Bag Lady

I have sewed not one but two bags in the last two weeks.  It does of course mean I am behind in my sewing goals for the year. But never fear, a Mathilde blouse is half finished on my sewing table. So keen am I to finish it, that I had 20 minutes to spare at about 6.45 am this morning (yes, 6.45am on a Sunday morning!!) so went and sewed before I headed out for my long run!

Anyway back to the bags. The first was a camera bag, the Paparrazi bag. I was a pattern tester for this new pattern from Sew Sweetness. I am not a quilter but I love her bags.

Front View

Back View

Here is my version of her Paparrazi bag. I love the fabric I chose, also love the pockets and inside there is  a removable insert to make the inner sections as wide or as small as you need.

 
The second bad was a shopping bag for a friend ( a hostess gift).

I used a ripcord nylon for this and I think it turned out well. Who doesn't need to keep a shopping bag in their handbag! I used the Simplicity pattern 2806 and sewed view B. This is the second bag I have done from this pattern and both have turned out well.

Shopping Bag

One of my goals this year was to start making some of my hostess gifts. So this is the first one, a reusable shopping bag. I used a twill fabric for the bag and then wide double fold bias tape for the edging and blue webbing for the handles.

I used Simplicity 2806, and made view E. I liked the 6 big pockets, 3 on either side. Perfect for 2L pop bottles, or bottles of wine.

I didn't line the bag as I felt the fabric was thick enough and instead of the long and short handles, I made just medium length handles. I did triple stitch the seams and also overlocked (serged) the edges.

I think the hostess really liked her bag and we had a really great dinner on Saturday night!

The Hobo Bag

The Hobo bag is the August bag for the Style Stitches Sew-Along on the My Crafty Crap blog. I also discovered another blog (Jem Jam) doing the same sew-along, so will post my pics on both!

The Hobo bag is my favorite bag to date. In keeping with my idea of using this book to do some stash busting, all fabric used is left overs from other projects. The black and white for the main part of the bag was used first for a skirt. The inside handle ( 1" black and white check) was used in a Vogue dress. The small check is about to be a blouse, the Colette Pattern, Violet blouse. All cut out and ready to sew. The plain black is a pair of cropped pants, again all cut out!

Just hanging around!

I saw many finished Hobo bags on line without the tassel, but to me it makes the bag. I found this trim at Fabricland on sale (always a good thing!), I think it goes well with the black and white bag.

Close up of the tassles

This bag was easy to sew, easier than the Cosmo bag, even though the book says this is an intermediate level and the Cosmo is meant to be easy!

So I will be getting ready for next month's bag which is the Blossom bag, that one does look more difficult so I should start early!!

Key Keeper Coin Purse

I finished my Key keeper Coin Purse last night. Bag 7 of Amy Butler's Style Stitches Book and the My Crafty Crap Sew-Along.

Very easy to sew. I made it in the same fabric as last month's Tear Drop bag, i.e denim and then a selection of fabrics that I brought with me from South Africa over 10 years ago. I am using up that stash!

All cut out and ready to go.....

I did put the inside pocket in, so basically it will function as a little divider in the purse. I can see me actually using this for my lipstick and other make-up usually rolling around at the bottom of my handbag!

Artistically arranged among my Hosta's

What a cute couple!

 I thought I might try and catch up on a few of the earlier bags I missed in this sew-along. Unfortunately didn't get much past the thinking stage with that! I did cut out an extra small and a small Origami bag. So hopefully next time that will be finished along with the Fringed Hobo bag.

When I grow up I want to be an Origami bag!

The Teardrop Bag

Great excitement the other day when I noticed on the Crafty Crap blog that the deadline to submit pictures of your finished Teardrop bag had been extended to July 8. Just the push I needed to get going and make the bag in a week.

This will be the first bag that I have submitted for this challenge seeing as I am coming late to this party!!

True to my initial idea behind purchasing the Style Stitches book, I used fabric from my stash for this bag. Denim for the main part of the bag and then three different blue and white cotton prints for the rest of the bag. For the strap I actually used the wrong side of the print on the outside as it was too much white print on the blue.

I did the small size bag and this will be perfect to pop a few odds and end in before heading out.

Showing the inside lining and pocket

My second Amy Butler bag, I am impressed!! It was easy to sew, even though I am not sure I got the pleat right!

Now to make the Key keeper Coin Purse to match.

My Adventures In Bag Making Begin

For Mothers day I received the Amy Butler Style Stitches book. For months, I had been looking at this book every time I went in to Chapters! The idea behind wanting the book is so that I can do some stash busting when trying out each of the 12 bags for the first time.

So the first bag in the book is the Cosmo bag (pictured on the cover of the book), and is rated as “easy”, while not an expert sewer, I am certainly not a novice and I found this bag tricky! Maybe due in part because Amy doesn’t have many diagrams in the instructions, it is all words. I am a visual learner apparently!! Wonderful instructions, but not many pictures. I prefer the Ikea type of instructions, lots of pictures, very little writing!!!

I used an old curtain that I had picked up several years ago in England on a holiday there, to make blinds for the kitchen (never happened!). I didn’t do the contrast for the bands and the handles, I just cut the material in the other direction to get a different effect with the stripes. I lined it with a plain green cotton fabric.

I am very happy with it. It is bigger than I had thought. Maybe I can carry my dog around in it like the celebs do! My dog is a 110lb yellow lab, plenty of space!!!

Just as I finished the bag I found the Crafty Crap blog and a sew-a-long. So although I am coming late to the party (they started with bag one in January!), better late than never I say!! I am going to start with bag number 7 in July and continue to the end of the year and hopefully in between then I can catch up on the other 5 that I will be missing.

Yes I do of course realize that I am skipping through the rest of the easy and intermediate bags and jumping in to the more difficult ones!!!