Bag Making Workshop

Spent a great four hours with some lovely ladies as we made the aboe bags today.  This was the first time I have run this particular class and I will be tweaking it slightly and offering my own patterns as kits in the future.

typicaally it was a gorgeous day outside but we tried not to feel too guilty about staying in doors.  

Lovely bag made for a friend by Diana who has attended three classes so far.  I think she has the sewing bug!  Diana has made lots if items betwen classes as well.

I made this one along the way to show keyy stages nd how to actually construct the bag.  Do not normally do this but it is often easier and a format I use in the day job as well.

A lovely summery fabric was used by Helen and I have a feeling that her daughter will be after this bag.  After Helen's last class her daughter asked her to make some cushions for her bedroom!

Sadly one lady was ill  and another two have asked to attend since the class finished at 2pm today so another date will need to be organised.

They are great aren't they!?

Enjoy the weekend and thank you for those of you have started to come back and visit.

I was absent for about 9 months due to organising these classes, insurance, tax forms etc.

Will try to post more but do please come and Like my FB page as there is lots on there to look at as well.  No commenting needed.

Take care

xx

Heart Applique Cushion - OPAM April -Update

I did not realsie just how much blue fabric bits I have.  I really need to change direction with my choice of colours.

This is a heart applique block left over from making my blue and white quilt back in.........not sure will have to look it up.  2009 perhaps?

Anyway....... now that I am back with my sewing group after a 2 year sabbatical with my evening classes, I have been pulloing out some WIP's and bits and peices that ned sorting out.

I really enjoy applique and my beloved Husquvarna  has always made an excellent applique stitch.

The block on its own was not a size suitable for a  cushion pad so I added a couple of rows of blue and gingham fabric.  By adding a thin layer of wadding behind it I then quilted the pnale a little to give it some strength when the cushion pad is inside it.

I bought some blue and whote gingham  while back which is 100% cotton and comes from France.  Lovely fabric and wears well too.  This was to be the back panels.  No zips on this cushions just a deep and generus flap opening at the back.
Yesterday I attended my sewing group ( I did not realise just how much I have missed those meetings until last week)and managed to fully complete it.  I have decided to give it to my friend for her birthday in June and she loves blue and white and this is pretty darn close.

I like a good bit of satin stitch on those applique shapes.

I do not have a cushion pad as yet, there seems to be a bit of shortage of 14" cushion pads at the moment.
Another WIP sorted and completed.
I then start another block for my quilt.  I will try and take some photos over the weekend, weather permitting.
Take care all
xx
UPDATE:
Finally found the ideal cushion pad sonow completly finished.

Emerald Bag - Website sale

I have not really plugged my website here on my blog as I do not see my blog in that way but I am so pleased that over the past four months things have slowly started to pick up that I am going to pass on some of this news here as it links with the making and craft which is at the heart of this blog.

This  lovely little bag, which I really enjoyed making,  started with the brooch in the middle.  I do not really wear much green but I  liked the brooch too much to keep it in a box.  It was a present so not second hand but it certainly wanted a new home.  I spent ages trying to find what I felt was the right fabric and then the navy blue lining.  All lovely thick cotton fabric and special plastic to maintain the shape of the base.

There are inside pockets, a "D" ring for your to clip on your keys and I even made a handmade zippered purse to go with it.  

There is also a magnetic fastening which is pretty strong.

So this cute little bag now has a happy new home in Yorkshire to a lovely Blog friend who was in fact one of the first to leave a comment when I started my blog in 2007 so I was delighted to see her name on the order. In fact this is the second purchase from this lady.

So thank you very much and I hope you enjoy using it or giving it as a present.

************

I do in fact have three bags upstairs waiting to be added to the website and there are several there that would make ideal Christmas presents.  I generally only make one of each fabric combination unless a custom order is asked for, maybe for a bag that has already been sold. 

However, I rarely have enough of the same fabric to make more than one bag but there is no harm in asking just in case.

As I said earlier, I have been busy since August and now that they have arrived at their new homes and I have a gap in my work for the day job I shall get around to showing them here.

Guess what?  I have just had a text through  with another order enquiry, honestly what is going on?  Take care all

xx

Crochet WIP- Finally completed.

I am ashamed to say that I started this Granny Square bag well over a year ago and it went together really quickly.  It was intended to use up yarn left over from other knitting projects and I wanted to make some squares but do something a little different with them.  There have been many versions of this bag but it was new to me.

