I found this bag at Target (https://www.target.com/p/solid-soft-satchel-handbag-a-new-day-8482-tan/-/A-91898942). It’s 10″ (H) x 15″ x 8″ (D) – perfect for the fall color skinny version of A Spring Sampler. Good price, too ($35). It will hold my battery pack, the Chapter’s eMeet speaker, Chapter business cards, travel tool kit, portable light, and curling iron. I am avoiding glue for this bag.
I needed the needle for leather from my Home Craft Repair kit of needles because the bag is made of polyurethane. I pinned the canvas in place and stitched through the inner lining, but it isn’t puckering too much, and I retained full access to the 2 cell phone pockets on the front inner side. Here’s the top edge attached.
The process of stitching the top in place made me think a thimble and a curved sharp needle would make the sides and bottom easier to stitch through the bag and hopefully not catch the lining. And, at this point, my hand needed a rest, and a trip to Joann’s was needed to get the sharp curved needles because I only have tapestry curved needles.
The curved sharp needles didn’t work well. Leverage was the problem. But, the package came with a small eye, very sharp straight needle. The real improvement came because of the Dritz thimble. What a difference that made.
An aside: In order to find the thimble when I need it again, I am putting the thimble in my Stitch pen/tool cup on top of That Purple Thang by Lynn Graves which I have not used much (if ever). If I get rid of it, I’ll need it!
I was able to pull the lining away on the sides and bottom and push the needle through the front of the polyurethane, angle the needle back to the surface further along the canvas like a running stitch. I didn’t care how far. Some stitches are longer than others but the trim will cover it.
Once all 4 sides were attached, I cut the canvas down to 7 canvas threads wide and attached the trim. I found a 1/2″ wide dark brown flat trim at Joann’s. And, Mandarin Floss M833 was a perfect color match. I decided to catch the polyurethane and canvas periodically as I attached the trim down the center using 2 strands. I pulled out my mini pliers and that helped too.
When Bill and I were in the store looking at different trims, he placed this trim on the needlepoint and folded it around a corner. Before I started, I worked out how to do that on all 4 corners with a short length first. I had to cinch the ends together to stop them from fraying (no glue) and taper them to hide the ends easier.
I went back around a second time with one strand to sew down the outer edge. It probably took me 12 hours altogether since starting this on Thursday. There was some cursing but no bleeding. I didn’t jab my fingers once! I was very careful. That leather needle would have hurt.
The most exciting part is that it’s even at 1.75″ above the bottom edge. It looks good and no glue!
Melitastitches4fun's Blog
Filed under: A Spring Sampler, Brandywine Chapter, Embroidery Guild of America, General comments, Needles, Tools
I found this bag at Target (https://www.target.com/p/solid-soft-satchel-handbag-a-new-day-8482-tan/-/A-91898942). It’s 10″ (H) x 15″
x 8″ (D) – perfect for the fall color skinny version of A Spring Sampler. Good price, too ($35). It will hold my battery pack, the Chapter’s eMeet speaker, Chapter business cards, travel tool kit, portable light, and curling iron. I am avoiding glue for this bag.
I needed the needle for leather from my Home Craft Repair kit of needles because the bag is made of polyurethane. I pinned the canvas in place and stitched through the inner lining, but it isn’t puckering too much, and I retained full access to the 2 cell phone pockets on the front inner side. Here’s the top edge attached.
The process of stitching the top in place made me think a thimble and a curved sharp needle would make the sides and bottom easier to stitch through the bag and hopefully not catch the lining. And, at this point, my hand needed a rest, and a trip to Joann’s was needed to get the sharp curved needles because I only have tapestry curved needles.
The curved sharp needles didn’t work well. Leverage was the problem. But, the package came with a small eye, very sharp straight needle. The real improvement came because of the Dritz thimble. What a difference that made.
An aside: In order to find the thimble when I need it again, I am putting the thimble in my Stitch pen/tool cup on top of That Purple Thang by Lynn Graves which I have not used much (if ever). If I get rid of it, I’ll need it!
I was able to pull the lining away on the sides and bottom and push the needle through the front of the polyurethane, angle the needle back to the surface further along the canvas like a running stitch. I didn’t care how far. Some stitches are longer than others but the trim will cover it.
Once all 4 sides were attached, I cut the canvas down to 7 canvas threads wide and attached the trim. I found a 1/2″ wide dark brown flat trim at Joann’s. And, Mandarin Floss M833 was a perfect color match. I decided to catch the polyurethane and canvas periodically as I attached the trim down the center using 2 strands. I pulled out my mini pliers and that helped too.
When Bill and I were in the store looking at different trims, he placed this trim on the needlepoint and folded it around a corner. Before I started, I worked out how to do that on all 4 corners with a short length first. I had to cinch the ends together to stop them from fraying (no glue) and taper them to hide the ends easier.
I went back around a second time with one strand to sew down the outer edge. It probably took me 12 hours altogether since starting this on Thursday. There was some cursing but no bleeding. I didn’t jab my fingers once! I was very careful. That leather needle would have hurt.
The most exciting part is that it’s even at 1.75″ above the bottom edge. It looks good and no glue!