Hard-working little helpers: What are you working on?

Dear users, dear authors,
dear little helpers,
what are you working on today / this week? Is everything going well?

I’m still knitting my scarf, but I’m slowly getting close to finishing it :-) I’d set it aside for a bit to knit my socks, but now I’m back to the scarf






Best regards, Inge



I’m still working on my quilt and sewing the different layers together

You girls are so hardworking.

I sewed myself two shopping bags because I simply don’t have any left. We don’t use plastic bags in my household anymore, and the thin cloth bags don’t hold their shape. And I don’t like those huge bags from the discount store.

So I sewed myself two for now. The outer fabric needs to be a bit sturdier—luckily, I found two fabric scraps in my scrap box. The bags are lined with cotton fabric and have a wide base. The wide base makes it easy to stack things inside.

Best regards, Ina

No. 1 – Nautical

This was my first attempt. I realized that the handles were too short and too wide for my liking. Each bag has a front and a back, so here are two photos of each.





No. 2 – Scrollwork

Here I used the new handles right away. You can always adjust them to your liking.

Wow, Ina, those bags are great!



We had our first day of school yesterday. Now I’m sewing covers for six books out of my grandson’s old bedsheets

Ina, your bags are real eye-catchers!!
But I have another tip for you: if I’m seeing this correctly, the handles are only reinforced with the top seam—that’s not enough, and sooner or later they’ll tear out, because the bags are big and can hold quite a bit of weight. I always reinforce all my straps, whether for a handbag or a shopping bag/tote, with an X seam, just like in the picture

That way, the handles won’t tear off so easily. I usually sew back and forth 3–5 times at the top, then sew diagonally down—once is enough there—then back and forth 3 times at the bottom, and then diagonally back up again so that there’s a cross in the middle, and I secure my threads at the top. It also always depends on what my handles have to carry and how often I sew back and forth.

Best, Inge 

Really beautiful bags! Is the nautical design the same on the front and back, or is it the same image?

It’s exciting to see so many of you caught up in sewing fever right now.

By the way, I’m back in the swing of things too.

Last spring, I managed to snag this great cotton jacquard as a remnant, and my plan was to make a sweater with dropped shoulders and a stand-up collar.
Well, there was actually enough fabric for a dress… so I lengthened the pattern for now.

But now I’m wondering if I really want a stand-up collar made from this fabric, or if I should just trim all the edges with the dark blue ribbing.

Or should I shorten it back to sweater length after all?

I’m so undecided…


Oops, I didn’t even notice that. The nautical bag also has two different sides.

I’ll write something about the other posts tomorrow.

Best wishes and good night 

Claudia, a stand-up collar doesn’t really work here—but that’s just my opinion. Narrow hems and cuffs would emphasize the lightness of this cut, whether you want to wear it as a dress or a sweater. You’ve picked out a great fabric—I like it.

Best regards, Inge

Dear Ina, could you please post the pattern for the bags when you have a chance? They’re exactly the kind I’d like to make someday. Thank you so much, and best regards, Sigrid

Hi everyone,
it was already too late to write more yesterday. But today...

@Petra
I think the idea of making fabric covers out of the kids’ old bedding is great. They feel so much nicer than the usual covers. And they’re washable, too. If they have cool designs on them, all the kids will want one!

@Inge
Thanks so much for the tip about the handles. Since I’ve never sewn bags before, I wouldn’t have thought of that on my own. I sewed it following a pattern (from CP). The author apparently thought one seam was enough. But now that I’ve thought about what you said, I have to agree with you. The weak point of a bag is the sewn-on handles. I’ll fix that on my bags and do it this way from now on. Thank you for taking such a close look at it.

@Claudia
Yes, I’ve also noticed the trend that a lot more people are sewing these days. It’s nice—it gives us more opportunities to share ideas.
Your dress already looks great. I really like the pattern—the motifs aren’t too big or too small. Personally, I don’t like stand-up collars; they always make me feel a bit constricted. So my dress wouldn’t have a stand-up collar. The pattern and cut make a statement on their own—a colored trim might be too much. But ultimately, that’s a matter of taste. If you do decide on a colored trim at the neckline, the shade should match the dress exactly. I zoomed in on your photo and think the shade of blue is too dark. But that could also be due to the backlighting.

@Grasi
I can fulfill your request. I sewed the bags following a pattern sold here on CP—specifically this one: https://www.crazypatterns.net/de/items/3766/ebook-37-shopper-korbtasche

Best regards, Ina

Dear Ina, thank you so much—I’ve already bought the pattern. Best regards, Sigrid

I’ve got a kids’ hat on my needles—I just can’t seem to do without them after all :-)))

Love, Inge

@Claudia
I’d also prefer to edge it in dark blue instead of shortening it. It’ll definitely look great when worn.
After crocheting lots of shawls this summer (all birthday gifts), I’m currently all about jumpsuits. I’m sewing them nonstop in various styles right now. I’ll make a few short ones next, and then it’s time to knit socks for Christmas. 
Love, Ellen

I’m knitting a sock right now. A new heel variation. It’s knitted in rounds (without short rows), using only increases and decreases. The pattern is from YouTube.
Best regards, Brigitte

I’m still working on the gym bag for my grandson. The drawstring channel is a bit of a challenge: three different needles, splitting the double strand and joining it back together… In between, I’ve been knitting up scraps to make dish towels for my son’s new household—he’s moving to Switzerland on October 1. My oldest daughter turns 50 at the end of the month, and two years ago she asked for gloves with fingers and long cuffs—I’ll be tackling those this weekend: On Saturday, there’s another big knitting get-together (56 women signed up). 

My dress/sweater is still hanging here on the mannequin without any finishing touches—I’m still so undecided.
I’ve also been thinking about a Peter Pan collar, or a small stand-up collar that isn’t quite closed at the front.
Well, time will tell—I hope.
I’ve been mulling over your ideas in my head, too, but that doesn’t make it any easier for me to decide.

For now, I’ve sewn a new shirt for my sweetheart—perfect for working from home, I think.
I think the fabric panel is sooooo cute, so I kept the shirt really simple to let the design shine.



I like it.

@Claudia, the shirt is awesome—great design. I hope your better half isn’t actually shuffling around the house like that while working from home. 

@Ellen—I inherited one of these from my daughter and I love it. But I wouldn’t dare try sewing one myself just yet. Yours looks great. 

Petra, it’s not quite that bad. But that look is spot-on—at least until the first cup of coffee… :-)
But that changes quickly after that.

Your projects look great.

I’ve finished another little project to work on in my spare time, and I used up some leftover yarn while I was at it.

@Petra: Thank you so much. I now have 6 of them in different styles and colors, and I love them. They’re actually quick and easy to sew.

@Claudia: Your panel sweater is really cute. Unfortunately, my little one won’t wear something like that, but I love it. 😁

Here’s a quick look at my scarves from this year. After that, I just didn’t feel like crocheting anymore... 

Those are some great patterns :-) Pretty scarves

It’s been over 30 years since I last knitted something for myself. I bought the pattern here on CP because I didn’t feel like figuring everything out on my own. I’m curious to see how it turns out.
Kids’ sweaters are quicker to make ;)

I like how you’ve started your sweater—who wrote the pattern?