Thursday 20 October 2011

I actually made something!

What a busy week..... and I have been itching to get sewing.

Hoorah - I have actually found time this week to finish some of my sewing, and make something!!

First though, there was the obligatory cake making for friends who have popped in each day this week


Needless to say, these have gone now!

But, in between the busy times, I have found a few gaps to make my first messenger bag.

The fabrics half way through looked like this.



The green fabric is from an old curtain I made years ago when I lived in a very cold and very damp ground floor flat that needed a curtain at the kitchen door for privacy.   If I'm honest I never much liked the fabric then, and I'm not totally sure I do now.  But the lining fabric I am quite fond of with random flowers.

Before I go any further I must let you know that the tutorial I followed for this bag was brilliant.  It's from mmmcrafts and for the first time I did squaring corners.  I made pockets and everything!  Really I was making this bag as a practice run before I use up the last of my sparkly denim fabric to make another one for my neice (couldn't waste that fabric in case I messed it up!)

The finished article looks like this.........



And I am quite pleased with it, but now, the biggest dilemma is whether this is actually good enough to give to my friend Lizi for her birthday - I am scared she will think she is wearing a bag that looks like a pair of curtains (although true, this is not a good look!), or kind of worse still that she will not appreciate the effort that went into it and may never use it at all. 

So, I wondered if any of you out there get anxious about giving your homemade gifts, and what (if anything) you do to get over this.

I think I will fill the bag with a funky spiral notebook, a lovely pen and bar of chocolate......... and I guess I won't know if she never uses it.........

 

5 comments:

  1. What yummy looking little cakes!! And the bag is wonderful! Yes, I also get nervous about giving homemade gifts. But if the recipient is not a sewer/quilter themself, then I stress less and assume that they'll appreciate the homemade effort. I think your friend will love the bag and all the little goodies you intend to put in it.

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  2. Cakes do look yummy and think the bag looks great. I am always nervous of giving people stuff I've made. If they are sewers I worry they will spot some tiny mistake or will think it's not good enough. If it's a non sewer I'm worried it will not be appreciated or used. So you can never win!

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  3. You're right, you won't know if she doesn't use it...but I bet she will. :D It doesn't look like curtains at all to me!
    I used to worry about giving my handmade things as prezzies, but I got over it. I guess it doesn't hurt that most of my giftees are all artsy crafty quilty too, so they 'get' what it takes to make something.
    Just take a deep breath or two....and wrap it up!!

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  4. What a pretty bag! Though I confess the cakes appeal to me more - I've got a terrible weakness for buttercream. Thanks for your comments on my blog - I've been having trouble commenting back (not sure if this will work, even).

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  5. Gorgeous bag!! Don't underestimate yourself... go to a craft fair and you will see you are as good as any stall there. Only think positively and your friend will love and appreciate the fact you made it for her.
    Cakes look de-lish.
    x

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