Sew Long, Brother

The other day as I was sewing a present for one of my friends, my Brother sewing machine quit on me.  After hours of cleaning, oiling, taking apart and putting back together . . . I had to call it.  It was done for.  I called a local repair shop and they wanted $98 (not including parts!) for repairs.  Um, this was an $88 Walmart special from 2005.  Not going to happen.  I'm just going to have to get a new sewing machine.

Unfortunately, I have medical bills coming in by the dozen.  You'd think I just got accepted to Hogwarts or something.  "NO POST ON SUNDAYS!!!"  I feel your pain, Uncle Vernon.  So, it's going to be a little while before I can get a new machine.  Luckily my mom has kindly offered to let me use her machine to get caught up on purses for my shop (and my contest winner!).  

But all my refashion projects and birthday presents I had planned are on hold.  I'd hate to break my mom's machine doing something adventurous.  So, in honor of my sewing machine's passing, I want to share some projects I made with it recently.  First, a car seat cover for my friend Kimberly using this tutorial.  I made a few tweaks, like the "A" applique.  It seemed "empty" without something there.

She and her husband are big Bama fans.  My husband, being the rabid Georgia fan that he is, was upset when he first saw the Alabama fabric.  "What's that?" he demanded (He's really not the demanding type.  Nor am I the type that would allow demanding).  I explained it was for Kimberly which calmed him down.  Sort of.  

I used a cute plaid Bama fabric along with a white and black houndstooth (my FAVORITE).  It's too bad that Alabama has dibs on black and white houndstooth.  It really is my favorite pattern and I feel like a traitor any time I wear it during football season.  The South is a complicated place, folks.  Really.

I've been needing a big cloth purse for awhile now.  Of course I have book purses, but sometimes I need a big bulky bag to take to church, etc.  I'm not the biggest fan of tote bags (except for library books) and I couldn't find a big purse that was in my budget (that I liked).  I made one instead using this tutorial.  I really love this bag design but again, I took some liberties.  I pleated the sides rather than gathered.  It was much easier to make a pleat than to ruffle and I just like the cleaner look better.  I also added a pocket and a magnetic snap on the inside.  The pattern is super easy and fast.  I think it only took me about 2 hours from start to finish.  Plus, don't you love the fabric?  I got tons of the grey peacock feather fabric with the intention of making a skirt or dress out of it, too.  Guess that project will have to wait until I get a new machine . . . sigh.