Hand Sewn Pencil Case!

So after the trouser patches I made last week, I wanted to move on to creating a full sewn project. Which was one of two pencil cases I plan on making. I have a load of pens that need sorting out/ some I want to keep separate, plus I don’t actually have a case for any pens/ pencils to take around with me- they either come with me loose in my bag, or they don’t come with me at all. Mainly the latter. Which is why pretty much everything I draw is done with a single black biro! But I do like the idea of adding colour to my drawings, hence the desire to make a pencil case for this exact reason.

The first one I made was for my POSCA Paint Markers. I wanted to keep these separate from the rest of my pen selection, because these are slightly more premium and are also for different uses, as opposed to general felt tips or gel pens etc.

I’ve made a box style pencil case several years back and they are often what comes up as a good ‘beginner’ sewing project, when you search for such things. The one I made prior though, was all hand sewn, because I didn’t own a machine at that time. But obviously the idea of this project was to use the machine to give me experience, confidence and practise. And wow, using a machine is so much quicker isn’t it?! I’m really enjoying the capabilities of it thus far, so don’t mind going through a few of these ‘learning’ projects to get to the good bit, if you like. I said it in my last post about this, but I’ll say it again: I’m seriously excited about the prospect of being able to make my own garments!

I followed along to this tutorial on YouTube, because it was one where all the seams were hidden inside the lining, so there would be no visible seams on either the inside or the outside. So, this would be a total new challenge for me- I don’t think I’ve ever made a project where the seams have all been hidden.

I’m super proud of this piece (even though it is a little rough around the edges- don’t look too closely)! And there was a lot of challenging sections to get through in the creation of it. The whole thing was actually quite fiddly, with it being quite small, plus like I said, I was using techniques I’ve never previously used. I also decided to ad lib with the size of it, to suit my needs. Plus the style of zip: as illustrated in the photographs, I decided to go with a chunky one (as opposed to the more ‘regular’ style used in the tutorial).

WIP- sewing the zip

I saw an image online that someone had used a chunky zip similar to mine and I thought it had such a cool effect. But, the zip I originally bought for this was a concealed zip, because I thought it might look nicer. But after some practising sewing it, I thought it was better left for a project that suited it better (such as on some kind of clothing or alteration). So the concealed zip is now, urm, concealed in my haberdashery draw! A bit frustrated that I had wasted money on a zip, but I actually found that I had a couple chunky zips at home already- which I had saved from a couple of tops I discarded a few years ago. Always save your zips if you’re getting rid of worn out clothes! So ended up not feeling quite so bad about losing money on a zip (which will get used in a future project anyway).

concealed zip sewing practise

Another big mistake was me attempting to machine sew through said zip. Yeah, apparently machines can’t sew through chunky bits of metal like this and will result in a broken needle- I learned this the hard way! But, at least it meant that I now know how to change a needle on my sewing machine (it’s actually pretty easy).

I was a bit apprehensive using the chunky zip to begin with- and all the way through to be honest (until I turned it the right way out at the end), because I wasn’t sure how well it would hold it’s structure. But, as you can see from the pictures, it actually does so quite well. Yes, maybe a little interfacing inside the layers may have assisted, but I still think it holds a decent shape.

I also had to get over my fear of top stitching in a contrast thread using the sewing machine. The contrast thread was my choice, by the way, because I wanted to tie it in nicely with the zip. My machine sewing is slowly improving, but still no where near as neat as I quite want to be! But, practise makes perfect as they say. Or practice makes permanent- a phrase one of my old cricket coaches use to use, which I think is a better phrase than the original, because if you practise a lot, but practise wrong, then you’re going to make getting the stuff right harder. Anyway, phrases aside, I’ve still not quite finished analysing my latest sewing project!

I’m pleased with my achievements here anyway, despite the improvements I want to make the next time around. Oh, and before I forget, this was also the first project I had sewn where I pressed the seams. It makes it so much more crisper and also easier to sew, because the pressing does a lot of the work. So, from now on, I’m never not sewing with the iron out! I’ve done it again, haven’t I? I’ve written 1,000 words on a pencil case! Why do I always do this? Can’t I just make something and let it be?! I’ll try not to be so analytical with my next post. Maybe just pictures only? Let’s see..!

First bit of (actual) sewing in a while (not embroidery)!

