Patchouli Moon Studio

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Cross Body Arabesque Bag in Browns

I made another Arabesque at 90% and with a cross body strap in browns. I quilted this bag to foam stabilizer, which gives it a nice look while maintaining it's shape at the same time. The cross body strap allows you to wear it across your body for hands free shopping, or shorten the strap to wear across your shoulder. I really love both versions of this bag (cross body or the original 2 straps for shoulder wearing), but making it with a cross body strap gives you the best of both now.

All my bags are one-of-a-kind bags because I rarely ever make the exact bag in the exact fabrics. I change the colors, the fabrics, the straps and pockets. So while I have made the Arabesque several times, no 2 were exactly alike. This brown Arabesque is currently available in my Etsy Shop for sale. While I may make more Arabesque bags in 3 sizes and 2 kinds of straps, they will each be unique, so when you buy a bag from me no one else will have the exact same bag. Which is why if you ever see something that you love, get it because it will never be made exactly the same later.

The strip of pottery fabric and the rust colored fabric with petroglyph designs on it gives this bag a Southwest feeling.

Inside the bag is a slip pocket, including a pen pocket.

Depth of the bag. Te bag closes with a zipper closure to keep your belongings secure.

On the back of the bag is a zippered pocket. This is handy for holding your phone or keys.

This bag is currently for sale in my Etsy shop.

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Friday, May 17, 2019

Who? Owls Peeking in the Window Quilt

My quilt guild announced an Attic Window challenge recently so that we would try making an Attic Window any size. You could make a single block or a quilt as large as you wanted to. The purpose of the challenge is to decorate our guild's booth space at Fiber Arts Fiesta, happening at the end of May. We turned in our Attic Window quilts yesterday. Everyone who participated got a participation entry and they will draw a random name to win a gift card at a local quilt shop.

I knew what I wanted to make right away and was so happy at how it turned out! Some ladies made Attic Window quilts using a panel of an outdoor scene so that it appeared as though you were looking out a window onto that outdoor scene. I wanted to have the owls that I appliqued appear as though they were looking in the window at me. I love these cute, whimsical owls.

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Monday, May 13, 2019

Cross Body Arabesque Bag in Blues

I made another Arabesque Bag (with a lot of my own modifications, or hacks as they are called) at 90% and this time I turned it into a cross body style bag. It can still be worn over the shoulder or adjusted to fit across the body. I am using this bag and it has been working out really well. Making this at 90% of the size is a good size for me as it's a bit smaller, but not too small. The 80% size I also make is a smaller bag, which a lot of woman love, but I need a bit more space for myself. I will be using this bag all day at the upcoming Fiber Arts Fiesta, so it will be nice to have a bag I can wear across my body and have my hands free to check out items at the vendor booths or take photos of quilts and knits and more.

I made another one in a cross body at 90% in browns that is for sale in my Etsy Shop. I will be making more of the cross body style and the shoulder style in all 3 sizes as this is a great style bag and sells well.

Inside is a slip pocket and a pen pocket and plenty of room for my sunglasses, reading glasses, wallet, coin purse and strawberry shopping bag (underneath).

The bag closes with a zipper.

I quilted the bag. I use a foam stabilizer, which gives the bag a nice feel and stands up nicely to keep the shape of the bag.

Bag is full of my belongings.

Back of bag where I added a zippered pocket. This is my own hack as the pattern has no exterior pockets at all, so I have been adding a zippered pocket to the back on all my Arabesque's that I make.

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Friday, May 10, 2019

Izzie Convertible Backpack

I tested The Izzie Convertible Backpack recently. The pattern is from Around the Bobbin. This backpack can also be worn as a cross body bag, hence the convertible aspect of the bag.

I love Lisa's patterns because she writes excellent instructions to make it easy to follow any of her patterns. She designs quilts, bags, baskets, potholders and more. It's always a pleasure testing for her. This was a fun bag to make and I love how it turned out. I used a faux cork fabric (100% cotton that looks like cork) in purple and a pretty print with flowers and butterflies with a turquoise background.

If you sign up for Lisa's newsletter, you will get a 30% discount on this pattern. Otherwise use her coupon code for Izzie, which is good through Sunday the 12th (also Mother's Day) for a 15% discount.

