Bag making goes slow

As you can see from the heading, making bags go very slow. Not so strange; I am a 'bag-making-newbie'!

A couple of weeks ago I bought two craft magazines from one of the supermarkets; Homespun and Sabrina Patchwork; Sacs. We never get the latest issue of foreign magazines until approx 3 months after they are published. The 'latest' Homespun in the shelves here is #93/Vol 12.2, while the latest issue is #12.6! That doesn't really matter! What matters is what the pages hide! :)

Homespun has a wonderful bag to make by Carol McLeod. She uses cotton clothesline and strips of cotton fabric to make her bags. Very interesting, and this is something I'd like to try! Visit her website here.

A bit sidetracked here... I was going to tell you about another bag..... The other mag I bought - Sabrina Patchwork/Sacs - is all in French! I don't know French! DH speaks French and so does MIL. DH & I tried to understand the French pattern. It started out quite well, until it was time to do the first pocket. The pattern talks about 'interior' pocket - all the way, until it is time to add it to the bag, then it becomes an 'exterior' pocket! Poor DH wasn't able to understand the next step, so we headed up to MIL (next door). She has been into sewing since she was a little girl, now she's 73. When I mentioned the problem, she just looked at me and said; 'French patterns are hopeless'!!! After studying the pattern and the pieces I had cut, she was sorry she couldn't be to much help. She advised me to give it a trial by pinning and basting. I'll do so, but I think that bag has to rest some time in the drawer! I haven't given it up and I don't want the bag to win; I want to win! lol (Even if my first attempt went in the bin! :( I've heard from other sources too that French patterns are not always 100% accuracy! DH told me not to buy French craft magazines anymore! Perhaps he is right! :)

I got quite discouraged when I went shopping for interfacing etc. Here they have no clue when I ask for specific Vliselin, Pellon or Peltex! I'm surprised, in spite of being a 'textile country' (exporting lots of clothes) they know so little about what other countries use. Shop owners/importers are not willing to get what I ask for either, so when they don't have it - they don't have it - c'est toute! At times shopping here is a big challenge!  It almost took the courage away from me, but now a friend in Norway is going to buy and ship interfacing etc to me! :)

Even if this was a little 'downhill', I'm still working on two bags. I'm making one for MIL;

it's going to be the same as the two alike I posted here. MIL wanted 'old-people's colors' - as she stated it! I have some fabrics that look 'old' - reproduction, I think some of them are -  and got her to choose six different. She came up with three and asked me to choose the other three.  

I intended to finish it over the weekend, but that is not possible. The zipper as well as ric rac for the trim, is  not available here in town...............

The zipped interior pocket. I have used linen for the lining.

Open interior pocket with two rooms.

We've been twice to Port Louis (the capital) over the last 2 weeks. I had that shopping list and other errands to do, but we managed to do only half of what was on the list the first day. Port Louis is always crowded and shopping takes time, and still there are a few errands to do! 

Since I've got the 'bag-making-virus', I wanted to buy some yards of linen for bag linings. I remembered from last year I bought good quality linen at 'Magasin Baboo' in Corderie Street #35 - famous as 'textile street'! A very friendly little shop. The shop has a good variety of linen and I came home with 6-7 yards in different yummy colors. Another trip to 'Baboo' this week; I bought navy linen and I couldn' resist these fabrics;

Aren't they beautiful?! I regret I didn't buy the pink one too! I can see some colorful bags here.... :) The fabric has a little  'stretch', but adding  fusible interfacing should do the trick.  

For quite some time I have wanted to do some stitchery. The other day I started working on a friendship quilt. The quilt has 12 cute stitcheries, all about friendship. Here's the first one I'm working on....

I thought this was going to be a short post, but I have one more thing to share with you.

Again - about bags! :) I searched the net for books on bag making and ended up with these books;

Sew What! Bags - by Lexie Barnes

From the back of the book; 'Your bag, your way. Choose a project and make it your own. Designer L. Barnes shows you how to develop your own personal style and create customized bags using fabrics that you love, pockets where you need them, straps that feel good on your shoulder, and dimensions that work for whatever you want to carry'.

Personally I feel this is a book for a totally newbie, but of course I did find some hints and info I didn't know about how to make bags.

The other one I bought; The bag making bible - by Lisa Lam, foreword by Amy Butler. It has 160 pages jampacked with information on bag making as well as some free patterns. Definitely this book is going to be my favorite!
From the back of the book;
'An amazing sewing education coupled with beautiful bags that of course, you can customize' - Amy Butler.
'Expert tips, trade secrets and inspirational advice result in professional and beautiful results'.

Click here for the link to Lisa Lam's shop. 

I intended to do some gardening today, but I've gone lazy since I got up - lol!

I think I'll snuggle up with a hot chocolate and read about bag making! :)