Category: Pouches

Disco Double Zip by Love You Sew

Gift Idea: Disco Double-Zip Pouch as a Toy Bag

It’s holiday gift-giving season already and I’ve been thinking about my handmade line-up for awhile now.  I don’t know if I’m just getting better at planning or if the consumer marketing seems to be pushing earlier.  It’s probably the latter, right?!?  So, I’m going to try to show you some of my favorite handmade gift ideas through the blog and on Instagram (without leading to any spoilers for my family!) to help inspire handmade for the holidays!

Fortunately, Sew Sweetness just released Season 2 of her Minikin patterns.  This collection includes 13 patterns (many with multiple sizes) and accompanying videos.  If you didn’t know already, I’m a huge fan of these patterns and love how unique they are.  (You can check out my Sidewinder from Season One here.)  The Minikins offer such a great variety of patterns and I love having the library of patterns available when I need a gift.

My youngest son was invited to birthday party for a little girl about a month ago.  It’s hard as a boy-mom trying to figure out what’s popular, so I figured handmade is the best way to never have the same gift as another guest.  Luckily, I had this great Alexander Henry Unicorn fabric already in my stash, because we know ALL girls (young and old) love Unicorns 😉  The Disco Double-Zip Pouch, even in the small size, provided great side panels to show off these magical creatures.

To really make this bag special, I used Red Glitter Vinyl on the bottom gusset to add some sparkle.  Although the vinyl is thin, it is still stiff and required a bit of wrestling along with a lot of clips.  You will need to make quite a few extra cuts into the seam allowance to sew around the curve of the side panels.  But, it’s all worth it!

When I first decide on this pattern, I figured this pouch would be great to carry little knick-knacks and maybe some markers.  But I quickly realized the compartments were bigger than what I imagined in my head.  My son’s friend could carry a lot of her toys in these generous pockets.  So, I thought adding straps would make the Disco Double-Zip more like a little carry-all.

I omitted the side handle and cut (2) 3′ x 18″ strips of the vinyl,  folded them lengthwise into fourths and sewed up both sides to create the straps.  Each short end was folded up by 1/2″, placed 1 1/2″ down from the top edge and 1 1/2″ in from the left/right of each side panel.   Tip: Use a Teflon foot and a larger needle to get through the layers of vinyl.

Since the straps were an afterthought, I used rivets to attach them to the bag.  But you could sew them on before attaching the zipper gusset to the side panels.  I also used the rivets on the Glitter Vinyl at the end of each zipper to give the bag a more professional look.

Disco Double Zip by Love You Sew

The mom of the birthday girl told me this bag was such a hit and her daughter carries it around everywhere!  My son’s friend loved the Unicorns mixed with all the sparkle and she is so happy that she can put so much in her own little bag.  I call that a success and hope you have someone who could appreciate a Disco Double-Zip Pouch just as much!

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Happy Holiday Sewing!

Cristy

 

This post may contain affiliate links for which I may receive compensation after a purchase has been made.  This helps fund the website and keeps the content rolling.  Thank you always for the support!

Colleen Tote :: Pattern Release


It’s been quite a journey, but I have finally written my Colleen Tote bag pattern! If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you know I’ve been making this bag for well over a year now, but always tweaked the design every time I made it.  As a newbie designer, I just wasn’t comfortable enough to bring it out to the sewing market.  There were people were asking me about the pattern every time I posted a new iteration and I kept pushing it off until…I finally told myself to get out of my own head and just write it!

The Colleen Tote was designed to be the classic open tote bag to carry a large number of things. The clean design makes it versatile enough for any occasion…and allows you the creative freedom for customization.  I’m thinking a quilted block maybe in the works 😉   You can use the tote for the beach, as a work bag (large enough for a laptop,) a diaper bag or just a throw-all-your-junk-in bag.  There are so many possibilities.

 

With a roomy open compartment, I made sure to add in a zipper pocket to keep personal items secure and an easy-access slip pocket for a phone and chapstick.  You can also see the fun, yet functional interior band.  This adds deign interest while giving extra support for the weight of the rolled handles.

The next feature added was a trusty key fob.  I have a car with the keyless ignition, so I find myself actually losing my keys or leaving them in my car more than I’d like to admit….so I made sure to add in this feature to quickly allow me to click my keys onto the tote.  The other thing I find myself doing is fishing around for my sunglasses.  I tend to just throw them in my bag, so I made the key fob double duty.  You can hang your glasses through the loop to more easily find and locate your sunnies!

