Amy Butler Bags...Completed by following instructions

I rarely spend big bucks on patterns, call me el cheapo at heart. And, when I see something I like, I'm likely to have this moment where by I say to myself "Well, I could probably figure that out." Which 1/2 the time I cannot. I also have myself convinced some of the time that patterns stunt my creativity. But the reality of it is that when I do use patterns I always learn something new. This ultimately makes me more creative and daring for future projects which are wholly my own.

Where is all of the existentalism going on the craft blog? I recently sprung for the Amy Butler Sophia Carry All and the Weekend Traveler patterns. I was so darn excited I could hardly stand it when they came in the mail. I skipped from the mail box to the couch to read and re-read the instructions.

Then, the very next day I went to one of my favorite fabric stores and spent way too much money on expensive fabric. No pressure or anything making sure this project comes out!


Here is the Sophia bag all made up. I'm pretty pleased with it. It has a double open purse zipper and everything. The false bottom turned out great too. Although making the piping by hand covering 1/4" cotton cording...ugh, the tedium. And stress to make sure it gets added to the bag evenly.

Next up...the matching weekender bag. Wheee....

Wavy stripes of Chenille

Oh, how I love the way this bag has all these amazing soft waves of chenille. It is topped off with cranberry fringe that slips through your fingers when you go to pop your hand in the bag.

The lady who designed it chose a super cute cranberry floral for the lining that matches perfectly but is unexpected.

Making this bag was making me a warm and toasty...thinking about cool fall breezes.

I've got to snap out of it and start working with the cool summer colors I still have back there in the sewing room.

Hope Miss Wavy Chenille is happy in her new home, she's being boxed up and sent out tomorrow.

Peachy Keen With A Twist of Brown

I just finished this darling 10"x10" peachy brown bag for a special order client. She designed the bag and she really wanted to mix the light cotton with the heavier chocolate brown velvet chenille. The chenille was left over from fall and the floral print is brand new.

The trick to this was to heavily interface the light weight cotton so the finished results would be seemless as far as the weights of the two materials. And, heavily interfaced it is, the thing could probably walk away on its own if I had given it legs. It's the first time I had worked with the super stiff Pelex material.

She also wanted the fringe doubled up. Of course that creates a very fuzzy top. It's perfect balance with the heavier bottom.

So there it is...it will be off in a box to it's new home this weekend.