Flypaper thoughts cold night version

• My secret sewing/knitting/crocheting continues
• Good, I guess, for Christmas 
• Bad for the blog business
• In that transition stage now where the folks who were getting hand made shirts and then socks are now getting slippers made in mega bulky wool on 10 mm needles
• Such is reality
• Speaking of which
• Went to a funeral today for my husband's sweet aunt
• I thought the priest talked way too long about sinners
• I wanted to stand up and say 
• Listen
• I am sure when she meets him the Lord will say "Elizabeth there should have been more like you"
• Credit where credit's due
• Fabulous reception afterwards
• The kind you get on an island off Cape Breton
• Sort of an all you can eat affair in a room full of characters and charming men
• Speaking of which
• This aunt married a handsome no goodnik late in life
• The high point of the reception was my gentle and ladylike mother-in-law at a table
• With scissors
• Cutting him out of pictures in the family albums during dessert
• I love that family
• For Christmas I have asked everyone to give us donations to rescue organizations instead
• Was asked tonight if saving the brown-nosed bat counts
• Might have to consider that one
• But if we don't save them 
• Who will?
• By the way whoever says abused puppy mill dogs never recover
• Hasn't met Daisy
• She gets feistier by the day
• Knocks the laptop out of my hand if I write too long
• Even has a boyfriend
• A Bernese Mountain Dog who rolls over and waits when he sees her
• At 16 pounds she is driving him wild
• Hear he waits by the door for her all afternoon
• Then again she dresses well
• Red jacket and red boots
• Sorry if you aren't an animal person
• But the sewing is top secret
• And at least I don't keep bats
• Yet

The cone of Christmas silence

This happens to me every year.

I get close to Christmas and although I am sewing more I start posting less. There are problems when your recipients also read your blog.

I also find this time of year is just busy. Lucky my husband and I were able to squeeze in another trip to Brooklyn, which is a recharge/refresh for us, but since we came back it has been nutso around here.

And now the government has shut out the kids from schools due to contract negotiations and the fact the premier is a bonehead so that's a lot of kids who will be needing extra care.

You get my drift.

I am able however to share one project with you, being made for a few of my male family members, because they, fortunately, have better things to do than read my blog.

I have been making men's shaving bags, Dopp kits to some, out of cut up leather jackets from Value Village.

I have tried to sew leather in the past, with mixed results, but Bernina Canada has lent me a 740 for my book writing project and I wanted to see if a better machine would do a better job.

The answer to that one is oh yes, it sure does. 

This machine has a dual feed built in and the power of my lovely vintage Berninas. Basically I am able to make these bags just as if I was sewing cotton, no skipped stitches, no problem with layers, which is amazing. I was geared up for a lot more stress I can tell you. I have used a denim needle as well as a leather one and to tell you the truth the denim was just as effective. Mind you this is garment leather I am using, I am not doing shoe repairs, so a leather needle might be needed if I went heavier. 

I used this free pattern from Thread Theory


Here is the leather I got from one $20 Value Village coat (I used my 30% discount for donating as well):

I lined with some heavy rip stop nylon. It is a somewhat wide and squat bag but useful I think:

The construction is interesting, basically you line and finish the short ends with binding and then sew the corners through all layers (this is the part where the machine impressed me).

Here is the lined version before that happens:

And here is sort of how the bag opens.

I am making more of these over the next few days and now I am wondering if after the smoke clears holiday wise if I will do a leather bag for myself next.

Talk soon.