The 12 Bags of Christmas

This year for Christmas, as I was humming along making bags willy nilly out of patterns and fabrics I loved, I felt compelled to give away all the bags that I made to people I would normally not give a Christmas present to.

And as the months wore on, I knew that it was time to stop and pray about who would get these bags.

I had so many women on my heart, women whose lives touched mine in different ways. Some were ladies I hadn’t seen in a while. Others worked at stores I frequented. I would come up with a list and then something would happen and someone else would touch my heart.

I just started to give them out.

In the last 10 days, I spontaneously sent and gave them to completely random people – many who had not originally been in my “plan” so to speak.

It was the most amazing thing. I’d love to do it again sometime.

 

If in Doubt, Put Up a Picture of a Sewing Project

(Note: I wrote this on December 23, and just realized today that I forgot to hit “publish”)
Twas the night before the night before Christmas, and all through the house, little E was stirring as quiet as a mouse. Darn, I hate it when that kid gets a nap!

Anyway, here’s another of my Christmas Bags:

I had so much fun making the Purple Patch, that I decided to go for another one, but with a little big bigger square. All of the fabrics on the exterior (except for the bag handles) were from a collection of coordinating fabrics that I bought a while ago. I pieced and quilted them. I used scraps to construct the pockets and the interior is actually another one of my super sheet deals at Target (pronounced Tar – shea).

I also just gave away this beautiful baby blanket. I really wanted to keep this one.

The back is just fleece. It’s not quilted or tied, but just a blanket. I used flannel and chenille and cotton, for a multi-texture feel. It’s truly a snuggle bug blanket for a little baby boy who has the same last name as me.

 

More Big Sisters

I love, love, love the Erica Bag Pattern by Beki. That’s the bag I’m carrying these days. I enlarged the pattern to 115% and made some big sisters of this bag – also another little sister, too.

I actually think that the bigger size is too big, and the smaller one just a tad too small – even though I’ve gotten used to the size. I’m thinking 107% is “my ideal” and that’s what I will try when I get a chance.

Making this bag is a lot of fun.

What did I do different? Because, I always do something different when I make a bag. I made the handle by sewing two pieces together back to back and than turning them. The pattern called for the standard one piece, folded in on itself. (If you make bags, you know what I mean.) I did this because I could more easily adapt the size of the strap to the bigger pattern. I lined it with fleece to make it extra soft and comfy.

More bags heading out the door for Christmas. I can’t wait until they are all gone….

 

Scrappy Quilt

I finished my first scrappy quilt. In my little sewing world, quilting is a side-line for me. I love to piece patchwork. But the whole mechanism of creating backing and the quilt sandwich and then quilting and binding – well, it’s a long task. In my current state, I’d rather stick with a quickie handbag. But yet, I just finished my first truly scrappy quilt.

I started the journey to this quilt over a year ago, when I began cutting 3 inch squares. I had seen the coolest pattern in a quilting magazine. I was going for it. I pulled my little blocks out of the giant bin of scraps that I had. And then I chose a bolt end from my favorite “fill a bag of bolt ends for $5″ for the solid colored blocks. I began sewing away.

By the end of March, I had completed the blocks and was ready to start sewing rows – which I did 3 of. But then I got busy with other projects and the quilt got set aside for a LONG time. This summer, I received a copy of a quilting magazine that used the same blocks I had already made in a different way. Boy did I like that design! I tore all my rows out and began anew (this was 3 months after I first saw the design.)

I free motion quilted this on my Singer 301A while my Janome was in the shop. I used a multi-colored thread for the black “Xs” and black on the colored blocks. In the black border, I used a single color on each side, choosing my colors based on what bobbins I had wound in my thread drawer that matched the quilt. (That’s like scrappy thread, right?) The backing fabric is a thrifted sheet – purple with green diamonds. I also used my scraps for the binding.

At the end of the day, I love this little lap quilt. It reminds me of many of my sewing projects these last few years. I’m thinking about some more scrappy quilting in the future. It’s kinda fun!

 

Scraps Make the Best Bags

I got another fantastic pattern from Beki. It’s called the Lily Beth Bag. I actually got it when my Janome was still at the shop (for 17 long days) and was chomping at the bit to get started on this one. The print fabric on the exterior and the interior fabric were pieces I got last year at the locals fabric stores “Fill a Bag of Bolt Ends for $5″ Sale. I love that sale. The black is leftover from a quilt I just finished.

I’ve gotten into this “scrappy pocket” thing lately. Instead of cutting a pocket from the main fabric, I try to piece it from some of the leftover little scraps I have from cutting the main bag pieces. It’s actually more work than I want to do some nights, but makes for interesting effects.

I really like this bag style and the pattern. It goes together fast for some reason. I guess the interfacing is minimal. I used fleece on the interior and flannel on the exterior. It makes for a nice bag.

Gil says it’s “wild”. And the wildest one of the dozen bags I’m giving as Christmas gifts. I’ve finished the last one today, and will be putting them together for a photo shoot soon!

