Tag: bag

Heritage and Arizona After Fabrics :: Portside Duffle

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April Rhodes has done it again.  She has just dropped not one, but TWO new fabric collections with Art Gallery Fabrics.  Arizona After is a gorgeous extension of April’s inaugural Arizona line with some new prints and some recolored with soft dusty pink and blues along with some deep rust and mustard.  The color combos she puts together are always so striking.  Heritage fabrics consists of garment focused substrates…including the new RAYON.  With April’s clothing patterns, she has always been a designer who knows scale for the quilters and the garment sewist alike.  It’s the perfect collection for the me-made makers!

Beyond the fabrics, April’s inspiration for the collections is just so touching.  The way she talks about her family and memories of her father and grandmother is just pure love.  Truly awesome. I love how a lot of the designs were just a part of April’s everyday life and over time, have been permanently imprinted in her head.  To bring these images to life brings so much light to her eyes and it’s been amazing to witness it all. These fabrics are just gorgeous and I’m happy she’s shared them with all of us….because whoa, right?!?

When I was asked to make a bag for April’s Spring Quilt Market Booth, I (of course) agreed.  She has become a dear friend and I will always help her, as she has helped me in so many ways.  April asked me to make a larger duffle and suggested a quilt-as-you-go method for easy patchwork because with Market…comes some tight deadlines.  I got to immediate work, but quickly realized I had to Turn. It. Up.

All 14 quilt cottons in the Arizona After collection was used to make the Portside Duffle Bag by Grainline Studios.  It’s the perfect bag to showcase these fabrics with all that surface area.  I loved playing with all the color combos while mixing and even deconstructing, some of the prints.

Once I started to quilt with my walking-foot on the Soft and Stable, that texture just got me.  I knew I had to add more and more quilting…and change up the designs with each print. Then it dawned on me….ooooh, metallic thread would be A-mazing with this palette.  The gold really brings out the colors and I’m so happy with how it turned out. TIP: Cut a larger piece of soft and stable than the pattern requires. Quilt and then cut to size. Don’t forget to baste those edges!

Art Gallery’s textured denim in Canyon Sunset was the perfect complement to Arizona After and is a nice durable fabric for the bottom accent of the duffle bag.  On the inside, I used the Scattered Wood print and added an additional zip pocket…because we can always use some extra pockets.  I love the look of brass zippers and with the gold thread, this combo obviously had to happen.

For more texture and to turn this bag up another notch, I used hardware from ARmercantile combined with some leather from my sacred stash.  Guitar-inspired bag straps are popping up all-over the place and I just had to add that look to this duffle.  The added rivets bring out more of the brass and help round out the look.  Who says a quilted bag can’t be modern and on-trend?  I love being able to combine my love of quilting with my love of bag-making….and the gorgeous fabric definitely helps.  Thank you Arizona After for the inspo!

Make sure to check back on April’s blog and Instagram all throughout July for the up-to-date info on the Blog Tour.  Next up will be an Instagram loop on July 5th and I heard there maybe prizes involved 😉

Last, but not least, don’t forget to tag #heritagefabrics and #arizonaafterfabrics with all of your makes.  I can’t wait to see all of them!

Project Summary:

 

Fabric and pattern for the Arizona After + Heritage Blog Tour was provided.  There are affiliate links in the Project Summary.

 

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.

Project Details:

 

 

This post may contain affiliate links.  Any compensation received helps to keep this blog running.

 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

Kimberly Sac Sew-Along

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Kimberly Sac Title

Fat Quarter Shop has another great pattern….and it’s for a bag!  When I was asked to join this sew-along, I could not say “no.”  I love making bags just as much as I do quilting.  With the Kimberly Sac by Fig Tree Studios, you get both!  It is a great cross-body design with some simple patchwork.  I’m so excited to show you my version along with all of Fat Quarter Shops versions found here.

Kimberly Sac Fully Open

I like having different looks and feels to all of my bags.  After making my Indigo Sky Quilt, I fell in love with the Essex Yarn-Dyed Linen in nautical, so I wanted to incorporate it into the Kimberly Sac.  It really helps complement Carolyn Friedlander’s fabrics.  There is a mix of Carkai and Architextures Crosshatch in more earthly tones.

Kimberly Sac Quilting Close Up

The bag came together very quickly, especially without having to deal with a zipper.  I did use 1/4″ straight-line quilting, but you can opt for a more simple design.  If you decide on more heavier quilting like I did, I would suggest cutting the batting about 1″ larger all around and then trim it back.

Kimberly Sac Vinyl Strap

One of the most noticeable changes I made was to use vinyl for the straps and bottom of the Kimberly Sac.  The brown vinyl gives any bag an extra level of sophistication and structure.  Make sure to test the vinyl with your machine before committing though!

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When I have to break out a hammer on a project, it’s a good day 🙂  I love playing with hardware and saw the opportunity to use this button stud when the pattern called for a traditional sew-on button.  The loop was replaced by a strip of vinyl I hand-punched.  This closure adds a fun edgy detail to the bag.

Kimberly Sac Side Close Up

A tip to keep these tags straight and in place, is to use some Sewline Glue. It allows you to place the pieces on the bag before top-stitching.  With so many layers, pins were distorting the tabs shape, so the glue helps them lay nice and flat for straight stitches.

Kimberly Sac Fully Profile

The Kimberly Sac was a nice easy sew and the lack of zippers makes it very beginner friendly!  I love the relaxed slouchy design and who doesn’t love the ease of a cross-body strap?  The Carkai and vinyl make this a great everyday bag for running errands and is large enough to handle everyday life.  What is the strangest thing you have to carry in your purse or bag?

  • Need the Full Kit with hardware and Strawberry Fields Revisited fabric?  You can find it here.
  • If you would like just the pattern, you can find that here.
  • Let’s make all of this even easier by watching full video tutorial with Fat Quarter Shop and Fig Tree Studio.


For more inspiration, visit all my Kimberly Sac Sew-Along  bag-mates below:

Fat Quarter Shop

Emily Ann’s Kloset
Seasoned Homemaker
Jedi Craft Girl
Sharon Holland Designs
Why Not Sew
She Can Quilt
Love You Sew (you are here)
Sweet Little Pretties

 

Have fun stitchin’!

Cristy

 

As part of the Fat Quartershop Kimberly Sac Sew-Along, I have been compensated for my time and materials.  However, all opinions are all my very own. 

 

Louisa Bag Tour

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Front View Louisa Bag

I had the distinct pleasure of being a part of Clover & Violet’s Louisa Bag IG Tour.

As with the majority of C & V’s patterns, they are all “quilty” in style. I wanted to stay true to their design but add my own modern touch 😉 I thought flying geese would be perfect…especially in bright Kona cotton solids! To make sure the colors would pop, I paired the solids with my trusty friend, Andover Black Chambray for a clean, chic look.

 The inside fabric was simple low-volume Telegrammes Ciel from the collection, Cherie, designed by Frances Newcombe for Art Gallery Fabrics.

Side view

I stayed pretty true to the pattern. The only adjustments made were the placement of the Geese blocks so they would be a bit more scattered and even. The side ties were omitted and extra was used Kona on the side pockets for some more color. The panels were straight-line quilted with Aurifil 2605 gray to blend through the chambray and solids.

You can see other versions of this bag here and on Instagram with #louisabag and @cloverandviolet.

Hugs and Stitches,

Cristy

Love You Sew
The pattern was provided by C&V for the IG bag tour. All material was purchased and selected by myself. All opinions and comments are my own and have not been influenced by 3rd parties.