Fall 2015 Collection: Meet Margo!

The second reveal of the Fall 2015 Collection is the Margo Wallet Bag. I decided to create another wallet style pattern since Madison has been such a hit. We are currently waiting on the reprint of Madison so we can start shipping her out again. The new stock and reprints should arrive by the end of this week.

Alison Glass' Ex Libris prints for Andover Fabrics

Margo is a great little bag, and you will see that the card pocket panel is stashed underneath the flap on the front exterior. This makes your cards accessible without having to dig around on the inside of the bag for anything. The flap has a turn lock to keep everything secure, yet easy to access. I also added a zippered pocket to the back exterior for a phone or other small accessories.

Shannon Fabrics Cuddle (Faux) Suede with Riley Blake Parisian pockets and lining

The interior of the bag features another zippered pocket and large patch pockets to help keep you organized. This bag is small but mighty! It will amaze you how much you can carry around in it for its size. The strap is adjustable so you can wear it cross body or over one shoulder.

Fog City Kitty by Pam Kitty Morning for Lakehouse Fabrics with contrasting lower exterior

You can use a wide variety of fabrics for this bag, such as quilting cotton, faux suede, linen, lightweight denim, chambray, batiks, lightweight corduroy, lightweight wool, etc. Be mindful of the weight of the fabric as really heavy fabrics would overwhelm this design as well as make it difficult to handle during construction.

Exterior of faux suede bag with flap closed

I used a combination of stabilizers for this bag. After making several prototypes, I concluded that making the entire exterior from Pellon's Deco-Fuse 520 would be too difficult, so I swapped out for a foam stabilizer (Pellon's new Flex Foam one sided fusible) as the base for the exterior. I still wanted a sturdy base for the bag, so I added the Deco-Fuse 520 to the base of the lining. It worked out great and made the bag so much easier to stitch together, while still lending the needed structure.

Mama Said Sew, Volume II by Sweetwater for Moda with contrasting lower exterior

Lastly, I get all my hardware from The Buckle Guy. If you have not checked out their website, I highly recommend that you do. Their hardware comes in a variety of metal finishes and has nice sturdy construction. I have never had any hardware from them that I didn't love. You need to check them out!

Zombie Love by Emily Taylor for Riley Blake Fabrics

 

We expect the stock of this new bag to arrive by the end of this week. We are working to get these posted to the website and will send out notice when they are up for sale and ready to ship out!

 

Happy Sewing!

Fall 2015 Collection: Meet Cheyenne!

Kaufman Newcastle denim with batik lining,

featuring hand embroidery from our Cottage Roses Stitchery pattern

Well, it's that time of year again! I have been hard at work designing the fall collection. I have four new designs to share with you for the fall. It has been a while since I released any new bags, so there are two new ones in this collection for you to enjoy!

The Cheyenne Rope Bag is the first reveal of the fall collection. I have been wanting to design a backpack, but didn't really want two straps. I guess it is because a lot of us never use both straps and then the one that isn't being used just sort of dangles there looking unloved! When I researched sling style backpacks, I discovered the rope bag. I had never heard of one before. That tells you how much I know about rock climbing (I definitely don't climb rocks!). For those of you who are also unfamiliar with a rope bag, rock climbers use them when climbing to hold their extra ropes and supplies. The bag is held on with one strap and zips along one side for easy access to the contents. Of course, most of the commercially made bags are hideously ugly and very utilitarian, but I could see the beauty in the design and got to work.

Shannon Cuddle Suede (faux suede) with faux suede fringe on the pocket flap

and a quilting cotton lining

Initially, I thought about having a separate piece to create the depth of the bag like a usual backpack design, but I wanted to branch out and do something REALLY different. I let my brain work on it a bit and then the idea dawned on me...what if I could make the bag from only TWO main pieces? I got busy experimenting and before long I had an idea that worked. This bag really IS made from only TWO main bag pieces! I was able to get the three dimensional depth by darting the front piece before it is added to the back. I LOVE the shape and easy access to the contents. I also love that it is EASY to sew!

