Creative Eye - Sew Practical

Creative Eye

Sew Practical

This week I got to look into the book, Sew Practical, by various designers.  These are all nice quick little projects anyone could finish in no time.  As I looked through this book, there were a bunch of things I wanted to make.  The cover shows those cute grocery bags, I thought for sure that's what I would make, but as I looked at the materials I needed, I didn't have everything on hand.  

 Martingale, 2014; used by permission. Photos by Brent Kane. All rights reserved

And I found this adorable bag.  But, again, I didn't have all the supplies.   But it is so cute.

Collecto's Item Tote Bag, Adrienne Smitke, Martingale, 2014; used by permission. Photos by Brent Kane. All rights reserved 

Apron Strings Waist Apron, Adrienne Smitke, Martingale, 2014; used by permission. Photos by Brent Kane. All rights reserved

Girl's Cool Tool Case, Linda Lum DeBono, Martingale, 2014; used by permission. Photos by Brent Kane. All rights reserved

And then I came upon Linda Lum DeBono's, Cool Girl's Tool Case, and not only did I love the way it looked, but I had everything on hand.

I got to work.  Luckily, I had some wool on hand, and I LOVE working with wool.  If you have never worked with wool, you should definitely give it a try.  Wool is the bomb.  

Things went together very smoothly, and this was a very easy project to make.  One tip I would give anyone making this is keep checking the measurements as you work.  I didn't, and even though I used  interfacing, my wool distorted slightly, making the measurements not perfect.   

The front and the inside of this Cool Girl's kit are made separately, and then hand sewn together, so having them turn out the same size is of vital importance.  If you know this before you sew, you might make some adjustments before you sew each side.  

Also...new thing I learned.. Beading.  I have never beaded before, and well, I loved it.  But, I love working with wool, so, I wasn't surprised I loved it.  What did I learn?  Embroidery needles and beading needles, are not the same thing.  Who knew?  Well, I do now, and I have a nice set of beading needles now (why does it matter? beading needles need to have a very small head to fit through the bead).

And here's my, Cool Girl's Tool Case.  What do you think?  Want to go make one for yourself?