I tend to make Carrie and Sue the same pouches with slight differences. They are good friends and I think that they were great students.
Color Wheel Hackney – Sue – interior
So, as I made a Hackney for Carrie, so I made a Hackney for Sue. In this case, the exterior fabric is the same, but cut a little different and the interior fabric, zippers and other detail parts are different. I made the interiors different, but still relating to being creative. I am excited about the interior. I also fussy cut it and am pleased with the fussy cutting. It is super fun.
Color Wheel Hackney – end (Sue)
This one also has a handle. As I said before, they are useful.
I wasn’t sure if I liked the way the handle and front panel interacted – the way the fabric motifs overlapped and interfered with each other, but I think fussy cutting the top draws the viewer’s attention to that space and you don’t see the mashup of motifs where the handle is attached.
The front of the front panel (which is a gusset) looks really good, I think. That little piece of color wheel is appealing.
Color Wheel Hackney – Sue
As I said with Carrie’s Hackney, Sue’s also goes with her Boxy Clear Pouch. You know I love to make sets of bags.
A long time ago, I promised Alison a bag to give away as a prize at the retreat. I thought I would finish the Brocade Peony Ultimate Carry All Bag and give that to her, but I ended up not doing that.
Amethyst Case – process – top
Finally, I decided to make an Amethyst Project Bag. This is a bag you can put pieces of a project into and keep them all together. It isn’t huge, so you can’t put yards and yards of fabric in there, but templates, most rulers and cut pieces would fit very well.
It is not a Minikins project, but it is a Sew Sweetness pattern.
Cutting bags at Sew Day
This is one of the projects I talked about cutting out at Sew Day. It is pretty amazing, to me, at least, that a project can move from a pile of cut pieces to something that is starting to look like a bag in a few hours.
Amethyst Case – in process – bottom
I haven’t finished. In fact, I have only made a start. I hope that I will have enough time to finish it before the retreat. Yes, I waited until the last minute, but I have had deadline after deadline I have been trying to meet. I know they are self imposed deadlines, but they are still deadlines for bags I wanted to give as gifts.
The bag is not exactly square. It is 14.5 x 13.5 x 3.5 (depth). I could only orient those giant peonies in two ways. I chose the other main panel for the top because one of the peonies was close to the center.
Amethyst Case – in process – inside pocket
I wanted to make a bag that would be appealing to the guild members. I hope this Tula Pink fabric appeals to many of them. I had planned to put some piping around the edge, but decided I needed to make one first before I started really messing around with the design.
Speaking of messing around with the design, I did make this inside front pocket instead of the short mesh pocket and the two pouches called for in the pattern. I like to see what is in my pockets. I am not sure this came out 100% perfectly, but I think it will work. I used the directions for the pages from the A Place for Everything v.2 bag as guidelines for this pocket.
I normally like to make the bag at least once first, but I don’t have the time.
I finished my most recent class with my fabulous students, Sue and Carrie. I had planned to make them each a Hackney for Christmas with this great Carrie Bloomston fabric, but moved the gifts up to be ready for our end of class lunch last Sunday.
Color Wheel Hackney – Carrie
One of the reasons I chose this fabric is that it matches another pouch, the Boxy Clear Pouch, I made for them. the fabric is fun and cheerful despite the dark background. Because I can’t stop teaching, I also wanted a reminder to them to use their color wheel. 😉 Finally, this is great fabric. Doesn’t it look like an explosion of color?
Color Wheel Hackney – end (Carrie)
This Hackney is like all the others. I have added a handle to this one and think that is a standard addition I will make to all the others I make. Having a handle is useful. I am not sure why Sara didn’t include one in the original directions. Perhaps the pattern is intended to go into a suitcase or something? Regardless, I think a handle is useful.
Color Wheel Hackney – interior (Carrie)
I am particularly pleased with the fussy cutting I did on the inside bottom. Don’t those pencils look great? I measured very carefully to get the whole pencil on the bottom and am thrilled with how successful I was.
I am still not 100% happy with the mesh pocket. I think it is useful, that is not in dispute, but the construction doesn’t appeal. The zipper tabs end up being too thick. I made a vinyl pocket on the Sugar Skull Hackney. I think it came out ok, but I wasn’t concerned about the final topstitching. My next test will be making pencil loops on the top. I’ll see how those come out.
Color Wheel Hackney – filled interior (Carrie)
I have put a few things in the bag including some Adagio tea.
As soon as I finished the two Color Wheel Hackneys, I started another. I have decided to make a number of these as gifts. I have to say that this one went a lot quicker than the others. It is a clear indication that practice does make perfect.
I am pretty pleased with how the coneflowers look. I picked the zipper color to go with the yellow coneflower, but also because I wasn’t sure when I would use a yellow handbag zipper otherwise. I think it looks good so far.