Riley Blake Elements, Equations, and basic fabrics. I call this one my Breaking Bad bag!

Once the "bones" of the bag were in place, I added some good solid details, like a front darted pocket and a zip pocket on the back exterior for a phone or other small items. The wide strap is adjustable and works well over one shoulder or cross body. Adding the lower tab along one side of the bag makes it really hug your back during cross body wear. It is a bag that would be great for a guy in really masculine fabrics, for a kid in fun themed fabrics, or for anyone else with whatever fabrics tickle your fancy.

Laundry Basket's Color Daze linen Fabric from Moda, featuring faux suede fringe on the pocket flap.

The design lends itself very well to a variety of fabrics, as you will see in the photos. Feel free to choose just about any fabric except knit or something really heavy like stiff canvas. It would work in canvas, but the seams will get thick and turning it right side out might be a challenge. I recommend the following fabrics: quilting cotton, twill, linen, faux suede, home decorating weight fabrics, corduroy, lightweight wool, velveteen, heavy silk, or lightweight denim, to name a few. A lining from quilting weight cotton is recommended.

Feel free to add your own special details as well. I added faux suede fringe to two of the bags and hand embroidery to the denim one. I mainly stick with sport zippers for this bag, but you can use metal zippers if that is your preference. If you choose metal, seek out the 7" length, or you will have to contend with shortening the zipper so you don't have to sew across the metal teeth.

A word about the stabilizer for this bag: FOAM! I experimented with several brands for this bag and with fusible VS. non-fusible. I can tell you that fusible is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Because of the way the zipper openings are constructed, it is important for the layers of fabric and stabilizer to be very attached to one another. Otherwise, you may have a wonky opening, and no one wants that.

My absolute favorite stabilizer for this bag is Pellon's new Flex Foam one sided fusible. I can't say enough good things about this foam! It has a great adhesive on one side that fuses quickly and effortlessly to the fabric and does NOT crinkle when you turn the bag right side out. It holds its shape well, is easy to sew through, lightweight, and looks great when the bag is finished. What more could you ask for?

Flying Colors linen by MoMo for Moda with a quilting cotton lining

Lastly, I get all my hardware from The Buckle Guy. If you have not checked out their website, I highly recommend that you do. Their hardware comes in a variety of metal finishes and has nice sturdy construction. I have never had any hardware from them that I didn't love. You need to check them out!

Passport by 3 Sisters for Moda

 (This was the prototype bag when I was experimenting with different foam stabilizers. If you look closely, you can see the crinkling in the foam and fabric from the fusible.

This is NOT the Pellon product.)

We expect to have the stock for these patterns in a few days. We'll be adding them to our website for easy ordering and posting to Facebook as soon as they are ready to go out the door.

Happy Sewing!

New Fall Collection: Meet Lola!

The Lola Gypsy bag is the third design of the new fall collection. I was inspired to make this bag after seeing a woman in a restaurant with a very similar bag. I was so taken with the billowy nature of the ruffles and just the overall carefree look that I had to try designing one myself!

 

Valori Wells fabrics for Free Spirit, Cocoon (cotton voiles), mixed with quilting cottons

and Vicki Payne home dec fabric on ends and handles.

 



I chose to make the ruffles from cotton voile and cotton lawn, but they would also be lovely from an iridescent silk. This bag has loop handles upon which the bag is gathered onto during construction. The interior boasts a large zippered pocket on one side with two sizes of patch pockets on the other and a magnetic snap. Since the bag is large on the inside, these additional storage compartments will help keep you organized.

 

Innocent Crush cotton voile by Anna Maria Horner and Curious Nature by Parson Grey

 

 



Liberty of London cotton lawn ruffles and scarf with

Robert Kaufmann printed linen for main bag exterior

 



Since I know that ruffles are not everyone's cup of tea, I have offered two other variations for this bag. One is a solid piece side where you can choose to really showcase the motif of a fabric. I like to make this one from heavier weight fabric, such as home dec.

