Whim 5: The Process

I thought it would be fun for you to see the process, so I took pictures as I went with Whim 5. This is not a tutorial, just a glimpse at the way I do what I do. (Do what I did?)

I decided on measurement for wallet working back from the size and number of drives Anna wanted to store. This requires complicated computation using fractions, yes fractions. This is why you should pay attention in math in grade school. To strengthen and stabilize wallet, I used felt, a simple 25 cent a sheet piece of craft felt. It adds a little padding like batting but I like it better than batting for these little projects. And I had it on hand, so no Whim-a-Week rules were broken!

Since I abandoned my original design (see previous post), I asked Anna if she wanted any additional features in the redesign, and she requested a pocket on the outside for sd cards. No problem. I used a gray zipper from my notions drawer, so “on hand”, and added little tabs for zipping and unzipping ease. (I love these little details.) A snip of thin ribbon from my ribbon stash makes grabbing the zipper easier, and the pocket is ready to to attach, stitching through both fashion fabric and felt layers together.

As I pinned the left side of the pocket in place, I decided to add contrasting piping on a whim simply because I spied the mini chevron scrap in the stack of Whim 5 Idea Board fabrics on my work table. The soft side of velcro closure was attached, stitching through fabric and felt together.

The fabric for the tab closure suggested the shape of the tab, and I reinforced stitching of the velcro closure with felt. I stitched the curved shape of tab with right sides together, leaving flat side open for turning. Then tab was was attached to left edge of wallet outside with top stitching. At this point the outside was complete. I didn’t like the navy ribbon pull and made a skinny fabric tube of bias scrap of tab fabric. Then the outside was really complete.

The inside was relatively simple. I cut the pockets somewhat on the bias to allow some give when the little drives are slid in and out of place, and the diagonal line of top edge allows for the varying lengths of flash drives to be stored. The Something New tag is left over from a woven tag run for my original business name, and they’re good to use up on these little projects.

Whim 5 inside

When you look again at the completed project, you can see the inside stitching I did to create separate flash drive slots, all simple straight stitching. With the inside complete, it was time to assemble the whole. I stacked outside and inside, right sides together, and stitched around all four edges, leaving a few inches open along one side to turn inside right. Then turn, press, top stitch around all four edges (closing up turn opening at the same time), and done.

Tuesday is a day I watch my granddaughter Eliana while her mom takes classes to earn an engineering degree. This is how she helped me finish Whim 5.2. Good baby!

Whim 5 Reveal

What I’m revealing tonight is Whim 5.2. Measuring just 3.5 x 5 inches, this digital media wallet stores up to eight flash drives and several sd cards while looking beautiful in your book bag. You know you want one!

Whim 5 digital media wallet for Anna Banana

Whim 5 inside

This is Whim 5.2 because 5.1 was rejected.

I make everything I do several times, but it’s usually a virtual construct. Remember learning to sew, and the advice to read pattern directions completely before beginning the project? It’s good advice. When you design, there are no directions to read: you are creating the directions as part of the design process. There’s an order of attack in construction that really does make a difference, and when approached with forethought, minimizes both time and margin for error. So once I settle on a final design, I do a virtual construct, all in my mind’s eye, setting the steps in efficient order. Then I make it again, checking the order in my mind from beginning to end. I’ll do this while driving, or mowing the grass, or as anticipated tomorrow, shoveling snow (snow storm 2 in three days here in Pennsylvania). Then I cut.

With Whim 5, the repetition was not all virtual. Whim 5.1 was complete last night and I hated it. All the elements of function were accomplished, but I thought it a little ugly, a little large, and overall, not something I wanted to post pictures of on the internet or present to my daughter Anna as the fulfillment of her whim. I shut down the sewing studio for the night, proofread a paper for my daughter Belle, and headed to bed, all the while redesigning. As I drifted off to sleep, I was engaged in the virtual construct of the new and improved Whim 5.2.

Why torment myself you ask? Because I love the challenge of starting with nothing but an idea, and finishing with something tangible, something both beautiful and useful. Whim 5.1 did not satisfy, so Whim 5.2 was required.

Whim 5 purpose

Whim 5 pocket for sd cards

Whim 5 inside for storing flash drives

This Whim’s For you: Whim 5 Idea Board

Over the weekend, my daughter Anna asked if she could request a whim. I thought about it a minute (these are my whims after all) and then agreed. She can make a project request, but it’s subject to my design whims. Whim 5 is for Anna, a flash drive case for her many drives for her many classes and projects.

Anna likes blues and greens, so I’ll design with her preferences in mind. I found two possible zippers in my notions drawer, and a piece of blue leather that might make a neat zipper pull. I’m working backwards from the design spec of flash drive size, measuring her largest, and making all pockets large enough to accommodate.

Maybe I’ll make view through windows, if I have clear plastic in my fabric stash. I think I do.

This will be a light project compared to the last two. That should give me time to post some more pictures of past projects, as long as the house stays standing that is.