New Pieced and quilted Tote

I ordered a pattern and dvd from Justine Foster called the bag lady carrying bag. I love the pattern and loved even more the dvd. It is awesome to watch her make the bag with such ease and such talent. I learned so much from her it was like taking a class.

I made the small size and it is approximately 15 inches wide and 11 inches tall and 6 inches deep. It has side pieces and also a bottom piece and everything is quilted. She even demonstrated stipple quilting on the dvd and hand stitching. It is awesome.


I wanted to show a side view so you could see the side panel. On the inside there are pockets on the sides also. I like that.
The inside has a document pocket and then pockets on both sides and the ends.


There is a loop and button closure and also one on the document pocket.

I love this pattern and am going to to try again and see if I can make one similar to hers.

Her logo is Love & Stitches
Desigsn.

http://www.loveandstitchesdesigns.com/index.html

Check out her website.

Since Fall is my favorite season, I used Moda fall fabrics and a few o thers and think it will be freat to carry in the fall, and I love the document pocket. It is awesome.

Simplicity

I finally finished a new tote purse I have been working on for myself.
I used the Moda Simplicity charm squares and faux leather handles.
I pieced the fabric and quuilted it and used a stripe for the lining with flowered pockets.

I made another one like this with fabric handles for my niece Susan for her Easter gift.

I have not been posting much because I have had health problems with my arms. First I had a stress test because the doctor that it might be heart related and the test turned out negative, so I had a catherization. That, however, was fine. Praise the Lord.

Then, when I was barely over that ordeal, my left arm went numb from my pinkie up to my elbow. The worse was the pain in my elbow. I went to the doctor and he had me to take muscle relaxers and pain pills and I slept for a week. Then I had to go for a nerve conduction test, so I quit the pills. Then I went to my doctor for the follow up and he said I need prednisone, so now I am taking it and back on the pain pills and it is getting a little better.
If this doesn't work he says I need surgery on my nerve in the elbow.....

Back to the purse, I have decided to put rick rack around the top of my next tote and I am excited to try it. I am afraid it might be a little tricky for me though.
I wish some of you reading this would write me.

New Tote Bag with zippered divider++a 1st

Finished Product


Inside with zippered divider unzipped to show the pocket.

Inside with zippered divider zipper and slip in pockets on each side.

Enlarged picture to show design

One of the ladies from church said she needed a new purse and would love for me to make her one---BUT she liked a zippered divider. You guessed it. I had never made one like that. So, I decided to try and see if I could do it and I did!!!

I was very pleased with the way the bag turned out.

I added pink"leather" handles and used Chocolate Lollipop fabrics from Westminster.

I put the divided pocket with a pink zipper in the middle and slip in pockets on both sides of the lining. I also used a magnetic closure.

This purse would be cute wider and shorter too.

Haute Tote McCall's Quilting Magazine

When my quilting magazines arrive, I immediately look for a purse pattern. I was not disappointed in this current April issue I received a week ago.


This tote was designed by Nina McVeigh and is intermediate in skill level. It has woven handles which call for an apparatus (Diva Custom Cord Maker) you have to buy that costs $35, but I made mine from a coffee can lid.

It also calls for you to make piping out of cording and bias tape you make.


Anyway, I used all new fabric from my ebay store from Michael Miller and Exclusively Quilters.
http://stores.ebay.com/Fabric-for-quilts-and-more

It is pieced and quilted, and I am very happy with it, since it is my first attempt. I did follow the pattern, except I put in a magnetic closure and added pockets on the inside. I like a lot of pockets. I did find that the inside lining piece was too tall so I made alittle edging out of the lining which sticks up on the outside of the bag (the polka dot), and I rather like that. My husband called it a happy accident.


I used Warm and Natural batting for the outside and fusible fleece on the lining.


You have to make bias tape from the 8 fabrics you use to make the bag. If you don't know how, it is shown on the website for McCall's.
http://nccallsquilting.com/
You have to buy the magazine to get the pattern for the tote.

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.

new purse I made for myself with a zipper

New purse and small accessories

Wallet
Someone posted a wallet pattern and I thought I would try to make one and see what it looked like. I think the next time I try this I will attach a small change purse to the outside zip a tiny zipper. I like for all my things to be in the same place. I made this out of Michael Miller fabric the bandana line. I love Michael Miller fabric.






Earlier last week, I made a small bag which I would use for change or something like that, and I put one of my favorite zippers in it. I did quilt this Michael Miller paisley aqua fabric and love the way it turned out too.
The zipper I like is a ykk vison which is really almost impossible to find. I think this could be used as a cell phone holder too. I love this size bag too.



























I made a purse today for a lady who ordered it from my ebay store, and I am very pleased with the way it turned out, It is made with quilted L'esprit Provence fabric inside and out with inside pockets and a magnetic closure. I love it, and I hope she will too.
This bag is 12" wide by 8 1/2" tall with about 4" depth. The handles are 19 1/2" long.

Happy New Year - Make it great in 08!!!

I can't believe I have been silent on here for such a long time. It seems like time is swirling by at a rapid rate. Daddy used to say that the older one gets the faster time goes and boy, was he right. I sure miss him.

I am a member of a sewing group on Yahoo and someone posted a blog-sewing tutorial on how to make an Anykine bag.

Of course, I was wild to make one. The first one was not what I expected since I sewed the zipper on the wrong side. It turned out to be a pen case for my purse.

I read the directions and even printed out the pictures alittle larger and still I had problems. Finally, it clicked and I was able to make one.

I think it is adoreable and have included a picture of it.

Somneone in the group mentioned she had seen the bags on etsy, so I went there and found the seller. Hers are adoreable too and she had about 50 listed for sale. Now I am inspired to make more.

Thursday already

Today I went to lunch with the ladies from our church and we had a great time. WE went to red lobster and I had salmon grilled with veggies and rice and cole slaw. yummy They asked me to give the prayer for the food and that was a real honor forme. I gave away several of my purses and smaller bags today and really enjoyed doing that.
I also mailed some to relatives yesterday. Now I can get busy making more. LOL
WE have had so much rain here it is unbelievable and scarey. Constant flood warnings.
I also gave away most of the leftover chex mix I made to the people in the computer lab tonight where we teach computer skills to senior citizens and some people study genealogy.
I wrote about my babylock and forgot to mention that it tells me when it needs thread or is almost out of thread in the top or the bobbin. It is awesome and so easy to use.
I think I am going to tackle another quilt.

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 tote=pieced and quilted

I bought a pack of charm squares at Texas from Penny Strurges and decided to make a tote yesterday. It is called Cherry Baby from Lakehouse by Robin Palette.

The fabric is gorgeous and for some reason did not show up as pretty in the pictures as in person. Maybe later I will try again when the sun comes out.