The Allure Bag with Decorative Stitches on the Flap

I was contacted to make a custom bag for a woman who has purchased other bags from me before. She wanted the Allure Bag (she bought this Allure bag from me a while ago), but she wanted it to have decorative stitches on the flap like this Fiona's Freeway bag I made that she also bought from me awhile back. The Allure bags that I have made are all made at 85% from the original Allure bag size, because after testing The Allure, I found it to be rather large, but at 85% it is a nice size.

The Allure is a ChrisW Design bag. I have tested bags for Christine for over 10 years now and she has the best instructions and really great way of sewing certain things too. So I did sew a few things like other bags I have tested for Christine. I added a zipper overlay on the inside zipper pocket and I quilted the bottom of the bag too, like Christine now does in some of her bags, but the instructions for the Allure doesn't have a quilted bottom or zipper overlay, but it does have her signature hidden phone pocket on the back of the bag.

 The original Allure measures 13 1/2" at the widest point x 10 1/2" at the base x 10" high x 6" deep, whereas the reduced 85% size I made here is approximately 11 1/4" at the widest point x 8 3/4" at the base x 8 1/2" high x 5" deep.

Decorative machine stitches, rickrack, buttons, crystals and hand French knots.

The back side of the bag. I used purple batik and faux cork (cotton fabric).

First time adding a flip lock closure too. I usually do a magnetic snap, but I got some flip locks on sale and wanted to try it.

I added a divided slip pocket with 2 pen pockets on the sides. The lining is a batik fabric too.

Zipper pocket with a vinyl overlay.

Hidden phone pocket on the back.

Quilted bottom.

View from the side.

Vinyl zipper overlay in pink.

Adjustable strap to wear across body or on shoulder.

She should be receiving this bag by Saturday. I did show her these photos, but there is nothing like seeing it in person.

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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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Open Wide Zipper Bag Size Large

I made the largest Open Wide Bag (by Annie pattern) and like my small size Open Wide Bags, I yarn couched, sewed decorative machine embroidery stitches and added a few hand embroidered stitches all over the bag. This large size is nice and large. I used an ombre fabric that goes from pales greens to light blue to a medium blue.

Here is one side of the bag.

This is the other side of the bag.

This side of the bag has the zipper tab to tuck in the zipper end when closing the bag.

On one side of the bag where the zipper is I added a zipper pull that I made.

Inside the bag I divided one pocket and left the other one large. Again I made my pockets in fabric rather than mesh.

Bottom of the bag has decorative stitches too.

I am off this morning with a friend to drive to Taos. The annual Taos Wool Festival held in Kit Carson Park is this Saturday and Sunday. It will be a fun weekend and I hope to have lots of pictures to share when I return. We'll be staying in the Ski area so it should be nice and quiet up there since it's before the ski season starts. Adios amigas (and amigos). Pin It Now!