Mortem's Tricks or Treats: Knitters Frills.

I knit, but I don't knit often. I blame the persistent heat... and the plethora of other crafts I engage in, hehe.

When I do, and unlike many of those other crafts, I always found a need for one thing to harken that one more temptation, and I acknowledge that need by creating the tiny implements to suit the problem (such as my stitch markers or my notions bag)... gradually my appurtenances reflected the years gone by that I have maintained this hobby which I partake in irregularly.

There was one thing I haven't made until now, and I am not sure why its taken so long to do it.

I made a project bag: 

But Madame Mortem, what is a project bag?

I'm glad you asked, it's exactly as its name suggest... a bag that holds your knitting (or crochet) project during those pesky moments where you're dragged to an event and you're finding yourself unable to properly socialize. MmmHmm.

Typically these bags are drawstring so that your working yarn can be fed through the closed bag; preferred I should say, over nettlesome zippers whose teeth constantly threaten to snag fluffy yarns.

Well, and I like drawstring bags...

I have been using a Hallowe'en treat bag till this point.

While living in New Mexico, I picked up a pattern from Walmart-- it was during the release of the first batches for the McCall's Easy Stich & Save patterns they were introducing to the retail giant's repertoire. I know Easy Stitch & Save's have been around forever... but is it just me or weren't they ridiculously hard to track? I am glad to see they're in every Walmart now.

It's McCall's 9106. It's strange but I can't seem to find the pattern anywhere online by that number in a quick web search or their website... they don't seem to track them? It would certainly explain why I've had issues finding them in the past.

I have been hoarding this cameo witch head silhouette fabric for what feels like forever; I have been aching to use it but unable to find a good blender nor a good project that truly called out to me.

Though I once saw a retro undergarment set made with panels of this material, and it almost had me.

I was trekking around a self induced quilt shop hop, when I came upon this hidden treasure of a shop surrounded by automotive detail and repair places and some other commercial retail stuffs-- Memories By The Yard. I wasn't sure about it since other shops similarly located were mostly sewing machine vendors with the tiniest peppering of fabrics and notions to offer. As soon as I walked in my jaw dropped; it's wall to wall of the most succulent quilt fabrics you'll lay your weary eyes on, and a notions section to render you into a dream state.

It reminded me so much of the shop I worked at while living in New Mexico, only Jill's Fabric & Design had a fair amount of garment materials. It made my heart ache, as I loved living there.

Anyway, I found this beautiful floral print nestled right in their blender wall-- it's just the right muted granny retro that my witches needed!

I made a slight pattern change with the addition of a slanted 3 section needle holding pocket; to hold long needles or DPN's as the whim and project beckons. The pattern originally comes with just two side pockets, which was fine-- I just wanted an interior pocket of some kind, who knows if I'll really use it, hehe.

I took this opportunity to try that foam interfacing people have been using for their hand bag creations instead of the standard fusible fleece. I almost forgot I bought it, if it hadn't been for digging around and organizing my interfacings and stabilizers.

I was hesitant for so long that it just fell off my radar I guess; again I find myself asking why didn't I do it sooner? Heheh.

I had bought the more expensive ByAnnie's Soft & Stable some time ago (roughly $12 for one pack at time of purchase--it still had the tag on it! Oops), but now Pellon has been producing their own (Flex Foam) at a little more reasonable price and by the yard. Foam interfacing is quite expensive still, so I can see it drive up the cost of a handmade bag easily. However... it gives a bloody beautiful finish! Omigosh! I am sure I'll be using it for my future bag creations.

My only gripe is that it is tough to work and maneuver under a walking foot (and you really do need a walking foot for this stuff), especially if your machine has a low clearance already-- a little huffing and puffing was involved, but I managed to get through it with my sanity intact, though a little disheveled. I had to use my brother machine (with it's notoriously low sitting needle bar and ankle) for its free arm, otherwise I think I'd have saved myself all this trouble if I could use my ol' faithful.
I'd like to spotlight my orange stick turned sewing stiletto for this-- a lifesaver-- to coax it through the feed dogs without endangering my finger tips, hehe.

To round off my little project bag, I omitted the piece to create the ties and bought some simple tassel ties from the home dec department of my Jo-Ann's. I admit, I believe I should have went a little more kitchy and flamboyant with the tassels, but this suffices. Maybe if I recreate this bag in the form of an actual purse, I might embellish it a lot differently.

My final thoughts on this creation; though I love the foam interfacing, I'm not sure this was the bag to use it on. It's very full bodied and the cinch is a little awkward to pull off flatteringly to the bag-- it's quite bulky to be for a drawstring bag, unless there were a sectional left lax for the casing and cinching.

Well that's that and now I have a project bag! Heh!
If I didn't admit otherwise, you'd think I was obsessively knitting, not distracting me at all with it's one more line...

*accusatory glance*

*ahem*