ASG Inside the Loop Group - Vicky's Tote and Farewell to Bayland

Yesterday the Inside the Loop Group met for the last time at Bayland Park Community Center.  We had interesting show and tell.  I like that the members ask each other for help on fitting and sewing as well as showing us what they made. I learn from the other people's questions, the fabric choices and color combinations. Joyce showed us a skirt that was made with a gore piece and a godet piece that she whips up on the serger in no time.  She adds a zipper to the elastic waist and just puts elastic in the back.

Then Vicki demonstrated how she makes her tote from scraps of quilting Fabric.  Her version of the tote was based on the  County Tote designed by Kimie Leavitt which is published by Indygo Junction. She has made the tote many times and has come up with additional hints for making the pattern. She cuts a piece of plastic canvas about the size of a baseball or playing card and uses that over her scraps so she can cut them with a rotary cutter or a scissors.  I liked that hint because you can see through the plastic canvas so you can place it exactly where you want.  She also separated the bottom piece of the tote into two halves so when you box the corners and they don't meet up exactly you can adjust the bottom seam. She makes the binding strip out of bias-cut fabric so the join is clean.  She just used straight handles without the little circle on the end, and she said to remember to fold in the edges. She covered a piece of cardboard to place in the bottom of the tote so it would stand up better.  Joyce recommended using plastic canvas instead of cardboard so you don't have to worry about the bottom getting wet.  I think the addition of some pockets on the inside and a zipper on the top would make it a really cute purse.

The monthly stash sale seems to be very popular.  I donated a few books on sewing for babies and some patterns because I don't have any babies in the family right now and no one is expecting.  I thought Joanne would take the items for her new grandson in Japan,  (And I thought my grandkids were far away!)  This gives me more room for my recently acquired sewing items.  I thought I had a big library, but my friend Sara told me she had a niece create a database for her of her sewing library and she has well over a thousand items.  I think I may have to try this so I don't add duplicates to my collection.  


Next month the group meets at the library which is 10 minutes from me instead of 30 minutes and the parking will not require a 20 minutes excursion around the parking lots to find a space for my car.  I won't be able to be at the first meeting as it on Yom Kippur, so I hope it is successful.