Coneflower Hackney interior- in process
I talked about the Hackney lining hack a bit ago. It is for this one. The lining is a little saggy so far, which I have to figure out. Otherwise, I think the piece is looking good.
This project started off so well and wasn’t difficult. There was one crucial line missing from the directions that threw me off.
That line was “Remember, this needs to open like a book”.
It is perfectly usable. It would work very well for someone who was left handed. As you can see the opening is on the left. If the directions had said “Remember, this needs to open like a book”, I think I would have been able to better picture the directions in my mind. Instead there were a lot of words describing flipping the exterior in different ways, which was confusing.
2-in-1 Case #1 interior
Also, I used a snap instead of the magnetic clasp called for, which I know had an effect.
I also added a piece of foam in addition to the fusible batting. I like the heft. I might try two layers of fusible batting next time. Yes, there will be a next time. I think this is a useful pouch/booklet, but also not difficult, so it is a good item for a door prize.
Despite the problems, I found this a fairly easy project. It also gave me practice in using my Snap Setter. I always wonder what my DH thinks I am doing when he hears me pounding away. I am always amazed that the tool doesn’t break.
This one is an International Women’s Day gift for Gerre.
This is the fourth one I have made and I plan to make a few more. I have made them all in the large size. I could make the smaller sizes; I just haven’t yet. For some reason I like making these as gifts.
Sugar Skull Hackney interior
I used the same lining fabric as I used for the Skeleton Hackney. It is a good lining fabric. I haven’t used it as a background as it is pretty dynamic and doesn’t fade into the background like other fabrics.
I did the pocket a little differently, too. I made a vinyl pocket using the Glitter vinyl from Sew Hungry Hippie. There was a little bit of a problem sewing the turning opening closed, but not much. Some of that could have been from forgetting to use a 3/8 inch seam allowance on the top.
Sugar Skull Hackney handle
I also added a handle to this one and remembered not to sew through the lining! It was much easier to put the whole thing together.
I put a few small gifts and a card inside. I hope she likes it.
I try to make sets of things using the same fabric, but I have very little of the Sugar Skull fabric left. I thought the dots coordinated well.
I made another Hackney. It is a gift for a friend. As you can, no doubt, see this one also uses the Timeless Treasures fabric that I used for the Skeleton Hackney.
Hand Bone Hackney bottom
I talked about this one in another post. I am really liking the pink zipper, of which you just get a slight glimpse. It is a fun addition to the somber skeleton fabric.
Every time I make one of these, I feel like getting a Switch and seeing if it would really fit in here. Stupid waste of money since I probably wouldn’t play with a Switch. Still, I am curious.
Hand Bone Hackney -interior
I used an older Joel Dewberry fabric for the inside and it is cheerful. I am making another one as a gift and I am going to change the mesh pocket for something different. Maybe a vinyl pocket?
I think the mesh pocket looks ok and I did a good job. There is something about having the zipper where it is that bugs me.
Hand Bone Hackney – handle
I added a handle, because I think it makes the bag more useful. I haven’t quite figured out the placement and I think this one is a little too tight. It was a little hard to get my hand around it. I also sewed through the lining as well and that caused some challenges for later steps in the process. Since the handle isn’t part of the pattern and I have to add it before the whole thing is put together, I think I am doing ok. I’ll do better next time.
I talked a little about the random things we did and saw in Portland the other day. There were also several bags that I have made which made the trip with us.
My Take a Stand in the wild
I didn’t want to bring A Place for Everything, which would have carried everything, but it is big. I was trying not to bring my entire workroom, so I brought my Take a Stand/Without a Trace bag. Using the supplies I fit in this bag, I knew I would be able to work on La Pass Month 18. In it I stuffed my La Pass Sew Together Bag. To carry my La Pass thread, I brought the Inside Outside pouch, pattern from Aneela Hoey. Both of these bag fit snugly in the Take a Stand.
La Pass Sew Together Bag in use
I keep the Sew Together Bag handy when I am working on La Pass, because it has everything I need. I know it is hard to see what is going on, but trust me, it is super useful.
We stopped to stay with Mary and Michel on our way home. Mary wants to make this bag and we spent a lot of time talking about the construction.
It was useful to have everything I needed fitted into the Take a Stand. I knew nothing would fall out, so I didn’t have to worry. I also didn’t have to change bags in order to make everything fit.
Mom’s Take a Stand
Mom also brought her Take a Stand. I am not 100% sure what was in there, but it was hanging around the house.
She also brought her Percheron Pouch with her, which I didn’t photograph in situ. She used it a lot. It houses a crochet project I bought for her that she has been working on for quite awhile. She had a big space she could use to lay the piece out so she could see what she was doing. If I remembered the pattern, I would share, but I don’t.
