two 'sewing' alternatives: tea towel doggy bag

hi there.

I'm sure I'm not the only person who doesn't have a fear of sewing machines, right? Before my MIL even taught me how to use one of those contraptions, I wanted to do some fabric projects, and found some ways to cheat at sewing.

Okay, a warning for those avid sewing folk (I was just about to say 'sewers', but that could look offensive), this could be insulting to your craftsmanship, but understand it's from one sewing-challenged person to maybe others that have the same issues :)

I found these two products and decided to try them both on one project, just to compare the two. I used Aleene's Fabric Fusion and Prym's Sewing's Stitch Witchery (a great thing for any project where the stitches would want to remain hidden, my MIL says!)
I'm sure they're not normally used entirely for a project, but rather small areas that need a quick fix rather than the machine, but... again, sewing-challenged!

While I was walking around Indigo, I came across these discounted napkins. I was smitten by the colourful fabric and the cute patterns (and the 50% off price tag), that I decided to grab one without a real plan in mind. I especially loved the red acorn print, but the tea towel was oddly shaped, so I had to pass.

I opted for the bright happy-yellow leaf-print towel. With a ruler, I measured out my various sides

and cut my fabric into 5 sections. I really eyed it and just cut along the pressed edges (again, don't judge! ;)

I used the fabric glue for the main part of my bag. I began to glue sections together and used several magazines to add weight while it dried.

The glue was great when it dried (it stayed put), but at times it did seep through the material & stick to the sides not intended (but with a gentle tug, it was a-ok).

And whenever I needed a bit more, extra could be added.

When the basic construction was complete, I wanted to cover up the fraying edges so I used the stitch witchery, ribbon, a damp press cloth and an iron for the border. This was a bit tricky, but I got the hang of it eventually and it worked out great.

I used this for my handles (my MIL had it in her scrap bin).

For the front of the bag, I wanted to use a silhouette of my dog. I found one that was as close to my dog as possible, and carefully traced it.

I just made adjustments to get it as close to my critter.

I wanted a darker fabric behind the light grey of the silhouette and decided on navy blue felt.

I used both stitch witchery for the blue frame and glue for the silhouette. The stitch witchery was far quicker than the glue (no 2-4 hour wait time for it to dry)!

And when working with any fabric, the witchery didn't seep through like the glue did. With that being said, the glue had the benefit of working around awkward corners, like in this silhouette.

When dry, I found the glue marks weren't as noticeable, but they were still visible.

When it was complete, I have to say that it would have been neater and less 'homemade' looking if it was measured and sewn properly. As wonderful as the glue and tape are, nothing beats the good ol' clean seams from a machine (see those ribbon ends starting to fray? sigh...)

But, it did end up being a good catchall bag for my dog's things for when we travel. It's a good thing she doesn't recognize a sloppy seam.

I got my purse. Where to?

(in fact, she loved it! Right when she saw her Martha Stewart houndstooth coat & rawhide bone go in, she was eager to go).

Maybe a little too eager.

So, for those of us who have never stepped foot onto a sewing machine pedal, there are ways to get fabric projects done (especially if the person you're making it for is uninterested in the latest name brand handbag and wouldn't mind toting around a glued & taped purse!)

hmm... this isn't the Gucci purse I asked for...

Have a great weekend!