Lottie Dot Bag by Jennifer Jangles

Lottie Dot Bag

Pattern by Jennifer Jangles

Fabric and Buttons by

Jennifer Jangles

I just returned from a trip to Alaska and found this fabric and buttons at a lovely fabric store in Juneau. I had ordered the pattern before I left from Etsy and was anxious to make it.

I enjoyed making the flower for the pocket too as I love these flowers which are like the Brasilian ladies make.

Back view

Inside

The Peace Sign Bag

This is the back of the Peace Sign bag by Sweet Seams. I love this pattern too and love the way it turned out. This is one continuous pocket with 3 divisions-2 of which have button closures and the third has no closure but a little button closed pocket on the outside of it. It has pockets on the sides too.

This is a good view of the front, on which is supposed to be appliqued the peace sign. i chose to leave it off for now. You can see the side pocket too.

Around the top is a drawstring to cinch it up alittle or a lot or not at all. Your choice.

On the inside there is one tiny pocket for keys. Pockets are really not needed on the inside. Although you could put them when you make your own.
I put a tiny bit of the outside fabric around the bottom of the lining pieces because I thought it was too short. Turns out when I had it together it was not too short, so I ended up pulling the extra fabric on the top of the lining to the outside -making it a couple inches taller. I kind of like the "happy mistake" as George calls it.
It seems like every time I make something=no matter how hard I try to do it perfect and follow the pattern instructions= I make a few alterations, no pun intended.
The fabrics are Moda on the outside and free Spirit on the inside.

The Carrie Bag with a button closure

I think this really helped me love this bag pattern even more.  It is wide and sort of gaped open and now it is perfect.

These are McCall's patterns I think but called Sweet seams and really simple and easy to follow and on paper not the brown flimsey tissue paper.

The Carrie Bag by sweet Seams

The inside and a clearer picture of the outside maybe.

The Carrie Bag by Sweet Seams

I made this bag very quickly because it is the best pattern with wonderful directions and diagrams. I really love the way she wrote it.

I used the fabrics from the Celia line for Benartex.

This is the third time I have written this post and keep accidentally hitting enter and it goes away. LOL

My faborite Bag ++ Kati Cupcake Pattern

I finished making this bag and boy was it a struggle. The pattern calls for fusible fleece on outside pieces and inside and the outside pockets and part of the inside and the bottom and also heavy duty on the bottom.

I have 2 favorite sewing machines. Baby Lock is my favorite, but it couldn't sew through the layers - even with a walking foot and a size 16 denim needle.

So, not to be undone or done in, I switched to my Janome 11,000 with a walking foot and size 16 needle. which I promptly broke-the needle that is- and the walking foot came off of its own accord. I discovered I had attached the walking foot incorrectly.

So, I got the WF on right and added a size 18 denim needle- just in case- and the Janome pulled through.

This bag also has 8 grommets that go through outside and inside, which was an ordeal.

Then after I got it almost finished and was ready to install the grommets, the inside pockets were too tall and bumping into where the grommets would be. So, I had to removed some of the separating stitching to make room.

The purse is so thick, I had a terrible time isntalling the grommets.

If I make it again, I will not use fusible fleece on everything but will use lightweight fusible cotton interfacing on part of it. I will install the grommets earlier if I canfigure out how to do it, LOL And I will make the inside pockets shorter,

The overall design is really pretty and I love her pattern. She included templates for some pieces and also probided color diagrams. Every little bit helps.

 Take a peek.

I forgot to say that this bag is huge and has tons of inside pockets and outside and I think it might have  been designed as a diaper bag. I really love the pattern and found it easy to follow. but would definitely alter it for my machines and talent.

In my ebay store, this has been my most popular pattern as of late.

There is also a pattern included for a diaper clutch or for wipies. I am going to make one to match the bag and use it as a make up bag.

