Peace in.
Are we ready for what's what in Singapore? Firstly, remember how I bitched about the trains not running like they should a few weeks ago? The CEO of SMRT (the trains) resigned today. However, she did not resign because she screwed up. She resigned to "pursue personal interests". She did not disclose what interests these might be. I wonder if it is sewing related.
Some months back I mentioned that the government assembled a Ministerial Salary Review Committee. This is in response to Singaporeans' vocal unhappiness with the ministers being overpaid. Well the review report came out and yes, there is some reduction in the recommended salary. But guess what? Despite a cut from $3 million to $2.2 million per year, the prime minister will still remain the world's highest paid leader. Ministers' salary start from $1.1 million a year. The President gets the worst pay cut from $3.17 million to $1.54 million. However, I would not worry about him as he is already wealthy.
Whether anyone thinks the salaries are still too high, the fact is it is a step forward for Singapore. Any cut should be applauded. This could not have happened before the invention of fb. I think fb deserves a prize.
How about giving fb a handmade merlion? Which I can't make as merlion is copyrighted.
♥♥♥
This month the craft market at VivoCity is taking a break. I will have to work very hard to increase my stock. I don't like it when I don't have enough stock. It is a painful process. I have to try my best to make it interesting for myself.
These few days I started work on a new design. Usually I make a prototype using paper mostly to check out the sizing and work out placing. But for this new design, it is not possible to use paper because it is a very drapey bag. The way the fabric flows is the main design feature so I need to see it on fabric. I had this 1 metre of Ikea fabric which I had been "saving" mainly because after it was washed, the colour bled a little. So "saving" may not be the right intention. I wanted to "kill" the fabric because once the colour bled, I could not use it to make a bag for sale. I've been told adding vinegar to water before washing will prevent bleeding? Is this true? I don't have vinegar. Does anyone have any other recommendations? I've tried salt in warm water. I couldn't tell if it worked though. I mean, it didn't bleed but then again, maybe it wouldn't have bled in the first place. Sigh. My life is so complicated.
See what I mean about the draping? This is my new every day bag. I used magnetic snaps for closure because I prefer it. If I were to make it for sale, I would add a recessed zipper because most women prefer zippers. The size of this bag is huge. It's perfect for me. I carry a lot of stuff with me when I go out. A large thick jacket/sweater, a scarf, pouches, an umbrella, medication and I don't know what else. Please don't look in my bag. You'll faint.
This bag has a gusset. Which means construction time is lengthened. I could go with two rings or make it a one-ring wonder. As for the handle, this length is customised for me but I could easily go with adjustable length. This bag got me a little excited and I'm going through my fabric stash to see which fabric is suitable for this design. The only thing I'm still on the fence - whether to interface or not. For this bag, I skipped interfacing as I was concerned about the effect on the draping.
That's all I have to share.
Peace out.
6 comments:
I like the drapey bag very nice. The bag death clock on the side bar is a bit of a worry now that you need to stock up. I downloaded an app last night to my phone that allows me to listen to Singapore radio how cool is that? A friend of mine developed it. Only thing is I just need to make sure I don't go over on my data downloads in the excitement of it all.
You can buy colour-catchers in the laundry aisle of supermarket. Made by Dylon. Put one in with your wash and it soaks up the 'bleeding' dyes. I used one yesterday when washing a Xmas table runner and advent calendar which had quite a lot of red fabrics which I thought may run. It worked and the catcher came out all red. About s$6 for pack of 4.
You could try making a dummy run of your bag in calico.
I vote for woven interfacing, it will allow it to drape nicely and give it body. Nice shape and pattern!
Nice bag - again, you've done it!
Although I could never use such a large one... the bigger my bag is, the more stuff I carry around and the better I lose everything ;-)
As for ministers salaries... tell me about it... We just found out that our brand new government really thinks we are idiots: they had promised there would be cuts in theirs salaries... but what they really did was to have 3 or 4 ministers less than in the former government and even get a raise... All put together, they win a little less than before but each one of them still has a better paycheck ;-((
Hello Jane!
Oh, i like that bag design! looks like it can hold a lot of stuff. Plus: it somehow gives me a feeling of summer! True!
Happy 2012!
Just found it but love your blog so far! Would love to try to make a bag like this slouchy one, you're an inspiration!
Carolanne, Ireland
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