I tried to keep the colours separated and once I had worked out how to get the shape I started to sew them together as I went.  My first problem was trying to make the straps because at the time of making this bag I was still learning how to crochet and achieve straight edges.  I was also in several minds as to the colour of the lining.  Then, as usual, I was side tracked with  subject changes at work and then of course I started by evening class.  Anyway, last week I decided to sort it out, sat down with Attic24 on my computer and refused to move until I had cracked it!  I tried to make the straps as tight as possible as I do not want them to  stretch with use.

I even managed to make them exactly the same size!!   Just before I attached them I did go around the top edge of the bag with a picot stitch which went right first time (on a roll here!) and  itdid make the edge much nicer to look at.

My next delay in the months leading up to this completion had been what colour lining fabric to have.  After just not being able to find the magic "oh yes that's it" I gave up and went for.....

....................cream!  Not very inspiring perhaps but nothing else seemed right.  So I cut, pinned and hand stitched it in place.

I even thought to add one of my own labels while I was finishing it off.

The colour is a pretty good match with my work planner, but it will not be put in this bag as it is genuinely far too heavy.  I am really pleased with how it turned out, I just wish I had completed it much sooner.  

Another WIP done.  It is so satisfying.

Next in line is a quilt ,now that is another whole story yet to be told.
x

Hillary's Blinds Competition Entries

If you would like to see the wonderful range of ideas that were made by other competition entries then do click HERE.

You can see the winner here plus some highly commended designs HERE.  I enjoyed this competition and I hope they do another in the near future.  The variety of ideas that everyone had was amazing!

Have a good week.

xx

Le Challenge April - Bright Colours

When the current Le Challenge ,challenge was released I thought I have something I could do for that.  Which is the first time ever and had to go and find it.  Well two days later and a rather messed up sewing cupboard later I found it.  The above is a bag that I started a very long time ago after having made one for a present and like many crafters I got side tracked with other projects and family life but it was still there is at the back of my mind and was waiting to be re-found and finished off.  I do not usually make more than one of an item but on this occasion I really liked it and giving the first one away was hard!

It is made with knitting ribbon that has double knitting wool through it and then stitched together to form a large circle.

The back circle is made from a double sided circular fabric with free machine embroidery on it.

Hand made strap and twisted cord.

The front was then embellished with fine coloured cord and some beading.  The button is made of glass and I made some more twisted cord to create a fastening.  Unfortunately after taking this picture I dropped the bag on a hardwood floor and broke the centre glass bead so I am going to have to re-do that bit....never mind.

I am glad this challenge title came up as it got me to finally a project that has been in bits for ages and is perhaps much more colourful than my pictures show.  Hope I am still within the rules and i really look forward to seeing what the next challenge is. 

xx

Cut, Stitch and Blog - Bag

A couple of weeks ago I saw over at Ali Bee Creations that Hillarys the soft furnishing company who make curtains and blinds were running a competition called Hillarys Blinds Country Crafts Competition for bloggers to request up to two types of fabric and make something creative out of it.  Blog about it with links.
Due to my hand I was not sure so left it then a few days later I thought well why not give it a go, I am having to try and use a machine at work so I applied for two different fabrics but perhaps I did not click save right as I ended up with two batches of the same fabric.  Above is the fabric Wild Poppies and the piece is 100cm x 100cm which is pretty large really!

It was a stroke of luck as it arrived the day Oftsed had finished so it seemed an good omen to start something new.  I spent time thinking then I decided to make a bag as I have not made one for ages.  I finally settled on a bag which I made my own pattern for three years ago.

Friday evening was spent pinning and cutting.  The fabric is really nice to cut and took to the interfacing well.

One addition I added was an internal divider with two pockets so that items could be separated out a bit.  Big enough to get a small sketchbook in and paintbox. The divider goes the whole width of the bag.  I also cut out a very long strap and two pieces to go through two metal rings plus a double sided flap.  There is still a bit left over!  The only other fabric I used was some cream cotton for the lining.

 I had a set of magnetic fasteners for the flap.

These are really easy to apply, you just need to plan ahead if it needs to go through the lining before you stitch in that lining.

Fastening attached to the bag and flap.

Metal rings and fabric to start off the strap section.  These are added before the lining and main strap are attached.

The main strap itself is attached to one of the rings at one end but is left open at the other so that a large knot is added.  This is so that the knot can be undone and the strap extended or reduced by moving the knot.  The knot is never in the way and adds a nice practical feature without the need for the slide adjusters which can mark fabric and discolour.  This is my own little touch which I have been adding to my own bags for years and I like it a lot and works well for me.

