Coneflowers Quilt (Echinacea)

Hello my pretty flowers. This had been a UFO for a few years. I had all the appliqué finished for a couple of years, but need to quilt and bind it. I never know how to quilt some things, so it sat and marinated for a while, a long while, lol! I decided I need to finish a pile of UFO's and grabbed this one and said the time has come to get it quilted. So it's now finished and hanging in the master bathroom. I love how it turned out and it makes me smile when I see it.

I bought the pattern 4 or 5 years ago from Frieda Anderson, called Purple Coneflowers. It is her design and since Echinacea (Coneflowers) are my favorite flower, (along with Sunflowers), I had to make it. I used an ombre fabric in blue/purple, which I thought looked pretty good. The flowers were hand dyed fabrics and some of the orange cones are batik. 

The quilt measures 22.25" wide x 25" high.

Frieda's version has a bright yellow-orange and pink-orange hand dyed fabric where my background fabrics are. Frieda is known for her hand dyed fabrics and art quilts. If you click here you can see her quilt on Pinterest. That seems to be the only place online I could even find a photo of her quilt.

I like to blanket stitch around my appliqué, whereas Frieda fuses and stitches around the shapes onto the background. I just don't want the appliqué shapes to lift off the background so I prefer to stitch them down. I know Frieda Anderson, Laura Wasilowski and Melody Johnson, all just stitch close to the appliqué and they say they never have had the appliqué come up. But they all use their own hand dyed fabric and I use batik, hand dyed and commercial fabrics and no matter what fabric or fusible I have used, it starts coming up from the background as I am handling the piece. So I stitch my appliqué in place so that won't ever happen. Best to be safe.

I tried to find this pattern online, but apparently it is no longer available anywhere. I am really glad I bought the pattern now! But even happier that I made and finished this quilt so I can enjoy it. 

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Bella Bag: My Version Made as a Cross Body Bag

Hello my lovely flowers. I wanted to make myself a cross body bag, but which one? I have a lot of patterns from several designers, so I looked through them all and nothing really hit me as to what I wanted to make. So I thought, what is it that I really want in a cross body bag, besides being cross body? There are several style bags I like, such as Hobo, Messenger, Saddle Bag, etc. 

The more I thought about what I like and want and need in a bag, the Original Bella Bag (by ChrisW Designs kept jumping out at me. Bella is a retired pattern.  When Christine designed the updated Bella II bag some years ago, she retired the Original Bella. I know why she wanted to retire Bella, because Christine has so many more updated ways of sewing her bags now, that it seemed a bit too dated. I tested the Bella II for Christine and I love that Bella version too. I made 2 original Bella Bags before Bella II came out.

Both Bella versions are rather large bags. Now I love that they hold a lot of stuff and if I take my large wallet with me, my keys, reader glasses in their case, sunglasses in their case, a pen, a small pad of paper, that really does take up a lot of space and my bag becomes heavy. Carrying all that on my shoulder is starting to be a bit too much. Oftentimes I will take a smaller bag with me and only take my keys, a little wallet with just my ID and license and one credit card and a bit of cash, and wear my sunglasses so that I don't have too much with me, but that depends on where I am going and what I need. 

So as I was looking at the Original Bella, I thought about the changes I could make to make it cross body and add and subtract some of the things on the bag, so here is what I changed:

