Bag of the Week 36

Giraffe Tote

This week’s project is a little bittersweet for me.  It marks a milestone in my youngest son’s life as he starts preschool on Monday.  His current favorites are giraffes (which he calls ffff-ffff) so I made him this little tote bag to carry his lunch to school and his projects home.  He was pretty excited the first time he saw it!  I used some “hand-me-down” green corduroy fabric for the base of the bag and a super stiff denim for the lining which gave enough body that I didn’t have to interface.  I piped the top edge for more stability and as an attractive way to transition between fabrics.  The giraffe design was modeled after a coloring book drawing and is fused, then satin stitched to the bag.  I used a selvage strip for the mane and clipped it at close intervals.  You might recognize the fabric from my post earlier this week – it is Frolic from Sandy Gervais by Moda.

Bag of the Week 35

The Jitney Tote Bag

With the summer season drawing to a close I chose to feature this bag this week because of its versatility and usefulness in carrying books and other school supplies and also because it features an apple-themed fabric which makes me think of back-to-school.

Several years ago I took a class at the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo from Tammy O’Connell of Peacock Patterns (then Jitney Patterns).  The class was entitled The Perfect Tote Bag and Tammy had clearly put a lot of thought into what would make a bag perfect.  According to her website this pattern is sized for a woman’s frame, is ergonomically designed and can hold a large amount of items in an organized fashion.  It is awfully pretty to look at, too. 

At that same Sewing Expo I picked up a couple of tapestries that one of the vendors was selling (these were HOT that year) and decided to combine them with some decorator fabric to create my own perfect tote.  Here are some of the features of this pattern:

• Customizable pockets on the inside of the tote include organizer pocket with hidden Velcro opening, business card pocket, pen/pencil sleeve, waterproof umbrella sleeve, drink sleeve, cell phone/sunglasses pocket;
• Designed to be a comfortable size/length for carrying on the shoulder on in the hand;
• Zippered top gusset which folds down into the bag to create an open topped tote;
• Attractively piped outside pocket;
• Sturdy construction;
• Designer look with leather handles.

I love how this bag turned out but learn from my mistake:  use a sturdy fabric for the inner pockets.  I used a quilting weight cotton and they just don’t have the necessary body.  If you choose to use a lightweight cotton I recommend using a fusible interfacing like Décor Bond to increase the stability of the fabric.  Tammy sells the leather handles on her website along with this and other patterns. 

Bag of the Week 33

Cyane’s Spoonflower Bag

I am very excited about today’s project.  This is a recently completed bag and it has a story to go along with it.

My friend Cyane and I went to college together and I recall being amazed at her extensive pink and green wardrobe (my public school upbringing had never exposed me to this degree of preppiness before).  She was, frankly, one of the preppiest women I knew in school.  She was also very artistic and creative.  This is a purse that I made for her though that is not the end of the story.  You see, Cyane created the fabric for this bag (with a little help from the people over at Spoonflower).

Cyane has a business called Snazzy Frogs where she sells her whimsical drawings and creations.  You can find her at the Charlottesville City market most Saturday mornings and also online.  Not too long ago she discovered Spoonflower, a business based in NC that turned her artwork into printed fabric (just like they can do for you).  One day while we were having lunch she showed me swatches of her fabrics and I loved the one with martini glasses.  I ordered a yard of the print in linen/cotton canvas and set out to make her a bag.  (You can see all of Cyane’s fabrics here or by searching for snazzy frogs on the Spoonflower site).

I debated and debated which pattern to use and finally settled on Simplicity 5606 (OOP).  I fused fleece to the outer bag pieces and added curved, piped pockets to the ends.  I used a white jacket zipper for the closure.  The handles came from All Craft Supplies. 

The lining fabric (a soft, light weight woven plaid) is fused with Décor Bond and features two sets of pockets (two along one side, three along the other).  I sewed in two labels, my Juliet Originals label (which I stitch out on my embroidery machine) and a Spoonflower label that was included with my order.

I have to tell you that this pattern was one of the most difficult bags I have ever sewn.  Setting in the end pieces was extremely difficult and it had to be done four times (two outer and two lining pieces).  In the end it all came together but I spit and fussed my way through it.

You will be seeing this fabric again, hopefully in a few weeks, as I plan to make myself a bag from it as well (thought rest assured I will be using a different pattern!)  I know Cyane is enjoying using her new bag and I hope you enjoyed reading about how it came to be.

Bag of the Week 31

Hand-dyed Tote

A number of years ago our ASG Chapter held a challenge.  Everyone who wished to participate was asked to create a tote bag from one of Nancy Zieman’s (then free) patterns.  At our annual meeting everyone brought their bag to show off.  It was amazing to see how everyone interpreted this simple tote bag.  Lots and lots of creativity.

At that time I was very interested in hand dying fabrics.  I had dyed a number of fabrics in a graduated colorway between pink (red) and blue and had just completed a vest using some of these fabrics.  I had lots of scraps left over so I decided to use them in this project.

The bag features a flying geese pieced panel around the top and folded prairie points below.  I embroidered my initial using variegated thread in the same colors (but I must admit I didn’t care for the striped effect I ended up with).  There is an external pocket with a zipper closure between the handles. 

I’m planning a detailed series of posts on the hand dying procedure and showcasing some of the other projects I made with this same fabric.  Check back.

Bag of the Week 29

Carolyn’s Tote Bag

Another friend asked if I would make her a tote bag and here is the result.  Carolyn’s Tote is made from the much-loved scraps of an upholstery project.  The fabric is a cotton/rayon blend with a small woven floral repeat.  The darker contrast and lining is a cotton twill.  Carolyn provided me with a reusable shopping bag which she likes the size of, and I created a pattern based on the dimensions of that bag.  The bag measures 12 inches wide by 13 inches tall by 8 inches deep.  I decided on a contrast bottom to add some interest but also to aid in hiding dirt.  The two outer pockets with curved edge are designed to hold a water bottle or umbrella.  Piping neatly finishes the top edge of the pocket and the entire bag.

When constructing the bag I first had to decide how to apply the contrast bands along the bottom edge.  I realized that stitching the bands as separate pieces would allow me to apply them on the pockets, thus allowing the pockets to run the full depth of the bag.  The challenge then became to match the four corners of the contrast bands for a professional finish.  I found that basting an inch or two above and below this crucial intersection and checking the match before stitching the entire seam assured a perfect match.

The lining contains two pockets, both on the larger sides of the bag.  One runs the full width and depth of the side.  I found this needed a snap at the center top to keep the pocket from gaping open.  The other pocket runs the entire width of the bag but is only about 6 inches deep.  It is sewn into three separate compartments and designed to hold phone, sunglasses, etc.