Vendor Craft Apron #3

I made this Vendor Craft apron for a woman who asked me to make her one. I got to choose the fabrics and so I hope she loves it. I thought the Morning Glory flowers were so pretty. The back is lined with a solid periwinkle color.

The first apron like this I made for myself and when the woman saw it she wanted an apron too. The link to the free tutorial is on the posting about my first apron. I made one change to this apron and that was to sew the business card pocket lower on the slip pockets. For 2 reasons, it was easier to turn and to sew into the apron later. My first apron's business card pocket came out a bit wonky. Plus by lowering it like I did here it won't interfere with getting items out of the slip pocket behind it.

The apron has a business card pocket, a zippered pocket, divided slip pockets on the bottom, including a pen pocket and a slip pocket with a flap where I sewed a green sewing machine button on the flap. The ties can only be tied in the front on this slim dress form, unless you happen to be as slim as this dress form. I could have made the ties longer to tie in the front, but I didn't on this apron. I wanted to see how it would look tied in the front, so on this slim dress form I was able to tie them in the front. 

The ties on this apron are tied in the back. 

I added a swivel hook on an elastic hair tie so that a key could be clipped to it.

Business car pocket. I added a cute bicycle button on the pocket. I have no idea if the woman who purchased this apron rides a bicycle or not, but I thought it was a cute button.

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Purple Quilted Arabesque Bag & Selvage Arabesque Too

Welcome to the Fabulous Freebies Blog Hop, hosted by Joan of Moosestash Quilting.

I could have shown you all oodles and oodles of free patterns that I have made over the years, but I thought you might want to get on with your day instead of spending it all here with me today, lol!!! So I limited myself with one free pattern, but I made it in two different sizes.

I love a good Freebie and I love a great bag pattern too! You get both a fabulous pdf bag pattern that is a FREE pattern and it's easy to follow and easy to make too. The Arabesque Bag by Sew Sweetness  is a free pattern. I have made this bag before and also made a few of these bags by reducing the size as well. The purple bag is the size the pattern comes, but I also have made the Arabesque in a reduced smaller size as well. If you saw the other Arabesque Bags that I have made before, then you know I prefer to sew my strips of fabric vertically, rather than horizontally as the pattern shows. I haven't made this in all one fabric yet, but one day I will. I just have had so much fun using up scraps for making these bags, that I haven't sewn one in just one fabric yet. If I do then I will have more scraps to make more of these cute bags, lol!

I have sold every Arabesque Bag that I have made so far, both the original size and the reduced size. So I knew I wanted to make more of these Arabesque bags to sell. I have this one listed in my Etsy Shop for sale.

This is a great way to use up fabric strips, and I prefer to use various widths of strips as it adds more interest than using all the same size width, such as using a Jelly Roll. I added some rivets to the horizontal accent strip on this bag too.

I used a variety of widths of purple fabric strips. (For sale in my Etsy Shop).

I quilted this in wavy lines. This shows the depth of the bag.

This is the other side of the bag.

This bag has a zippered closure too.

My signature zipper pull.

Nice and roomy inside the bag with both a slip and zippered pocket. I added the zippered pocket. The pattern calls for making 2 slip pockets.

A zipper pull on the zippered pocket.

Slip pocket.

Here is another Arabesque I made, but this one I reduced the size to 80%. This one is made using selvages for the exterior. It turned out cute. (This one sold at a craft show I did)

I added rivets to this smaller Arabesque bag too.

The back of the bag.

Inside I added both a slip pocket and a zippered pocket.

My handmade zipper pulls that I attach to zippers. 

There is another Freebie, the I'd Rather Be Sewing Grocery Tote video tutorial that I have already posted about. Just click on the right side bar link where you see the grocery tote that I made in a blue print fabric. This tutorial is by ChrisW Designs and the links are on that other posting.


Thanks again to Joan of Moosestash Quilting for organizing this Fabulous Freebie Blog Hop.

More Fabulous Freebies to see on this Blog Hop Tour:

Monday August 20

Just Let Me Quilt

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Days Filled With Joy

Tu-Na Quilts, Travels and Eats

Quilt Fabrication

Tuesday August 21

Life in the Scrapatch

Songbird Designs

Samelia's Mum

Vroomans Quilts

Wednesday August 22

Bejeweled Quilts by Barb

Creatin' in the Sticks

Just Because Quilts

Hazel's Daughter

Adventurous Applique and Quilting

BeaQuilter

Thursday August 23

Words & Stitches

Patchouli Moon Studio

Something Rose Made

Sew Golden A Chance

Clever Chameleon
Sew Many Yarns

Friday August 24
Seams To Be Sew

That Fabric Feeling

Selina Quilts

Quarter Inch Crafter

Yanicka Quilt

MooseStashQuilting

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The Gracie Bags: 1 & 2

I had the pleasure of testing The Gracie Bag recently. Designed by Sammy Valencia of Shamballa Bags. Sammy is a newer designer and she sells her pdf patterns in both English and French versions.

