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 PayHip 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. The 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 PayHip Shop.
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Arabesque Bag in Browns

I sold this Arabesque Bag (Sew Sweetness pattern) at a craft show in November last year. This was the first one I ever made in brown batik fabrics and I love how it came out. I will be making some more bags in browns when I get the chance. This is the original size of this bag (I have made others at 80% and 90% too).

Zipper pull I made for the zippered closure of this bag.

Side to show the depth of the bag.

On the back I am now adding a zippered pocket to all the Arabesque Bags that I make. 

Another zipper pull I made for the back pocket.

Inside the bag is a slip pocket and I sewed a pen pocket on the left, which you can't see, but it's there.

I love making these bags in patchwork strips and will continue to make them in all 3 sizes and in various colors too. I get to make bags and make a little patchwork quilt at the same time, satisfying both the quilter and bag maker in me at the same time. I will make more to sell at the craft shows as well as sell in my Etsy Shop too.
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Arabesque Bag in Purples-Pinks-Aqua

I made this Arabesque Bag (from Sew Sweetness) in Purples-Pinks-Aqua batik fabric a while ago and it sold at the last craft show I did in November. I do love making these bags as I can add all my own touches and changes.
This is the original size (I have made some at 80% and 90% too).

I quilted this in wavy lines. I added rivets to the strap too.

A charm for the zipper closure.

The back of the bag I am now adding a zippered pocket to all my Arabesque bags in all 3 sizes I make them in. This bag really needed an exterior pocket, but I hated to cover up all that beautiful batik patchwork and quilting on the front or the back of the bag, so decided a zippered pocket works best as it only shows a bit without covering anything. If I ever get around to making this bag in one fabric, I can add slip pockets outside too, but I am having too much fun making this bag in patchwork strips, lol!

Side depth.

Isn't this interior fabric so fun? Purses, shoes, sunglasses, lipsticks, hats and more...all the things a woman needs.

Other side of bag.

I will continue to make Arabesque bags in all 3 sizes and all kind of colors and sell them at craft shows and in my Etsy shop too. I love choosing the fabric colors for these bags and putting them together. It satisfies the quilter as well as the bag maker in me, lol!!!
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Arabesque Bag Reduced in Size

I made my first Arabesque Bag and loved how it turned out using scrappy strips set vertically. Then I thought this would be a cute bag if I reduced the size of the bag for women who don't like a large bag. I also used scraps set vertically. Both the original size and this smaller sized one sold at a small craft show I did in November. So I knew this was a good bag to make again in both sizes.

This time I dug through my batik scraps and made the smaller version, which is at I think 75%? I forgot to write it down, but have since made another one at 80%. I quilted in variegated thread in a wavy horizontal pattern. The nice thing about this bag is there really isn't a lot of hardware involved. You could add rivets and such if you wanted to, but it only needs a closing zipper. Inside I did add one slip pocket and one zippered pocket, even though the pattern calls for 2 slip pockets only. I like to turn my bag through the zippered pocket, so that is why I added a zippered pocket inside. No pockets outside, although it wouldn't be hard to add a zippered or slip pocket if it was needed.

This is a basic looking bag and easy to sew and a great scrap buster. I think the patchwork strips add character to the bag. I may try making another Arabesque in one fabric and add some exterior pockets and see how that changes the look of the bag. I might also try changing this into a cross body bag with an adjustable strap, instead of 2 straps.

I used all batik scraps for this smaller Arabesque. 

Back of bag.

Other side of bag.

Interior is a good size.

Slip pocket and zippered pocket across from it.

Linking this to Elm Street Quilts Bag It 2017.
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Hyacinth Bag

I made this Hyacinth Bag from the Bag-of-the-Month Club, for a friend of mine. She doesn't have internet access, so I feel safe posting this now before I give it to her. She loves African material and other African things, so I decided to use some fabrics that I had with African prints, although the fabric I used is not really made in Africa. I did a Zentangle of an African woman on the flap and painted the background of the beige fabric and then did a collage of appliques that I already had but never used before. I quilted it all to headliner foam. I decided after making this bag that I do not like using the headliner foam as much as I like using Soft and Stable, which is denser and has a nicer feel to it.

I changed a few things on this bag too. I didn't add the cash and credit card slots under the flap, instead I made a larger zippered pocket and a large slip pocket. I made the adjustable strap about 10" longer so that it was more adjustable to more lengths. I added a zipper tab to each end of the zipper so that there is something to grab on to when zipping and unzipping the bag, and centered the zipper too. Of course I made the flap somewhat artsy fartsy, LOL!!! Even though the flap did not turn out quite as I had imagined it, I hope my friend will like it.

I doodled the African woman with a fabric pen, painted the background with textures underneath the fabric, added fabric appliques all around, quilted it all and added a few buttons.

The back of the bag has a zippered pocket.

Inside the zippered bag is a divided slip pocket.

Side of the bag.

With the flap lifted up you can see another zippered pocket and one large slip pocket.

The zippered and slip pocket under the flap.

I sewed a few buttons on the flap too, including this handmade button. There is a heart button and a flower button too on the flap.

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