International Quilt Market in Houston 2009

I just returned Monday from Houston and enjoyed so much attending the Quilt Market and seeing all the new products, fabrics, etc, for the sewing industry. While I was there, I helped out in the Bosal Foam and Fiber booth demonstrating my Marlee Baby Bag made using their fusible fleece, poly therm insulated fleece and their craf=Tex sew in heavy interfacing and lastly their cotton woven interfacing!!!!!!!!!For my great niece Marlee, I designed the bag and made the first one for her. Then we worked up the pattern on the computer and had it printed and I sold and gave away copies at the Market. I took several I made which are listed and shown here in the blog. I also made one 1/2 way so people could see the interfacings sewn and or ironed in.
The people from Bosal are fabulous and were great to me-even printed the pattern-and took me out to dinnerand gave me an opportunity to see the Market from the Vendor's prospective.It was fun and enjoyable.
I love their product because of the way my bags look and feel using it and because it is made in the USA.
I met a lot of great people there and enjoyed talking with them.
I went to the Moda Fabric/United Notions dinner and met some lovely ladies from California who make mosaic quilts based on architecture they see all over the world. So fabulous to talk with them.
When I left the Hilton to get a cab to the airport, I chatted with Kate Spain, Moda's newest designer, and we shared the long cab ride to the airport. She designs fabric, paper products, a lot of things. She was so great to talk with and so nice. It was my honor to meet her. Her fabric line is called Verna by Moda. Check it out.
The people at the Hilton and at the George Brown Convention center were wonderful and I really felt at home.
It is great to get outside and travel and see other parts of the usa.

Where in the world have I been???

The last day of September and the first day of October. I was substitute teaching in a kindergarten class when my vision got crooked. The next day, I went to the retina specialist, and she sent me to thee emergency room. After numerous tests, I went home in 4 days knowing only that the neurologist did NOT think I had had a stroke in the left eye. The left eye is or rather was my good eye, but it is now my bad eye. It is, however, getting better.

At first I could not read or work my crossword puzzle, cryptoquip or jumble, email, etc. Now, I can, with a little bit of a struggle.

Anyway, I am getting back to my blogging and emails and have been working on my new website. today I got my domain name and in a couple of days will be up and running. This is my fabric / sewing supplies store.

October 24 we went to Houston, Texas to the International Quilt Market and had a fabulous time. I saw all the new products for sale and especially liked the fabrics and purse patterns.

I absolutely went straight up over the Marcus Brothers Al fresco line and bought all 19 bolts. I can't wait to get it. I love the Surg and Sand by the same designer and bought several from it too. The fabrics are gorgeous. I bought several from the Eleanor Burns Benartex Victory Garden collection, and several from Maywood Studios and Moda. I have really been working to get it all listed online.

Back in August, I started making my bags for the Bazaar this coming weekend. I finished them last weekend and delivered them to the lady who sells them in her home along with items from several vendors. I have added the pictures I took of everything.

Finished Fall table top quilt

Can you tell I am in the mood for Fall~my favorite season?!

This is taken from a pattern called Harvest Thyme, but I changed the borders and background.

I have mentioned before that it is difficult for me to completely follow a pattern for some odd reason. Anyway I am pleased with the way it turned out.

I did the applique using Eleanor Burns' method of fusible interfacing and turning the piece so it has a smoothe edge. She is awesome.

New quilt top for Fall-Harvest Thyme altered

This is a small quilt or table topper or wall hanging, etc. I like to make these and lay them across my kitchen table.
I used a pattern called Harvest Thyme for the pumpkins etc and then made the background and borders different from the instructions. I can't seem to follow a pattern without embellishing it?
I am happy with the way it turned out and will quilt it myself on my Baby Lock with a light orangey very small checked Provence faabric on the back. Then I have a Moda bias tape called Butterscotch which also is a very small check I will bind it with.

I used Eleanor Burn's technique to make the appliques and it is awesome. I learned it directly from her at Houston at the Quilt Market last year. I sewed with her at her sewing machine and really enjoyed it. She is wonderful.

another hobo type bag only slightly smaller

I made this bag for friend Connie. It is very similar to the one I posted last called Hobo. This one is smaller but the same shape and handle and inside pockets with magnetic closure.
For 2 years I have been stuck on the tote type with the boxed corners etc. and now I have branched out.
I love this bag and love carrying the one I made for myself. It is so comfortable and eash to use. I discovered by lengthening out the handle it will fit across my body like a hipster type bag and would be perfect for traveling and shopping etc.
This fabric is Michael Miller inside and out, of course, my favorite for sewing.

New Clutch Bag

Purse from Better Homes and Garden free patterns. It has velcro closure under the button tab and it makes its own handle. I think the pattern could be altered to include a longer handle for the shoulder in addition and you could have a magnetic closure too instead of the velcro. I followed the pattern exactly as I always do on the first try. LOL Then I do my own thing usually. I like inside pockets and sometimes outside pockets. But this is a great pattern and a good place to start if you want to make a clutch or even a make up bag etc.
I had a lot of fun making this and love the Moda fabric inside and out.

