Sew & Tell Friday: Mom and Daughter Handbag Set

I was thrilled when one of my previous co-workers asked me to make this adorable set of mom and daughter-sized handbags. I mean seriously, how cute is that?!

I used this pattern by I Think Sew and copied the pattern at 70% for the mini bag. I think the mini bag is my favorite . . . it's just so darn cute! And I love the Amy Butler combo my customer chose. You just can't go wrong with Amy Butler!

I'm linking up to Amylouwho's Sew & Tell Friday. Be sure to check out all the other finishes!

Happy Friday!
Mary

I heart artsy-crafty babe (and she's having a sale!)

Surely you know Beki of artsy-crafty babe, right?

I just love her patterns! Here are some bags I've made from her patterns. They're from my pre-blog sewing days, so I haven't showed these here before.

This one is called the Ava Rose Tote:



And this one is called the Short & Sassy Pleated Handbag:



(Can you tell these pictures are from my earlier days of photography? I think they were both taken with a flash (ahhhh!). . . there's definitely a reason I've switched to all natural-light photography!!!)

And here are the bags I've made from Beki's free patterns- the Pleated Tote and the Phoebe Bag.



Right now Beki is running a big sale over at her shop. All bags are 50% off and all patterns are only $5.

Seriously, how do you resist cuteness like this?

Happy sewing,
Mary

Sew & Tell Friday - The Nigella Bag

Hello and happy Friday! Amy at Amylouwho is featuring me today for Sew & Tell Friday, so if you haven't visited be sure to hop on over and check it out! (Oh, and if you finished something this week and blogged about it, be sure to join in the fun and link up!)

My finish this week is a birthday gift for a good friend of mine. She L-O-V-E-S bags so I knew just what to make for her! It was fun talking with her about features she wanted and styles she likes and having her go through my stash to pick the perfect fabric. She asked for a bag with one strap, preferably more wide than tall, with exterior pockets. Here's what I came up with -

I started with the Mabel Messenger Bag pattern and made several modifications to meet my friend's needs. First I added two exterior pockets on the front and a "fancy" (ha ha) faux leather bottom. The bottom was totally inspired by this awesome bag. I found the faux leather at a local shop that sells home decorator fabrics and it was surprisingly easy to sew with. The only major difference is that you can't pin it, but I sewed using my regular 1/4" foot as well as my walking foot and it worked just fine. Oh, and I did use a size 16 needle for this bag since some parts of it where really thick. I love that the faux leather bottom will help this bag stand up to everyday wear and tear!

I'm not a huge fan of traditional metal snaps. I have tons of the 18mm variety, but the magnet is so strong that I often find it difficult to unsnap them. They can also be a bit unsightly sometimes. Enter the hidden sew-in magnetic snap closure. LOVE it! Although it was a little tricky working with the magnet sewn into the bag since it wants to stick to EVERYTHING - my scissors, my iron, the metal plate and feed dogs on my sewing machine. It wasn't a huge pain, but it was amusing!

My next addition was a metal swivel clasp just inside the bag so that my friend can just clip in her keys and not lose them in the bottom of her bag. The fabric I used for the interior is from Kate Spain's Verna collection.

Then I added metal rectangle rings, just because. These were really great during the construction of the bag since I didn't have to sew on the straps until the very end. It was nice to not have to deal with the strap being awkwardly stuffed between the exterior and interior while I was sewing them together. Also I should note that I deviated from the pattern here and made a fixed strap instead of the adjustable shoulder-to-messenger-bag strap the instructions called for.

And for my next trick . . . an interior zipper pocket! This was my very first one, and wasn't hard AT ALL! The pattern includes directions for this zip pocket, and I'm thrilled to have finally learned how to do it.

The fabric I used for this bag is from Amy Butler's Nigella home dec weight collection. It's so pretty, and luckily I have just enough left over to make myself a new ironing board cover. I sure wouldn't mind looking at this fabric every time I have to iron, and it sure beats the ugly cover I have now!

Well, this bag is off to meet her new owner tomorrow. I hope she likes it!!!

Happy sewing,
Mary

I heart patchwork

Just a little weekend sewing to share -

{Front and back of patchwork cosmetics pouch}





This cute pattern is from Rashida Coleman-Hale's book "I Love Patchwork."

I hope you're having a great weekend!

Happy sewing,
Mary

Purse Week - I made the Top 10!!!