• First thing I did was to print the pattern pieces at 90% to make the bag a bit smaller as I didn't want it to be quite as large of a bag.
• I had to reshape the curve of the bag top so it didn't have 2 straps and stick up so high.
• I didn't make the side pockets as they would be too small being I made this at 90% and I wanted to add strap connectors on the sides.
• I added some binding pieces to cover up the raw edge of the side connector straps and placed another one above it and added rivets to the connector straps too.
• I also wanted to open the bag a bit easier and faster so I didn't want to add that narrow flap closure and instead added the magnetic snap to the upper lining to make it quicker to open the bag.
• I added some rickrack to the upper front pocket and sewed a line down the center of the pocket to divide the pocket into 2 pockets and added a rivet at the top of the dividing stitch line.
• The bottom of the bag where the Heavy Weight Stabilizer base is, I quilted it to the bag bottom to make sure it stayed in place.
• I sewed the back zipper pocket so that I turned the bag through the bottom of the zipper pocket instead of leaving an opening in the lining.
• Inside I added some rivets to the top corners of the pockets. 
• I hadn't made the Bella in quite a few years and I forgot about the little gap at the start of the zipper pocket inside. So I sewed a button to cover that gap up, which I didn't do until the bag was finished because I forgot. I made a note on the pattern to sew the zipper differently with zipper tabs at each end instead of bending the zipper back as in the instructions, if I make another Bella in the future. I am sure Christine would have updated this step too. In fact, on Bella II she did sew that inside zipper pocket differently.

Okay so now to see my Bella Bag as a cross body bag:

I had just enough of this Chrysanthemum fabric to make this bag. Chrysanthemums are my birth month flower (November).

There is some text written in gray on the fabric that reads, Chrysanthemums: the Symbol for Long Life & Harmony.

The side connectors I added with binding strips horizontally and added rivets.

One thing I forgot about was that the lining isn't as snug a fit as Christine's newer patterns. Mainly because you cut the lining using the same pattern pieces as the exterior and sew with the same seam allowance. Christine has come a long way baby with her bag designs; because she always has the main lining pieces as separate and smaller pieces to achieve a really nice and snug fit. If I had remembered this, I would have sewed the lining with a larger seam allowance. Oh well, once my stuff is inside it won't show and only I will know (and anyone reading this, lol)!

My after thought button I sewed on to cover up the little gap there next to the zipper pull. I made notes to change how this is sewn by using zipper tabs if I make another Bella.

The back of Bella has a zipper pocket. 

Unzipped the pocket to show my pretty lining.

The divided front pocket I created by sewing it in half.

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Shupatto Folding Shopping Bag

Hello sweet shoppers. This is a fun and useful shopping bag to have.

I read eSheep's latest blog posting a couple of days ago and found out about a bag that I hadn't heard about before. I was intrigued and had to Google Shupatto to see more. You can buy Japanese style bags online at places like Amazon, etc. (usually made from a nylon material) and there were also some YouTube videos that show you how to make this style bag too. 

I found a video (from Owl Be Sewing) for making a lined or unlined version and opted for the lined version since I prefer a more finished looking bag and I have plenty of fabric already. So I chose my fabrics and cut out the pieces according to the video and was going to sew it another day. But I went ahead and watched the video and thought it was easy looking enough to make and wouldn't take me that long, so I decided to start sewing it.

Well it looked easy and was until I tried to follow her pinning the pleats and while it made sense what she was doing, I couldn't quite figure out after the second pin what she was matching the pins to exactly. So my pleats aren't perfect and I struggled with that part of the bag. Still it turned out really nice and I like it a lot! I really like the strap closure with the Kam snap to close the bag. I opted to use webbing for the handles. 

Another thing I thought was odd, was that the casing for the handles was too narrow for the size handles she made. I even used 1" webbing which was narrower than her handles, and I had to fold over 1/4" of the webbing and sew it, so that it would fit into the casing. So on my next bag, I will make the casing large enough to fit my handle width.

After my Shupatto Bag was done, I watched a few other DIY videos and found one I prefer better. While I was struggling to make the pleats on this bag because of how complicated it seemed to do, I was thinking to myself, I would have preferred if she showed measurements to mark and fold and press the pleats accordion style instead as that would seem easier to do to me and then lo and behold one of the next videos I watched did the pleats just like that, so I will make that version next, but I will sew the strap closure on with a snap instead of the elastic closure that I have seen on many of these bags.

