My first Non Cotton Bag

I love my cotton bags...but I found some pleather type material on clearance that I thought was unusual. And it was pretty thin, so I didn't think it would be too hard to work with. I grabbed it up to give it a try. If it didn't work, then I didn't have a lot invested in it.

 

Here is my first non cotton bag.

 

 

Now I know, it is screaming for some kind of embellishment, hardware, pockets, something. But again, this was my first one, and I was experimenting with something completely new. So I didn't put a lot into it other than just trying to sew it. I couldn't even tell you exactly what kind of material it is. It feels like a leather, but again very thin. The girl at the desk didn't know what it was. A polyester of sorts, but is shiny. I apologize I'm not real helpful here. If anyone else has seen this and knows what it is, I would be interested to know.

 

Here is a view of the back. Again, just a simple zipper. I did have a lot of trouble top-stitching it. Its very sticky. The foot was kind of dragging across the fabric and would hop from time to time. I'm a big Google fan, so I googled "sew on sticky fabric". And it was recommended that if you didn't have a Teflon foot, then put tissue paper in between the foot and the fabric. I tried that, and it did go a bit smoother, but then you have to pick tissue paper out of your stitches. Wasn't fun.

 

 

 

A view of the inside. I couldn't iron this fabric, so I had to use all sew in interfacing. And I couldn't press the straps, so that was a bit of a challenge. But on a good note....I tried something new. I had to use new techniques, and I had to use unfamiliar supplies. So while this particular bag is not eye catching, I learned something new. So that makes it worthwhile to me. I would use this fabric again after I find this Teflon foot to make it easier. It has that leather look to it, and with the right embellishments, you wouldn't think it was homemade. And the next one, I promise to jazz it up a bit with some hardware or rivets.

 

 



 

 

One more Halloween Bag

Last Halloween Bag, I promise. :)

I can't help it....I love Halloween. Decorating my house, baking spooky treats, having all the little children come to the door with their little costumes. It's just fun.

So here is my last Halloween bag for the season.

 

This is a pattern I found from Sweet Bee Buzzings. I loved the patchwork, and this fabric from Michael Miller, Nevermore, fit it perfectly. This was a good sized purse, in my opinion, but I did make a smaller version that fit me better. Mine is 10 x 9 x 5.  This is the first time I put grommets in, and I really loved the effect. They were very easy to install, so I will be using them again. This fabric may be too macabre for some folks, but as a fan of Halloween and scary B Movies, it made me smile.

 

 

Here is the back view:

 

 

 

 

 

For the inside, I kept it simple. I don't carry a Halloween purse for very long, so I don't need the pockets I would normally put in it. And I just used a magnet to close.

 

 

 

 

Can you see the Raven down there?

 

I would absolutely make this purse again. Bethany's instructions were very easy to follow, and I loved all the photos. I'm a visual kind of gal.

 

So there you go...I'm off to make some goodies for the office, and I'm all set for the little childrens.
(Insert evil laugh here)

 

Happy Halloween !!

 

Watermelon Baby

I was going to a baby shower, and I wanted something really cute to take. I love Pinterest. So I was surfing through trying to find something, and I found all the cute things you can do with watermelons. Here is what I found.

It was so simple to make, and my daughter and I had a lot of fun doing it. Find an oblong watermelon and cut into about 1/3 of it from one end, and then straight through the middle. Hollow it out and fill with cut fruit. I took some old drawer handles with screws in them to stabilize the bottom.The face is 1/2 of a cantaloupe, and the eyes are blueberries held with toothpicks. I had the lace in my stash, and purchased a pacifier. Simple and quick but just too cute. Everyone loved it.

Bingo Tutu Bag

I've been making Bingo bags for about 2 years, and recently made a Tutu dance bag for my cousin's little girl. My mother in law, who is an avid bingo fan, saw the Tutu bag and wanted one. The light bulb went off in my head! Combine the two.

 

 

 

Instead of having the pockets on the outside to carry her daubers, I put them on the inside. She carries her water and snacks, and is ready to go.

 

 

 

She loves it! You can order yours Here.

 

 

Halloween Decor

It's getting chilly here, so it was time to take down the garden and put everything away for the winter. I was looking at the tomato cages, and suddenly got an idea. I'm going to make a Halloween decoration! Here is what I came up with.

All I did was string some lights up and down the cage. I put a long stick in the center of it and had it sticking up about 6 inches above the top of the cage. I used an old twin sheet and cut it in half. I wrapped it around the cage and used black spray paint to make it look old and dirty. The faces are just Halloween mask with a black drape attached I got at the dollar store. Stuck them into the ground and plugged them in. I loved it! Now I'm thinking how easy to interchange this with Christmas or Easter. I could just keep decorating them until I needed them for my tomatoes next spring. :)

DayTripper

Here is my DayTripper from Dog Under my Desk. I love this purse. I found this fabric last year on clearance and knew I would wait until I found a really cute pattern to do something with. I have been following Purse Palooza 2013 from Sew Sweetness and saw the DayTripper. I knew it would make a perfect Halloween bag! I made the mini size, which fits me perfectly.

There are 2 slip pockets on the front, and a large zippered pocket on the back. I put 5 assorted sized pockets on the inside, plus a pen pocket. A girl needs lots of pockets!

 

 

Here is the inside. As my grandmother always said, "A place for everything, and everything in it's place." 

I was so excited to learn a new technique on recessed zippers. I've never been thrilled with having tabs on both ends of the zippers. Dog Under My Desk showed how you can easily make a recessed zipper with just one tab on the end. Her instructions were wonderful and I love how it turned out. I have already used that technique on other projects.
 

What do you think?