Sew yeah- basically the title! Inspired by my brother having recently purchased a sewing machine, combined with the fact that I've neglected to use mine in I-don't-even-want-to-know how long, as well as having completed all the visual work on my animation (woop!) freeing up some time, I decided to get over my fear of the dreaded machine and get to work on a project.

I'm way more confident with hand sewing, because it feels much easier to control and there's less to learn- needle and thread, you're all set. Pretty much. But what good is the machine just sat there taking up valuable desk space? The only thing really stopping me using it at this point is myself. But, like with anything, the first step is usually the hardest and the more you do something, the easier it becomes. So I dusted it off (literally) and decided to really delve into learning it properly this time round. After a lot of practise and threading/ rethreading, I decided I was finally ready: with a clothing alteration.

I ripped my trousers skateboarding (quelle surprise) a week ago- pesky stones, causing me to fall! Knee has almost recovered- it's always the knees, I swear. Anyway, instead of patching over the hole like any normal person might, I decided to go full Flora Martyr and turn it into a project. Of course I did. Knees tend to be one of the points where the concrete is most attracted to when I fall, so I decided to turn this into an opportunity and create a 'double knee' style trouser, which is quite common on a lot of skate/ work wear. Picture below of the pretty small hole:

I thought it would just be a case of cutting out two large patches, hemming them and sewing them on. But nope, it wasn’t quite that simple.

After having cut and created the patches using the machine to hem them (see above pic), I presumed the next job would be a hand sewing task to attach them to the trousers. But, this was taking ages:

I estimated to sew on each patch it would take approximately 3-4 hours. Do I really have time for that? I can’t say I do, however much I like my trusty thread and needle. Plus it also meant there was no shying away from using the machine again. Though, turns out, without ripping the seams, it would have been almost impossible to attach them. Something I had no idea I’d need to do for this project. But, I do love a good learning opportunity, so the seam ripping prospect kind of excited me.

Ripping the seams was a genius plan. I was able to stitch the patches on in no time, after choosing the correct stitch length on the machine to match the sewing I had started by hand.

Voila- I now had two patches attached. Just need to sew back up the seams now, right?! Well, firstly, not quite that easy, because for some reason I had like zero black thread. Such a standard colour- how did I not own any?! Emergency trip to Hobbycraft ensued. Now just to sew the seams up then? Well, kind of: I managed one, but when it came to the other, urm I realised this had happened:

Yep, clumsily, I had mistakenly stitched one of the corners onto the underside of the material. So, I unpicked that, restitched it by hand, then it was time to complete the final seam. On both, I used a straight stitch and then as I don’t have an overlocker machine, I used a zig zag in place of that:

Turned them right sides out, and I am now the proud owner of some contrast double knee skate trousers!

I’m honestly so pleased with myself for having completed this project, because it made me look straight into my fear of the sewing machine (rather than the safety net of hand sewing) and complete a few tasks going into this project I didn’t expect myself to be doing, such as the seam ripping. It’s all a bit rough around the edges and I’m still getting to grips with creating neat lines with the machine, but nevertheless I am proud of my achievements here. I am actually really excited to continue sewing and getting to the point where I’m comfortable enough to make my own garments: I have loadsss of ideas! But, can’t get too carried away at this point or go too fast with it all- need to build my way up on small projects, before creating made to measure clothing. As always, watch this space, and stay creative xo

Embroidery: more moths!

Variation on a theme- trying out some more ideas and seeing what works if I were to do a lot (1000) of these. See previous posts on this topic for context!

Two are using backstitch with single colours only: I really like the black one. The other is satin stitch, with a dark blue outline. I do think it looks nice, but it's a lot more time consuming to sew. The black one is simple and effective. The pinky/ purply outline one is ok, but it doesn't look so 'clean' as the plain black one. I've a few ideas for some more, so to be continued...

Short film: clip!!

Not an official update post (sorry!) but I do have a new clip to share:

I cut this one from my film this morning. It just wasn't fitting well with the film unfortunately, so had to chop it. I say 'unfortunately' here, because I really like the aesthetics of it, especially the background. But, you can't (or shouldn't) keep a shot in, even if you enjoy how it looks, because the film will be weaker for it. Story over style, right?