For the tester versions go here to see how great Izzie can look in different fabrics.You will find the discount code for 15% off toward the bottom of the page. Sign up for her newsletter on the top right hand side of her blog page for 30% off. Lisa is also selling hardware kits for Izzie if you need hardware.

Here is pretty Miss Izzie~ (she's for sale in my Etsy Shop)

Can be worn as a cross body bag like this.

Bottom of bag.

The top sides of the bag cinch in with magnetic snaps.

Unsnap the magnetic snaps and the bag opens nice and wide. Inside the bag is a zippered pocket and slip pockets too.

Worn as a backpack.

View from the front as it's worn as a backpack.

I sewed a pen pocket to the right of the slip pocket above. More slip pockets on the other side. Colors aren't as true here. See the very last photo for truer colors.

There is a nice grab loop on top of the bag too.

Side view and you can see at the top where the bag cinches in (snaps with magnetic snaps).

Back of the backpack.

The colors inside look more accurate here than in a previous photo.

I just listed this Izzie for sale in my Etsy Shop if you would like to purchase this one-of-a-kind Izzie.

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Monday, April 29, 2019

Tulip Purse

I recently made this Tulip Purse (a pattern from Anything But Boring) using a fabric that looks like denim blue jeans with crystal bling. I added some real crystal bling to the bag too. This is called a 2-hour bag, but it takes longer than 2 hours to make from cutting out to sewing; at least it did for me. I used foam stabilizer in my bag instead of batting or fleece, which gives the bag more structure and stands up better. I made the large size (there are several sizes in the pattern). I added a magnetic snap closure to the bag instead of a loop and button closure or flap as was in the pattern. I also added a zippered pocket on the back of the bag.

This bag sold at the outdoor quilt show my quilt group had yesterday. I brought quilts and bags to sell there and I did sell some things, mostly my bags, but a few smaller quilts too. No table runners though and I thought those would be something that would sell. I never know what will sell. Maybe the runners will sell on Etsy or at the November show I do. I will be adding some things to Etsy now that the show is over.

The straps and binding of the pocket is a faux cork material.

I added some crystal bling to the front at the edge of the pocket and in a few other places on top of the printed fabric bling.

Back of purse with a zippered pocket.

Front has a slip pocket.

This bag opens wide for easy access.

Inside is a slip pocket.

I divided the slip pocket on the left side to hold a pen.

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Wednesday, April 24, 2019

3 Table Runners for Be a Diamond Blog Hop

It's my day to share my creations for the Be a Diamond Blog Hop. Thanks to Carol, of Just Let me Quilt for hostessing this blog hop. Carol is definitely a sparkly diamond herself! And don't forget that Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend!

I had a few ideas for this hop, so I starting making one runner and then another and another. Each is different in size and colors and design. It is good to get a few runners made and perfect timing for my guild's quilt annual outdoor quilt show this Sunday. I will be hanging these runners there and with any luck I might sell one or more.

The first runner was actually the second runner I made. I had a small amount of the text fabric that was a recipe for Cowboy Chili (which is what I call this runner). I wanted to make something simple, so chose the square-in-a-square quilt block. Then I added half-square triangles in the border. I knew it needed a little something else and so I appliqued a cowboy in silhouette and of course what does every cowboy need (besides a horse), is a cowgirl. So here is my Cowboy Chili Table Runner:

Cowboy silhouette applique.

Cowgirl silhouette applique.

Red checkered backing fabric.

Cowboy Chili ingredients.

The next table runner was the first runner I made for this hop. I had a Boondoggle Ruler that I had for years and wanted to use it and this blog hop was the perfect motivation that I needed to try out this ruler. I sewed strings together and cut the diamonds out using the ruler. It was easy enough to use the ruler this way. There are lots of patterns that can be made using this ruler too (just click this link). I have a bag pattern for using this ruler, so that might be something else to make later.

Next up is the last runner I made, called Mosaic and it's a free pdf pattern. The pattern is for a quilt that measures 90" x 99", so I decided to make a small section for a runner. BUT I made a big goof! I didn't even notice it until I was taking these photos!!! I followed the single row diagram on the pattern, which would be fine if I was making a larger quilt with several rows, HOWEVER, for a runner I should have added one more row on the top!!! I point out my mistake to warn any of you in case you want to make a runner like this (only without the mistake I made). It made the runner slightly off balance. Oh well, it's a learning experience, right? It still looks nice and how many would have really noticed my mistake if I didn't point it out to you? Come on be honest.