The Strawberry+Chocolate+Vanilla Collection

Very silly, I know. And even though I tried to
grown-up-ify it with chocolate, it's still... pink.

Sigh.

This was a belated birthday present for Emily.
It started innocently enough, but escalated into pure
madness. You might be familiar with the process: you take
a straightforward project, and then start adding more
features, and then ask yourself, at the height of that
feverish, heart-palpitating, hand-trembling burst of
adrenaline, "Hey......I wonder if (insert new technique)
can be done here. Hm."


So here's how it all went out of control.

Emily needed a backpack for school, so I thought I'd
make her one (three weeks after school started, I mean).

Not hard, backpacks.

Especially if you have bought enough backpacks to
know they come in standard shapes and sizes

and have standard features like zippers
and padded shoulder straps

and maybe a pocket or two.

But then I thought I'd set myself a (on hindsight) dumb
challenge: to try and make it without any raw edges
showing, and no bias tape on the inside like commercial
backpacks, either. Everything tucked in.
Sewn wrong side in and turned right side out.

And because Emily sometimes brings home wet artwork,
it also had to be lined with ripstop nylon. Ready, set, go!

Sometimes I am more foolish than usual.

OK, backpack done. Most of my hair still on my
head, too. Off to school, then, Emily. Whee.

What's next.... let's see...... oh, cosmetic case!

To contain those tubes of lipgloss and maddening little
claw-like hairclips and miniscule barrettes and hair ties
that somehow end up in Kate's little hands
on their way to her mouth.

Same rules. But no ripstop nylon this time -plastic canvas!
Because we've got a real glass mirror to support (didn't
know where to buy plastic. Anyone know?)!

Let's up the daftness factor several notches - fit a zipper
around a curved oval (read: bias cut, therefore vairy, vairy
stretchyyyyyyyyy) on one side and straight body on
the other. And put piping everywhere!

Verdict: wonky zipper. It works but it's not pretty.

Insanity levels dangerously high now. Practically impervious
to reason/ psychiatric help/counseling. I blame all that
overexposure to pink, of course. So obviously, the
next one to try is a duffle bag.

Same rules.

Verdict: Wonky corners. And lots and lots of
seam-ripping. But I think I can now sew piping around
cars, houses, tractors, jet planes......

So, Dr Freud, sir, that's my story.

Do I like the outcome?
Yeah, I think. I might even borrow that duffle from Emily
to use myself sometime. Like when she's not packed for
Grandma's.

What did I learn?
Apart from the fact that I have no upper limit on lunacy?
Three things:

1. I love my sewing machine. It was well worth forgoing the extra embroidery stitches model for this heavy-duty workhorse.
2. Yes, any number of compartments and zippers can be added with the turn-everything-out-through-a-hole-in-the-lining technique.
3. What a Mobius strip feels like when it's having a bad day.

Would I do it again?
Please, someone, hit me on the head, hard.
I have a chicken to make.

P.S. I actually did start a tutorial/pattern. Gave up in the very early stages. Couldn't with a clear conscience invite anyone to try this. Some day maybe I'll do a pattern for the cosmetic case without all the silly rules.