Tote samples for class

Hello there. Yes I have a sewing related update, albeit not one of a quilty nature. This morning I made a couple of totes I want to use as samples for my upcoming classes at Fancy Moon. I love making totes for two reasons. One, because they are assembled really fast and two, because one can really have fun with the design.

Not much in terms of bag making accesories is required either. Just fabric, interfacing, wadding or needle felt  and if you can't be bothered to make the handles, just get some ready made leather or twill handles (which I love using). I keep all of this in my stash just like milk in the fridge....






For this smaller tote I used some of my precious Japanese fabric, much of it from the "First of Infinity" line - if I stack all of my Japaneses fabric it probably is about 2 foot high which really is rather ridiculous. Use it or lose, right ?

This smaller tote is quilted with 1/2 inch horizontal lines to give it a bit more structure as the fabric is quite fine.


 




The next one is much bigger (about 50 x 52 cm) and I used some of the precious linen I have from my grandmother and appliqued some VW Bullies onto it which I find rather cute in a flower power sort of way.





One of the Bullies is appliqued across the seam and all appliqued simply with a straight stitch twice around the outline.






And the lining as is the case with the smaller bag is again from the "First of Infinity" collecton that has many, many text prints in wonderful vibrant colours.

 


Happy shopping everybody !

A new shopper for me

I almost never use plastic bags for grocery shopping. We never did at home and although Mum and Dad have a bakery and we do give out plastic bags in the shop if customers ask for, we just never use them ourselves. So this is something that comes natural to me.

But cotton bags do eventually wear out and I was in need of a new one. The other day at the Village Haberdashery I spotted this wonderful cotton twill and I knew I wanted to make this bag with it. No other, just this simple number and oh boy am I happy with it.

The bag uses vintage linen that I have from my grandmother and I used the twill not just as a handle but also as decorative straps around it. This does make sewing a little tough but I used my trusted walking foot throughout and that made the process quite easy.

The handles are 17 in long which is perfect to carry the tote in your hands or on your shoulders. It's got boxed corner of course and is lined with 'Annali' from Dashwood studios.

Shopping totes

The other day I looked at a few of my fabric panels I bought ages and ages ago and thought something ought to be done with them.

So I made a few rather lovely shopping totes that are completely lined. 

And I even dived into my 'Hope Valley' stash for the coffee themed bag to find a matching print for the lining.

The bread themed bag is really large so that a few dozen baguettes will fit in nicely..... that is if you have to buy that many or feeling rather French......

 

This one is lined with a bright 'Pezze' print. All are available in the shop here and here.

Beach bags or grocery totes ?

Last Summer when I went to the Southbank Craftfair I made a couple of totes in preparation but never took any photos of it. I didn't sell them and have used them ever since for grocery shopping. A few weeks ago my lovely friend Leigh spotted them and asked me to make her a couple too. I was only to happy to oblige.

I made the bags from a laminated version of the 'Going Coastal' fabric from Crazy Old Ladies.

 

I used this tutorial which was very easy to follow. Sewing with laminated fabric can be a little tricky as it has a tendency to slip in the machine. It also doesn't like pins very much. But it was still fairly easy and I did not have any problems sewing the bags. I have read on many blogs over the years to which length people go through to be able to sew laminate (putting tape under the sewing foot etc)  but the solution for me was simple; I used my walking foot throughout the whole process. And I really don't think you need anything else (that is if you have a walking foot). By doing so the fabric went smoothly through the machine. Pinning is a bit of pain but this is a simple bag with a little pouch at the front and really doesn't need all that much pinning. The most I pinned where the straps. 

Last year in October Laurie Wisbrun sewed herself a gorgeous raincoat from laminated fabric. She used clover clips instead of pins and can you read in this post her experience of sewing with laminate.

What astonished me most with this fabric is how incredible durable the bags are and how much weight they can carry. This is after all normal quilting weight which happens to be laminated. When I go shopping with my scooter I have regularly both bags full, one hanging from each handlebar. And with full I mean heavy stuff, such as pints of milk, juice, apple etc., we are talking up to 4 kg at times.

And the bags are large enough also to take to the beach which is where they really belong.