Excited for a New Week!

Granny D here.  It's Make It Monday and I thought I'd share what I have going on in my head this morning.  Of course, it'll take me all week to get these all completed but, oh, the fun of creating.  Right.

I finished this cute little patcwork bag Saturday.  It can be made out of a 10" square so that gives you an idea of the size.

And last night I cut out the little Flower Power bag you see in the picture next to it.  I like that funky little flower and all of the different colors together

Even though the possibilities are endless, I get tired of making the same old boxy totes sometimes.  So I found another bag that I like.  It's softer and rounder.  Instead of the corners, it has darts to shape the bottom corners.









And I think I'm going to try something different by using interfacing in the top part and batting in the bottom part just to add to that soft, feminine, curvy look.  The fabric you see here is curtain fabric from that earlier fabric haul I spoke about.  Once I get this perfected, I'll probably use a pretty floral or something a little more dramatic to make it look a bit dressier.







Since purses and bags are mostly rectangles, I like to make my own patterns.  I have a big roll of paper.  Not sure if it's butcher paper or not but it's flexible enough to pin to fabric.  Here's a messenger bag pattern I cut out last night.
As you can see, it's not complicated at all and I did a little something with the strap.  It's 4" wide but I went ahead and cut the pattern 36" long.  Then I marked off like 22" and 29", you know, different lengths you'd use for different projects so I don't have to keep cutting out strap patterns.  Same goes for pockets.


That about does it for today.  Do you have any tips or tricks for cutting out your own patterns?  We'd love to know.

Slow Sewing Week

Granny D here.  It's been a slow sewing week for me.  To much real world stuff to do and I don't like it one bit.

If you'll remember, Monday, I had a beautiful blue and yellow bag prepared to sew.  Remember, I was trying to decide whether to make the back blue or yellow.  I ended up going with blue.








Well, I did manage to get this one completed.  And it turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself.  And I love the little daisy button I found.

But take a look at what I put together just yesterday.  I'm calling this a picnic purse and the body can be made out of a 10" square, well two 10" squares.  I've got some great ideas for that.  It's just big enough for car keys, lipstick and your cell phone.  Maybe some tissues and breath mints.  You know, those essentials you'd take on a picnic.  There are pockets inside and a magnetic closure just inside the top to keep everything safe.  (I learned a lesson about those little guys I'll share with you later.) The strap is long so it can be worn across your body.  Or tuck it down inside if you like and use it as a little clutch.

I think, the first time I saw a picture of this purse, was in a magazine around Christmas time.  They were calling it a party purse.  And, with the right fabric and glittery embellishments this would be the perfect little purse to take to a party.  Of course, I set about making my own pattern but this is the first time I've played with it at all.

So, tell me.  Do you prefer big bags to carry everywhere?  Or do you think, every once in a while, it's nice to just take the bare necessities in a small bag whether it's a picnic or a party?

Finished Product

Granny D here.  Remember all those piece parts I showed you on Monday?  We're calling that Make It Monday, by the way.  Well, all of those parts finally became something special today.

Since these will soon be showing up in our eBay store, I thought you might like to see how one is made.  I'm going to take you kind of step by step as to how I put it together.  As you see each step, feel free to let me know if you think something can be done quicker or easier.  I'm no expert, believe me.
First things first. 
I make the straps, the button flap and the pockets first.

Then I sew the pockets to the lining and put the lining together.  And this time I remembered to leave the 3" to 4" hole in the bottom so I can turn it later.  Sheesh!  I always forget that.  Thank goodness for seam rippers.

After that I start working on the outside of the bag.  I use fusible batting to make it soft and then quilt it just a little.  Then I sew on the straps and the flap.  You'll notice I changed the flap.  When I got ready to sew it on, it was just too wide.  So I just made another one.







Now comes the fun part.  I turn the lining inside out and tuck the bag, right side out into the lining.  Got it.  I just have to keep telling myself right sides together, right sides together...  You get the picture









Then, it's just a matter of sewing around the top of the bag, making sure everything is straight and even and those straps stay out of the way.  I turn it through that little hole I left in the bottom of the lining.  And then, whew, remembered to sew the hole up once I'm sure everything is cool.  Lastly, sew a button on the front to secure the bag somewhat.