 

Amy Butler home dec fabric with cotton voile scarf from Amy's cameo line

The other variation offered is a patchwork made from 5" squares. It takes 31 squares to make the exterior of the bag. This is great for using up scraps or leftover charm squares from your stash.

Charm squares from Little Black Dress by BasicGrey for Moda fabrics

 



For this design, I decided to use a stabilizer called Roc-Lon Multipurpose cloth. This is also known as "black-out". You can find it online by the yard or you may find it in the home decorating section of fabric stores. Here is a link I found where you can purchase it at Fabric Depot. I personally used the 36" width, but you can choose to purchase a different width. This will affect the amount of yardage (you would need less of a wider width). The reason I chose this stabilizer is because of its supple nature. It feels a lot like canvas, but because it does have some synthetic components, it is resistant to wrinkling and holds its shape quite well. Plus, it is a breeze to stitch through! It is well worth seeking this product out!

The pattern includes full size pattern pieces and complete instructions for all of the variations, including the scarf.

This pattern will be available in a few days....the stock just came and we have to get the patterns listed online first, then you can purchase it!

Happy Sewing!!

Last Sneak Peek: Meet Camilla!

Here is the last new design for spring, the Camilla Insulated Bag. I was inspired to come up with this design at the request of a friend who was having a hard time finding a good quality lunch bag with the correct proportions. That was a good challenge for me and it grew into a rather nice design, I think! Once I had made the bag in the size she needed, I realized the possibilities this bag had in other sizes too. After getting three worked up in different sizes using the laminated fabrics, I thought it would make a nice handbag or tote too, so the pattern offers 5 different sizes with endless possibilities!

The largest size made in laminates would be great to pack up a lot of food for a picnic or snacks for a road trip. It would also work nicely for trips to the grocery for small bags of frozen items or fruit. The two other sizes as insulated bags work well for lunches, drinks, or snacks. These bags have a full velcro closure across the top just under the handles to help keep your items at a good temperature.

The non-insulated bags have interior pockets and a magnetic closure. I played around with the depth of the bags and made them a bit shallower so they would be better suited to use as handbags. You will also notice that I used my flower from the Summer Flower Tutorial to embellish some of the bags.

A tip for working with laminates: try using your walking foot. I found that it worked better than my teflon foot! Because I was quilting layers of insulated batting with the laminates, I needed an even feed under my machine. I thought I would see what the walking foot would do with the laminated fabrics. It was fabulous! I can't recommend this highly enough.

I also made some fabrics into laminates by using the iron-on vinyl from Therm-o-Web. This was an easy product to use and I got great results. It doesn't make the fabric too heavy to sew with, so I recommend trying that as well, especially if you find some fabrics that you want to use and they are not offered as laminates.

Lastly, I used some of my Echino Japanese linen for one of the large tote bags....LOVE it! When working with heavier fabrics, I make some recommendations in the pattern for the type of stabilizer that will work best, so hopefully it will help in making good decisions when you get ready to make your bags.

So, that's it! Now you have seen all the "newbies" for spring. The stock has just arrived, so it will only be a matter of DAYS before we have these listed and ready for purchase!

Happy Sewing!

All Spiffed Up for Market!

Well, I have been busy sewing for myself (for a CHANGE) and it has been so fun! I made two new bags to take on our trip to market. One is a purse and the other a travel bag for reading, snacks, and probably a small knitting project for the plane, plus whatever else last minute stuff I decide I think I can't live without.

The first one I am going to show is from the Sara Satchel pattern. I decided to use the one-sided Peltex fusible in it instead of the buckram/fusible fleece combo and it worked great. I highly recommend this substitution if you are thinking about making this bag. Notice also that I decided not to crease the sides for a different look.

The next bag is from my new pattern, the Sylvia Sling. I used a mish-mash of fabrics on it this time in the three piece variation for the side. I am really liking the different fabrics together and how each side has its own personality. Note that this bag is loaded with my junk and still manages to look great!