I'm so excited to share that my Miss Maven Ruffled Handbag made the Top 10 in Purse Week over at A Lemon Squeezy Home!

You should definitely hop on over and check out the finalists and vote for your favorite. There's some serious talent over there!

I have a new quilt to show you guys but I'm waiting for it to be delivered in the mail. It's a baby boy quilt with lots and lots of Modern Meadow goodness . . . can't wait to show you!!! Hopefully it will arrive by the end of the week. Talk to you again soon!

Happy sewing,
Mary

Miss Maven Ruffled Handbag

Can I even tell you how much I love Amy Butler's latest book Style Stitches?

A LOT! A book full of fabulous bags? Yes please!

And after no less than 12 hours of hard labor, I'd like to introduce you to the Miss Maven Ruffled Handbag.

I used Amy's Full Moon Dots print and a Midwest Modern print and I love the combo. So pretty!

The inside of the bag has a false bottom for extra stability. Nice detail! I deviated from the pattern on the pockets and made my own to suit my needs.

I have to tell you, this was THE.MOST.DIFFICULT. bag I've ever made. The pattern is listed on the "Experienced" level and they aren't kidding! When I first read through the directions I didn't think that any one step sounded too hard and I dove right in. But I must have overestimated my skill level because this sucker gave me run for my money! I had broken thread drama making those ruffles, and don't even get me started on making and attaching those adorable handles! I can't even tell you how many times I pinned and re-pinned and stuck my fingers. But then it was done and it was so worth it!

I'm really grateful for the deadline of the Amy Butler Sew & Tell Challenge to keep me going, because I might have given up otherwise! My bag is far from perfect but I feel really good about working through such a difficult pattern.

After making this crazy hard bag I need some serious quilting therapy. My next task is quilting a baby quilt for a friend, and believe me, that's EXACTLY what I need!

Happy sewing!
Mary

Are you ready . . .

for Amy Butler Sew & Tell day this Friday? I'm on my way!

The husband (who spoils me!) talked me into buying this FABULOUS book last week and there are SO many great bags I'd like to make!

The Cosmo Bag, Style Stitches

Origami Bags, Style Stitches

Blossom Handbag, Style Stitches

Miss Maven Ruffled Handbag, Style Stitches

Seriously, you have to check out this book next time you're at the book store. So.many.awesome.bags. Sigh . . . :-)

For the Amy Butler Sew & Tell challenge I've decided on the Miss Maven handbag - in Amy Butler fabric of course! It's such a cute bag and totally unlike anything else I've made or own. Lauren took a crazy long nap today (3 1/2 hours . . . unheard of!) and I spent the entire time cutting out fabric and interfacing. Phew! Am I rediculously slow or what? I thought I'd start sewing after she went to bed tonight, but I have to admit that after that marathon cutting session I needed a break for the night.

Are you joining in the Amy Butler sewing challenge? I can't wait to see what everyone makes!

Happy sewing,
Mary

Pleated Handbag

Three cheers for another bag!  I had this one all cut out when I made my first one a couple months ago, and I'm just now getting around to finishing it.  It sure is nice to pick up a project when everything's already cut out!

I love this bag pattern by I Think Sew.  There are so many fabric combinations I want to try!  I like this one because it can be used for daytime or evening.

You can find this one in the shop.  Up next: clutches?  zip pouches?  perhaps some Stay-Put Kitchen Towels?  So much to sew, so little time!

Lauren starts preschool tomorrow (three mornings a week) and I have high hopes for a very productive fall, sewing-wise.  When do you get your sewing done?  I sometimes sew while Lauren is awake, but that can be challenging to say the least!  Most of my sewing is done during naptime and after she goes to bed.  I sure don't watch much TV anymore!

Happy sewing!
Mary

A new bag and a new venture

I gave in and splurged on a little Far Far Away 2 recently.  I'm proud of myself for not hoarding it - within two days I dove right in and started cutting it up!

I love this color combo for an early fall bag, and I'm loving this Bracelet Bag pattern by Keyka Lou too! It was fun learning how to make those cute circular handles, and I finally understand what the sewing term "facing" is all about.  Aha!

The exterior fabric is Roses in Dusk and the interior fabric is Moon and Stars in Tangerine.  I also have to mention that I love this lightweight cotton canvas.  It's so perfect for bag making and so easy to work with.

Aaaaannnndddd . . . after dragging my feet for at least the past six months, I have finally opened an Etsy shop!  Let's just call this a soft opening, since my only item listed is this Bracelet Bag.  More to come soon!