 

Big Sister, Little Sister

Linda from Craftapple has a great line of patterns. Recently, she sent me her latest, the Chemisette Bag, to try out. Well, I guess it was back in September…but it seems like yesterday.

This is my first try at the pattern.

It’s really a neat little bag. I thought that it was probably a little too small for me, so I decided to make the “Big Sister” version by enlarging the pattern by 118%.

Here’s #2

I made this one with some sheets I got on clearance at Target, which is why the pink/brown fabric is so varied. The plain brown is also a Target sheet.

I love the pattern, but struggled with the pleats – which is not surprising, because I usually do. There is also a non-pleaty version included in the pattern, and I plan to try that one next…but at what size?

I think if I tried it again, I might go 110%….although the 118% wasn’t bad. I think it’s all just personal preference….

Both of these beauties are in the Christmas Gift pile at my house, which I will be talking about soon…

 

The Purply Purp

This is a bag story, if there ever was one…well, a bag that started out to be something else than it actually ended up being…

This is the The Purply Purp (the name strikes me as something my sister and I used in our childhood to descirbe a specific item and I can’t remember what – a stuffed animal, an outfit, I’m not sure).

I started out making the patchwork from a backpack pattern featured in Quilts and More. I do have this obsession with backpacks. I had thought I might make a variation that featured pockets – something the pattern didn’t call for. I ended up making this backpack first:

In the process of making it, I realized that by quilting the patchwork without the lining (the instructions called for quilting with the lining), that I’d have to do a super shuffle to try and stabilize the bag by adding additional stitching which could show through on the exterior of the bag. I’d kind of grown fond of the look of the patchwork, so I decided I needed to make something else with this fabric.

I went with a basic tote bag. The interior/strap fabric is left over from a previous project (I love using scraps!). The patchwork was constructed from 10 fat quarters that I’d purchased on ebay, but really didn’t “love”. But by chopping them down to 2 inch blocks, they became much more charming – especially after adding the quilting. The thread I used to quilt was one of those multi-colored threads in dark blues and purples.

I added two pockets to the interior – one I constructed from leftover blocks. The zip pocket is lined with the remnants of two of the fats. I used a craft fuse weight type interfacing on the lining and warm and natural for the quilt batting.

While I think the backpack could have been charming, I really like this bag. I’m almost sorry to give it away, but I know that the future owner will enjoy it – especially all the vibrant purples.

When I showed it to Gil, he told me it was my best bag ever!

 

Erica #1

The below mentioned bag was my second try at an Erica Bag (by Beki. My first is below:

I purchased this pattern as a download, and couldn’t wait to get rolling on it. This Michael Miller Fabric is left over from this bag:

I actually had it sitting on my sewing table for a different project. But, I was so excited that I had to get cooking on this one right away. So I pulled it out and went to town.

Truthfully, I took this one out for a “test drive” (minus the button) for a few days to see how I liked the style. I liked it a lot, but just think I need a tad bit more room in there – so I’ve blown the pattern up 115% to give it a shot. But I also made another one of these bags (see below) which I ended up keeping. And now my own bigger version will run a “test copy” before I break out my fav fabric that I’ve been hording for the perfect bag for me.

In the meantime, I’ve already decided to turn this one into a Christmas gift for someone special, someone who will never accidentally run into me when I’m carrying my bag with Michael Miller fabric…wouldn’t that be kinda spooky?

 

Every Sewing Project Has a Story

I find that as I make my way through my sewing projects, things happen – good and bad – in the process and ultimately, every single thing I make seems to have a story. Some of them are more interesting than others.

I inherited a new bag.

It’s the Erica Bag by Beki (pattern available in her Etsy Shop.) This is the second version I made of this bag. I made the first one on my Janome, but this one I did on the old Singer 301A. Did I mention that the 301 is great for quilting? But not so great for bag making. I’m not sure what it was. Obviously putting together the bag pieces together was no problem, but it was attaching the interior to the exterior – and topstitching that just didn’t happen that well for me. This machine doesn’t have a freearm, and it is much more difficult to sew in the opening of the bag – especially if you’re me…I had a few other construction issues, so the handle isn’t quite right and neither is the topstitching. I’d feel bad giving it to someone, so I decided to keep it for myself.

In the meantime, I’m still waiting for my Janome to come back from the shop, so I’m finishing up a little scrap quilt I’ve been working on since February. It’s very cool, and I hope to have it done soon and post the “story” behind that project.

 

You Asked…

Someone I know asked for a bag for her birthday. Her specs – big and floppy. Well, she got it!

It’s a big darn bag and nearly impossible to photo. I added a zip pocket (photo 3) and some regular pockets as well. The thread shows up lighter in the photos than it appears in real life. The pattern is the Noveau Hobo Bag by Indiglo Junction. I modified the handle to eliminate the buttons….I also made the smaller version of it:

I like this size much better.

I also made this bag at the end of the summer from a pattern featured in Quilts and More.

I should have put in a bottom support. The dark brown fabric is pockets. This is a very small bag – perfect for a young child!

Now, I have 5 more bags to photograph so I can talk about them. Coming soon in the midst of children who don’t want to sleep at night!