Original Tote Pattern

When I first made what would turn into the Colleen, I was testing out waxed canvas and learning to make my own.  I figured a tote would be a great use for this fabric treatment.  I drafted a VERY simple tote with very light interfacing and didn’t even even really create a sturdy bottom.  I cut leather straps and attached them with rivets as shown above.  But this was just the jump off…

Customer Order

Later on,  one of my very best and loyal customers asked me to make a “plain” tote bag as she called it with just one fabric for the exterior without any contrasting bottom or the leather handles.  It’s a joke between us now…because she knows I do not make “plain.”

Beautiful Leather and Rivet Enhancements

That’s when I suggested some rolled handles to make the tote a bit more interesting instead of just flat sewn-in ones.  And of course, I jazzed it up with some rivets and leather accents.  With this special request came the second view of the Colleen along with the rolled handles.

As I worked on the design, I played with different interfacing combinations and thought a combo of woven plus fusible fleece works for me.  If you would like something more rigid, yet soft, some foam would be perfect.  However, the weight of the bag does get heavy….especially when you start to add your own stuff inside.  Peltex lines the base to make the Colleen sturdy and you can swap it out with needlepoint plastic if that’s more to your liking.

The handles are secured down with two rows of top-stitching, but you can opt to use rivets in place of the second row of stitching.  The extra bit of hardware makes this pattern look so chic and professional.

Additionally, rivets can be added to the handles for strength and for a little more jazz.  These are all fun ideas to help bring your Colleen Tote up a notch!

As part of the release this week, you can purchase the Colleen Tote digital PDF pattern for 20% off in my Etsy shop. Additionally, you can also get my Claire Foldover Crossbody bag on sale as well! (Sale good through July 2, 2018.)

 

Happy Sewing Friends!

Cristy

Minikin Sidewinder Review – Plus Drop-In Lining Hack

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It is no secret I love Sew Sweetness patterns by Sara Lawson.  I’ve come to really trust her instructions and I love all the innovative ways Sara constructs her bags.  She has written quite a few patterns and has a nice variety of large bags down to small accessories.  You can read about a few of my makes below:

  • Aeroplane Bag – here
  • Crimson and Clover Traincases – here and here
  • Trompe le Monde Bag – here
  • Appaloosa Bag – here

Right before Halloween, Sew Sweetness released a whole collection of 12 small accessory pouches and bags called the Minikins.  These were all designed to be quick sews which use mostly fat quarters.  There are many bags patterns out there which can take several hours and even days to complete.  Sometimes you just need to be able to complete a project in one sitting to feel accomplished and these definitely do just that.

The real bonus is that this pattern collection also comes with 12 step-by-step videos!  How amazing is that?!?  These are great if you are a novice or even like me, who may need help around a few steps.  It’s great to watch them just to pick up some of Sara’s tricks.

It was so hard to pick which Minikin I would make first.   But since I was heading into heavy craft market mode, I wanted this project to be THE quickest.  So, I selected the Sidewinder because of the curved-no seam-bottom.   This looked perfect for someone short on time and you just need non-directional fabric.  (For these unicorns, I did piece together the exterior because of the direction.)

For all of my Sidewinders, I used the recommended Annie’s Soft and Stable, but also interfaced all the quilt cotton (exterior and interior with Pellon SF101 for added structure.)  The Pellon SF101 on the exterior fabric helps prevent extra stretching and puckering when basting with the Soft and Stable.

For all of the gussets, I used either cork or faux leather, all found in the Sew Sweetness shop.  It’s nice to find so many substrates all in one place.  (Gotta love that flat-rate shipping too!)  It helps amplify the bag design and really make them look professional with cork or faux leather.  The corners get a little tricky, but you can muscle through it and use Sara’s technique in her video.

This pattern and some of the other Minikins make use of a drop-in lining.  This is when the lining and bag exterior are constructed separately and then joined together (usually through top-stitching around the zipper.)  Even with all the bags as I have made….I’m terrible at attaching  drop-in linings!  I can’t get my seams to match up so my stitching consistently catches all of the lining…grrr…  I tried pins and even glue basting the linings.  But when I have to maneuver around end of the zippers, something always manages to shift.  I’ve also spent an absurd amount of time trying to hand-sew in the linings…and this girl just doesn’t have time for that!  So, that’s why I devised my own lining hack.

{Edited to reference the step #’s per Sidewinder instructions.}

In step #5, skip the top-stitching.  Complete step #7 per instructions, stopping before you top-stitch the Lining Side Panel down.  With left over scraps, I cut approximately (2) 3″x1.5″ rectangles and folded each in half lengthwise.  Each rectangle was centered and placed behind the zipper openings as shown in the red oval. Continue with the instructions to top-stitch the Lining Side Panel, along with these extra rectangles.

