Stuff it all in bag

The other week I showed a photo of the final stages of making an extra large slouch tote bag.

We started at our regularly crafting coven and I finished it off at home.  Out of the various bags I have made I think this was probably the most confusing (mainly due to the fact that you cut the fabric out then reposition and sew it a different way) and it took a long time to make.  

 

I think I would made it again but I would probably make it slightly narrower and maybe add a few more pockets.  It folds up smaller and I think it would be perfect for a holiday (stuffing it all in swimming cossie, lunch, hat etc). 

 I just have to forget the pain of making it so I can face making another one!

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Another fabric stash busting make

 Hello peeps, just a quick catch up as I just realised when I blogged about the Christmas presents I made this year I forgot to include the handbag I made for my mum!

I love Debbie Shore's bag pattern (a HUGE thanks to LLJ for introducing me to her patterns, I have made this bag several times since) so back in the summer I opened up my fabric stash and asked mum to choose the colours she liked.

From the various fabrics she pulled out I made her this bag with two pockets on the front (perfect for tissues, travel card, notebook etc)

 all lined with a gusseted zip for security and another pocket inside

  and a plain back so it lies nicely against the body

A bright and colourful handbag and totally my mum's colours.

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

An oversized tote bag

Just when you thought it was safe to venture back to my blog here comes ANOTHER bag!

This one I made for my sister in law's birthday.  Its quite big so I thought it would be perfect for her to put folders etc in for work (I often keep a small cross body bag for phones, purse and keys for security and  a large tote for "stuff" so thought this may work if I made the tote larger than usual).

Once again it has iron on fusible fleece between the layers to give it some body and the outer fabric is upholstery fabric so it is quite thick and robust, an inner pocket and 2 pockets on the outside, perfect for tissues, travel card or notebook.

I have also been trying to find a good pattern/instructions for a messenger bag so if anyone can recommend one please let me know.

Happy crafting

kyla

 

A couple more presents

Hello peeps, so I can finally show you some more items that I have made.

These items were made for my Mum's birthday (which was yesterday-Happy Birthday Mum!) so I had to wait to share them.

As you know, I have been making bags during the later half of last year and in the run up to Christmas this was one of the bags I made.  Pale greens and turquoise are my Mum's colours so when I sorted through my fabric stash I knew just who I needed to make one for.

 The bags are all the same pattern, but this one was slightly bigger so that you could fit knitting and a book in it, ideal for mum.

 I lined it with some cotton fabric and the bag is once again made using fusible fleece so it has some structure to it.

The other gift I made her was back in the summer when I did my Glass Fusing course with my friend Val.  It was a great day and I made coasters, necklace pendants, keyrings and this, my very first sun catcher to hang in the window.

Across the top is a tubing of glass so that you can feed some thread through to hang it up and the sand coloured glass between the waves is frit, which is a very fine ground multi coloured glass.

I really enjoyed the class and one I will definitely do again this year (ready to make Christmas presents for next year I was thinking!).

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

 

A fern handbag

 Hello peeps are you ready for another update?  This time it is another bag.  After making that one in the summer with Jan I have been loving making them.  Again they take ages but even though I say so they do look really professional.

This one is slightly smaller and is made from a lovely fern stylised fabric that I made for my sister in laws birthday (the week before Christmas).

Again it is lined with an inside and outside pocket and has a inset zipped gusset  and I have used iron on fusible fleece to make the bag quite sturdy so it stands itself up.

I do love these bags and I admit I find it hard to give them away but regardless what I tell my husband a woman really can have too many handbags (but shh...don't tell him!).

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

WOYWW

Hello peeps, Wednesday again so that can only mean one thing....yep, I have to show you my workdesk!!  Now I have a confession (no, not that....those of you who know me would have already seen THOSE photos on Facebook!!) but this is not my desk, and I took the photo at the weekend.

My workdesk is actually full of work at the moment, so I cannot show you that so I decanted downstairs to the dining room which can only mean one thing...sewing!

Now this is the great thing about WOYWW.  Because of it and the crops I have met many of you in person and you are all great.  Because of the things I see on your blogs I end up being inspired to try some of them myself.  So a few weeks back I met up with  LunchLady Jan and had a sewing session where I made a bag (the red one towards the rear of the picture), there was a full posting about it a few posts back.

I decided it was time to gird my loins and have a crack at some more sewing (machine is out of sight in this photo).  It took all weekend (and some timely advice from Jan over the internet, thanks Jan!) but I have made another one (sorry cannot show the finished product as I plan on gifting it at Christmas...unless like the red on I keep it for myself!!).

 

My 'Man Bites Dog' cards this week are "Nurse Defends Dead Priest"....ooh, some of these are really gruesome!

So, hop on over to the lovely Julia's blog (link over on the right) and share your desk for a legal snoop at desks across the globe.  We are a friendly bunch and there are TONS of ideas out there.

Happy crafting

kyla

 

WOYWW in a special place!

Hello peeps, yep its Wednesday again!  This week I have an extra special workdesk to share...now it's not from Wednesday but actually from Tuesday because I spent the day with the lovely Lunchlady Jan.  At the last crop I asked Jan if she did sewing lessons to improve my skills and she kindly offered a days sewing!

So off I went with my machine and SO much fabric stash in the boot of the car ready to hone my bag making skills.  During the morning the lovely Julia must have smelled the coffee as her timing was impeccable!

 from the left, Julia, me and Jan

I brought my "Man Bites Dog" cards with me and Julia did the honours by picking some for this weeks desk:

 "Teen Rehab Missing Again"....oooh, considering these are picked as random they can be quite dark!

Jan is a great tutor and soon my skills were being honed to another level and after a few hours (made longer as I do have a tendency to chat!) I had a bag that I am SO proud of....look:

 It has pockets and lining

and even a recessed zip!  I am so chuffed that its going to work with me tomorrow...and it is NOT going to be a Christmas pressie for one of my sister in laws as I thought it would be as I love it too much to give it away!!

So thanks Jan for a great day, great lunch, fabulous tuition and for putting up with a messy crafter!  Thanks also to Julia, without WOYWW I would not have made so many new friends (not easy as you get older) to share my crafting passion.

So there you go, I have the skills and now need to have another go at making a bag...somehow I think it wont look as good, but hey I have learnt a new skill and that can never be a bad thing!

Happy WOYWW

Kyla