Laminated Card Wallets

I had been wanting to try laminating fabric and I read about Heat and Bond and Pellon iron on vinyl products and what others had to say about them and decided on the Pellon brand. Pellon according to some reviewers wrinkles less than Heat and Bond does when you turn the project right side out. Well for my first project to try, I wanted something easy and quick and no turning involved, so I made a couple of card wallets.

This first wallet I made, I laminated the fabric on the outside and the lining side too. It worked okay, but when placing my cards into the wallet I found I could only place 3 cards on each side or the cards stuck to the laminated plastic and would be too hard to remove or add more. So first lesson learned.

My next attempt was to only laminate the exterior fabric and keep the lining as just cotton fabric. This worked better and allowed me to add a few more cards inside without anything sticking.

The process of ironing the vinyl onto to fabric was easy to do. It was easy to sew as well. I will make other items as needed using the iron on vinyl. Since I prefer sewing with fabric, the laminated fabric can come in handy for a variety of projects. There are some free patterns for other wallets online using cork or leather, but I could make them with laminated fabric instead. Why not? I already have what I need and simple wallets can use up all those tons of fabric scraps accumulating in my scrap bags!

The first wallet I showed will be included in a zippered pouch I made as a custom order. She asked for me to include some of my cards in the bag, so I thought it would be great if she had a little wallet to keep the cards in.
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Sunshine Cross Body Bag in Hot Air Balloon Print

I made the Sunshine Cross Body bag, which is a free pdf from Bagstock Sewing Patterns. I love how this one came out. It is a sweet style and not too large or small of a bag. I chose this hot air balloon print and the gray Uncorked fabric print and love them together. The bag features a zippered closure, a front zippered pocket, a zippered interior pocket and I also added a slip pocket inside too.

This bag is currently listed for sale in my Etsy Shop. When it's gone it's gone. I may make more of this style bag, but not in the same fabrics.

I even added a hot air balloon charm zipper pull to the front zippered pocket.

Inside is a zippered pocket and I added a slip pocket with a pen pocket.

This is the back side of the bag.

I made another Sunshine Cross Body bag that I will be posting soon. I also enlarged the pattern so I can try making a larger one too.
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Churn Dash Quilt Block with Bee Applique

A dear friend had a significant birthday in December, so I asked all the members of our applique group to make any quilt block for her, in any size and any colors they wanted to but to add ab applique bee on it and sign their name and the year. Our applique group has the word bee in it, so I thought was appropriate. Here is the block that I made her, a churn dash with an applique bee in the center. I do love the churn dash block and so does my friend, which I didn't know until I gave it to her.

I used a shimmery fabric for the wings and did all the stitching by machine. Not my best work because my shoulder was in pain and I was having trouble keeping this neat for a small piece. 

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The Strapfield Convertible Bag

I loved testing this bag, The Strapfield Convertible Bag from ChrisW Designs. I tested the size large and the pdf or video course includes both the large and the small size. I will be making the small size next.

As you can see below from the photos, this bag can be worn as a backpack, a shoulder bag or remove the strap with the hooks and hook it on the top round rings and voila a cross body bag too! This bag would be great for hikes or as a on the go diaper bag, all day shopping event, a theme park day, day at the beach, school bag, etc... the list goes one and on!

There are so many cool features too, including oodles of pockets inside and out. I left off the optional cargo pocket with the flap that could be added to the front over the divided pocket where I added a koala applique and butterflies instead. The front pocket can be divided in half yielding 2 pockets or don't sew the dividing line and you have a large pocket, great for a water bottle. Above the front slip pocket is a zippered pocket. There are pockets inside and a great phone pocket on the back of the bag. So you can really specialize the bag to your tastes and needs by adding pockets or not.

The bag closes with a zippered closure to keep it all nice and secure.

Here is my version in denim with a touch of applique (Koala from Shiny Happy People).

The bottom has a heavy weight interfacing fused in place, but I also quilted through it to make sure it stayed nice and secure.

Zippered bag closure and on the upper back of the bag is the phone pocket with rivets on the sides.

I added Pocket Supplement A to this bag. You can purchase this pocket supplement separately for a few dollars. It features a pen pocket on the left side, a pleated pocket and a slip pocket in the red polka dot fabric and behind that is another pocket that is divided in half. so just right here you have 5 pockets!

Zippered inside pocket across the street from the Supplement A slip pockets.

Outside front zippered pocket.

This large bag is nice and roomy. If you make this bag with the cargo pocket on the front and the Supplement A pockets inside, plus the other pockets you would have a total of eleven pockets in all! Mine has only ten pockets, lol!

You can purchase the pdf only or the video course which includes the pdf. I tested the video course and it's fabulous! if you sign up for Christine's newsletter you can get a discount code for this bag and any future bag patterns, but the code expires Thursday, Australia time.
By signing up to receive Christine's newsletter, you will also get the free Coco bag pattern and get all the latest updates and info on future bag patterns.

To see more versions of this bag in the 2 sizes, visit the blog that shows the other tester versions. Plus you can see the cargo pocket on most of the test versions to decide if you would like to add that pocket to your bag or not.

And see Christine show you both sizes and how the bag converts in her preview video here.
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Arabesque Bags in Patchwork at 80%, 90% and 100% Size

These Arabesque Bags (Sew Sweetness Pattern) were made last year. I made them at the original size and reduced to 90% and 80%. The largest size I made with 2 straps and on the 2 other sizes, I added an adjustable single strap. I like the straps both ways, but feel the double strap is best for the larger size, whereas the adjustable strap is better on the smaller sizes. I made other changes as well.

I love making this style bag in patchwork strips and quilting it. It give the bag a lot of pizzazz being patchwork. I also tend to make the patchwork in one color family too. All 3 of these were made using batik fabrics.

First is the largest bag in the original size with 2 straps, done in blue patchwork.

This bag has sold.

I am adding a zippered pocket on the back size to all the Arabesque bags I make now.

On the large (original size) and the 90% size, I am also adding purse feet. 

This is the 90% size that I added an adjustable strap to the bag. (This bag has sold, but I do have another in other brown fabrics in this size available).

Zippered pocket on the back.

Inside the bag are slip pockets.

Purse feet on the bottom.

This is the 80% size I added a cross body strap to.

Back zippered pocket.

slip pocket inside with a pen pocket.

All 3 sizes for comparison. Baby, Mama and Papa, lol!

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