One year I heard, “If you sew something on January 1 it will bring you good luck for the entire year.”
Over the past New Year’s days, I have adhered to this tradition as much as possible. After clocking over 265 classes taught at Heirloom Creations last year and completing three Stitching Cosmos Online Courses, I would say that this superstition may have a little truth and I dare not jinx it.
When I was a teenager, my Mom and I would set aside a special sewing project for New Year’s Day. It was just the two of us, so it was a great day to start something new for the New Year. I miss the days she would do all the cutting and pressing and I would sit and sew all day. Our days of “team sewing” together were always good memories.
Last year, I spent New Year’s Day with my own daughter embroidering an Embroidery Essentials pink quilt. We documented the day with a Facebook LIVE video.
https://www.facebook.com/SewingMastery/videos/320340525236789/
THIS NEW YEAR’S DAY PLAN IS TO…
This year I have cut up an entire tub of cotton fabric to make Such a Simple Bags for our local food bank. What food panty guests wouldn’t love a fabric bag instead of plastic grocery bags to carry food home to their family?
FREE SUCH A SIMPLE BAG PATTERN
The Such a Simple Bag pattern has been a free download for years. Though we are in the process of updating this pattern to include additional sewing and serging tips, you can download it for free today. This pattern resides on the Blueprint website and you will need to sign up for a free account to access the pattern.
If you are looking to make a dent in your fabric stash, the Such a Simple Bag pattern uses up 1 1/2 yards of fabric plus two strips of denim for the handles. No zippers. No batting. Just simple sewing.
SPEED IT UP!
If you want to speed up the sewing process, dust off the serger and use it to complete all the major construction seams. You will still need a sewing machine for the handles and final assembly. Let the serger do the heavy sewing to maximize your time and output!
INCLUDE A FRIEND
Sewing with friends, or in my case my daughter, is always more fun. These bags are a great team project. If you own a serger and a sewing machine, divide the assembly between the two machines and get twice as many bags done.
SARA’S BAG TIP
I always suggest when starting a new pattern to follow the pattern exactly as written the first time through. Get a feel for the process. Even make a second one…the second bag always goes smoother than the first one. After fully comprehending the construction process from start to finish, now you can decide how to adjust the pattern to the way you like to sew. Add your own twist like maybe decorative stitches on the handles, you decide.