The So Sew Easy Schlep Bag

A few months ago, I ran into this blog and saw this free download instruction for a So Sew Easy Schlep Bag.  Thought it was cute and then forgot about it.  About two weeks ago, I visited one of my local favorite quilt shop and saw one of these Schlep Bags on display.  When I asked for the pattern, I was told it was a free download from the internet (ding!  I remember seeing this).  After seeing the finished product, thought it would be way cool to use at my weekly Farmer's Market visit.....

When I got home, I went directly to my computer and printed out the instructions and this is how my So Sew Easy Schlep Bag turned out:

I am pleased with the color choices and took a risk on burlap....it passed my family's approval so it goes in the "to make again" folder...

Note:  make sure your main square, if focusing on an image, finishes upright and not sideways like mine:

Mistakes are okay, just as long you learn from that, right?  Don't think anyone will noitice my image is horizontal.  This bag hangs and folds up very nicely, too!

FABRIC SALE!

I know, I promised not to purchase anymore fabric but who can resist a sale, especially a GOOD sale!.....There's a sale going on at www.jcarolinecreative.com/ and the price I could not resist (cotton canvas as low as $3.50/yd)!  The people I came in contact with were very pleasant and accommodating w/my many requests to check if certain shades matched.  This is what the Postlady delivered:

Yup, 14 yards total of cotton canvas....Learned to love canvas after visitng this website.  They even make cute little labels like these:

Can't wait to use these labels..... I'll show ya what I've been up to with canvas....give me some time, okay...Thanks for visiting!

Friendship Bag

Here's a little bag I made out of little tid bits of fabric that I just couldn't get rid of.  I got the tutorital from here.

It got rave reviews from my daughter and her friends so more bags to make...got lots of 'FRIENDSHIP BAG" fans out there..Oh, the straps are made of my daughter's favorite jeans that she outgrew but didn't want to get rid of so I convinced her that we'd made something out of it.  Since we used only a small portion of her jeans, she's saving the rest for more projects....she's becoming a little "leftover fabric saver" like her mom.  Guess we'll need to start saving for the next storage shed.  I have a feeling she may take over my space.

Thank you Rachel Griffith for sharing your tutorial!  And thank YOU for stopping by!

Buttercup Bag

I fell in love with a bag I saw here and thought this would be a nice way to use up some denim in my stash bin.  Lucky for tutorials, this is where I leanred how to "free form embelish".  Keeping true to my New Years resolution, I went to my pattern stash and found a pattern I got from Made By Rae's blog .  Dusted it off and this is what I got:

            

I wanted to add a little more to it so and thought of "KANZASHI FLOWERS".  I first saw kanzashi fabric flowers here at "You Sew, Girl!".  I tried a few with the help of several tutorials from this flickr site and this bitty bits and pieces blog tutorial.  Instructions were easy enough for me to follow and this is one of my first kanzashi flowers and though it would be cute for this Buttercup bag:

Oh, I must add this the polka dot fabric was from a favorite hand-me down top of my daughter and it is also used as the interior lining.  Since the bag (minus the kanzashi flower) was entirely made from fabric in her "favorite clothes bin", she feels very connected to this. I added a little pock inside for her "little" things.

Again, I must thank all those who are so generous to post  their tutorials and provide free patterns and ideas! 

Selvage Potholders

I'm a fan for using every bit of anything to create another "something"....I found this blog and just loved how people create fabulous things out of selvages that were once considered as rubbish.  I collected enough to make these potholders after seeing this post:

There are a few selvages from my kids clothing when I did  little sewing for them when they were toddlers...

When I revealed my potholders, there were a alot of,  "I remember this fabric....", "Oh, this was one of my favorites...".  Nice to see that something as simple as handmade selvage potholders are appreciated.

Tsunami Day bags

Okay, so this past Saturday, all our eyes were on the television for updates on the tsunami that was expected to hit Hawaii around 11:05 a.m.  It was a day to stay safe and stay home.  What to do in front of the televisoin?  Sew, of course!  I dusted off a pattern, "The Hazel Hipster" I got from here and away I went.  My fist mini Hipster turned out cute!  The straps were a little too short for me to use across my body, but perfect for over the shoulder or a little girl across her body....

Bag #1:

Yes, it was a LONG day so I made more, this time w/longer straps and I also did one w/an adjustable strap and "d" rings.  Cute!  I just HAVE to try out the regular size hipster....

Bag # 2, 3, 4

At the end of the day, the State of Hawaii was really lucky to have "dodged the tsunami".  My thoughts and prayers to the the people of Chile who are suffering from the earthquake.