Singing the Man Bag Blues

Friends, maybe it's me.

I like to carry a bag and I can't for the life of me find one I really like.

But let's back up.  When I was a kid, my Dad carried a briefcase.  He wasn't a businessman or a lawyer, but rather a teacher, but he still carried a briefcase.  It was this kind of thing:



Back then (the mid-Sixties) there were hard briefcases...



And softer, more expandable briefcases...



Off the Appalachian trail, you never saw a grown man with a knapsack (at least not in NYC).  I don't remember carrying a knapsack myself until high school.  In elementary school I think I used one of those wide rubber band things you tied around your books -- what were those called?  -- straight out of "Leave It To Beaver."  (In those days most kids didn't carry much more than a lunchbox and maybe a few notebooks.)

I think knapsacks became popular with non-hikers during the Seventies and obviously they're popular to this day.   I'll carry one if I go hiking or on a short trip, but to carry in the city every day, it's too casual for me.

Then there are all those messenger bags.  As I recall these became popular in the Nineties, along with other types of status men's (and women's) bags.  But I'm not the Prada-Gucci type.



A few years ago at the Salvation Army, I found a brand new black canvas Jack Spade messenger bag.  It's basically fine but I hate the huge velcro strips that make the bag very challenging (and loud) to open and close.  A latch would have been much better.





I also own this cheap Levi's denim bag, but it's too small and flimsy looking.



Another Salvation Army find is this L.L. Bean tote emblazoned with the words "AOL 5.0" which gives you an idea of its age.  I use it as a pool bag since it's always open, which works well for anything damp left in the bag like a swim cap or goggles.





I actually sewed a pocket inside so I wouldn't have to always dig for my gym lock.  It's starting to fray and look grimy (you can't really launder them) but I'm finding myself resistant to purchasing a replacement for some reason.

I found this little Patagonia bag in the trash; it had some company name embroidered on it which I removed with a seam ripper.  It's functional but I'm not a fan of Cordura nylon.  I know -- fussy.



I found this huge L.L. Bean leather tote at the flea market.  It's good for weekend trips but too big for every day, plus it has no compartments and you can't sling it over your shoulder or wear it across your chest.



The bag I carry most often was a gift from BurdaStyle a few years ago.  If I were to copy a bag, this would probably be it, perhaps in a sturdier canvas.  I prefer a deep vertical bag to those wide messenger bag shapes.  Plus the bag has both a strap and handles.







Up there in the running for Worst Purchase of 2013 (so far) is this Filson bag I bought on eBay.  In theory it's great: made in the USA, sturdy waxed canvas, heavy duty construction, a key hook (to latch your key ring onto), and outer pockets.  In reality it sucks: the bottom hangs too low for my height, so it drags on the ground if I carry it by the handles.  Over the shoulder, the wide, stiff nylon straps cut into my hands and don't sit comfortably, so I have to hold it on with my other hand.  I once wore it with my white linen pants and the wax canvas became covered with linen fuzz that not even a sticky roller will remove completely.  Oh, and a bit of the black dye rubbed off on my pocket edges; thankfully it came out in the wash.   I need to sell this bag.





Filson makes other bags, but they're hundreds of dollars.  I checked out the canvas bag below in a store and it weighs a ton without anything in it.  Not for me.



I like this Mood bag better than the black Filson.  But ultimately it's a shopping bag.



Perhaps by now you're thinking: Sew your own bag!   I have looked at patterns:











The closest I've ever come to sewing a bag was a sewing machine cover, which when you think about it is pretty similar.  But I did that with great reluctance (and no joy) merely to protect my Bernina.

In conclusion, friends, if you're a man or have a man in your life, what do you -- or he -- carry stuff around in?  Are you (or is he) the type who'd be satisfied with a disposable plastic grocery bag provided it did the job, or fussy like me (or maybe fussy in a different way)?

PS -- whatever happened to the hard attache case?

Have a great day, everybody!

(Before I forget: I'm away till Sunday.)

Sewing for Mother

Readers, one of my ongoing goals is to make my mother a blouse.  I say ongoing because it's been on the back burner for months.

I picked up Simplicity 2339 a while ago, and today I finally got around to cutting (most of) it out and pin-fitting the primary pieces on my mother, who came over for lunch today.



Today's goal was just to see if this pattern could work for her and I believe it can.  I'm not sure it wouldn't be easier to just make her a bodice sloper from scratch, but since I already own the pattern, I figured I might as well give it a shot.



I cut a Size 14, B cup (14 is the largest size in the pattern I purchased though she's really closer to a 16).

Straight out of the envelope, the fit was best in back.  Despite my mother being considerably stooped, the yoke lay relatively flat.



The back also seemed the correct width, or close to it.  It's too long, my mother being about 5'2", so at least an inch needs to be folded out, maybe two.

 

As you might expect, there were more issues in front.  I think I can solve a few of them by adding 1-2" to the top shoulder (i.e. lengthen it).  That will lower both the front armhole and the side dart.





She also needs more width in front --  particularly from the breastbone down, maybe an inch.  Hard to tell since she has a sweater on and the front button placket isn't pinned securely. 