The reason I don't like the elastic closures is that elastic loses it's elasticity over time and would need to be replaced, so I would rather make a fabric strap with a snap and fold the bag and snap it closed, instead of rolling the bag and putting the elastic over it to close it. And making my bag lined made it thicker and it can't be rolled up. I also prefer to fold it in half twice than to roll it anyhow. 

The beauty of this style bag is that you don't have to remember how or where to fold or roll it up. Just grab the ends of the bag and pull and the pleats all come together. Then fold it in half and in half again and wrap the closure strap around the folded bag and snap it closed.

The bag folded with the snap strap closure.

Unsnap the closure and this is how it looks. Grab the handles to use it. Later, you don't have to remember how or where to fold or roll it up. Just grab the ends of the bag and pull and the pleats all come together like in the photo. Fold in half twice and wrap the strap closure around the bag and snap closed.

For a folding shopping bag it is quite large and holds a lot, but looks so stylish at the same time. The strap with the snap gets looped around the handle and snapped to keep it out the way and from dragging, which give it a nice look at the same time.

I lined my bag, which I prefer to an unlined bag, but it does make the bag a bit thicker when folded up.

I grabbed some bears to show you how roomy this bag is. I could fit even more into the bag.

Another view of the roomy inside.

Grab the ends and pull and it becomes flat like this. Then fold the two ends together in half and in half again and wrap the strap around and snap the bag.

Here it is snapped and closed again.

This bag is great for using non-directional fabric. If you used a directional fabric, you would have to cut it in half plus the seam allowance and sew the pieces together so that one side wouldn't have half the fabric upside down. However, that would create a seam in the bottom of the bag putting more stress on the seam, so I wouldn't recommend doing that either for this style of bag. Other bags I have made I add interfacing, and stabilizers and stitch the bottom more to make it sturdy, but this is a lightweight bag to take with you when you shop, so it's best not to put a seam at the bottom where most of the stress of the bag would be. I also used polyester thread for extra strength as cotton thread could break if you carried heavy items for too long.

This bag would make a great beach bag too as it holds a lot. I will make a couple more of these bags for sure next time using the 2 videos combined and what I like best from each bag to create my own version. 

Happy bag sewing!

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Zip & Clip Cross Body Bag

Hello shutterbugs. I tested this cute little bag from Around the Bobbin. It is an updated version to the original pattern, which I did not test, so I have no comparison to see what is actually different in the instructions. 

I chose a camera print to highlight on the flap and I used Heat 'n Bond's Liquid Vinyl on the flap to waterproof it and keep it clean. I used denim for the body of the fabric. I chose to use a slightly wider strap than called for because my hardware is 1-inch wide and I don't have anything smaller. I used webbing for the strap.

This cute little bag measures 7" H x 6 1/2" W x 2" D. It is perfect for the minimalist or when you don't want to carry everything with you. Not only can it be worn across the body, but unclip it and adjust the strap to fit around your waist to wear as a hip bag too.

Under the flap there is a zipper pocket as well as a slip pocket (perfect for a phone. Inside the bag is another zip pocket and inside the zipper pocket are credit card pockets where the cards stand vertical for easier access, a slip pocket with a flap tab that opens to hold a passport or whatever you have that will fit inside it, like a small camera. This is the perfect little bag to take while traveling when you don't want to carry a lot. It also can be worn as a waist bag. Just unclip the clips and adjust the strap and clip the clips together around you waist. Check out Lisa's Blog blog to see how that is worn.

Also, check out the tester's versions here. Zip & Clip Cross Body Bag pdf and paper pattern is on sale for 25% off today through Sunday March 27 (midnight CDT) and no code is needed, so grab yours today. Shop here.

The instructions call for using 2 magnetic snaps, but I chose to use one snap and it works fine for me on this bag.

I used a Kam snap instead of Velcro for the tab.

The pocket with the tab flap holds a Passport, a smallish camera or a phone, etc.

Hard to photograph inside a small bag like this.

Since the flap had a lot of white on it, I added Liquid Vinyl to make it waterproof and stain proof. It's a great product by Heat 'n Bond.

