Snow Has Moved On
The snow has moved onto and into Wisconsin. We may have gotten a strong inch. The sun is trying to break through the clouds.
This forenoon, I worked in the studio on the tote. Folding the tote in half length-wise, a square of the fabrics, 3 ” x 3″,was cut out of the bottom of the fold along the edges on both sides allowing for a box -like bottom in steps yet to come. Then the work began on doing flat-felt seams on my tote. The side seams were sewn with the lining fabric to the inside, right sides of the canvas going under the needle. The tote was then pulled inside out . . . the lining on the outside. The side seams that were just sewn were now flatten down and a seam allowance was sewn on each side encasing the raw edges of the first seam. No raw edges showing on the outside on the sides of the tote and no raw edges showing on the side seams in the inside of the tote. Flat-felt seams 101.
Here is where I caved. I was to turn the bag right side out and sew a seam matching the raw edges of those 3″ x 3″ areas, then turn the bag inside out and doing the same flat-felt seam application. Screw it! Fighting the layers of the canvas, quilt batting and lining x 2, the inside of my tote’s box bottom finish is going to be a raw seam. To secure threads from a raw seam, I got out my E6000 glue and put a line of glue on the raw seam on each side to squelch any way-ward threads. I made sure nothing was near the two glued edges and thankfully I walked around my church tables shutting off lights as I went. Mission completion!
Tomorrow when I get some stamina back, I will go down into the studio and turn the tote right side out and see if the tote will stand tall and proud on it’s own box bottom. All that will remain is the straps for the handles.
This started out as embroidering a design I felt guilty for not stitching out. I surely could have used some soft cotton and proceeded making a tote. No . . . I had to find the stiffest bad-assed canvas to cross-hatch quilt it and then line the darn thing. What had I been thinking? I was thinking like the young farm wife of Boon Lake Township that could come in from throwing down frozen silage with a toddler strapped to her waist as they climbed the wrungs up the silo and . . . then came in and beat out yards and yards of carpetbag rugs. Silly ole me.
With that I will take my leave. ♥