The Myth of Fingerprints

If someone asks you to oversee the quarters to semesters transition for a school, just say no. Better yet, kick that someone in the shins, and then just say no.

Equally frustrating has been my attempt at a new camera bag.

I selected some fabric (Meadowsweet by Sandi Henderson).

I found a pattern I thought I could adapt into what I want (The Miranda Mailbag by Serendipity Studio).

HilarityProfanity ensued.

From the picture, I thought I would be making a patchwork bag. Not so. You sew strips and then weave them, making a change in the dimensions of the bag a little more difficult. I couldn't quite wrap my head around the instructions so I thought I would make a trial version before cutting into my precious half yards of Meadowsweet.

So from my stash, I came up with this...


I decided to use handles rather than make straps -- the straps are topstitched to the bag which I thought concealed the most interesting thing about it -- the weaving.

My bag is supposed to be the large handbag (pattern also includes small handbag, small tote and large tote), but I could not get my sides to be the correct size after weaving. The pattern calls for a separating zipper which I thought meant the top would open like a doctor's bag. Not so -- in fact you are supposed to glue the end of the zipper together so it no longer separates (instead buy a regular zipper, and follow this tutorial for separating).


As for the title of the post -- well, my fingerprints are no longer. To assemble the bag, you bind the ends like a quilt, stitching one side of the binding to the small, circular ends of the bag and then handstitching to the other side. Imagine me JAMMING this heavily-interfaced, stiff bag through my machine, pricking my fingers every three seconds. OUCH!

Thus, I won't be making this pattern again for a Meadowsweet camera bag. I'll be trying something different. But I do think this one is cute, and I'll carry it...


So, I offer up the pattern to one of you, dear friends! The first to comment and promise to make the bag within three months and report back her/his experience gets this pattern!

Also, Jaxon's preschool is participating in the Flat Stanley project. Jaxon and his classmates decorated paper "Stanleys" that we've been asked to send to friends we know in different locations, asking that they send back a photo of Stanley during his visit or a postcard so the kids can plot Stanley's trip on a map.

I volunteered to take a few Stanleys and see if my blog friends are interested in participating. I will send you a Stanley, and you just need to send a photo of Stanley (or a postcard) that the preschoolers will enjoy (you can even email me a digital photo and I will print it for you!!) and then send Stanley on to someone you know who lives somewhere else. Any takers? Look how cute he is. How can you say no?