I really enjoy making smaller quilted projects, and bags are my favourites. This one is Beehive Bag, by Lynette Anderson Designs, and was bought as a kit online from Little Quilt Store. I'd seen this online ages ago, then recently I'd seen it again on a FB group that I belong to, "In Stitches With Lynette Anderson" - the lady who made it had used some old buttons and had used re-used leather strap for her version, and that really appealed to me. The front of the bag has two pockets, one is embroidered and appliqued (DMC threads were used for the embroidery, and I used the applique paper and glue stick method with apliquick rods for the plant pot and bee hive). Those bees look very busy buzzing around - they're nearly as busy as those busy bees buzzing around near my hollyhocks in my garden! The final touch to the first pocket was stitching on the cute wooden hand painted ladybird button. The second pocket is pieced and quilted and has a flap - I used a simple fastener on the underside of the flap, and added a button on the front. A couple of years ago my mother-in-law gave me her button tin, and this one was in it. It was just perfect for this project!...
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...two loops are stitched in place to attache the bag handle. The binding was machined to the front of the bag, folded over and hand stitched in place to the back. Clover Wonder Clips were perfect for holding the poins in place rather than using pins. I added my own little twist to the pattern, and added a clip for attaching my keys...
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...and here's the finished bag. I used In R Form for the bag wadding - this is a fusible foam wadding that gives bags structure and stability. It was really easy to quilt and to sew with - although if I made another bag like this with a pocket on the front, I'd just use it for the actual bag and not the pockets too. I'd bought a couple of metres back in October from the Knitting and Stitching show from the Empress Mills stand, but this was the first chance I'd had to use it! I'm really pleased with the results, and look forward to trying it when I make a larger tote bag. There are instructions in the pattern for making a fabric strap, but I really liked the idea of using a ready-made one, and this leather one was just what I had in mind. This Beehive Bag will be really useful to use when I go to Festival of Quilts in August, and will be able to show it to Lynette in person!
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