FRIENDSHIP BAGS

Each time a project is completed, I go through the scrap box and cut out strips and square for future projects.  Here are three more Friendship Bags that were made from little strips of fabrics that were too pretty to discard:

Here's my simple little lable again, this time on the side of the little tote since there wasn't anything happening in the front:

My "Little b" has already reserved the bags for her friends.....She's also excited to make a few more maybe to start  "Friendship Bag" club. 

Thank you to Rachel for providing the tutorial where you can find it here.

CANVAS BUCKET SWEETWATER PATTERN

Last week, we celebrated TEACHER'S APPRECIATION WEEK.  Each day, the students in my child's class did a little something for "Ms. Nakao":

MONDAY - Write a note to "Ms. Nakao"  on why she is appreciated and drop off on her desk first thing in the morning.
TUESDAY - Bring a fresh hand picked flower(s) and place it in the vase provided on her desk.
WEDNESDAY - Bring a fruit for her.
THURSDAY - Bring in anything that the student wants to give "Ms. Nakao" (draw a picture, write another note, lei, more flowers, more fruits, treats, or simply a verbal "thank you")....

Well, my "Little b" wanted to give her teacher, that she so admires, a handmade gift that she could use either in the classroom or at home.  She knew a of a pattern that came in the mail recently and inquired about it..  Yep, I got purchased a CANVAS BUCKET SWEETWATER pattern from Crazy Quilt Girl Fabric Shop.  We both agreed it would be a nice gift and here it is alongside the pattern:

I decorated the front with some iron-on studs I got from Creative Crystal.  It really "blings" with the slightest hint of light on it.  So pretty!

Found some cute fabric in the remnant section of the local fabric store and used it to line the bucket.  Thought this would be appropriate for an Asian teacher.

On the reverside of  "NAKAO" is "SENSEI" ("teacher" in Japanese):

Here's another pic of it with the pattern inside:

This bucket is a great gift for all ages and so easy to make!  It can be stuffed with all kinds of goodies for the recipient.  I pre-cut a few more w/the extra fabric for those last minute gifts throughout the year.  Hope "Ms. Nakao" loves  her bucket as much as we enjoyed making it for her.  Here's to all the Teachers out there who chooses a career to teach our children to make a difference for our future.  HAPPY TEACHERS APPRECIATION WEEK!

SWEETWATER MARKET TOTE BAG

Here's another Market Tote Bag from Sweetwater.  This is for a friend of mine who admires animal skin prints..... Like all of us, she lives a busy lifestyle and is constantly on the go so I thought this would be a nice bag for her when she runs around town to do her errands.  The fabric used are canvas and animal printed acrylic with black cotton lining.

I added this hardware to the front to accommodate either a cell phone or iPod holder.  I saw a bag on display at the mall and thought to give it a try. 

For this bag, the label was printed out on fabric and placed in the front.  Seems like it turned out okay.  Very simple:

The front pocket is actually just one peice of fabric (instead of two per the pattern instructions) with a fringe trim and button to give it some dimension.  Can't believe the fringe was in my "sewing stuff" for years.  The receipt that was found attached to it was dated 2005.  EEEEEK!  Gotta empty out those drawers.  There seems to be more and more treasures each time I dig into them.  Here's a photo of the front pocket:

Hope my friend likes it.....it will look cute with her new faux cheetah skin sandals!

MESSENGER BAG

I've noticed lots of teenagers walking around with the cutest messager bags.  So, here I go with another "project".  This pattern was purchased from the local fabric store.  It is Burda's  #8235:

And here's how it turned out:

I had a few left over fabrics laying around so I pinned a flower that I previously blogged about here.  For this bag, I did not put a magnetic closure since I wanted it to be reversible to a cute fairy fabric:

The flower can easily be un-pinned and re-pinned on the flap when the bag is turned over:

Some thoughts for future next messager bags are:  a little pouch holder for a cell phone, a pocket for a water bottle, and maybe back pockets.  This is a neat project a beginner sewer!  The sky is the limit in adding emblishments to this project...

THE JANE MARKET BAG

In keeping with  "GO GREEN", making a market bag was inevitable.  I came across THE JANE MARKET BAG at this website.  The mixture of fabrics made it look "more" than the traditional market bag that I'm used to seeeing so I thought I'd give it a try.  Using collected scrap fabric along w/some good old worn out denim jeans, this is my first round of this pattern.  For this Jane Market Bag, xtra long handles were requested by my xtra tall market shopper:

This lable came from Sweetwater, my first project w/an "official" label:

The next two Jane Market Bags are made out of palaka fabric, a popular print here in Hawaii that comes in many colors, rice bag prints that takes me back to my childhood (almost everyone in  my home town had some kind of clothing made out of the ever so durable rice bag fabric), and last but not least, one of my favorite fabric, old used denim. 

Already had many compliments from the super market workers on the Jame Market Bag.....maybe because they noticed the rice bag fabric from their youth, or have some kind of palaka fabric Hawaiian apparel in their closet, or maybe they, like me, appreciate anything recycled and homemade.

Bags have nice deep pocks both front and back for keys, cell phone, etc:

Like them?  Oh, just found out there's a group for the Jane Market Bags on http://www.flickr.com/ if you want to see more of them....Lots of pretty fabric combinations!

CANVAS MARKET TOTE FROM SWEETWATER

Here's another MARKET TOTE I made using this pattern from Sweetwater (I'm a Sweetwater fan!) I got from The Fat Quarter Shop on-line and my delicious cotton canvas fabric I recently rec'd from here.

LOVE this pattern!  The dimensions are perfect for me.  I'm thinking maybe a beach/pool/sleepover bag for this one.  My daughter "borrowed" it for a day and it really fit her well.  She insisted that she needed to "advertise" for me.  Maybe next time I'll try long straps on both ends so she can wear it like a messenger bag......Lots of room for her binder and school stuff. 

Can't wait to make more.  Oh wait, I did make more, I made one more:

Now I have two lovely Sweetwater Market Totes:

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!