I plan on getting another Olivia tunic length dress made to wear at market plus some skirts.....so nice to carve out some fun sewing time! Let me know what you think about these sewing adventures!!

Hope you have time to get some sewing in this weekend, and Happy Mother's Day to all of you hard working moms out there!!

I'm Back, and this time, I mean it!

Hello again, everyone! You will notice that I have once again fiddled around with the look of my blog. I guess one of these days, I will feel more comfortable with messing with the HTML code, but I do feel I am making some progress on that front. Let me know what you think of the new look!

My absence from the blog this time is attributed to working hard getting ready for International Quilt Market in Houston next month. I have 6 new designs coming out, two of which you have already seen here on the blog....the Francesca Skirt, and the Juliet Tunic! Anyway, I made mention last time of a great little bag that is easy to make that I had been working out the details on. Here it is.....the Dharma Bag! It will be offered in three sizes on the pattern and the best part is that each size folds up into its own pocket, making it so easy to throw in the car or your bag when you go shopping! It is what I consider the best answer to going green....do it in style with your favorite fabrics!! Once your friends and family see this bag, they are all going to be begging for some.....so it is a darn good thing that these are so fast and easy to make! I also love that if you make a set, the bags will "nest" inside of each other, enabling you to carry three bags at once. I think they would make a great little Christmas gift!


The other bag that I have designed for the fall is the Carmen Convertible Bag. This is one that I literally dreamed about one night and just knew I had to try it out. This design is featured in two sizes, a handbag and small tote. It has comfortable shoulder straps and is quite roomy to hold all of your stuff. That is definitely a good thing, as you are going to love how this bag works! I designed a removable drawstring liner that will pull out and plop into another bag, so you don't have to go through all of your junk when you are in a hurry and just need to change to a different bag! So the idea here is to make several "outsides" to go with the liner, then you can have a totally different bag without dumping out the contents and dealing with "all of that" when you don't have the time or energy. The bag also stands alone nicely, as it is fully lined on its own. The removable liner is held in place with a long strip of Velcro. I added interior pockets to the liner as well to help keep everything organized. The exterior pockets will also help with that!



I had mentioned Peltex in my previous post and how I wanted to give it a try. I REALLY like this stuff! It is easy to sew through and holds its own very well. I chose to use the one that is fusible only on one side, so the product is officially Peltex 71. Give it a try if you are so inclined....I have even made a Bridget Bag (which I think I mentioned last time) to try this product. I love the results and highly recommend using it! I truly feel that it is a great substitute for my beloved buckram. In some ways, (and don't tell anybody) I like it better! I feel in the long run it is going to hold its shape without softening, and it says it is washable. While I still feel that is not the best idea in the world, you should be able to do it if you absolutely must. So go forth and use this stuff with my blessing on any of my bag designs!

The new designs will all be available at the end of October. I am excited about them and hope you will be too. I will be making an attempt to regularly post, now that most of the craziness of designing has been done. I still have a lot to do before being ready for market, but the hardest part is done....whew! Hope you all are having a fabulous day and enjoying the fall weather, wherever you are!

Where have I been?....and New Fabric!

Wow! Where has the summer gone? I have been so lame in getting a new post to the blog!! I apologize for this lameness....maybe I can blame part of it on the blazing Texas heat (which was brutal in July I might add). I am actually working on some pretty exciting stuff, but some of it needs to stay under wraps for a little longer.....I will reveal it as time progresses...promise!

What I CAN talk about is a new bag design that will be coming out this fall. It is, shall we say, eco-friendly, super easy to make, fun to use, and even more fun to sew for all of your friends! Photos will be coming soon. I have some testers out there who will be giving feedback on their prototypes...you know who you are!

I also have another bag design floating around in my head that I hope to get into my sewing room and work on this week before I lose the mental image. I literally dreamed about it. Those usually seem to be the best ones! Anyway, once it is actually in existence and it passes my scrutiny, it may appear here also.