This method provides me with about 1/2″ of extra lining for my stitching to catch on either side of the zipper.  The rest of the lining and exterior are completed as instructed.

As personal preference, I glue baste the lining to just barely covering my zipper stitches and use clips to hold them into place until the glue dries.

 There is no such thing as too many clips, right?!?

With a larger needle (16,) I top-stitch around the zipper with the exterior panels facing out.  You can see how it catches the lining below.  Using a thread to match the lining helps to hide any wonkiness 😉

I use this method to have one line of stitching versus the method in the pattern.  Personally, I like the cleaner look, but there is no structural difference.  I’ve seen others create two parallel lines of stitching for a nice detail as well.

 You can see at the zipper ends, my sewing isn’t perfect, but I am able to always secure the entire lining no matter how much wrestling I have to do with a bag. The extra lining fabric give me a nice cushion!

I finished the Sidewinder with just a rivet to add a little extra polish to the pouch.  A little hardware goes a long way to make your project look professional.

This is great fast sew that has so much visual appeal for being a “pouch.”  It definitely set my products apart from other craft market vendors and I’m SO happy for that!  Check out a few of my different versions below.


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Have you tried out the Minikins yet?  I hope you like my drop-in lining hack and let me know how it works for you,  if you decide to try it out!

 

Keep Sewing Along,

Cristy

 

Please note this post DOES include affiliate links and I have received the pattern free as part of being a Sew Sweetness bag tester.  I was not required to write a blog post and you know all words are my own.  

 

Something Old Something New – Festival Bag Upcycle

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I’m a fan of fashion.  But as a mom (and as a work-at-home one,) there isn’t much motivation to step past the yoga pants and a clean (smelling) tee most days.  I do admit, when I can get my act together, it does make me feel good to step out of my slip-on Vans.  Now that both my kids are in school,  I’ve been making a conscientious effort to bring my fashion game back – nothing crazy, but pulled together looks using cues from today’s trends.  Like Boho.

I love the relaxed (aka loose fitting) style of Bohemian fashion.  I grew up near the Philadelphia Folk Festival so I saw a lot of 70’s hippie clothes and I love the laid back vibe.  Pair that with my urban life in the city for 10+ years and the result is this “Festival Bag.”  It’s an edgier take on Boho with the dark floral, leather and antique brass hardware.

When RJR Fabrics asked me to work with some of their new fabrics, this Reverie line pretty much blew my mind.  I tend to work with more graphic prints, but the photo-realistic imagery in these Digiprints are amazing.  The best part, is that these fabrics feel JUST like their other high quality quilt cottons so you know you are working with the good stuff.

This Floral Fantasy print with the the dark background is just gorgeous. I love the style contrast of soft flowers with the intense black (which is how I like to mix up my own closet.)  I like combining hard elements with something very soft and feminine. I also like a mix of textures. So this soft quilt cotton HAD to be paired with some leather and lots of hardware, right?

My mom knew I was upcycling old leather coats and gave me this great long duster about a year ago. I’m happy to finally use it.  This coat is such a great upcycle coat because of its size and the design. Too bad the shape…errr…lack of….just doesn’t work now. There are so many large pieces of leather to use in any project.  I used about 70% of this coat and I might use the rest on a future clutch…

The larger pieces were all cut into 1/4″ fringe and double-layered all around the bag. Fringe is one of my favorite things in a bag.  It’s so much fun to walk and feel the swing of the leather. The pieces add movement and life to everyday running around.

More leather was added to the top flap and I saved all the scraps. They are great to use in zipper pulls and bag charms. You can see I made some tassels and added lots of rivets. I also used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out my intials. Long skinny scraps can be turned into beautiful braids like this one as well.

On the inside of the bag, there is more Reverie with the Mirage in Bloom print. It is the perfect complement to this style bag. It is a mottled floral which gives a very contemporary feel with the more muted tones.

With spring music festivals in the news, I decided to make the bag strap differently than I usually would. Taking inspiration from the bands themselves, I modeled the strap after guitar ones. The leather strap is about 1 1/2″ wide with Floral Fantasy on top and another layer of leather all stitched in place with added rivet accents.

I am so in love with how this strap and bag turned out. I can’t wait to “rock” it all summer long.

