First steps in sewing

My high hopes of having time after graduation to work on projects and record the results here seem to have been dashed. Although I haven't post anything in almost a year I have been working on a few projects as time allows. In fact, I've even taken up a new hobby - sewing!

My first sewing project, aside from wardrobe repairs, was a holder form my crochet hooks. It was a simple project that allowed me to learn about my sewing machine. I started with a search for patterns, but I ended up making my own pattern out of newspaper.

My next project was a shoulder bag. Again, I did a search for patterns online and found a few I liked. The two best, found here and here, I combined a bit. I liked the first because it was reversible. I liked the second because of the pocket. Once again I used newspaper to draw up the pattern. This is the final result:

I am very pleased with the final results. There's really only one modification I would make if I were to use the same pattern again. I want to try to adjust the length of the strap. I'm not sure I like it at its current length - though I'm not sure what length I would prefer. Other than that any improvement will be limited to developing my sewing skills, and that will only come with time and practice.