If you want to visit my teeny tiny shop, click here.

Happy sewing!
Mary

A new handbag!

So I kind of love this purse . . . 

This is the No. 10 Charming Tote Bag by I Think Sew.  I just love the asymmetrical handle and the way it attaches with a button.  After I saw this version on Flickr I knew I had to make one.

I bought this pattern along with the No. 22 Pleats Shoulder Bag for a whopping $5.50.  Score!  (You can find the combo deal here.)  Why so cheap?  The designer calls these "sewer friendly" patterns, which basically means there are very few instructions included and you need to be very comfortable putting the bag together on your own.  If you're comfortable with making pleats and installing magnetic snaps and other general aspects of bag making, then you'll probably find these patterns to be a pretty good deal.  If not, I think you can find the full version of each pattern on her website, but you'll pay about $7.00 per pattern instead of $3.50 apiece.

I always seem to forget how tedious bag making is!  So many pieces to cut out, interfacing to deal with, and so on and so on.  But this one is so cute, it was totally worth it.  I made it for a friend and I'm happy to report that she loves it too!  

Happy sewing!

Mary

Giveaway Day: Reversible Nicey Jane Bag

Hooray for Sew,Mama,Sew's Giveaway Day!

If this is your first time visiting my blog, welcome!

If you're a regular, welcome back :-)

Either way, I'm glad you're here!

Up for grabs today:

this Reversible Nicey Jane bag! 

I think it would be perfect for all of your spring-time adventures.

This bag is kind of special to me, because it was the subject of my very first blog post!

It was made using the Lickety Split bag pattern by Made by Rae.

You don't have to jump through any hoops for this one . . .

just leave a comment and you're entered!

(One entry per person, please.)

Be sure to include your email address so I can reach you if you win.

(If it's linked to your Blogger account and viewable to the public, that's fine too.)

I'll accept entries until 11:59 eastern time on May 20th,

then I'll choose a winner with random.org.

International entries welcome.

Good luck!

Happy sewing!

Mary

cabin fever and a new pattern

It's been a bit cold and rainy here in Myrtle Beach, and the little one and I are getting cabin fever.

She wanted to play in the rain . . . 

But I thought it might be a better idea to play with water inside, where it was warmer.

The good thing about cabin fever is that it makes me want to sew!  I downloaded Keyka Lou's newest pattern yesterday (only $5!), and since it's quick and easy I was able to make it while Lauren took her nap today.

Keyka Lou's Easy Reusable Grocery Bag

The apple fabric is from the Metro Market collection by Robert Kaufman.

And I didn't really mean to advertise Cheerios, but I didn't have any "Generic O's" handy.  :-)

I've never taken my own bags to the grocery store, but with a cute bag like this I might have to!

What are you sewing this week?

Mary

The Lickety Split Bag

I have to be honest with you. When I first saw the Lickety Split Bag by Made by Rae, it wasn't love at first sight. Don't get me wrong - I love her designs! I love her blog! I'm a huge fan of the Buttercup Bag.

But the Lickety Split Bag just didn't do it for me.

Until I saw this. Rae donated this bag to the Crafthope for Haiti Etsy shop, and I absolutely fell in love with it. Unfortunately I couldn't afford to buy it, but I knew I absolutely had to make one for myself!

This is what I made:

Because this bag is big (it requires one yard of fabric for the front and another yard for the reverse side) it's perfect for showing off fabric that you LOVE. This gorgeous fabric really caught my eye last time I made the pilgrimage to only shop within 90 minutes of my house that carries designer fabric. (But I'll whine about that some other time.) It's Nicey Jane by Heather Bailey and it is so perfect for spring! You really must see this line in person. Very, very pretty.

Because this bag is reversible, I get to show off MORE gorgeous fabric! (Nicey Jane again.)

I used Rae's Pleated Pocket Tutorial, which adds a really nice touch.

Did I mention that the Lickety Split Bag has NO interfacing?!?! I've never made a bag without interfacing, and I admit I had a really hard time not using any. It felt wrong, like wearing boots without socks or clothes without underwear . . . but after agonizing for a bit I just went with it and sewed the interior and exterior together with nothing in between!!! Now that's living on the edge, I tell you. The result is a very flexible bag, but I think once I fill it with the contents of my purse it will fill out just fine.

Now that I have a pretty spring bag, can I just have some warm weather? Please?