Losing my Mayake Mojo

I am ashamed to say I have had a UFO on the go since Christmas.

The last time it happened, I chucked everything in a cupboard, never to see the light of day again. I can't do it this time as Lisa of the fabulous White Tree Fabric has generously given me the fabric and pattern and given me the chance to document the process.

I have sewn and unsewn seams, re-arranged my fabric and still ended up with a mess. Let's rewind and give you the back story.

In September, I wrote briefly of my amazement at being given a chance to sew an Issey Mayake pattern with some beautiful cotton lawn. As is usual with Issey Mayake patterns (I was an avid Mayake sewing fan in the early Eighties) an enthusiasm and origami mind processes are required.

Several cut rectangles later, I was ready. I was good, I read the sizes on the back of the envelope and  cut it size 12-14. Then I got flu. Then I got flu again and before I knew it, it was Christmas. So over Christmas, with the aim of making the top for New Year's Eve, I got cracking. 

The pattern is made up of 5 rectangles with a lot of spare fabric - I did end up using some of this, but I will explain that later!

The large rectangle has to be carefully marked and then cut down the middle between 2 points. Easy if you mark it correctly - I have been using Frixion pens recently, as the marks disappear when ironed (but always test - not everyone is happy using them) so this was a grab-your-ruler-and draw-that-line kind of moment. And this is where the origami fun begins. If you do not mark ALL the pattern markings onto your fabric, you are on a road to nowhere (hmm, I think that would make a great song title, don't you?).

Hmm, did that small rectangle really go there? This is supposed to be a size 12-14 but barely fit my 18 year old skinny-minny round the hips.

I grabbed the seam ripper and started again - fold left front across the....what? Put the zip where?

You really need either a live model to make this on or a tailor's dummy, so I bought myself a tailor's dummy (good excuse, huh?) as one daughter headed back to Uni and the other got her head down for A Levels. 

Ooh, now this was better - I sewed the side panel in and then the side seam and......hang on, where does that bit go? The side pieces were too small to make a flattering side panel - too short on one side, not wide enough on the other. I even checked the pattern pieces for sizing, to make sure I had cut correctly - I had, so this was another mystery.

Needless to say, it all ended up back in pieces and draped on my tailor's dummy before my epiphany moment - but that is for next time!

What I love about my bionic gear bag

As is normal for crafters, we use items daily without even thinking about it - items we have made as well as tools for crafting.

I am at the point where I cannot imagine not having my bionic gear bag to hand. Let's call it a BGB, saves me mis-typing it (and my spellcheck still hasn't quite learnt what it is that I am trying to type).

My sister is the seamstress, I am the leather crafter, hand stitching all the leather items in our Etsy shop (scissorsistas.Etsy.com in case you haven't seen it). She wasn't 100% happy with a specific BGB she had made (no idea why, I cannot see what is wrong with it) so I snapped it up and stuffed it full of my leathering tools.

I kept ringing her up, telling her how much I loved it. Telling her how much it was perfect. Telling her that I used it every day. She stopped taking my calls about it after a while!

And what is it about a BGB that means once you have one you won't be able to manage without one?

Compartments. Lots of them. I can keep my knives and blades safely zipped in their own place, so no fear of cuts when rummaging round.

A 'tray' to stop stuff rolling off the worktop. My awl is a perfect example. If I had a pound for every time it's fallen on the floor...... No problem now I have a BGB.

I can craft 'on the move' and have all my gubbins safely stashed in my BGB. No more Quality Street tins or carrier bags.. The BGB is pretty damn neat and super stylish. Better than a Lidl bag for life.

It's like a tardis. It's astonishing how much 'stuff' I can fit in there. This is what I have stashed in there at the moment:

Dressmakers scissors
Shoemakers knife
Snips
Small scissors
Tin of leather needles
Pack of Stanley knife blades
Stanley knife
Tub of pins
Ribbon
3 pens
4 pencils
Beeswax
Linen thread
Awl
Bone folder
Roll of double sided tape
Pricking iron
Edge crease
Parcel tags

It goes on. And yes, I can zip it all up. It really is like Mary Poppins carpet bag. Buy one and see for yourself. 

Scissorsistas.etsy.com

5 things I like about leather

1. The smell. Everyone loves the smell of leather, right? And it's a smell that lingers, it doesn't really fade. Walk into the room where I store numerous hides (half a decent sized herd at the last count) and the smell hits you - boom! And I love it.

2. The perfect imperfections. No two hides are the same - obviously. This isn't a man made material, so every piece of leather is different. I love to see the natural scars and veining on a side of leather. The ragged edges. I study each hide I buy and it tells me what style of bag to make.

3. The substance. A piece of leather is not like a piece of fabric. It is thicker in places. Softer in others. That's why bag making is an art - it's knowing that parts of the hide should be used for straps, but never for gussets and vice versa.

4. It's green. Not the colour green, I mean it's environmentally friendly. Contravertial maybe, but no-one ever bred a cow for it's hide. Leather is a by-product of the meat industry (or fishing industry if working with salmon or carp leather - yes, really!) so using it is actually a form of recycling.

5. Its' versatility. Give me a piece of leather and I'll show you the bag, the journal, the belt, the phone case, the dog collar, the cuff, the manuscript cover etc etc. A good tannery offers a wide range of hides and with skill, the right tools, some creative flair and a bit of knowledge you can make all sorts of amazing things!

See our work in our Etsy shop - ScissorSistas.etsy.com