Shoulder Bag

As my new sewing machine (Pfaff Select 4.0) arrived on Thursday morning, I'd been itching to tackle a new project.  I remembered that I'd been given 'Sew!' by Cath Kidston a while ago, which comes complete with pre-cut fabric to make the below shoulder bag.  This seemed like an ideal simple project to become better acquainted with my new machine.  

The bag features button on shoulder straps, a simple button closure, french seams throughout and the use of a t-junction seam to create extra width at the bottom.

My button holes weren't quite as neat as I'd like but I imagine that will come with practice.  I found it confusing because the button hole sequencing was the reverse of how it worked on my old machine.  I did sew on the buttons by machine, which was a first and I'm quite chuffed with that.

Things to make in the pipeline:

• A pincushion. I'm still without one and it's becoming quite a hindrance, especially as my sewing area is also in my living room.
• A mug quilt. This will give me a chance to practice some skills on a small object that can be just for me.  I imagine if I tackle it alright I'll make one for my Mum too, as she's very excited about my craft projects.
• Also I have designs to make a big animal quilt. The fabric is here.  The design is coming together in my head. Next it's the skills!