U-handblog

Basket and Carpet bags

More bags to leap shiny and finished from my WIP box -  ah! feel that WIP guilt ebbing away to a more manageable level :)

If these bags are your cup of tea they are for sale here.

Flea Market Carpet Bag.  A 'flumpy' and comfy Carpet Bag made in heavy-weight linen and interlined with squishy soft fleece.  I used these faux leather shoulder handles in Perfect Red and I riveted them onto the front of the bag.

Side view.  I'm not a fan of doing hand sewing (I'll do nearly anything to avoid it), but I think the stitching on the applique patch works kinda well.  I frayed the patch as too to make is look a bit more 'care-worn'.

Inside view.  Carpet Bag Frames are great because they add structure, they are strong and secure, and they make bags quick and easy to get into.  The lining is this fabric.

I also made these Basket Style Bags

Though I love all of the Basket Bags I made last weekend I think this one is my favourite.

Paint Birdy by Numbers Basket Style Bag

Japanese Flower Pop! Basket Style Bag

Step into Spring Shoulder bag - in Velvet

Another beautiful Spring like day.  It should be blowing a gale and raining for this time of year, but I am not complaining!

We had a lovely Valentines; we went to a restaurant that we hadn't been to for 6 odd years (back when we were uni students).  The restaurant hadn't changed one bit and the food was scrummy.  When we got back home we had a nice cup of tea and played around making up songs on Al's computer which was good fun.  I hope you all had a nice Valentines, mores to the point I hope you all feel a bit of fondness everyday (not just Valentines).

So  I finally completed the velvet version of this bag.  I made it in velvet because your votes were 50/50 and I thought it rude to ask you and then and not respond in kind :)

Baby soft velvet. I have used this smart bamboo handle - the handle is wide and tall enough to slip over your shoulder, and I also used these silver rings 1".

 

Close-up of darts.  Darts are a good way to add a volume to your bags and they are faster than making gussets.

Close up of the shiny stuff.

Lining is duck egg blue cotton with a *bright pink zippered pocket.
*Just because I can.

 

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Zipang, 2 in 1 Clasp Purse.

If you are a craft business bod (or one in the making) have you asked me a crafty business type question yet?  Go on, you might win a groovy dotty sun/eyeglasses case, and I'll do my best to tackle your question.  You have until 7th August to get your question in.

"Zipang, 2 in one Clasp Purse"?  What is Zipang?  What is she yaddering on about?  Zipang is the name of the two fabrics that I used to make this 2 in one purse.  Why is it 2 in 1?  Read on and see...

Click on any of the pictures to enlarge them.

This purse is for sale here.

To make this purse I used this purse frame, this fabric for the exterior, this fabric for the lining and the yo yo (which I made using this Yo Yo Maker), and I used some double sided fleece and heavy sew-in for the interlinings.

I'm pretty happy with the way this turned out especially as I haven't used pleats at the bottom edge of a purse before, (it only took one sample to get right - most unusual!).   I really like the way the colours all  go  with each other too.  Having used one myself, I can attest that those Clover Yo Yo Makers really are the business!  They genuinely do speed up making Yo Yos - which if you have more than a couple to make is very handy.  I'm thinking I will use some of my ton of scraps to make a Yo Yo window mobile...

Side view.  The purse strap can be detached, or just stowed inside the purse when not in use (because the strap loops can be folded into the purse).  I put the Yo Yo on a brooch pin, so the pin can be moved around, or taken off.



Inside view - very yummy fabric!

This purse is 2 in 1 because it can be folded down to make it into a clutch purse...Ta Dah!

With yo yo pin removed, if pins aren't your thing...

Workroom mess & a gaggle of Market Bags.

I've been sewing like Billy-yo lately!  After so long of not having the time to sew bags, and pining for my dusty sewing machine, I got myself a whole bunch of customer bag orders to do.  By time I got the orders sorted, my work room looked pretty damn messy...

This is NOT my messy desk; the owner of this office is actually the winner of a messy desk contest.  I find this picture comforting because it reminds me that I am NOT the Queen of Messy.

...I'm sure you know the kind of mess I'm talking about; loose (vacuum resistant) threads that work themselves RIGHT into the carpet, your clothes, and even your hair, pins that have fallen onto the floor - YEEOOUCH!  and scissors, chalk, tape measure, all inexplicably missing?   Is this an uncanny description of your workroom too? 

So whilst my work room now resembles an exploded haberdashers I thought why not make even more mess and just carry with the marathon sewing session...ahh it's been wonderful to get properly re-aquainted with my girl again :)

I've just finished 3 Market Bags, and 2 of them are for sale in the Sample Sale Section of my shop.  I call them 'Market' bags because they are roomy, easy to get into, and I came up with the idea for the design whilst watching Amelie (for the umpteenth time).  I think they have a simple rustic charm to them (at least that's my opinion anyway!).

Leaf Market Bag made entirely from 100% Linen, in pistachio green, and sky blue.  Fresh as a daisy!

Inside the Leaf Market Bag.

 

Flora Market Bag made from 100% linen & 100% cotton.  I looove the raspberry pink, peacock green, and biscuit colour combo.  I think that something about the print and the colour combo makes this bag look quite  'arty'...

Inside view of the Flora Market Bag.

 

50's Kitchen Market Bag made from 100% cotton.  I'm sure yet whether this bag is going into the shop because: A) I haven't got anymore of this fabric left, and B) I love it!

Close-up view.  I love this fabric, it's both charming and daft at the same time...a bit like me heh! :)

Inside view of 50's Kitchen Market Bag.

Garden-ing Bag (Garden-in-a-bag). Geddit?

Have you entered the 'Grab a (free) Bag' draw yet?  Go on; there's still 5 days left before a lucky winner will be drawn and announced!

I've been having some fun with a lovely new fabric that arrived in the office a few days ago.  The fabric is called 'Fayette' by Moda.

I've called it 'Garden-ing Bag' (Garden-in-a-bag) because when I look inside the bag I have a sudden urge to chase butterflies in a summertime garden (hurry up with the summer already!)

I have made this pleated tote bag with a fabric insert, and a pretty flower pin.  I used upholstery weight wide weave cotton in grass green for the outside, and the pretty Fayette fabric for the lining.  That said, the bag is fully reversible so if you're having a flower power day - open up and turn yourself inside out!   Inside the bag you will find a zippered internal pocket.

Front View.  The flower pin is detachable.

Inside view.  There's that internal zippered pocket that I made a tutorial from.  See what I mean when I say 'Garden in a bag?'

Reversed view.  'I'm feeling bloomin' lovely today!'  If you like, you can use the pretty flower pin to hide the magnetic snap when the bag is reversed.