to laugh at your pain, but boy you're a funny one!

    The bag is absolutely beautiful. When you have a little time apart, you're realize it's fantastic.

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  3. I really do really like it! and I sympathise with the "straps on the inside" nightmare - it's a constant (well maybe I'm over egging it a bit!) worry for me, as is sewing together cushion covers back to front! x

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  4. The bag is fabulous: well done, you're amazing.
    I had to laugh when you got frustrated seeing that the next stage of the QAL was up: I am still sewing squares together!! I think I have about 5 left to do after a spurt this evening, but am still so behind!!

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  5. It's a great looking bag! But I totally get what you mean when you say you don't like it because of the trouble it gave you...nothing worse than taking one step forward two steps back. Roll on tomorrow! :o)

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  6. Oh go to the top of the class -
    Catherine and I are at the back chewing gum and writing notes to each other...I am 4 blocks down so sorry Miss but my homework is late...love your quilt top arrangement and the new bag looks great - genius to use stretch jeans - now the books will definitely fit!

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  7. You're even more funny when you've had a bad day!! So glad to hear both kids are still alive & well! Well done for maintaining your sanity (just) - cool schoolbag - she'll be the envy of all her friends, and your cot quilt is perfect (still haven't got mine sewn up yet!). Tomorrow is the start of the rest of your life - yippee!! Jxo

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  8. Hey Susan you are so ahead of me on the QAL. Though I have one baby quilt top done it's just not a QAL one!

    The bag is gorgeous and I can see lots of girls lining up outside your door with their dad's new jeans waiting for conversion!

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  9. Please please get someone to film your "happy dance" tomorrow morning. Then cleverly upload it to utube and carefully include a link in tomorrow's blog. This I have to see for real. Otherwise I will have to use my imagination - oh dear I don't like what I'm seeing. Good luck with ALL your projects in your upcoming free time.

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  10. Well according to my calculations you almost got my layout directions correct! Love the bag, love more that it was a total b*stard! I have 9.30-12 to myself tomorrow - so excited!!

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  11. Wow you have amazing patience to keep doing this - does it help if I say its my favourite of the three you have made?! Your quilt top is looking great too, the colours really pop against the sashing. Hope you enjoy a peaceful day tomorrow.

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  12. Your bag is beautiful Susan! And your Quilt top is beautiful tto. I've only got 10 of my blocks pieced so far and I'm making the bigger size! My kids went back to school and nursery 2 weeks ago and I'm still doing a wee happy skip on the way home from dropping them off in the morning :)

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  13. Hoping the stress of your day has now eased. Gorgeous new book bag. Love the fabrics in your Across the Sea too - looks great stitched together.

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  14. awwww darlin! Sorry about the evil layout guides yesterday, but if its any consolation you've just made me laugh so much you paralysed me completely for a few minutes! Gorgous layout, quilt top and fab bag (what on earth was wrong with the first one, I loved it!) and roll on tomorrow!

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  15. Love your bag but seriously love your sense of humour and the way you write more ! Now following xx Ava

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  16. That bag is fantastic! I love the use of a bit of colour on the front. And I think the block layout you chose for the quilt top looks great - sometimes it is best not to ponder too long because the fabrics go so well together that it is bound to lok fabulous when pieced together!

    I am itching to have some quality time at the sewing machine, but for today I will live vicariously through your lovely achievements! :-)

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  17. Love the coloured quilting stripe on the bag...worth the effort! Looks Fantastic!

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  18. Hi Susan! Your bag looks great and that new quilt is really beautiful!
    xxx Teje

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  19. I love the bag. In the final picture nobody could ever tell the fight you had with it. When I did my uniform bags I was amazed at how well they were sewn together. But then I guess they have to be squaddie proof. Loving your across the sea quilt. I've not even pulled fabric yet. It will be some time before I'm seeing the ocean let along crossing it in this QAL!

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  20. Yes, I was right, the quilt is looking fantastic!! Love that bag too

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  21. the bag is gorgeous the girls will be the envy of the school they will come home and say muuuum will you make a bag for..................she loves mine :))))

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  22. Your quilt top and bag are amazing!!

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  23. I love the way you write your blog - it's like I'm in the room with you! Love the bag - I think you should give it to me...no? Sure?! Watch out - you'll be getting orders from school!

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  24. hopped over from fabric tuesday! your across the sea quilt layout looks great (i need to get busy on mine!!). love the denim school bag. it'll last a while, i'm sure of it! :D

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  25. Heheheh you crack me up! I LOVE that bag. Sure I could put it to use myself. Sounds exactly how I felt about that little goodie pouch I sewed the other day.

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  26. I love this bag.It was certainly worth all the ripping.
    The two you've made before are lovely, too.

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