Handbag tutorial

I've made a couple of these handbags now, one for my sister and one for my sister-in-law. My other sister-in-law saw my sister's bag this holidays and now she wants one too - and I would quite like one! This bag was a commission for my sister's friend.

I've been playing around with my iPad and I made a little video tutorial with instruction on how to make this bag front.

 And this is what is looks like after quilting.

 Here's a tip, when lining the front flap, cut the lining an eighth of an inch to quarter of an inch smaller and then match the edges when you sew it up. The interfacing in the front is very rigid but the lining fabric is soft so making it smaller means that the lining turns under and doesn't show when you press it. You can see a sliver of the lining on the bottom edge of the flap in the photo above. I should have cut it a little smaller.

Each piece of the bag is cut out in denim and fusible interfacing. Then cotton batting is cut out an inch shorter in length and width and ironed under the interfacing to make half inch seam allowances on each side. All the cutting and fusing is time-consuming but it gives the bag more body.

The magnetic clasp only has a layer of lining between the contents of your bag and the metal prongs that hold it in place. I felt that could be a problem so I made this little bandage to go over the it. Usually I sew something over it but this time I decided to use this product that is designed to "glue" batting together. It's a web with a fusible side and it made a neat and quick bandage.

The clasp from the front

This was meant to be a photo of my next innovation, a rigid plastic base for the bag. I forgot to take a photo of it. Basically, the feet of the bag and like brads or paper fasteners I think we call them in UK. I've lived in New Zealand for 18 years now so I'm forgetting how to speak proper, like what I did in Scotland! That's a joke, folks!!  I wonder what google translate will do with that.

But back to my feet, the prongs went through a plastic mesh designed for making bags and then fold down and hold it in place. It makes a great base and the bag stands up nicely.

Feet with plastic mesh. Looks like my other bags but is a big improvement.

Pocket for an iPad

Inside I made a pocket for a Kindle

So I'm going to make two more of these bags and that's it! No more. I've got too many quilts I want to make!!

Lattice bag

We made bags at Guild this weekend. This is my bag. Isn't it gorgeous!

Third bag finished

This is the third bag I've made using this collage fabric. And yet again, this one is off overseas. My sister left for the Caribbean yesterday and she was very pleased with her bag. I was happy to make it for her. I'm happy to make anything that someone appreciates!

The strap is four layers of denim with one layer of heavy interfacing so attaching it to the bag was a little tricky. I cut away two layers of denim and the interfacing and did this mock overlocking stitch. It's a line of zigzag with a line of stitching top and bottom. My machine motor couldn't cope with some of the thickness where the stitches caught any extra layers of denim. I had to hand crank the machine for most of this!


The back pocket was made to take her iPad.

Front pockets or side pockets take her Blackberry.

And I didn't forget about old-fashioned technology. Pockets for pens inside.

I just adore these feet. They make a lovely finish.

Collage technique

I made my sister make her own bag! Well, I made her design her own collage anyway. It's easy and there is no wrong way to do it! Cut out flowers, leaf and stem shapes. Lay them on felt. Add some fancy wool and Angelina fibre. Put fine black net on top. Nothing is glued or stitched at this stage, just pinned to stiff interfacing.

Give it to your sister (that's moi) to quilt it. I used Heart Paisley this time. It's amazing how just a little bit of Angelina fibre comes alive when you quilt it. I also like the way the hairy yarns are captured.

And this is what you end up with. I decided we should decorate the side pockets this time because the bag is going to be made from black denim. It needed more decoration!

Bag front flap and two side pockets.

Happy New Year. That's been a whole year I've been blogging. I'm not great at journals so this is quite an achievement for me. I remember back in the days when I was a software developer and was sent for psychometric testing for a job, they told me that one of my weak points was daily journalling and that I could improve this by keeping a personal diary. I never did and they were right, it was my weakness. I was hopeless at keeping my timesheet! I love that nobody in teaching asks me to account for my time!

Were you in class when the kids were there? - Yes

Did you teach them? - Well, I tried. I taught my little heart out. Don't know if they learnt anything?

Have you marked their assessments? - Yes

Have you written their reports? - Umm, I've written something. It may be a pack of lies.

That's ok, you've done your job and we'll pay you.

So much easier than trying to account for your time in 15 minute slots - or one job I did was down to 6 minute slots! 

Let me see, 10:00 to 10:06, was in the toilet (must take more Metamucil). Who can we charge that to?

Yup, teaching is a lot easier - and the holidays are great! I hope the sun comes out soon and we actually have a summer before going back to school. Meanwhile, I'll keep sewing.

Messenger bag

I made my sister-in-law a messenger bag from this pattern from Quilting Arts. The flap is constructed in the same way I made the last bag; a collage of flowers and leaves on felt, then net placed on top and the whole lot quilted. I used Swirling Petals this time.




I made her a little purse (coin purse or make-up bag) to go with it. I used the same red flower fabric and this shrinking fabric on the left to make a crinkly fabric. Becky asked me how much it had shrunk. A good question and one I had wondered about too so I took some measurements. It started out as 23cm wide and went down to 17cm. As I'm relating this to her, I was about to work out the ratio... and I realised they are both prime numbers! I have to confess, I got excited about that! Oh dear, maths is turning me nutty. So it can't be simplified and the ratio is 23:17.

This is what the purse looked like finished.

Bag back showing carrying handle and large pocket

Bag front, two small pockets plus side packets and a key swivel

Now I have to make one for my sister. She's here for another couple of weeks so I have a bit more time.

My first commission

The experiment I posted the other day was a sample for my first commission.  I've been asked to make a bag with a dragonfly on it. It also needed to have a pocket for a Kindle. Other than that, I was free to do what I liked.

I wanted the bag to have plenty of shape to it so I decided to make it with a stiff interfacing.  Then, instead of batting, I decided to quilt on to felt. All the flowers, leaves and yarns are just placed on the felt, not stuck on, then covered with net and heavily quilted. Here is one side of the bag.

And the quilting from the back. This is a design from Leah's 365 free motion quilting designs project, loopy paisley.

I bought a bag making kit from my local quilting shop, Patchwork Passion. The kit had a magnetic clasp, strap buckles, a key thingy and these great feet. Aren't they cute!

I completed this at midnight, the night before our quilt show. I intended to have a flap with the magnetic closer on it but I ran out of time. As you can see, I've added a little strap for the key thingy.  You put your keys on that instead of dropping them in the bottom of your bag and losing them!

You may have noticed that there was no dragonfly on the bag. To tell the truth, I had already decided that if I didn't put a flap on the bag that I would put the dragonfly on the front of the bag - and then I forgot! That's what comes of doing things at the last minute.

I really needed to have a dragonfly on it and also, after making the bag up I decided that it did need the flap on it too. So here it is.

And there is the magnetic closer.

 And the finished bag.

I've got enough felt and interfacing to make one for myself! The basic shape was from this tutorial.