The bag back side.

The side view.

Both a slip and a zippered pocket are just under the flap. Great for your phone or keys.

The zipper pocket with the slip pocket with a tab flap across from it.

Unzip the pocket and safely tucked away are 6 credit card pockets. You can keep your cash and coins in the pockets too and zip it closed for security.

For a limited time only this pdf or paper pattern is on sale 25% off at Around the Bobbin, so grab your copy while it's on sale. Sale ends midnight March 27 CDT.

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Gnome Fabric Postcard

I made this Thank You postcard to mail to Karen who so generously donated fabric to me to make purses for the Sew Powerful Purse Project. She sent fabric to me about 3 times and I thanked her on Facebook, but I wanted to send her a more personal thank you card, so I made this cute little gnome (I hope she likes gnomes). I used scraps of fabrics from some purses I made already (not her fabrics though). 

I glued that butterfly sticker in place so it would stay. I wrote on the back of the postcard. I mailed this wrapped in bubble wrap and placed it in an envelope to protect that button.

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Gifts for a Beekeeper: Wall Quilt & Composition Notebook with Cover

Hello my Bizzy Bees. A good friend of mine bought a beehive so she could raise bees in her backyard. My husband assembled the beehive for her and she will pick up the bees in April to put into her new hive.

So of course that got me thinking about making her something for her new beekeeping adventure. I wanted to make a cover for a composition notebook so she could take notes and jot down important bee things to refer to later. So I went with Sotak Handmade tutorial for a composition book cover. I love her patterns and have made several of her bags and other things. Thanks Svetlana for the tutorial!

Well, I forgot about turning the fabric under for the book cover to place the book into later and so I placed my Beekeeper gnome too close to the right edge of the fabric I cut out. Oh well, I thought I can make this into a small wall quilt to match the book cover and I will pay closer attention to the making of the book cover when I start to make that later. So I made the quilt (scroll down a bit to see it) first and then made the book cover next.

I love how they both came out and I knew Tara would love them both too. 

The front of the composition book cover with a gnome holding a beehive.

 I added the word, "Bee" because that was all that would fit there. 

I found a little bee embroidery appliqué in my things and added it to the cover. I pieced together scraps of blues for the background, since I didn't have a large enough piece of the blue fabric that I used for the back of this cover and for the wall hanging. I love piecing backgrounds as it adds more interest and uses up more scraps. All the fabrics I used for the appliqué were scraps too.

This is the back of the notebook cover. Isn't this the cutest little bee? I found this on Pinterest, but the head was made out of denim. Since I already had some circles cut out of felt (using the circle die cuts from Crafter's Edge), I only needed to cut out the pair of wings and the black stripes.

 I hand blanket stitched around the felt pieces and added the embroidered antennae, stinger and smile. I used little black buttons for his eyes and red buttons for the ends of the antennae. He makes me smile he is so cute!

Inside the book. See there is the folded over sides to hold the book that I forgot about when I started the beekeeper gnome that later became the little wall quilt.

I used All Sew Petite's Pen/Pencil Bookmark Holder (a free tutorial) to add over the notebook so Tara will always have a pen handy. Thanks Monika for this great pen holder tutorial and video!

Here is the pen holder that can be made using scraps of vinyl, cork, or other non-fraying material. 

This is the small size pen holder that will hold 2-3 pens. Monika also includes a wider pen holder that will hold more pens.

The pen holder is made with elastic (I used fold over elastic for this one) and you slide it over the page to use as a bookmark or over the entire outside of the book, however you want to use it.

Here is the little wall quilt that I started making first as the book cover, but had to make it into a wall quilt as I explained earlier. Tara scored double because of my mistake, lol!

I had more space to put the word, Beekeeper on the quilt, so that was nice.

Here they both are together, with the pen holder over the book (the pen is on the back side). I made each gnome in a different direction.

Happy Beekeeping Tara!

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