A Different Goal for My May Project

So far this year, my projects have all been true “unfinished objects” (aka UFOs) and I’ve pushed to finish each of them. May is going to be different. The goal isn’t to finish, it’s to get it right. I’ll be making a bag from a special fabric I bought this winter. Instead of diving in and racing along (which tends to be my style), I’ll be taking my time. Here’s why. 

I have 1.5 meters of a handwoven cotton fabric from Oscha. This “Hobbit Quest Travel” fabric shows mirrored scenes from The Hobbit with the day on one half and the night on the other. Important characters are dotted around the landscapes: a wizard, a dragon, a bear, eagles, spiders… you get the idea. 

This tapestry-like cloth is the most expensive fabric I’ve ever used, so I’m being cautious.

First, I struggled to pick a project. I quickly decided on a bag rather than clothing, because I’d be less likely to wind up with something that was the wrong size or shape. I would be seriously depressed if I cut up this special material just to make an unwearable garment. 

Picking what type of bag also took time. Showcasing the fabric was my main goal, so I eventually chose a bag with big surfaces that wasn’t too big. The Morning Post laptop bag has sides large enough to include most of a scene. I will have a day-scene side and a night-scene side and can feature whichever one I feel like when I carry the bag.

Having finally committed to a pattern, I’m working hard not to mess this up. When I finally cut into the fabric, I want to be confident. Because the sides have zippered pockets, I need to pattern match for the scenes to look right. I’ve never pattern-matched before and I may not have enough fabric for this sort of fussy cutting.

So I’m starting with things I normally wouldn’t do. First, I’m making pattern pieces out of tissue so I can layout the entire bag all at once and make sure I have enough fabric for pattern matching both sides of the bag. I’ll also make a test piece out of an old patterned sheet to practice pattern matching. I think I know how this is going to work, but I need to be sure.

There’s a chance I won’t be able to use this pattern and will have to back-pedal, but I’m hopeful. I can see the finished bag in my mind and I’m excited about it. The key will be to keep from letting my eagerness to be done from overwhelming my caution. I should be able to finish this bag this month — but that’s not my goal.

Here’s hoping I can remember that.