And, there you have it.  A patriotic tote, that's roomy enough for just about whatever you might need.  Plus, it has plenty of pockets to help keep things organized.  What do you think?

Make It Monday - Patriotic Tote Bag

Granny D here.  I love, love, love making tote bags and purses.  You'll see some that I made in our eBay store soon.  But I thought it would be fun to show all of the piece parts that go into making one of these totes.  They're really simple, and I can't tell you about the pattern except that it's just ideas I've pulled from here and there and perfected after trial and error.  You know, I'd make one and then decide the straps were too short.  So, I'd adjust.  Then I'd decide it needed more pockets so I'd add those to the next one.  Sometimes I'll sew a piece of ribbon on the inside with a D ring attached so your keys will be available and not get buried in the bottom of the bag.  I use interfacing and batting to make them sturdy and yet soft.

So, here goes.

This first picture is the pieces of the outside of the bag, the pretty stuff everyone sees.  I love patriotic themes and colors, especially for summer and thought this would be fun.  So the front is pieced from a jolly bar (5"X10") pieces and 5" squares.  The back is just solid denim (Remember those curtains I posted about a little while back.  Yeah, it's a curtain but the denim is just heavy enough without being too much.)  The straps are from the same denim and that red dotted piece will be the flap that comes over the top to button the bag closed.  I'll probably use a silver button.

 The second picture is the lining.  It's a nice cotton fabric we found at a really good price.  It's a pretty navy (the pics don't do it justice) that pairs well with the denim and the outside of the bag.  The smaller rectangle near the top and to the right is a small pocket.  The piece to the left is another larger pocket that will run the full width of the bag, sewn in about 3 4" sections.  I think with this one, I'll sew a smaller section in the smaller pocket to hold a pen.  That would be handy.

And here are all the parts together, ready to sew.  You can see that it's really just rectangles of different sizes, doing different jobs to make this patriotic tote.  I've already filled a bobbin and threaded the machine with navy thread.  I can't wait to get started on this one.

What is your favorite thing to sew?  If you haven't tried making a tote like this, do it.  It's not really difficult at all and I like that they are practical and pretty at the same time.

My First Fabric Haul

Diana here (aka GrannyD)

For about a dozen years, I worked at Lowe's Home Improvement Center here in town.  I managed the Paint and Home Decor Departments (paint, blinds, wallpaper, curtains, you get the picture).  So, one day I came around the corner and saw several vendors pushing two carts full of, well, sample curtains.  Turns out the Spring line was being put up and these were no longer needed.  I stopped dead in my tracks and, I swear to you, the spirit of my grandmother took over.
"Where are you going with all that?" I asked, trying to act like it really didn't matter.
"The trash," one of the vendor's answered.
I stood there for a moment and then shook my head.  "Um, no.  No, I don't think so."
"What would you like for us to do with them, then?" he asked.
"Why not just leave them here and let me take care of it?" I responded, still trying to keep my distance.
They looked at each other and shrugged.  "Whatever you say."

I hid those carts full of curtains (fabric) as well as I could until my shift was over all the time wondering what had possessed me.  I hadn't sewn a stitch since my girls were little.  And I certainly didn't have time to sew now.  But I knew I could not let that fabric (curtains) go to waste.
When my shift was over, I found as many boxes as I could, folded the curtains into them and took them home.  Where they sat.
For a couple of weeks.
Maybe a month.
Then,  one night, I was closing with one of my employees and saw her purse.  It was one someone had given her and the name on it was Vera Bradley.  I looked at it closely, just to see how it was made and that's when I knew what all of that fabric (curtains) I'd drug home was going to become.  It turns out curtains are made from really, really good fabric.
After that, every time the curtains changed out, I brought all of the samples home.  My daughter, you've already met her), helped me organize them in the closet but it's gone way, way beyond that.  Shhhh, don't tell her.  It got to the point that when the discontinued curtains were marked down, I was sometimes given the option, "If you take all of these, you can have them for .10 each."  What do you think I said?
This just goes to prove that will a little imagination and 'out of the box' thinking, you can find 'fabric' anywhere.