In the meantime, here is what I received on my porch late last week. It is three prints from the new line, 1974, by Urban Chiks for Moda fabrics. I think it is way cool! The scale is HUGE with lots of interesting stuff in it....like birds here and there and doodles that resemble peacock feathers, paisleys, etc. I just love the large medallions and can't wait to get this stuff made into bags and whatever else strikes my fancy. Be sure to check this fabric out at your local quilt shop.

I have also stocked my fabric stash with some new stuff from Tina Givens's Chloe's Imagination line, Tanya Whelan's Ava Rose line, and of course, the new Heather Bailey stuff. I am eager to use all of this great new fabric in designs for my fall line.....many exciting new things to come! Be sure to check out all of their fabrics in my blog and fabric designer links I have listed here at my blog.

I am also testing out a stabilizer called Peltex. It is similar (I am told) to Timtex. I never actually used Timtex and hear that it is being discontinued. I did use a fusible version of Peltex (one side was fusible....they make a double sided version, but is way stiff!) on a Bridget Bag for one of my friends as a birthday gift last week and really like the way it turned out. I plan on testing it with some of the new bags I will be working on and will be sure to share my thoughts as I venture into sewing with this new find. I know it will not hold a crease as well as good old buckram will, but for bags that don't require that, it may be a good substitute. It is also machine washable (buckram is dry clean only), so that is a plus. Anyway, I will be sure to post to the blog as soon as I have my opinion formed on this stuff and if you should try it or not.

I guess that is about it for now....hope all of you are busy sewing....I know that school is just around the corner for most kids now....that means hopefully more sewing time for some of you!

Happy Sewing!!

Making Bags: What in the heck is buckram?

When I started working on bag designs last year, I thought about what makes a bag useful. One of my biggest pet peeves is a bag that simply doesn't stand up for itself! No wimpy bags for this chick! So, of course, that brings me to the topic of today's post which is buckram. "Buckram?", you say, "What on earth is that?" I have gotten that comment a LOT since I designed the Bridget Bag for last spring! To answer the question, buckram is a stiff but lightweight woven stabilizer that is made from cotton fibers. Why do I like it? Because it gives a bag stability in a way that other stabilizers such as Timtex and Peltex do not. Buckram can be creased, which gives you the ability to iron the sides and bottom of a bag, leaving a crisp professional finish.


"What is the story behind buckram?", you ask..... Well, it has actually been around for a long time. It is probably one of the first stabilizers ever developed. It was first used in the process of making drapes. Remember the drapes with pinch pleats at the top? Well, something had to be in there to hold the fabric stiff to get the right look and buckram did the job. Now, it is more common to see buckram on the inside of the front of a baseball cap....take a peek inside and see if you can spot it!

Where can it be purchased? That is a good question also. It is not kept in the same area of a store with other types of stabilizers, rather you can find it in the drapery section of stores that sell decorator fabrics. It is sold on a roll, is 20" wide or so, and is fairly economical. Some quilt shops are beginning to carry it also, so keep your eyes peeled!

One other thing about buckram. There seems to be about three different weights in the marketplace, ranging from very lightweight (almost like crinoline) to something that is so stiff, I don't know how anyone could sew through it or more importantly, turn the bag right side out after sewing it together....avoid the two extremes and go for the middle weight. It should basically feel like heavy cardstock in your hands. This will provide enough structure for your bag without being too difficult to work with or too wimpy to give the proper support.


Things to keep in mind when making bags:

It is advisable that you should spray your finished bag with something like Scotchgard, as buckram should be dry cleaned only. It loses its umph if put in the washer.

I also use a machine needle suitable for denim when making my bags as I usually have several layers to penetrate and hate it when the needle breaks.

Since buckram is not a fusible product, use a temporary spray adhesive such as Sulky's KK2000 or 505 to layer fabrics. This keeps away puckers and eliminates the need to pin anything, plus these adhesives are safe to use with your sewing machine.

Be sure to check out all of the bags in the Boutique Chic line that use buckram. Once you try it, I think you will see why it is my primary stabilizer!