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 Observer Fabric Tour >> Quilted Envelope Clutches

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ObserverBlogTour_Title

It’s here!  It’s here!  The Observer collection by April Rhodes for Art Gallery Fabrics has finally made it way to shops and I’m so happy to show you my projects on the #OBSERVERfabrictour.  In true fashion, April does not disappoint.  These designs come from her own eyes and what she has seen both physically and mentally.  My favorite print is Aerial View…mainly because it was inspired by Columbus, OH (where we both live) and just shows how little we are in such a big world…

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I was very fortunate to play with the early strike-offs for this line, and you can view my other projects in this previous post.

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I’m kicking the tour off with these fabulous oversized Envelope Clutches.  Ever since I had swatches of these fabrics in my studio, I was trying to think of what I wanted to make as a personal project.  These curry and sulfur colors mixed with sand and copper play SO well with the indigos, grey-blues and navy.  I fell head-over-heels with this palette and have plans for a dress in Overshot Gold.  With that in mind, I thought a trendy Envelope Clutch would be perfect in the Shard colorway.

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As a modern quilter, I continually try to show the rest of the world that patchwork and sewing are still “cool.”  Sound familiar, friends???  I thought combining the sophistication of (faux) leather with a simple block would be the perfect marriage of current Boho-Gypsy love and traditional quilting.

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This was initially going to be a one-off creation just for myself, but the sneak peeks on Instagram created such positive feedback, that I knew I HAD to write a pattern for all of you. EDIT:  Tutorial can now be found HERE. 

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Working with the envelope design, I used a simple half log-cabin pattern to work with the flap’s 90 degree angle.  I used a 2.5″ fussy-cut square from the Homespun Praxis and used various 5″ (or longer) x 1.5″ strips to make a 28″ panel.  The panel was then trimmed to 5.5″ wide.

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The pieced panel was then sewn onto a coordinating AGF Solid Smooth Denim with right sides together. They were turned out and pressed.  The results are clean even edges which are then top-stitched down onto the (faux) leather.  I used Gütermann upholstery thread which provides a nice raised look and slides well through the leather.  Washi tape was used as the quilting guidelines since pen and chalk can smear.  I followed the lines of the piecing  to create additional texture and add more design detail onto the clutch.

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This Envelope Clutch, although oversized to carry a lot of stuff, still needs the basic features of any bag.  The lining is made out of Treadle Tradition with a generous sized pocket using a 9″ metal zipper from Zip It Zippers.  Metal zippers add that extra professional look I just love.

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On the opposite side of the lining, I added simple slip pockets.  These are unlined, using leftover leather so there is no fraying.  They were sewn down with unfinished edges.  I just made sure one pocket was the proper size for my cell-phone…priorities, right? 😉

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Metal snaps were added and now I’m ready to hit the town with my chic boho clutch!

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Sewing through faux leather can be a challenge on many domestic machines.  So I wanted to come up with a similar style Envelope Clutch which is MUCH easier to sew.  This design is shown in Speck Stardust and utilizes some fusible fleece with just a single panel of raw-edge faux leather.  I love how this print color reminds me of a perfectly worn pair of jeans and the leather match my favorite fall booties.

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I wasn’t able to find upholstery thread to match this vinyl, so I used Gütermann Sew-All polyester.  This slides through the faux leather really well and still provides a great look and quilting texture.  I changed up this quilting design to make some fun cross-hatching.  ‘Slow and steady with the walking foot kept the lines straight and even.

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With this version, I added a wrist strap using hardware from Emmaline Bags and scraps of both the (faux) leather and Speck Stardust.  Using half fabric and half leather is easier to work with rather than trying to sew through multiple layers of leather.

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The D-ring was added to the front of the clutch rather than sewn into the side.  This provides the option to be hidden.  It also doubles as a spot to hook your keys.  The lining was made from Indigo Shadow Solid Smooth denim and I created the same zipper pocket one side and two slip pockets on the other.

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Ironically, this design also fits my laptop.  So with the fusible fleece, this Envelope Clutch can be used as a laptop cover.  The pockets are great for cords and small headphones.

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I know I’ll be rocking this clutch out on the town with the girls though….

What’s on your project list with Observer?

 

Make sure to stop by April’s blog to get the up-to-date schedule with 6 weeks full of dreamy inspiration.  The line-up of bloggers is quite impressive 😉  If you need even more ideas, head to Art Gallery Fabric’s Observer Lookbook….you might even recognize someone’s name in there 😉

#ObserverFabrics #ObserverFabricTour #ArtGalleryFabrics #WeAreFabrics

 

Sew On,

Cristy