Miss Maggie Bag

This bag is called Miss Maggie and is an Emmaline Bag design and a free pattern too. The free pattern shows using a few different kinds of hardware, none of which I had, and the hardware is expensive to buy, so I won't be using those in the future either. Instead, I used strap ends and rivets, which look nice too and are easy to install.

The bag itself is supposed to have magnetic snaps on the top sides to pull the bag in and give it its shape when closed. But I decided instead of adding the magnetic snaps, I would just taper the bag in at the top sides instead. It is still plenty wide at the top to open.

The bag measures approximately 11" wide x 10" high x 4" deep.

A slip pocket I added to the bag with rickrack.

Zippered pocket. For some reason my lining came out a bit baggier than usual. I am not sure what happened? So I am selling this bag for less than I would have. It still is a great bag and only you would see the looser lining.

Divided slip pocket.

Purse feet on the bottom.

Like I said above the lining came out looser than I would like and I am not sure how that happened, but I am discounting this one of a kind bag because of it. Listed in my PayHip Shop on sale.

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Large Retreat Bag with Handles & other Modifications

I love using up scraps of fabric strips to create a bag. This is a large Retreat Bag by Emmaline Bags that I modified and added handles to and I sewed a lower accent brown to the bag also to make the bag taller as well. I am always trying different things with my bag modifications. On this bag I made long strap tabs and riveted them to the bag. It gives a different look than the other Retreat Bags that I modified before.

 Besides the lower section and the handles, the other modifications I made were to sew fabric strips and quilt the exterior, a zipper pocket I added on the back of the bag, both a divided slip pocket and a zippered pocket inside the bag, purse feet and a stabilizer to the bottom of the bag, and I did not add an internal frame to the bag. With all my modifications, this bag is nothing like the original bag.

The bag measures 18" wide x 11"high x 6" deep.

The colorful fabric strips are all batik fabrics, accented with a brown cotton fabric.

Back of the bag I added a zippered pocket.

I love how wide this bag opens up. I added a zippered pocket and a divided slip pocket inside.

On the divided pocket, I added a pen pocket and a Kam snap for the remainder of the pocket to keep it closed.

Purse feet to keep it off the ground.

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Small Retreat Bag Without Frame

I made this bag using up some blue scraps of fabric. It is the size small Retreat Bag (free pattern from Emmaline Bags), but made without a frame. I love the look with or without the internal frame because the bag doesn't look the same. I think the frame works best on the larger bag.

Bag front.

Bag back.

Inside bag has a zippered pocket. See how nice and wide this bag opens up?

Zipper tab with an added button for fun.

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Two Patriotic Bags

Being it is Thanksgiving Day in the USA, I want to wish all my American friends a wonderful Thanksgiving today. And since this is an American holiday, (although other countries do celebrate some kind of Thanksgiving as well in other months), I thought this would be a good time to show my latest bags in Patriotic fabrics.

I got a custom order to make this style bag, but in Red-White-Blue fabric, when she saw this style bag at one of the craft shows I sold at last week. Since I was making one bag, I thought why not make 2, making each a bit different. On one of the bags I sewed together strips of various fabrics of reds, white, and blues. On the other bag, I used a blue fabric with white stars. I thought I would let her choose the one she liked best and then I would have the other one to sell. She like the blue with the stars best. I will be giving this bag to her on Friday.

The bag is the large Retreat Bag by (Emmaline Bags) with so many modifications, that it is more of my own design now, other than the basic shape. My changes are: I added a zippered pocket inside, pockets on the front and the back, strap tabs, handles, a tab closure with a magnetic snap instead of a zipper closure, extra padding in the bottom of the bag and rivets. Plus I quilted it and the outside pockets too.

Here are the two Patriotic Bags~

This first one is the bag with the sewn together strips of course. The strip of fabric in the center of the pocket is the Pledge of Allegiance words. The lining of the those pockets is the same Pledge of Allegiance fabric, but you cannot see that. (Note: this bag I Donated to raise funds for Alzheimer's Disease in 2022).

The back of the bag.

The bottom of the bag with extra padding.

This bag opens wide with the internal frame to keep it open.

Slip pocket with a pen pocket on the left.

Pretty bottom, lol!!

On this bag, I had just enough of the star fabric for the body of the bag and just enough of the text fabric for the pockets, so that worked out nicely!

This was the bag that was purchased  by the woman who wanted it made.

The back of the bag.

The padded bottom...don't we all need a padded bottom? LOL!!!

Opens nice and wide of course.

The slip pocket with the on pocket on the left.

Pretty padded bottom.

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Totes Ma Tote

I tested the new Totes Ma Tote Bag that Janelle from Emmaline Bags designed. I made mine in patchwork. The instructions are very easy to follow, even though I made changes on mine. Without pockets on the outside, I thought this would be a perfect place to make patchwork, applique or embroidery. Don't worry there are plenty of inside pockets. Go here to see over a dozen of these beautiful totes made by the testers.

The side of the bag has an accent strip.

I used orange-brown-green fabrics to create a quilt-as-you-go string chevron patchwork for the front and back of the bag.

The other side of the bag. I didn't have grommets so I made a strap and used pieces of Ultra Suede over the ends of the straps and then stitched a blanket stitch around them. I also didn't use buckles on my straps. One reason I didn't is that I didn't have any buckles and the other reason is as a knitter, I was afraid the prongs of those buckles would snag a knit sweater. Believe me I have caught many a sweater in swivel hooks and buckles before; sometimes I get so caught I cannot get the bag off, LOL!!! Those nicer swivel hooks that most bag makers use don't have those lever thingees sticking out, but I don't have those kind unfortunately and my knitwear gets caught. Something to think about when you are a knitter and a bag maker.

There is a recessed zipper.

Inside is a zippered pocket on one side.

A large pocket on the other side of the bag with tab closure. I used a snap, not a magnetic snap here.

Inside the large pocket is a section of slip pockets. I think I might have been the first tester to complete this bag and the way the directions were written is how I sewed my pocket here, however Janelle meant to have you sew the slip pocket over the the zipper pocket. Well that's the reason we testers test those bag, LOL!!! She corrected the instructions for this, but you could sew these pockets however suited you. I like how the slip pockets are inside the large pockets, so it didn't bother me at all that it wasn't meant to be this way.

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