This poor bag’s post has been juggled around for at least two months now.
Julie’s Take a Stand Bag
I finished this bag back in May after I finished my Mom’s Take a Stand and before I finished mine. This was originally scheduled to be a gift for Friend Julie’s birthday. That meant I couldn’t show it to you until at least December 2. This state of affairs was terrible enough for me, but then I decided to give her this gift for Christmas and give her the Ultimate Carry All Bag for her birthday. That meant I had to wait. Then our New Year’s plans to go out with Friend Julie and our DHs were postponed, because of terrible weather. It is hard for me to wait to show you what I am making. It is so fun to read what you think. Also, I get to think about what I made when I am writing about it. Anyway, we made it through.
Finally, I gave her this bag over the weekend. I had filled it with a lot of little gifts.
Usually, I choose purple fabrics. Julie and I were out together and she mentioned this fabric, which gave me the idea to make her a bag from it. It won’t exactly go with her other bags because I usually choose a darker purple. I hope she likes it anyway.
Julie’s Take a Stand interior
I am REALLY pleased with the inside. The fussy cutting came out really well. Also, the construction of the ByAnnie bags means the linings are really taut, which I like.
A happy accident is the lines at the end of the pencil points. The bottom matches up with the sides! The pencil fabric is from Crimson Take and I am really glad it is highlighted.
Julie’s Take a Stand front pocket – interior
I used an old Moda Marbles light purple for the main part of the bag. This is fabric that will mostly be covered. I found that to be true with the APfE v.2 as well, that is that most of the outside is covered by pockets so choosing a tone-on-tone rather than a special fabric makes more sense. This Moda Marbles light purple fabric ties the bag to her other bags.
I used the Tula Pink Scissor ribbon from the Homemade line for the interior of the front and back pockets to cover the zipper join.
Again, I used the Tula Pink webbing for the strap (see above). Mom’s was kind of my test bag so the strap for this one went a lot quicker. I am pleased with how well the webbing color fits with the colors of the bag.
I am still calling this the Without a Trace bag periodically. And I still don’t know why!
I went on another organizing rampage this morning. I decided to gather all the fabrics and supplies for several bag projects I have planned. This task has been on my list for awhile, so I decided today was the day. In the course of this effort, I tidied up some project bins that were stuffed full of fabric, patterns, etc.
I-Spy / Roadtrip pouches
In one of the project bins I found two of the smaller, completed Crafty Gemini Organizer Club projects. I know I left them there so I could put them together with the last two projects. The last two projects, the Retreat in a Bag and the Ultimate Project Bag have not yet been made, but are on the list. Thus, they were two of the projects for which I gathered supplies and materials.
One of the projects I found, which will be clipped into the Ultimate Project Bag was the Roadtrip bag (right, photo above). Seeing this project again made me think of the templates for which I made a number of pouches.
The Roadtrip bag (pouch) was not used for the templates, but it could be. It looks very similar to the I-Spy pouch by Sew Sweetness (left, photo above), which I did use for the templates. Not counting the size differences, the main difference is the side strip on the Sew Sweetness bag. I made several of the I-Spy pouches for acrylic templates.
The reason I am talking about these is that I thought I would make a larger one, adjusting the size, to suit two sets of templates which don’t fit in the sizes given in the pattern.
The Sew Sweetness I-Spy pouch comes in 3 sizes. The largest size is 10.5 in x 8.5 in high, which is great except that it will not fit the larger templates that need a home. I want to make a pouch for the Chickadee Backpack templates I bought last year when the pattern came out. The templates need a pouch that is about 8 in by 19 in.
Yoko Saito’s Natural Patchwork bag
I know I talked about the bag from Natural Patchwork**, which I still want to make, but I don’t think today is that day. I do like the idea of handles (makes me think of the Grab & Go pattern, also from the Minikins patterns) and I may use foam instead of batting since the templates are quite large and I don’t want them to break.
What did I gain by today’s organizing effort? 1. I have everything ready when I decide to cut new projects out; 2. I have zippers on order, which weren’t already in my bin of zippers; 3. I have more of an idea for securing some templates; 4. Bins with less junk in them.
**Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need at quilt shops, I use affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.
Yes, another bag as a gift for Julie. I actually finished this in September, but couldn’t show it until now, after it was presented.
I chuckled to myself as I cut out the bag at Super Sew Day right under Julie’s nose! She may have noticed the fabric, but I just didn’t make a big deal out of it.
I didn’t have a good sense of how large these bags would be. I hope this one isn’t too small. It will work for a bag or accessory project for sure, but probably not for a large quilt project. Julie doesn’t knit or crochet, but she does have embroidery projects and this will work for one of those as well.
