Hooked on Tote bags

GOSH! I have been busy over the last days!

In my previous post I mentioned I want to do something else rather than cut squares, triangles, rectangles, strips etc... Somehow I feel I'm stuck in what I'm doing - have been doing - since I started quilting 5-6 years ago. I mentioned needle turn applique, landscape quilting, photo quilts etc, but where did I end up? In the same post, I had in mind several things to do, but ended up - as you already may know - making tote bags.

It is so true; to get totally hooked on something, and that is what I did! I didn't make one tote bag only, but three! I got hooked, because of a pocket with zipper! I wanted victory over that pocket! lol! I have used a plain pattern for any tote bag, without any pockets and zippers at all. I decided to make the bag different, by adding one pocket with zipper, one open pocket for the inside, and one open pocket on the front. The latter pockets were not a problem - or any difficulties at all, not even the zipper - but that other pocket.....  

Don't ask me why I decided to add pockets! :) I could have made a very simple tote bag, but that felt so boring! I needed a challenge, and indeed that pocket was a challenge! Without any pattern - I didn't even google I-net for tutorials (too slow connection) - I twisted and turned my brain - and the poor pocket - inside out and upside down in all directions, before it finally decided to co-operate! Or was it my brain cells that suddenly started to work....  For the umpteenth attempt, I decided to take photos along the making, so for the next pocket it should go rather smooth! :) I loved the seam ripper these days! I could have asked MIL next door for help of course, but she is so fast in explaining things so I wouldn't have understood anything!!!!

Inside, open pocket with two 'rooms'.

Details of the front pocket. The front pocket has two spacious 'rooms' too.

The back of the bag; cute frogs here too! :)

 Bag #2 - here I've used the same fabric for both side. It has birds, tortoises, crocodiles etc.

'Woodsy Wonders' fabric line.

Inner pockets; with and without zipper.

Bag #3 - here I've used red plaid for the front and beige plaid for the back.

The inside pockets, with zipper.............

Double pocket without zipper.



Spacious pocket with two rooms on the front.



 

I loved doing these bags, and now I'm off to make another bag, a different one... :)

And I need a strong cup of coffee too! :) 



What am I up to now?!

It feels like my head is packed with wool! lol

After been working on big quilts for I don't know how long, I have decided to make some smaller items. I also want to learn more about quilting etc, like needle turn applique, photo quilts, landscape quilting.... I feel I'm kind of 'stuck' in what I'm doing; I can't continue to cut squares and triangles, add them together and make big quilts all the time... :) I love to do that of course, but I feel have to 'develop' myself more to get more knowledge on what I'm doing.

Yesterday morning I had in mind to make a mug rug for a swap... I thought of making a cushion (applique) too, and I even looked for fabric for an applique quilt I've seen in a magazine 3 years ago....

Fickle minded and sidetracked as Gemini's are, I started making something else! :)

Since I have been working on - and finished (!) - some baby quilts over the last weeks, I decided to continue... Not making quilts, but something else....

I love these bright, colorful fabrics!

I decided to make a tote bag!

I decided to go for a basic tote bag pattern, but 'on the way' I decided to add some pockets; one (double) open and one with a zip.

This is something I have never done before, and without a pattern it felt like my brain was near to explode! I started working on the bag yesterday afternoon, and no way was I able to figure out how to do that darn pocket - the one with the zip! The zip was not the problem, the problem was how to sew the pocket to the lining! In the end (last night) I gave up, decided to 'sleep on it'.

It did work! I woke up 04:30 this morning and knew how to do the pocket! My brain must have worked overtime during the night! :))

Here the inside pocket with the zip. The upper part of the zip is not as it should be - I saw it afterwards - but that is what I came up with after one nights sleep. :)

The bag is almost done... Another adjustment and it will be finished tomorrow - if not sidetracked again! :))

I believe I have spent more hours unpicking compared to actual sewing hours - lol! I defend myself this is the first tote bag with pockets I've made! :)



Scrap quilt and two baby/toddler quilts

I can't believe 3 weeks have passed by since my previous post... Where does the time go?! House works, gardening, hikes (click here) and sewing have kept me busy. I'm happy to say I have finished 3 quilts; one UFO from last year and the two others are from this year.

Here's my 'Messy Scrap Quilt'! :))

As you can see, Birre-Liten has approved it already. :))

This quilt was supposed to be backing for the 'Jiffy quilt', see my previous post. DH was almost screaming when he saw it! He suggested I make it into another quilt, and here it is! Well, now I agree with him; it didn't turn out that bad! :)

It's a 100% scrap quilt. I have used bits and pieces from 'old' fabrics; fabrics I bought here when I first started quilting as well as fabrics I received from my friend Ragna (no blog) in Norway. Some of the fabrics I bought here, is not 100% cotton. It is of a mix, but I'm not sure what kind of mix. The sellers say it is 100% cotton, but it is not...  

This is one of the first 'complicated' block I made! (It was complicated for a newbie!!!) It was supposed to be a pair of potholders, but instead they (2 blocks) ended up hidden somewhere! :)) Guess who hid them?! I did, because I didn't like them! :)

Another 'complicated-newbie-block' - lol! They were supposed to be a pair of potholders too, but I hid them! :)) There are a few other 'error-blocks' too, and some log cabin blocks. I found it difficult to throw the blocks, instead I added them to this quilt.

The quilt police should not come and have a look - lol!  

Part of the quilting. I did FMQ on the roosters, because I found that piece was too big to do crosshatch quilting, which I have done on the other squares and rectangles.

I washed the quilt in the washing machine - 40C/104F - to remove pen marks. I love that crinkled look! :)

Approved!!! :))

UFO #6 (this year) finished!

I started this baby/toddler quilt at the end of last year, if not mistaken, but never got it right. I had to put it away for some months, to see if I got some better ideas how to proceed. I got the idea how to make it, after half a sleepless night. I got it out from its hiding place; the shelf, and it took only a few days to finish it. :)

Close-up of the sheep. :) 

The backing. I've used two different flannels, to make it a little bit more interesting. :) Well, the truth is; I didn't have enough of the 'elephants'! :) I used leftover fabrics for the binding.  

Since it went so well with the UFO baby/toddler quilt, and since I had enough fabrics for another quilt.... well.... I made another one! :) The pattern is different, but I have used exactly the same fabrics, even the white tone-on-tone is the same.

I've done FMQ on this one, using two different yellow threads; Superior's King Tut, a very light yellow on the white tone-on-tone and a bit darker on the colored pieces. 

The odd sheep, here on blue background.

Fabric used; Sherbets Amazing Garden from Red Rooster.

The backing; I've used one piece of very light blue flannel.

Binding; 'strawberry' from Moda Marbles.

Batting; Hobbs Heirloom 80% cotton/20% polyester.

Both baby/toddler quilts are machine washed on 40C /104F.