This week I’ve got a couple of quick makes to show-and-tell. I completed my first pattern test! The pattern is the Bathurst Top by Stitch Witch Patterns.

This is not a style I would normally wear, so when I saw the call for testers, I thought it would help me step out of my comfort zone — and help out a new designer. I learned a couple new skills while making up this top. The first was how to do an all-in-one facing.

Instead of a neckline facing and bias-binding on the armholes, one big facing piece goes inside the top. I recently saw a video tutorial on installing an all-in-one facing on the Tilly and the Buttons channel. She did it a little differently — probably because that top had a back. It was easier here with no back to negotiate. I also learned how to make long ties and sew them into the side seams.

My second project was to deconstruct two pairs of old jeans and turn them into a bag. I cut all four legs of the jeans up the inseam and used each leg as 1/4 of the bag. I was also able to salvage the zippers from the jeans. They are great 5″ zippers that will come in very handy if I make another pair of Mia jeans. If you read Monday’s post you’ll know that I wimped out and did not properly shorten my 7″ metal zipper for my cargo pants.

The reversible bag is a free pattern on the Very Purple person website. The designer lives in Tokyo and has three very cute dogs (two Chinese cresteds) that you can see on Instagram.

I had to sew 8 darts for this bag and really appreciated the dart-sewing practice. It’s crazy to think about now that these two pairs of jeans were all I wore for the five years before I learned how to sew. I bought them both at the same time because I knew I wouldn’t find anything else that fit for years — and I was right.  I got so sick of looking at them!

My last little project was a headband scarf, which is a free pattern from Pattern Union. This headband is part of the Phoebe collection, which also includes a free jumpsuit pattern!

The Phoebe headband directs you to sew thin wires into each end so the bow stands up pertly. You use a zig-zag stitch to hop over the wires and secure them down. This reminded me of playing Five Finger Fillet in Read Dead Redemption 2. I was watching the needle hop over the wire just waiting for disaster. It’s the slowest I’ve ever gotten the foot pedal to go.

I had loaded the bobbin up with red thread and the top spool with blue thread, to match the fabric on either side. I was so nervous, as you can see above, I sewed it all flipped to the wrong side and the blue thread is here on the red fabric. But I did NOT hit the wire, so … happy with that.

Little projects are great to rev up your sewjo for something bigger. Tomorrow is the start of Me Made May. I haven’t made a pledge, and not sure if I will. What does my wardrobe need help with right now? Not sure. I love the pledges I’m seeing and excited to see everyone’s daily outfit posts! I will be pinning ideas like crazy and you’ll see them here for the rest of the year as inspiration. -rp