Right away I knew I wanted to use some Frida Kahlo fabric for the front panel. It fit perfectly. I really love this bag! In fact I made 2 Frida versions of Gracie.

Here are my Gracie Bags, Frida Kahlo style!

Gracie has a zippered closure and I added a stacked button on the zipper tab for fun.

This is the back of Gracie. She has a pretty back, yes?

The zippered closure with a handmade charm.

Gracie is nice and roomy inside. See all the stuff she can hold. Plus there is a zippered pocket and a slip pocket too.

Next is Grace #2, another Frida on the front panel:

I made the top accent a different color on this Gracie and used a different Frida.

On the back of this one I added the accent and the tabs in the accent color.

A zippered pocket and a slip pocket inside. This one I didn't have a long enough zipper, so I added a magnetic snap closure and it is just as nice.

I should have dropped the snap down a bit more. Still it works well and I have been using this bag lately and love it.

I added the accent to the bottom of this one, mainly because I ran out of the other light fabric, lol!

Pop over to here to see all the tester Gracie Bags and to get the pattern. It's at a great price right now too!
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Fabulous Freebie Blog Hop Schedule

Welcome to the Fabulous Freebie Blog Hop

Joan of Moosestash Quilting is the hostess with the mostess for this Fabulous Freebie Blog Hop tour. It should be a fun, fun, fun blog hop to not only find some great free patterns, but to see how each blogger has made them too. I know I will be hopping along to visit each blog during this Fabulous Five Day Event. Won't you join me in the fun?

Here is the schedule for the week: 

Monday August 20

Just Let Me Quilt

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Days Filled With Joy

Tu-Na Quilts, Travels and Eats

Quilt Fabrication

Tuesday August 21

Life in the Scrapatch

Songbird Designs

Samelia's Mum

Vroomans Quilts

Wednesday August 22

Bejeweled Quilts by Barb

Creatin' in the Sticks

Just Because Quilts

Hazel's Daughter

Adventurous Applique and Quilting

BeaQuilter

Thursday August 23

Words & Stitches

Patchouli Moon Studio (that's me)

Something Rose Made

Sew Golden A Chance

Clever Chameleon
Sew Many Yarns

Friday August 24
Seams To Be Sew

That Fabric Feeling

Selina Quilts

Quarter Inch Crafter

Yanicka Quilt

MooseStashQuilting

Make sure to stop back here each day for the links in order to hop along. Or follow these great blogs so you don't miss their regular postings too.

Happy Hopping!
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Decorative Stitches Basket

Last year I taught a few women I know how to make a large basket with handles using the decorative stitches on their sewing machines. I brought a couple of smaller fabric pieces with me to demonstrate how to sew the stitches. I recently came across these fabric pieces and finished sewing more stitches and quilted it. Then I turned this into a small, but taller basket.

When I started this in the class I was sewing on my Pfaff machine. When I added more stitches, I used my new Juki. It was fun to see the stitches on the Juki.

The other side.

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I'd Rather Be Sewing Grocery Tote

Christine of ChrisW Designs has a new grocery tote bag and it's a FREE video tutorial.  I got to test the bag and made both the large and small versions in one day. Yep that quick and easy.

You download the pdf which has the fabric requirements and measurements, which you can find in the link on the video page. The testers versions are on the pdf itself or you can see them here on Christine's Blog.

Made with home dec fabric, here are my bags. The large is first.

You can purchase the "I'd Rather Be Sewing" embroidery file from Christine if you have an embroidery machine and embroider it on the front pocket. Or you can choose an embroidery design of your own. Or like I did here use an Orphan Quilt Block and turn it into a pocket. Be creative with your pocket.

I added rivets to my straps. 

The bag is unlined that is one reason it is fast to sew. You place a piece of template plastic in the bottom of the bag to fit it some stability when loading your groceries. I covered a heavier plastic with a fabric sleeve I made. As you can see the seams are all hidden in the French Seams.

The bag folds up nice and flat so you can store it in your car or in your home.

This is the small size, which is only slightly smaller. I added a green binding on top of the pocket to define it a bit. I also folded over the center of the handles on both bags and stitched so that I would have something to grab a hold of easier. I have small hands, so I like a narrow handle to hold.

I also added rivets.

Folded nice and flat. This lovely fabric was a gift from a friend last year. I have lots more of it too, so I will be making more bags.

Here they both are filled with one pound salad green containers which fit perfectly into either size bag. They look about the same size, because I place the larger bag on the left in the back and that made it appear smaller.

The pdf and video tutorial are free, so hurry up and make a bag or 2 or 3, since wouldn't YOU "Rather Be Sewing" too?
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