and another

I decided to make another bag this evening so that I can take two tomorrow and see if they are liked or not.  Here it is:

Quite pleased with the outcome.  Tomorrow I am hoping to get up earlier and finish the two purses I started last night.

Latest Creation part two

Found an idea in one of my bag books and went to FabricLand after swimming today and got some cotton ribbon type stuff.  Sewed it on my bag this afternoon and here is the result:

I am really pleased with the result.  I will be getting on now making more of them.  Its a pity I won't have more of them for the sale I am doing tomorrow.

My latest creation

Yesterday I bought zips for my latest creation to see if what I had planned in my head would work in reality.  Here is a photo of the prototype:

I put together another one, but haven't put a handle on it yet, as I am not sure about using cord.  Here it is:

Also cut out and put together a couple of bigger purses, but leaving the handstitching until tomorrow morning when it is daylight.  I will post pictures when they are finished.

More purses today

today was spent finishing off three of the purses I started yesterday and cutting out and sewing in the zip for one more, in between taking my son to his trampolining, swimming and orthodontic appointment.  Busy day!  Here are the finished purses:

Tomorrow I will do some more purses.  I want to get a zip for a project I am thinking about.  I am designing a tote bag using a zipper at the top to close.  It will be along the same lines as the drawstring bags, but using a longer strap and the zip.  I'm hoping it will work in theory :-)

Blinking Irons!

Well, I did have a different day planned to the one that happened.  I had the fabulous idea that I would clean my iron as it hasn't been performing adequately recently.  This iron is near on 10 years old.  Cleaning it caused the electrics to trip and I couldn't figure out how to fix it.  So we went out today instead.  When we got back, I decided to take matters into my own hands, was brave and pressed a button at the end of the fusebox and voila, we have power again.  I then went into the kitchen to check on the iron, plugged it in and boom, the electrics went again so the iron is being consigned to the bin and I am off out again in a mo to pick up a new one from Argos. 

On the plus side, I  now have another three bags nearly finished apart from the binding and handles.  Here are pictures:

Today I was going to make more purses, grrr.  Oh well, will get started on them when I get back from Argos...

Chuffed at first sale on Etsy :-)

I sold my first purse on Etsy yesterday and suddenly things don't seem so bleak.  Also rang Wimborne Market and we are going to have a look around tomorrow.  The pitch prices seem to be reasonable and an added bonus is that I can have a stall indoors and they provide a table :-) 

Today was busy, had to pop to Range to get a padded envelope for sending my purse and came across this in the reduced section:

And I have already filled it with fabric:

This meant that I could tidy up my work area and now I have more space to work :-)

Along with all of this industriousness, I managed to cut out linings for 3 more bags and put one more nearly together.  I have chosen which fabrics I am going to use for the binding and handles too, so soon I will have four more bags put together.  This is the bag that I have nearly finished, apart from binding and handles:

and these are the two that I have cut out linings for, but not wadding yet.  I will hopefully be doing that tomorrow, after we get back from Wimborne (or before we go shopping for Aunty Marg, if I am up early enough)

and the other:

Busy week cutting squares, one of the most laborious jobs in the world :-)

The past week has been spent cutting out 5" squares from various fabrics. A laborious task of sorting different fabrics, ironing them, measuring them accurately (which takes a bit of time), and cutting them. At the moment I am doing two squares from each fabric.

For a break, I put some together into a bag:

 Just needs finishing, which I will do at the weekend at Grannie's house, need to raid her fabric cupboard :-)

What I made today :-)

Made three needlecases from scratch and finished another one today as I managed to get to Fabric Land to get more felt.

Making a bag

I wanted to blog how I make these bags.

First I choose 10 squares...

Then pin them in pairs...

Then after I have sewn the five pairs together, I iron the seams...

I then pin and sew each of the pairs together...

until they were all joined together and then ironed the seams...

Here is how they look on the right side...


I then pin and sew them into a bag shape...

and then cut, pin and sew the lining...

Once the lining is sewed, I then fold and pin the top edge ready to sew...

and here it is, put together:

All I need to do now is make the holes to put the cord in. I will be doing that later on.