Towne Purse -- fun project

Jean,

Thanks! The outside pocket arrangement is interesting. The flap doesn't fasten, per se, but it's stitched down at the sides and overlaps the pocket by a little...a secure but easily accessible place for car keys. A little more width on the pocket might be good.

Doreen in Alabama

Thanks, Lisa. Two of the fabrics just happened to be stacked near each other on a shelf, and the tan print fat quarter kind of 'spoke' to me from another cupboard. It was just meant to be!

Doreen in Alabama

Yeah, I could tell the flap overlap from your picture. I have a purchased vest with pockets like that. Thought sometime I would find a use for the idea. Now I know what it will be!

Jean M.

I've just been discussing curtain fabric with Alan... We saw one on Saturday that we liked, and it goes with the velvet I have in the stash for the chairs, so that's this summer's non-customer project! After building the new conservatory back in October/November, and replacing the end wall and window in the living room, we feel a bit scruffy in here. The plan is that Alan finishes tiling the kitchen, we give that a lick of paint on the walls, and then strip out the living room, repaint, carpet, and do the curtains and chairs. No quite ready to re-upholster the sofa yet... I wouldn't even dream of it, except that a pair of previous moggies stropped their claws on it, and after 10 years and more of putting up with the tatty bits, I'm getting a bit bored with them! The chairs are easier, so I'll start with them!

I too dislike making curtains: too big and heavy, and all those long boring seams! But I hate to pay someone else to do something as easy as plain curtains with pencil pleat tops! At least with the nice new room and cutting area, I can set up a nice big space to cut them, and then have the machine on a nice big table for the sewing! :) I have one set to do for the front: short curtains, about one and a half - two widths of fabric by 50" drop, and one French Door: 7'6" drop, but they'll only need one width per curtain!

G'day Pat

That's Ok! I got the idea from a friend some years ago, she used to make teddy bears and would visit all the op shops and buy fur stoles etc and anything in tanned leather to make the paws.

If you've got some leather clothing that is no longer being worn, you might as well use it yourself. I prefer to use my kitchen scissors to cut the leather, they are Mundial #666 and the two halves separate which makes them very easy to sharpen when needed, they are quite sharp even though they get used for everyday stuff. My dressmaking and other scissors don't leave my sewing room.

Have a great weekend Br> Good grief ... I can't believe I would have missed out on a source of

I must be a PITA to anyone who doesn't value their scissors because all of mine are for a specific purpose and do not get used for anything else. I've never been sorry I bought the Mundial kitchen scissors, I've had them for quite a few years now and they get quite a bit of use, lots of paper etc and will still cut thick fabric, although they baulk at fine cotton or similar.

Hope you enjoy yours too!

Bronwyn ;-)

Pat > Oh, I've been 'needing' new kitchen shears, so this is a perfect excuse

I really like Ginghers, and own about 5 pairs.

My daughter's gift to me for making her wedding gown two years ago was

*two* pairs of Ginghers (3" and 9" with serrated blades), engraved with my name and the date of the wedding. I treasure them more than anything else she could have given me.

Beverly

For years I fought with my family over who was allowed to use my sewing scissors. I frequently lost the battle to DH. Then I asked him for a new pair a few years ago for a Christmas gift. When he found out how expensive they are he never touched them again. He bought me a pair of Mundial soft grip and they fit my hand to a T. I also have a pair of Singer's short shears that I bought 48 years ago. They disappeared one day many years ago and I found them a few months ago when we cleared out some junk DS had stored down in his old darkroom. We have an excellent kitchen store close by that also sharpens knives and scissors. They will be getting them on my next trip there. I have great faith in their ability to do a good job because they also manufacturer of xacto blades. Juno

I have to say that, having used many other brands including Mundial, Fiskars, and Wiss, I'm rather partial to Gingher as well. I prefer very light shears for comfort but I use rotary cutters 90% of the time now anyway.

as a son and then a spouse, all my life i have been told 'don't touch those scissors'

then i started weaving and tried cutting fabric with ordinary (kitchen) scissors that seemed quite ok to me but didn't so so well. and then i was allowed to use a pair of the instructor's fabric scissors. NOW I have my own fabric scissors (two sets, long and short) with my name, albeit magic marker and not engraved, on them!

and i gave my wife another set for christmas and the first time she used them, she cut her finger and announced they were too sharp. but after cutting silk for a blouse, they regained status and stayed to her side of the machine!

Juno wrote: