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!!
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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!! Do you remember this beautiful Lecien fabric that I bought from Sew and So's at Bungay? I made some cosmetic bags with it last week, and was patiently waiting for some velvet ribbon/lace to arrive from Little A Designs so I could make some more..... .....well it arrived a few days ago, and it really is simply gorgeous - my favourite is the green velvet ribbon/purple lace, but it was the pale pink colourway that I used today..... .....and here is the completed bag, nestling among the snowdrops in my garden! I used lots of rows straight line quilting half and inch apart on the front piece of the bag, and a cross-hatch design on the backing piece, and used a Clover Hera marker to mark the fabric. I used a variegated yellow King Tut quilting thread, shade 982. The pattern is based on "Anna's Sminkepung" by AnnAKa. This is going to be posted off to a friend in a couple of days - I wonder if she can guess who she is!!! Do you remember a few weeks ago I trundled off to "Sew and So's" at Bungay and bought a few half meters of some beautiful Lecien? "Princess Rose" is this lovely bright yellow floral fabric. Well I thought it would be perfect for some cosmetic bags, and love this pink trimming that I bought on Saturday from Fabric8 in Felixstowe. I had ordered some beautiful lace trimmed velvet ribbon, from an online store, but sadly it hasn't arrived in the post yet).... .....well here is the result - as you can see, I spent my weekend sewing. I used my favourite AnnAKa pattern, "Anna's Sminkepung" and changed it just a LITTLE bit - the dimensions are a bit different, and I love this pink trimming (not as nice as the lace trimmed velvet ribbon - although I'm sure that it will be well worth waiting for!) - a lemon zipper and Prairie Points for the tabs really finish this off..... .....aqua-coloured cotton crocheted lace was the trimming for this little bag, a pink zipper and Prairie Point tabs..... .....and finally this one was trimmed with a little bit of white lace, a lemon zipper and again Prairie Points for the tabs as the final flourish..... .....these cosmetic bags are so easy to make, and with a little bit of trimming, even though I have used the same fabrics for these bags, each one is individual too. Which one is your favourite? These are going to be wrapped up and posted off as gifts to friends - some in the UK and a couple are going off to Norway. As it was a chilly afternoon on Sunday, I didn't spend TOO long in the garden taking photographs! Yes this is the third blog post of the day and the third bag that I've made, from a selection of burgundy and green Lecien fabrics. I had challenged myself to complete at least ONE old project before I started a new one, but thought this was a bonus as I used fabrics and zippers and ribbon and thread that I already had in my stash so Mr F will be very pleased that I've spent a day sewing and didn't actually have to buy anything today to complete my projects hehe!! Well I still had the sewing bug, so quickly stitched up this one while I still had my machine threaded and all my sewing equipment to hand - Bernina sewing machine, walking foot, zipper foot, cutting board, omnigrip ruler, olfa rotary cutter, thread snippers, Clover Hera Marker, a selection of Mettler quilting threads, fabric, wadding, ribbon trimming, zipper, label, cup of tea - (should've had a glass of wine really as I'm on my holipops)!! Goodness me it's exhausting when you think how much you need to make one little bag!! It makes sense to sew several at once!! Anyway, as before, this pattern is "Anna's Sminkepung" by the Norwegian designer AnnAKa, and I've used a selection of fabrics from the "Antique Rose" range by Lecien. This one was quilted a bit differently - I quilted 0.5" straight rows on the front section using a burgundy coloured quilting thread, and quilted the back section in across hatch design that I marked with a Clover Hera Marker (this little tool is invaluable!). I added the lace-trimmed pink velvet ribbon with a pink quilting thread and used a blind hemming stitch to secure it in place, and altered the stich width and length so the "zig-zag" and the stitches in-between were really tiny. Now then - have I got time to make a third one before Mr F gets home from work??!! This pretty Lecien fabric has been in my stash for a while, and had used some of it to make this pretty scarf from some of a few weeks ago. I'm on my holipops from work this week, and hadn't sewn very much (YET!!) as I've been busy seeing friends and family, so this morning when Mr F went to work, I got my machine threaded up and started planning and cutting. I am trying to use up all my smaller pieces of fabric and trimmings and wadding and decided to tackle some smaller projects. I was still in my PJ's at this stage..... .....I used my favourite cosmetic bag pattern, "Anna's Sminkepung" by the Norwegian designer AnnAKa, but decided to use just one fabric for the outside of the bag rather than two. Anyway, I cut and quilted and trimmed and bound edges, and decorated one edge with this pretty lace-trimmed pink velvet ribbon that my friend Eva had set me from Norway AGES ago - I hadn't used it because it was just so pretty, but decided today was the day to use it!! I secured it into place with a blind-hemming stitch..... .....this was quilted very simply all-over with a cross-hatch design. All the inside seams have been neatened with single-fold binding, and it's got a nice flat bottom. One of my labels has been added too, and it's ready to use! Now my lipsticks have got a very pretty new home!! Right then - better look for some more fabrics in my stash because I've still got a little bit more ribbon to use and I've still got the sewing bug! *I buy most of my Norwegian patterns from my friend Hanne's shop Lappedilla in Norway, and from Lapp-Elisa in Sweden. I've been making more quiltystuff!! Earlier this week I bought this AnnAKa pattern "Gaver" (translated means "Gifts") from Lapp-Elisa - an online quilt store in Sweden. I loved this scarf, and had recently seen something similar at a Christmas craft market in Woodbridge. I searched through my stash, and found this burgundy fleece, which went perfectly with this collection of Lecien fabrics (I bought those last year at the Autumn Quilt Festival at Chilford)..... .....I used a walking foot to make this, as sewing with fleece can be more than a little bit tricky! I even managed to add one of my labels - I stitched it in the seam where I joined two pieces of fleece..... .....and here it is completed - a perfect fit! I may be missing in action over the next few days as I'll be busy baking mince pies and sausage rolls, wrapping and delivering presents and even maybe doing a little bit of hand-stitchery. I have been really busy sewing gifts for friends and family for Christmas. I chose a few Lecien fabrics from my stash, and added some lace trimmings and threads and used my favourite bag pattern "Anna's Sminkepunge" by AnnAKa and made a collection of bags for Christmas gifts. These bags look very pretty when they are made with scraps of co-ordinating fabrics, and I love this pink spotty binding..... .....the white embroidered fabric was my own vintage bed linen (AKA a duvet cover that I'd been given as a wedding present, and was still being used 24 years later until that blasted hairy hound ripped it when he was a puppy!!) the pink lace was a purchase from the Knitting and Stitching show at Ally Pally back in October, and now I've sadly run out - oh dear - nice cotton lace is tricky to find - might have to go on another shopping spree in the New Year - how terrible!..... .....these two larger ones can be used as toiletry bags. I didn't follow the cutting instructions on the pattern for these - I just used the fabrics that I had already cut as making a larger bag seemed a better idea than wasting the fabric! These ones all have one of my labels neatly sewn inside them. Now I'd better get busy and get these wrapped up ready for Christmas!! |
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July 2023
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