Tower Cross Body Bag with My Modifications

I made another Tower Cross Body Bag (Sew Sweetness pattern) and made several modifications. I love playing with patterns and making them different and better (in my opinion). I really like the changes I made to this one.

My changes are:

• Sewed the strap using 2 fabrics
• Added a narrower accent red color to the top of the bag
• Added an accent brown color to the bottom of the bag
• Used a magnetic snap closure instead of a zipper closure (the bag opens faster, easier and wider with the snap)
• Boxed the corners instead of sewing darts
• Eliminated the tabs at the upper sides (which are cute, but didn't work with my changes)
• Placed the back zipper pocket up higher on the bag
• Added a divided slip pocket inside 
• Used fleece rather than foam
• And I sewed my zipper pockets differently than the instructions

The bag body measures 9" x 9" x 3"

This bag looks great in the Southwest Petroglyph print.

And I include a free matching Little Wallet when you purchase the bag,

Little Wallet with 3 pockets for cards (the last pocket is deeper and can hold cash that is folded).

Back of the bag has a zippered pocket; perfect for holding your phone or keys.

The Little Wallet fits in the pocket and there is a pen pocket and the bag closes with a magnetic snap. Another zipper pocket inside the bag.

This bag is for sale in my Etsy Shop and has had the most views of any of my current listings. This bag has SOLD.

As always, it is a one-of-a-kind bag that can never be duplicated exactly, but can be made custom in your choice of colors. Contact me if you want this bag made for you in different colors.

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Japanese Rice Bags Large & Small (Komebukuro)

I made a couple of Japanese Rice Bags (called Komebukuro in Japanese). They were used to carry rice in Japan as offerings to temples or shrines. Today we make and use them to carry all kinds of things and they especially make great project bags for knitting or crochet and other things too.

There are patterns and tutorials and video tutorials online for making one and they are quite easy to make. I followed along with Stuart Hillard, a pleasant British chap as he showed how to make one on his YouTube video. They can be made in any size. 

I made a large bag by cutting my squares 9" square. I also made a small bag by cutting the squares 6" square. I am now using the rest of this Asian fabric for the exterior of 2 more bags that I cut 7 1/2" square. So that will end up as my medium size bag.

This is the large bag.

The bag is roomy inside.

Here it is with the drawstring cinched closed. I used some shoelaces and cord stops to keep it closed.

This is the small size.

Drawstring cinched closed and I used a cording I had and cord stops to keep it closed on this one too.

Just 3" difference in the cut size of the bag squares.

You can make a variety of sizes and nest them inside of each other like Matryoshka Dolls. Once I finish the medium size bag, I will place it inside the large and the small inside the medium.

These can also be made using a variety of different fabrics for the outside of the bag. Or use up smaller scraps and make the bags in patchwork, or use up some extra quilt blocks. These bags do contain batting squares in them, so you could also quilt each square before assembling them into the bag. So many creative ways to make one....or 2 or a hundred, lol!!! 

They would also make great gift bags! Place a gift inside the bag and then the recipient not only gets a gift, but the bag itself makes a wonderful gift as well. Especially useful to a knitter (or crocheter) as a project bag. In fact, what a great gift to give someone who knits (or crochets) by giving them a bag like this with some yarn inside.

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Outer Space Applique Wall Quilt

I made this applique wall quilt for my husband. I wanted it to look like planets because her loves that stuff. I think it does look somewhat like planets.

I used a few different decorative stitches around the applique circles.

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Sunshine Bag Reduced to a Pouch Size

Yesterday I showed you how I experimented by adding handles to a zipper pouch bag and today I did the opposite, lol! This is the Sunshine Cross Body Bag by Bagstock Designs, but I reduced the size of the bag (to 88% I think?) and didn't add any strap to it as I wanted to see how it would function as a zippered pouch. I like the shape and size of the pouch and it is similar looking to The Marilyn Big Pouch (Imazz Patterns). 

I think this makes a great looking pouch. It measures 10 1/4" wide x 7" high x 2 1/2" deep. I might even prefer this as pouch to a cross body. Bagstock also has a Sunshine Wristlet bag with a strap, but it has darts instead of boxed corners. I didn't like that one as I don't care for wristlets or darts in most bags.

Route 66 print in pink. The front has a zippered pocket.

No pocket on the back of the bag.

I did add a divided slip pocket inside.

Pocket with pen pocket.

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Marilyn Big Pouch Large with Handles & Matching Little Wallet

I made a couple of the Marilyn Big Pouches a while back in size medium and large. You can see them here. I wanted to experiment a bit and make the large one and add some handles to it as well as make a slip pocket on the back side. If you saw my first pouches, the backside is plain and I prefer the back to at least have a pocket so it is not so plain looking. 

Well I absolutely love the results of this bag! It looks great with handles and not only did I make the slip pocket on the back side, but I made it just like the front, only instead of the zipper pocket, I made a slip pocket. I made some other changes too, which I will point out in the caption under the photo.

The bag measures 11" wide x 6 1/2" high x 2 3/4" deep.

I love the faux black cork fabric (it's cotton) paired with the Paris print and the pop of red!

This is the back with the slip pocket. I added heart Kam snap to keep the pocket closed.

The Little Wallet I made matches the bag. 

I like how the word France shows on the first pocket.

I bought some Eiffel Tower charms to make my beaded zipper pulls with a charm, since I have a few Paris print fabrics I wanted a nice charm to match the Paris fabric.

The added hardware of rings, rivets and metal strap ends all adds a lovely touch to this bag.

I sewed the zipper different from the instructions, so I left off the 2 zipper tabs and made the one side of the zipper longer so the bag will open nice and wide. I added a fabric zipper end and put a rivet in the zipper end.

Back side.

Slip pocket on back with a heart Kam snap.

See how nice and wide the back unzips? You can access things easier. A pen pocket and a slip pocket to hold the Little Wallet is inside.

This bag with the matching wallet is $70. Contact me if you want to purchase it and I will invoice you through PayPal.

SOLD!. 

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Pinafore Bag

This is called the Pinafore Bag. I suppose because the top of the bag (the green) is like the top of a pinafore (apron)? This is the last of the bags I had been commissioned to make for by my quilt friend. She gave me the green and the pansy fabric. She had a lot of the pansy fabric to use, so I also used it in the lining as well.

I made several changes to this bag from the pattern. I will mention the changes under each captioned photo.

I changed the handles from all fabric to adding rectangular rings and using the pansy fabric for the handles as there wasn't enough green fabric and I prefer the look of these handles. Plus I added rivets too. 

Inside I added divided slip pocket and a zippered pocket too.

On the back of the bag I made a pocket pocket.

The tied on green fabric was in the instructions to add. It can be removed.

The bag closes with a magnetic snap.

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