Saturday, October 13, 2012

fringed bag


I've been hoping to make this bag for about a year, and finally it was done! It's just another Hatoto bag, but with fringes all over. I used gray-ish silver ECSAINE (aka ultrasuede, alcantara, or artificial suede) which I had bought in Nippori for relatively cheap on the last visit.

I do love my Hatoto bags.


Because the fabric doesn't fray, it was very easy to make strips of fringes. I cut the long sheets in the needed length and widths, and then just sliced them evenly like fringes from one end to another with leaving one lengthwise edge uncut. Fringes were sewn on the body parts before assembling, except thet top row.

Apart from the fringes, the bag is basically same as my other Hatoto bags. The printed cotton canvas inner bag has a big pocket for my keys as always. Actually, there is not much to tell (as always),

except my green ruler.


I got this about 2 months ago and I've been so willing to talk about it to you. This is a "Bias Tape Cutting Ruler" from Clover. (Sorry for the language in the link but I didn't want to put the link to the particular shop other than the manufacturer. I know Clover USA sells same product, but the site contains only one picture of the ruler itself without showing how to use it by diagrams.) I think it is such an invention. It makes cutting tapes so easy! I know it doesn't look charming to your eyes, but I'm proud that I was courageous enough to purchase this pompless-looking plastic. You don't have to buy it, but do believe me, it's that useful.

It has a closed slit in the middle and fabrics can be cut by using the slit and a rotary cutter. It makes cutting strips so very easy! Because the both sides of the line to cut are held by the ruler pretty well, it is even more effective when the fabric is delicate, thin, slippery, or escaping. I found it useful for making fringes also, it was so carefree to cut fringes with leaving one side uncut when this closed slit was used.

I love this tool as much as my Slimflex Expanding Sewing Gauge. I hope you can guess how much I love it from my words.

I'd be happy if any of you are interested in it.
If you have something similar to this gadget in your countries, please leave a comment so that others can appreciate your kindness for the useful info. Thank you!

Love,
yoshimi


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Pattern: Hatoto bag (PDF pattern can be downloaded here.)
Handles were attached differently from the original.
Fabric: Ecsaine ultrasuede, silver gray,
about 110cm wide x 1.5m long
Cotton canvas for inner bag
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Fall is everywhere. We went out for yellow leaves in the woods.

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