Babylock Espire

I have to tell you about my babylock espire that I got in Texas. This machine practically sews itself.
I am constantly amazed at what it will do, and I don't even know what it will do.
This is the machine on which I sewed with Eleanor Burns at her workshop in Texas. I knew then I loved it, so after the workshop I went down to the floor and tried one out=picking the brain of the wonderful cute little girl who was working representing Babylock. I cannot remember her name, but she sat down with me and showed me everything Babylock would do and I was sold. She said she herself had 16 machines, but they were furnished of course by Babylock. She said she did all the embroidering. I considered an embroidery machine but decided I wanted a top of the line machine that I could make my quilts and bags and then if warranted, next year I would get an embroidery machine.
This machine is AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME.
It threads itself
It cuts the thread
It staystitches at the beginning and end
It has a pivoting feature that is unbelievable
It is all screen fingertip touching
You program the stitch you want and then the other features and push the button for the presser foot to go down and that is it.
When you are sewing and you stop, the presser foot comes up but the needle st ays down in the fabric-wonderful. Then when you s tart sewing again the presser foot automatically goes down and it starts sewing.
When you are finished you push the stay stitch button and it does 3 stitches and cuts the thread.
When you thread the machine it is effortless. I have had other machines that said they were self threading and I never was able to do it.
The bobbin threads so easy and when you get it threaded you push the needle down button and then again and it comes up threaded.
It dings to alert you when the bobbin is getting low and says it on the screen.It dings when the thread comes unthreaded which is not very often and stops.
It tells you on the screen it is unthreaded.
The decorative stitches are amazing. More later.

More about the Sale

Yesterday afternoon George and I went to the sale to check out how things were going and to shop!!! I bought a necklace for my sis in law and a bracelet for friend Linda. I also bought a Santa Claus from Louesa, my friend from PEO.

I couldn't resist Susan's cheese spread and shortbread cookies.

Susan is unbelievable in her talent and creativity. Her home is beautiful and decorated perfectly. All the jewelry she made looks like it came from a jewelry store. And her food items were awesome and everything was "tastefully" packaged and displayed with professional wrapping and labels and stickers etc.

I am so lucky to have the opportunity to sell my things in their sale.

They said about 10 of my bags sold yesterday, so I am hoping a lot more will sell today. I am planning on going to the sale later today and maybe helping or at least packing up my things to bring home. Maybe there won't be anything left to bring home. Wouldn't that be great?????

new pouch

Yesterday I made a new Christmas design pouch and it has a zipper and a cute little loop handle with an inside small pocket. I boxed the corners and it stands alone. I would use it for a make up bag, but it could be used as a small clutch type instead of a purse if you didn't want to take so much stuff to an event over the holidays. I didn't use a pattern but just started cutting the fabric and then I used iron on interfacing from Pellon and sewed in the zipper.Then I made the pocket and sewed it and my name label in the lining pieces. Then I sewed up the outside pieces and then the inside pieces leaving an opening to turn. Once I had it turned, I sewed up the opening and stuffed the lining inside of the bag and it was finished. So cute.

Most of you know, I have a fabric store on ebay, and last week my husband and I went to Houston to the international quilt market for retailers. It was absolutely awesom. I have never seen such lovely fabrics in my life. I attended several sewing classes-one with Eleanor Burns in her flower and vine technique for applique using a kit she gave us.We sewed on Baby Lock's new espire, and I liked it so much I bought one there.When I got to Eleanor's class I was alittle late, and there was not a seat for me, so she said for me to sit up front with her and we would take turns sewing, which we did, and she was so nice and wonderful.I attended a class taught by Nancy vasilchik a designer for exclusively quilters, and she gave us all kinds of tips for sewing and lots of goodies and a dvd with lessons on how to make a prarie point tote and a purse/tote and applique. We were given charm packs in the posy party and another line, I liked that fabric so much I went and bought 6 bolts from the posy party line.I went to Jinny Byers's class on how to incorporate color brightness in quilts and received another charm pack in bright solids. She was unbelievable in her designs.I went to another class taught by Amy Butler which was truly awesome and her things she brought to show were great. She gave us a brochure book with all her new things in it and signed my copy.I went to the Moda class on charm packs and received lots of goodies there and a dvd with patterns using 8 of the new lines charm packs. We also got a couple charm packs.Lastly, I went to the sulky class on how to make a rag bowl and made a small one, which I thought was so much fun such a great gift idea. I went to lots of other classes and then spent 2 days on the floor seeing over 1,000 vendors showing all their new products, fabrics, patterns etc. It was great not to mention 2 or 3 thousand quilts too, When the market is over the very next day they have the festival which is for sewers. They get to go to classes and walk the floor buying retail.Oh by the way Moda has a new product called layer cakes that is like a charm pack only the squares are 10 inches and there are 40 in each pack.