Here is the final bag and I am pleased with how it has turned out as this is the most patterned fabric that I have ever used with my pattern.

Sophie wondered if it needed a flower or something on the flap as I had done this with a previous bag
that I had made.  It is just clipped on for easy removal.

 Here is the knot feature which is quite difficult to picture so I hope you can see how it works.

I also added a box bottom base to it as well to give a bit of width.

A glimpse of the inside dividers.

The final bag being won.

I know need to think of something else to make with the second batch of Wild Poppies fabric.
xx

Bags of Flowers

Looking back through my posts I do not think that I have shown you the second bag that I made along with my year 9 group.  

These pictures do seem to have come out a bit bright even with the flash off.  The fabric is actually shades of green, bluey green and delicate brown. 

This pattern is my own and I added a flap which is bigger than the rose version.  The flap is self lined.and the lining is a navy blue.

The main body of the bag is very spacious inside and I decided not to add inside pockets for a change.

A more of a "chuck it in" and see type of bag.

Again I added rings as part of the strap and to adjust it I simply knot the end at the position that I want the strap to be.

The bag has box corners stitched to give the bag a bit of width and a magnetic fastening under the flap.

The flower was purchased from a shop to add a bit of zing and is simply clipped on.

What do you think?

I am going to a craft fair tomorrow and if this is not sold then it will be going on my website.

I intend making another version but with a different approach to the fabric itself.

Have a good weekend

xx

Bags of Style

My Year 9 group have been learning how to construct 3D shapes in the form of Bags.

Above shows some of the completed bags.  We used a basic patter, some of which I designed so that the foundation would work.  Some element of certain success is needed so that a sense of achievement is gained to then have the confidence to move on to bigger and harder projects.

The students were then encouraged to add their own mark by changing elements of the bag, choose their own fabric and embellish them with hand made additions.

There is something about the colour combination of this bag that is really appealing.  I would not have thought of putting these two together, but is one of the things about my job....the way the students surprise.

A shprt post today as I have to put the finishing touches to a Primary workshop tomorrow.  A colleague and I have 63 primary students in tomorrow so a busy day ahead.  I have done these days before they are really good fun and it all goes soooo fast.

See you later.

xx

Bag for all reasons.

I have been completing a few makes this past week and the sketchbook has been a bit more closed.

The above bag is made of fleece with hand cut applique flowers, stems and leaves plus hand stitched details with buttons to finish off.

The drawstring handles are made from 100% cotton cord.  The bag is not lined.  

This would make an ideal PE bag for school, it it washable at 40 degrees.  Turn it inside out to protect the design and buttons.  However, the best bit about fleece is that it does not need ironing if brought out of the machine and hung up.

This bag has been added to my website if you want to pop over and take a look.

There is more to post about over the coming week which will also be listed gradually.

Take care

xx

A Bag for Jessica

With my Year 8 groups I like to make a bag as I go along to help show them various stages.  One bag can usually help two groups at a time.

This time due to the amount of work on the go that I would cheat a little!  I have had a bit of fleece with Winnie the Pooh on it for some time.  Sophie did not want it so I carefully cut out the images and appliqued them on to the bag front..  Then cut a template for a capital J and added that.

I decided it needed  something to add dimension to the design, so a fabric flower with a button in the middle to help attach it to the bag.

A white cotton drawstring is added so that it is easy to open, close and hang up on a peg.

Resulting in a useful and cute PE bag for Jessica who has just turned 4 and will be starting Reception in September and lives one door down from us.

It got a lot of "aahhhs" from my Year 8 group and they in turn saw various stages and techniques as my bag took shape each lesson which they were then able to learn and apply to their own designs.

I hope she likes it!

xx

OPAM April Round-Up

April has been a much more productive month than normal.  The Easter holidays did not really give any extra time but I was able to finish some projects started in earlier weeks.

 Two scissor cases.  The one on the right is to go in my new sewing kit featured above with the embroidery on the front and the pinky one was a trial and will go in my new web site as I have a sample sale section where may be less than perfect items will be available.

This is a bag made using some cream furnishing fabric with a fabric flower on the front.  A cord handle which I am not sure about plus a magnetic fastening.  I am using this for classes but then it will also go in the sample section.

The collage picture also shows the back of the sewing kit, a matching pouch for the sewing kit, another birdie book cover, flower book cover, plus the rose bag which I shall say more about tomorrow.

I have already got a few more things done for May!  Plus a few items to complete along the way.  I also have a mini swap to do and a gift to make over the coming weeks.

Been a glorious sunny day with blue skies today even got my Moshulu flip flops out!!

xx