I think I have enough information to make a muslin and then we'll take it from there.  Considering she wears a 38B bra, the 14 isn't bad; she's petite after all and it's a fitted garment.  She wants a band collar and plain front placket (the pattern includes a ruffle option), so once we get the fit taken care of this shouldn't take long to put together.

Could this work?  I think so.  Whatever her fit issues, it's much easier for me to fit another person than oneself.  Cross your fingers!

In closing, are you familiar with Simplicity 2339?  My mother isn't the frilly type and it's hard to find patterns that would suit her.  Most of the tops I see in print are too busy or too exposed.  She prefers simple styles and classic lines.

If you have any pattern recommendations for a somewhat stooped, petite, octogenarian I'm open to them.

Have a great day, everybody!

1920's Pajama Project -- Choosing Fabrics

Readers, it seems there will be 1920's pajamas this coming August.  And a kimono-style robe.

I went fabric shopping today.  At first I explored silk crepe de chine, but it was too expensive.  Instead I opted for some soft-as-silk (or nearly) cottons, which are also easier to work with.

I like to think I'm not the type of fabric shopper who agonizes over his choices.  In a store the size of Mood, if you let yourself be overwhelmed you'll never leave with with anything.  I remind myself that there are many good choices and, in the worst case, I can always get something else.

For this project, I wanted to explore a muted palette.  I found myself drawn to soft purples, cocoa browns and pale pinks.  But I've done a lot of pink.  I opted instead for acid greens.

Here's what I bought, and I'm not entirely sure in what combination I'll use them.

I'm pretty sure the kimono robe will be this floral cotton voile-like print.  It's slightly sheer with a lovely drape.  I have two yards of a 54" bolt.  (I expect it will be basically a bunch of rectangles.)  It has a William Morris-y feel.



This is the type of thing I have in mind (lower left), only considerably shorter.  (This is a Mrs. Depew pattern from Etsy.  Has anyone ever used one?)



To add some richness and heft, I bought a yard of chartreuse cotton sateen -- cheaper than silk satin but still heavy and lustrous.



To pull things together, I can also use the chartreuse sateen on the pajamas trim.  For the pajamas I chose two fabrics: a silky cocoa brown (2 yds) and a muted eggplant (1 yd).  (I could also trim the robe with either one instead of the chartreuse sateen.)



Here's everything together:



The pajama top and bottom could also be different colors.



I didn't have it in mind specifically, but here are some William Morris prints with somewhat similar tones:





Thoughts?

In other news, friends, today I also bought dressmaking pins, style tape for draping, and five yards of cotton muslin.  Learning draping -- or starting to -- is my other big project for the month.

This Craftsy draping class, taught by Paul Gallo and currently 20% off, is a strong possibility.  Looks promising, no?

Have a great day, everybody!

Like I NEED More Patterns...

This weekend I happened upon not one, but two large troves of patterns at the Chelsea flea market -- a rare thing.

Would you have turned down a mod Vogue Paris Original suit pattern for just $2?  I couldn't.
 
Perhaps you'd have had more discipline when it came to the patterns below (also $2 each).  I probably wouldn't have bought just one or two early Sixties doll patterns, but five is an instant collection!

Three Barbies...







And two Tammys -- did they make her 1/2" taller than Barbie just to sell more merchandise?





I look forward to inspecting these doll patterns more closely; I've never owned one before.  I have a few vintage Barbies tucked away somewhere, along with a repro Midge, if I'm ever inspired to sew for them.



Finally, there was this $5 find, a Butterick women's pajama pattern dating back to the early Nineteen-Twenties.



For the dainty Grecian vase pose alone, I love it.  It's also complete (minus the instructions, which I can figure out myself).





On Pinterest, I found a pic of what looks like an identical pajama -- check out Fanny, back row, second from the right.



Wouldn't it be cute in silk crepe de chine, like these?

Considering this pattern is roughly ninety years old, the condition isn't bad.  The envelope is fragile and there were some rusty pins in a few of the pieces; otherwise it's fine.





Speaking of rusty pins, for an extra buck I got this ancient velvet pin cushion.  I love these.



One by one, I ironed the pieces flat.  They're all there.







I think what is true today was even truer years ago: most people stored their patterns carefully and only rarely were pieces lost -- which usually happened later when somebody else found the patterns and didn't handle them carefully.  Of course, in the Twenties, there were no plastic bags, so pattern envelopes were depended on to hold their contents intact.  The envelope is much more perishable than the acid-free pattern paper. ( The tissue paper on my ninety-year-old Butterick is sturdier than what you'd find on a Butterick pattern today, believe it or not.)

For me, a discovery like this pattern is probably what I love most about sewing.  I imagine who might have sewn this pattern originally and where it might have been stored for almost a century; it's a piece of history.

If I make these pajamas -- and I might -- I think they need some sort of kimono cover-up, don't you?  Just in case you have to answer the doorbell. 

In closing, readers, what part of sewing do you enjoy the most: selecting the pattern, buying the fabric, stitching it all together, or something else entirely?

Any doll pattern collectors out there?

Have a great day, everybody!