I knew it had to be chopped a while back, but I was leaving it in to see if it would work, but it was there in the back of head for the whole time knowing it's got to go. Anyway, I feel I've pretty much reached a picture lock now (yay)- though I may have said that last time! The picture will be locked on the final export. Then I need to let it into the wild. A lot less tasks to complete now, exciting stuff! xo

Short Film: Update #37 almost there

The visuals for my film are now complete. See, I said this update would be a big one didn’t I?!

I am so proud of what I have achieved so far and so happy to have got my film to this point, after almost a year since starting the animation. It’s been quite the journey- though that will not be news to you if you’ve been following my updates over here!

It’s not finished yet- there are still several outstanding tasks on my to do list, but having got the film to this point is not a landmark to be ignored. I should take a few days to appreciate my achievements thus far (she says, simultaneously fine tuning the edit) and look back over the year and enjoy the fact that I have come out of the other side from the struggles that I’ve faced during the creation of this project. I do feel a little more relaxed, but as I’m quite aware of the fact it isn’t 100% complete, I don’t actually feel that much lighter, because I know there’s still a bit of a hill to climb.

To be honest though, I’m finding it pretty hard not to take my eye off the ball with it, because I’m so excited about all the other creative projects I’ve now got going on (embroidery, zine making [how have I only just discovered this amazing medium??], photography and more animation ideas/ feature film et al). I feel because I’ve been working almost singularly on my film since April 2024 (I’ve not really let myself work on anything other than the film), I’ve got a load of pent up creativity inside of me, and it feels like it’s all coming out now that I’ve kind of allowed it to, if that makes any sense?! Once the actual animation tasks were finished on this film, I’ve sort of gone full force into other bits and pieces, but that needs reigning in for the moment, or at least until I’ve completed my allotted tasks on this film. Which does still need to take priority if I want to hit my 22nd August deadline (which I do)!

Anyway, before I go on too much about all my big ideas, I’ve not yet said anything about the impending extras shoot I was been alluding to in these updates for some time, which was giving me a fair amount of stress. If you haven’t gathered from here, I honestly dislike the ‘producing’ side to filmmaking, such as arranging things like locations/ actors/ casting etc. I have always found it stressful and anxiety inducing, which was why I found myself gravitating towards the post production side of things, then towards animation. So to need to book a location, plus five other people to act as medical staff, alongside purchasing costumes, became somewhat of a challenge for me personally.

But, combining asking people I know (some actors, some filmmakers and some skaters) and a public call out (in which I only got one response- shout out to Najma who became one of the cast!), I secured all five. Who all showed up at the required location, on the required day and at the required time! I think I’ve been haunted by my student days of actors pulling out at short notice, which is likely why arranging this kind of thing is no good for my nerves. But, the shoot went super smoothly and was done in under an hour (without needing to rush anything) and I was extremely happy with the footage. I’ll stick a few pictures down below: the first is me alongside my cast (still in costume) celebrating the end of the shoot. Thanks to Ben for the photo (and also for helping me immensely on the day).

And, below is a grab from the final animation of it:

I also filmed and animated a couple of hand acting shots, both of which I feel strengthened the story a little more. I had delayed the filming of them for the longest time, because they didn’t feel especially important, plus felt like I could animate them really quick (and I did) once they were filmed. Honestly, I just wanted the medical staff shot out the way first (including the animation) before I started work on these. But having done them, I think they add a lot to the film: one being a more creative addition, whereas the other an enhancement of the narrative. Screen grabs below of the latter (off and on)!

I’m now in the process of casting for the third and final voice actor, alongside final tweaks on the edit, as well as about to embark on frame checks for the full film. I think I’ll do three rounds of that- you never know what you might find when going over everything at a painstaking rate! There will likely be another fairly big gap between this update and the next update, because in truth, it won’t make for an especially thrilling read! But hopefully that will be the one when I declare the film complete, and I’ll have a trailer to share. We shall see…

Before I go- amazing stuff from the Lionesses once again, retaining their European Championship crown! So many legends in that team, super inspirational. Hopefully they will leave a lasting legacy (and quite rightly), as well as a well needed injection into the women’s side of the game in this country (and Wales- they too made history in this tournament). There’s so much more I could talk about on this topic, but I appreciate you are here to read my animation musings and I should probably get back to the edit anyway! But first- f*ck the misogynists and the racists: there is no place for you in this game.

Peace and love xo