OPB Sew-Along, Week 1

Hey sew-alongers! Are you read for this? Let's get started!

After a *very* close race, the winner of the sew-along poll is the Charlie Bag. If you are a Marie skirt fan, however, don't despair! If we have fun with this, we can always start up a new round, and I think the challenge of the Marie skirt will be a perfect follow-up to the easy (but not too easy - I messed up my first attempt at this one!) Charlie.



Burdastyle has this to say about our pattern:

Use the BurdaStyle Reusable Grocery Bag pattern to reduce the use of plastic bags which are cluttering up the environment! It's easy to make, and even easier to tote with you, since it folds into its own pouch!

Sounds good to me! Here we go, this week's Assignment:

1. Download the Charlie Reusable Grocery Bag pattern from Burdastyle.com. It's free! You can download the instructions if you would like, but I'll be providing a clarified version here.

2. Print the pattern pieces and tape them together according to Burdastyle's instructions (the guide to putting the pieces together will print along with the pattern pieces). You don't need to go crazy with the tape, one piece of tape is fine for holding the paper together. Cut out your pattern.

3. Head to the fabric store or to your stash and find 3/4 yard (1 meter) of great fabric. You'll want something sturdy, but not so thick that you can't fold up your bag and stick it in your purse. Burdastyle recommends heavy cottons or linens (need inspiration? Check out other people's Charlie Bags here. I'm particulary fond of Jenny Hart's version!). You'll also want to pick up thread, straight pins, and a set of machine needles, if you don't have them. Other supplies that you should have on hand are an iron and ironing board (a towel on your table will work in a pinch), a pair of sharp scissors (the bigger the better - 8" is a good size; bonus points if you also have a pair of small snips for trimming thread ends), and (of course) a sewing machine.

4. Spend time with your sewing machine. If you haven't (or if you haven't in a while), sit down with your machine's manual and read it cover to cover. Practice threading your needle and loading your bobbin. Grab some fabric scraps and stitch them together using a straight stitch, then zig-zag over the edges. Start learning the ins-and-outs of your machine; they all have quirks!

5. Leave a comment here letting us know that you are sewing-along. I'll be getting a list of participants up in the sidebar soon, and am even planning on making a button so that we can all show off our sewing prowess!


Quick Tips:

- As you begin to stitch, hold the ends of the needle and bobbin threads in your left hand. After a few stitches, you can let go. This will prevent the machine from unthreading itself - sewing undertow can be so frustrating!

- There will be a button somewhere on your machine that reverses stitch direction. At the beginning and end of each row of stitching, use this to backstitch for a few stitches. This is the machine version of knotting, and doing it will ensure that nothing unravels.

- If your machine is acting up, try changing your needle. A dull or slightly bent needle (even one that looks totally fine to the naked eye) can cause endless problems!


I'll be posting the second assignment next Monday. If you have any questions or run into any problems, email me or leave a comment below.

Yay for sewing!