Another Travel Bag

 I liked the faux leather that I used on this (click) bag so much that I made another travel bag. This is an Amy Butler pattern and I have had fabric and zipper for it for a couple years. I deviated from my original plan which I had pretty much forgotten and used the new fabrics which looked wonderful with the navy stripe that I have had for years. I made it an inch wider than the pattern.  The faux leather fabric handles were thick enough that it was difficult to pin so I taped the handles in place and sewed.  I also used my little red clips for holding some parts in place. 

  I added a strap for my pull handle.

 I wanted a soft sided bag so I quilted the the front and back panels and the base I did use the super stiff fusible interfacing in the base so the bottom shouldn't sag and a lot of steam to get it to stick.  I'm ready to go somewhere. --Ann--

Bag

My new travel bag, it was a chore to make but I do like the way it turned out. Reading independent designer instructions is so different than reading directions from the major pattern companies or maybe its the quality of illustrations that throws me because I am a very visual person.  I read and re read the instructions and sometimes I would fold them up and do it my way.  The dark brown is a faux leather knit fabric, I sewed it with a teflon coated stretch needle and only broke a couple needles in the process. It is interfaced with peltex a very stiff non woven fusible interfacing so the bag stands up on its own. I added a strap for my luggage pull handle and also added the zipper on the top. The original pattern was an open bag. It will hold my small purse, camera, sketching tools and all the other necessities. --Ann--

New little go bag

 I needed a new little go bag for knitting. It has a pocket on the inside and two pockets on the outside. I love the coil wrapped baskets for when I am knitting at home but for the car it is nice to zip it shut so when I am hurrying my balls of yarn don't roll out the door and down the road. I used a batik and a light weight denim. I made a pink bag just like it and gave it to daughter for her knitting but didn't get a picture. My oldest niece was here over the weekend and wanted to learn to knit socks.  She made a pair of short little socks that she put on her shih tzu when she got home. Poor dog step, shake, step, shake, shake. She learned the basics and got a good start on the toe with a sport weight yarn. These are my demo socks for teaching her, I love the way it is striping and wonder how far I will knit before the stripes repeat.--Ann--

Basket Case

I cut strips for one basket or so I thought, I have made three and some oval stacking baskets for a shower gift. It seams those strips of fabric reproduce faster than rabbits. The basket is listed at my etsy shop.  Ann

Binding Coil Basket

Making these coil baskets has become habit forming. I have tried several ways to sew the binding on because tapering the wrapped clotheslines isn't all that finished looking. I have tried sewing on the outside of the bag using the open arm feature of my sewing machine. I turned one bag inside out for the final stitching was not easy to turn then I had to turn it back and one I sewed by hand.

This way is the easiest and looks finished.
Cut the bias tape exactly the same as the circumference of the basket. I clip it to the outside of the basket all the way around then cut,  sew the ends together diagonal seam with a 1/4 inch seam  and press open. That gives just the right amount of stretch to go around the outside of the basket. Hold in place with clips, necessary if there is a dip in the center front and center back of the basket.

 stitch around with a straight stitch and 1/4 inch seam

my bias is left over from quilts and is either 2 1/2 inches wide or 2 1/4 inches wide

 turn bias in, clip and stitch around again

Nice smooth binding.

Add handles.
I hand stitched the handles between the coils with a matching hand quilting thread. 
Too hard to go through the coil and too thick to stitch by machine.

What shall I put in this basket?  ~~Ann~~

just beyond my backyard

Another coil bag, this one is for my sketching supplies. Maybe I should just call it a grab and go bag, the bag in one hand and coffee cup in the other.

Our skies in South Dakota can be very dramatic. I love the prairie because you can see so far.  I love to stretch my eyes and wonder how many miles I can see. When the weather forecasters are tracking  storms, and we in South Dakota are always checking the weather, I realize how far away the lightening strikes are.  Lightening flashes can be seen 60 to over 100 miles away.  ~~Ann~~

New camera bag

I made a new bag for my new camera this is the prototype. I sewed it with basting stitches and must have ripped each seam at least 5 times before I had the size  and shape right. I wanted a small bag to go in my big purse for traveling.

My camera fits snug, it has little pockets for SD cards inside, an outside pocket for batteries and a pocket for the shoulder strap which hooks to a D ring and a handle. It would have been cheaper and quicker to buy a camera bag but it wouldn't have been a blue batik with denim and free motion quilted. And it wouldn't have a zipper pocket that completely conceals the shoulder strap and it wouldn't have my name stitched across the top.   --Ann--