Sewing

Yesterday, after a lot of days thinking, I decided it was time to make myself a sensible case in which to store my interchangeable needles. I have a lantern moon purse which is for fixed circulars, and this served it’s purpose as long as the needles were connected to a cable. If I placed the needles in the bag without a cable attached to them, then when i opened the bag the needles fell out, grrr!
So I did some measuring, some calculating, some cutting, some sewing, ironing and came up with this:-

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Now this bag has pleased me! My needles stay in the pockets, the fixed needles stay in the bigger pockets behind the small sections and the lovely big zipped pocket stores everything else that I need to keep by my side.
Now, I played with this bag all yesterday evening, shoving it in Barry’s face to admire and putting photos on Facebook and Twitter, sorry but I do get excited when I am happy with one of my creations. However, as I was playing with this bag, I realised that I needed to improve on the design a little. The ribbon closure for a start, that had to go!! I loved the big pocket and the location of it. I three back pockets were a little too deep as were the needle pockets at the front. So today, once I was up and dressed I set to work on my next model. I wrote down all the measurements and ideas as I went along and came up with this one:

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Here are the specs:-

• 21cm wide x 17cm high all folded up
• 20cm wide x 18cm high zipped pocked, fully lined and interfaced with fabric covered ends of the zip and a fabric tab on the actual tab of the zip
• 32cm wide x 21cm high main part of the organiser (excluding the zipped pocket and with the top flap folded over)
• 3 large pockets each measuring 10.5cm wide x 15cm high, for fixed cable needles
• 5 small needle sections measuring 2.5cm x 8.5cm high and 5 wider sections measuring 4cm x 8.5cm high
• a large flap to completely enclose everything when bag is folded so nothing will fall out
• a lovely big loop closure which will extend as you fill this bag up
• pretty machine embroidery which adds extra strength
• all seams have been double stitched or strengthened at stress points
• all quality fabrics
• each piece of fabric has been interfaced with a cotton backed interfacing so where the fabric is doubled, ie everywhere,it is firm and feels substantial

I love how this folds into a neat little clutch purse shape!

All in all this is a keeper, a very useful and well made bit of kit! I enjoy well made creations and have got a little bit fussy over what I want to keep in my life. I hope the quality of my work comes across to you as I have spent a lifetime sewing and learning how to get the best from this hobby. Second best doesn’t come into it!
Can you tell that I am very proud of this creation? I am hoping to have a few of these to take with me to Knit Expo,the big Knit show in Exeter on November the 13th.
Thank you to everyone regarding my cold, I am almost better, just the occasional cough and splutter. I am pleased about that and think my speedy recovery is down to a fizzy Echinacea drink have been having every morning. Hope I’m not speaking too soon mind you…