I finished the rosary bag I was working on yesterday with plenty of time to spare, BUT...it looks atrocious! I will not, repeat NOT, be sewing a teeny bag with linen and satin again ANY time soon. Ugh.
It looks SO homemade. Like something a 9 year old might make in 4-H. I seriously doubt I'll be joining the Pretty Little Pouch Swap in, oh, the next 4 years. :)
I used KelbySew's Zippered Pouch Tutorial, which is really quite good. My problems with creating this pouch are ALL MINE!! First, I made it pretty small (4 x 3.5"), which made it challenging. Second, I should have shortened my zipper since the pouch was so small, but I didn't realize how small it was going to become until it was too late. I wanted the pouch to be small, but it just added another level of challenge. And, third, (sigh), I decided to use linen for the outside and satin for the inside. Fire. And. Ice. It wasn't THAT bad, really, there was just more coaxing than I expected. :) And the left and right side of the zipper aren't perfect/identical/symmetrical/whatever.
The good news is, though, that Caitlin really seemed to love it. She was genuinely surprised, not expecting me to (a) remember that she'd wanted one, and (b) figure out how to make one, and (c) actually take the time to make something for her. She had mentioned months ago that she wanted to go and buy a bag to protect her rosary, but, luckily for me, she never did. :) She seemed pleased with the fabric choices, and the size, and the Chi-Rho symbol on the front, though she didn't know what it was, and I didn't remember enough about what I read on Wikipedia to tell her! Good thing Google is so handy, right? She didn't even seem to notice all the flaws! Jackpot!
And, really. I saw the ones in the store. I saw the ones online. THIS is so much more appropriate for an 18-year old, I think. She wouldn't like tapestry. She wouldn't like pleather, she wouldn't like denim, or crochet or felt. I mean, I guess if I took the time to make one like that for her, she would appreciate it, but those just aren't HER! I am going to think that this one is much more her style.
And...she loved the Barnes and Noble gift card inside. :)
So. There you have it! A late Christmas gift that counts towards the 2012 finishes! And it makes me feel good that she was so excited and surprised about it. I'll sleep better at night.
See, I've found that we're super perfectionists because we have an idea in mind of how something will look, and we see each and every thing 'wrong' that we wish we'd done differently. I have, somewhat reluctantly, handed over a couple of pressies with what to me are obvious flaws, that not only did the recipient not notice, but her friends she showed them off to didn't either. I'm sure Caitlin thought it was absolutely perfect!
ReplyDeleteI think it's a great looking pouch for an 18 year old. The vinyl Rosary pouches in the stores are mass produced and non-original and are the standard look as far as pouches go. The pouch you made is a one of a kind and a gift that came from your heart.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a great looking pouch for an 18 year old. The vinyl Rosary pouches in the stores are mass produced and non-original and are the standard look as far as pouches go. The pouch you made is a one of a kind and a gift that came from your heart.
ReplyDelete