Eeeekkkk!! I popped into Fiona's Fabrics a couple of weeks ago to buy some more zippers, and couldn't resist a few of these gorgeous "Spark of Happiness" fabrics! They were perfect for my latest project - this bag has been popping over the past 3-4 years on several blogs that I follow, and I thought it was time I made one myself. It's called "Sew Together Bag" and the pattern is by SewDemented - you can download it as a PDF file from her website... ...gorgeous fabrics, bright coloured zippers, and a selection of Aurifil threads in matching colours made this a really cheerful project to sew! The pockets are all lined, and once the zippers have been stitched into place a smart row of top stitching finishes it off... ...a long zipper keeps the bag closed, and inside there is plenty of storage place for just about EVERYTHING!... ...this was on my work desk today, and holds a huge selection of stationary - stapler and spare staples, pens, pencils, post-it notes, and just about everything else you can think of! It received lots of admiring comments from my colleagues, so I may have to make a few more for my office buddies!
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A few months ago I made a small bag to keep my essential bits and bobs in at work, using a piece of this "Nifty Nurse" panel by Loralie Designs. Yesterday I decided to make a smaller pouch for my two daughters, for a first aid kit - and teamed this panel with some red and white fabrics and some lace trimming. The front panel was quilted very simply in straight rows about 0.5" apart, using white Mettler quilting thread, and some cotton batting that I had leftover from other projects. I added some red lace trimming too... ...I added a label to the side seam, and a bright red zipper to match the lace. This was based on the pattern "Anna's Sminkepung" by the Norwegian designer AnnAKa. As you can see, this looks ideal as a first-aid kit, and I've filled it with a few essentials from the medicine cabinet - paracetamol, plasters and throat lozenges. Alice was really pleased with this today when Mr F and me went to see her at uni, and now I need to make one for Beth.
As most of my blog followers know, I love using Norwegian patterns, I love making bags and I love batiks - so what better combination to make a special gift!! These batiks have been in my stash for WAY too long and they were just perfect for the project that I had in mind. I used one of my favourite patterns "Mathilde's Sommerveske" by the Norwegian designer AnnAKa, and set to work..... .....inside it has a zipper pocket and a slip pocket too (I used a tutorial from a pattern by Elizabeth Hartman for this pocket panel - I make all my bag linings like this now). And there is a tab for keys to clip onto, and finished it off with one of my labels stitched into the side seam of the lining..... .....this bag is quite roomy, and also has two pockets on the front with a flap - I have sewn magnetic fasteners to these, to keep the contents secure..... .....the handles are made with a variety of the batiks for a scrappy look, and are a bit longer so this tote bag can be worn over your shoulder. This one is for my mum for her birthday next week so please don't tell her and spoil the surprise!
Do you remember a few weeks ago I made a tote bag using some brown batiks from my stash, and an AnnAKa pattern called "På Quiltelaup"? Well I had some leftover fabric from that project, and decided to make a shoulder bag, again using an AnnAKa pattern, "Gladveska". I didn't have any pellon wadding left for this project, so I used a double layer of thin cotton wadding instead. It is quilted in a zig-zag design, using a variegated brown King Tut quilted thread... ...rather than stick faithfully to the pattern, I used a variation of the Perfect Quilted Totes pattern by Elizabeth Hartman for the lining and pockets, and was really pleased with how this turned out. There are two slip pockets in the lining, and a pocket with a zipper and a key holder too. And finished off with one of my "quiltystuff" labels? And the upper edge of the bag neatened with binding? And a magnetic button fastener sewn onto the flap? Of course!... ...this bag really does have everything, as you can see from this picture of the inside of the bag, it has a slip pocket, neatly bound with a cream batik and a zipper pocket and a key holder. This side of the lining has a slip pocket, lined and trimmed with one of the batiks and finished with one of my labels. It's the little finishing touches that make this bag look so smart... ...here is the finished bag - the strap is made out of strips of fabric, and as I didn't quite have enough, I made one of them "scappy", which seems to work well. It's surprising what you can make with left-overs. Now I need to sort through my box of batiks and maybe make some more of these shoulder bags.
I was so eager to put some pictures on my blog about this tote bag, I completely forgot about the buttons that adorn the top of the bag, securing the prairie points so they don't flap about! Anyway, I bought these large grey buttons la couple of weeks ago from Fabric8 in Felixtowe - they really so finish it off nicely. I really wanted to get a green and a yellow one, to match the colours of the bag, but couldn't find the right shade, so chose these grey ones instead. And these are the nice brown buttons that I bought for the brown batik version of "På Quiltelaup". These buttons really do add the final flourish to these tote bags. Now I might have to make another one to match the buttons I've already got in my button jar!!
This great fabric panel was from Lapp-Elisa. It's called "Nifty Nurses" and is by Loralie designs. This is just SO appropriate for me - and some of my colleagues - looking at this panel I can find all the members of team that I work with!!..... my youngest daughter Alice bought me a bundle of red and white fat quarters fro a gift for Mothering Sunday, and thought these would be ideal to go with this panel. I selected one of the "Nifty Nurses" (do you think it looks a bit like me??!!) and added some red crocheted late that I had bought from U-handbag a few weeks ago. I choose my favourite bag pattern, "Anna's Sminkepung" by AnnAKa, and set about making a bag..... .....and here it is completed! This bag was made a bit bigger than usual, and would be really useful to use as a first-aid kit to keep in my desk at work. What do you think?..... .....and for those of you who are wondering what might be inside it?? Well there's a spare pair of stockings (incase of any ladders), and some painkillers (incase of headaches) and sticking plasters. Oh and an emergency bar of chocolate too!! Over the Easter holidays I've been really busy getting lots of projects completed - and this is my favourite bag so far!! I bought this fat quarter bundle of brown batiks from the Festival of Quilts in 2011 so it was about time I finally used them! My original plan was to use them for a runner, but I decided I really wanted to make another tote bag. I used one of my AnnAKa patterns for this tote bag, called "På Quiltelaup"..... .....I used a variegated brown King Tut quilting thread, shade 992 for the quilting and I used a plain brown Mettler quilting thread shade 712 for stitching the sides and bottom together. I sewed extra rows of quilting on the handles too, as I think this gives the handles a nice ribbed effect (I also did this on this version of "På Quiltelaup")..... .....I used the pattern from Elizabeth Hartman for the pockets in the lining, and I really like this method of sewing pockets. Oh and yes, of course I added a key holder too - and one of my "quiltystuff" labels - well, you never know if someone asks where it was bought from hehe!!..... .....and here we have the finished bag - again, both the front and the back of the bag look different as they were made with different batiks. Here is the front, with this pretty floral pattern..... .....and here is the back, with a geometric pattern. I just need to get some large brown buttons to sew onto the prairie points as I didn't have any quite large enough in my stash!! Do you remember these beautiful fat quarters that I bought from Sew and So's? This range is called "Silent Cinema", and is by Jenean Morrison for FreeSpirit fabrics. I decided that I really NEEDED to make another tote bag, and thought these colours would be good for Spring as these pretty soft greens and yellows reminded me of daffoldils and primroses - although this weekend it really doesn't look like Spring as it's been snowing. I have picked a couple of threads to use with these fabrics. Variegated yellow King Tut quilting thread shade 982 which is lovely and would blend nicely or should I choose a variegated green and yellow Gutermann Sulky quilting thread that would stand out more. Oh dear - decisions decisions.... .....I decided to use an AnnAKa pattern that I have used several times before, called "På Quiltelaup". I know, I know - what a surprise that I'm using another AnnAKa pattern - but I really love her patterns, and everytime I make them they look different. I have made this bag before using batiks, and was looking forward to seeing how it would look made up with modern prints. And I was going to try a design twist too - using different fabrics for the front and the back of the bag as I was using a fat quarter bundle. The front pockets were both quilted in a "diamond" pattern. I used the Guterman variegated quilting thread for most of the quilting..... .....I've never been very sucessful with pockets, so I decided to try something different for the inside of the bag. I used a pattern by Elizabeth Hartman for the lining - this was made using her method of making pockets from her pattern "Perfect Quilted Tote" and it really was SO easy - both to download the pattern and to make it! her instructions are really well written and very well illustrated too. I'll definitely make these pockets again, as they really do look so professional..... .....I added a key-holder too, as it's so annoying when you have to rummage around in your bag looking for your keys! As well as quilting the outside of the bag, I quilted the lining too, to make a very structured bag that will stand up on it's own..... .....I quilted the handles with lots of straight row quilting and decided to use the variegated yellow King Tut thread as the variegated Gutterman one didn't look so good for this..... .....here you can see inside the finished tote bag, with a zipper pocket, a neatly bound slip pocket. I used the same fabric as tyhe lining for the binding at the top edge of the bag. Oh and of course, one of my lablels added to the side seam. This one just says "Quiltystuff by Nicola"..... .....what do you think? This shows one side of the bag (hiding behind the daffodils!!), showing the green handle. Oh and you can see the snow has all gone now - it was far to chilly to take these pictures outside at the weekend! I just need to buy some large grey buttons to sew onto the prairie points..... .....and here is the other side, showing the yellow handle. It's a great size to use for work or going out for the day shopping and I'm really pleased with it. Just don't tell Mr F how many bags I've got in my cupboard - I really should start selling some of these!!! *If you want to purchase the pattern for the tote bag, "På Quiltelaup", you can contact my friend Hanne at who has a quilt shop "Lappedilla", or Elisabeth at "Lapp-Elisa" and I'm sure they'll be able to help you, and the pattern for the "Perfect Quilted Tote" is available to purchase from Elizabeth Hartmans pattern shop. Do you remember I went along to Bungay to visit Sew and So's on Saturday with my daughter Alice? Well she really "needed" to get some of this lovely fabric by Lynette Anderson - it's called Hollyhock Garden for Lecien, and she wanted to make a bag for one of her colleagues, so who better to give her a masterclass in bag-making but her crafty mummy?? We used a Norwegian bag pattern, called "Anna's Sminkepung" which is by the Norwegian designer AnnAKa Alice wanted to add some lace trimming that she found in my stash, and I just happened to have a reel of variegated King Tut quilting thread that matched this fabric perfectly - oh yes I know my friend Heather will be totally AMAZED to think that I had just the right colour thread lurking in a box..... .....anyway, I helped her to mark out a 2" grid using a Clover Hera marker while she threaded up the Bernina. Alice was a very good student, and she soon mastered the art of quilting and adding lace trimming and binding and adding a zipper..... .....and in no time at all her bag was completed. She really has made an excellent job of this. The inside is lined with the beautiful pale grey fabric shown in the top picture. Unfortunately the lighting wasn't very good indoors last night..... .....anyway, I've taken another picture in the garden this morning where the lighting was much better! This bag is for Stella, as Alice wanted to make her something to say thank you for taking her along to the Spring Quilt Festival at Duxford last week. This evening when Alice arrived home from work she said Stella loved it! Alice wants me to help her make another one this evening - honestly, there's no peace at Foreman Towers!! I've been cutting up my worn out jeans again!! This time I've teamed up the denim with a bright doggy-print. This is a Laurel Burch fabric that I had been saving for a special project and decided to use it for my sister's birthday - what could be more special than that??..... .....I layered the doggy-print with some fusible pellon and a piece of flannel, to make a very structured lining, and added lots of rows of quilting in a grid-design, using a navy blue Mettler quilting thread..... .....this is the bag inside out. I have neatened the bottom and side seam with a black and gold Laurel Burch print, and added a key-holder to the top edge. I used the same fabric as the lining to bind the top of the bag, so when the bag is turned out the right way, you will see this gorgeous fabric on the outside too..... .....a really cute pair of dotty leather handles were the finishing touch to this tote bag. I added a label to the outside when I sewed the sides together, just incase she forgets what a fabulous sister she's got!! Happy birthday Becky - hope you like your pressie!! (Becky is the sister that designed my blog for me a couple of years ago for my birthday - and she's now helping my sister Lisa to do a blog too). |
About me...Hi - welcome to my quilting blog! My passions are my family, my dog, my friends and sewing, not necessarily in that order! Archives
July 2023
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