It is, as I may have mentioned, a fairly easy project. I think the ByAnnie patterns seem overly complicated sometimes. The directions are very complete and I have grown attached to the binding instructions, but in general I think they seem overly complicated.
The Percheron Pouch ended up very well. Despite my despair when I was finishing it, it turned out fine.
Although I am not a fan of brown and beige, I think the brown and beige handbag zippers work with the Paris fabric.
Percheron Pouch: bottom has OdiCoat
There is a little bit of turquoise in the fabric to liven up the bag. I fussy cut the top so that the Paris motif shows, which means that most of the turquoise is on the bottom.
I was also able to fussy cut -sort of- the Paris motif on the back panel. The back panel makes up the hinge assembly for this bag.
As you might remember, I put Odicoat on the bottom to help keep the bag clean. You can’t really tell that there is anything on the bottom.
Percheron Pouch – top inside
Percheron Pouch – bottom inside
I chose a dusty turquoise for the inside or lining fabric. The lining is a little baggy so I need to work on that on the next one. Without putting Odicoat on the inside I am not sure how I would use one of these. I’ll have to think about it since I may want to make another for myself.
I still plan to make another since I figured out why the thing was so hard to put together – and I want to get it right. This is an interesting bag and I think it makes a great gift.
I made a bunch of these project bags as Christmas gifts. Here is one I made for Mom.
Of course, I used the paint tube fabric. I still have a lot of it, so there are more bags in Mom’s future. The ByAnnie pattern** includes four sizes. This is the large size, but I don’t think it is very large. It is about half again as wide and tall as a sheet of notebook paper.
Mom’s project bag back
I was kind of surprised at the size, actually, though I do have issues with understanding how big something is in real life when I look at an image online or check dimensions. If I had known the size, I would have made the extra large, which is also included in the pattern.
I am not sure I’ll make this pattern again. While it wasn’t difficult, once the quilting was done, I am not sure it is useful. There is no gusset, so how much stuff could actually fit? I don’t know. I haven’t tried one. Maybe for EPP pieces?
Two project bags for Mom
I hope these are useful despite the size. My Mom always finds good uses for the bags I make her.
**Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need at quilt shops, I use affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.
I am really pleased with the way this bag went together and moderately pleased with how it came out. I want to make another one, now that I have the basics down in my head, because there are some things that didn’t come out right….for me.
Knitting Needles bag – starting to open
I was glad to have a project on which to use canvas. I bought the cream dot canvas A LONG time ago and have just never used it. This pattern specifically called for canvas and I am determined to use fabric I have as much as possible, so I pulled it out. It looks very cheerful in the picture and IRL, too.
I thought the pattern was very good, too. I know I didn’t believe what the designer wrote, but she wrote it correctly.
Knitting Needles Bag snaps
I know I mentioned adding snaps in the last post, but I have to say that I was pleased to do so and have some ideas for using them. Also, again kudos to the designer: the snaps all lined up properly, which was great.
I used the SnapSetter I got from Sew Sweetness. I tried to use the pliers I bought, but couldn’t figure them out. I found the SnapSetter to be really easy and straightforward to use. Sara of Sew Sweetness has a video on how to use the tool.
Knitting Needles Bag – label and binding
My striped binding wasn’t the ideal choice. If I had it to do over again, I’d choose a solid. Normally, I am a huge striped binding fan, but in this case it clashes a bit with the dots and I think a solid would work better with that non-45 degree point in the front. The stripes make that weird angle look bad. Otherwise, the binding looks fine.
The other good thing about the pattern is that the designer tells you exactly where to put a label. I am excited about that since I just bought some Wunderlabels. You can see that I added one in the location indicated. It is covered when the bag is closed.
Knitting Needles Bag – fully open
The bag has three compartments. It is designed for circular and double pointed needles. There are some optional directions for modifying the compartments for other types of needles. I have a lot of circular needles so I will use it for those.
Knitting Needles Bag – starting to fill
I haven’t completely filled it yet, but I have started to put some needles in it.
The circular needles are placed so the snap is in the middle of the needle. This is great, because it is another check to make sure the needles don’t slide out.
I really like the shape and the way the bag snaps together. I highly recommend the pattern by Tinberry/Zaudal Creates.
I finally got over the hump of the elastic on my Knitting Needle Case and started to make progress. It has been over a month since I started working on this bag and I thought it would go more quickly.
The problem was that I couldn’t believe I was reading the pattern correctly. The first instruction after cutting is to apply elastic to the right side of the fabric. I couldn’t believe that was right, so I procrastinated, then I DMed the creator and then I found her videos. There are two videos. I skipped through a lot of the first one, though when I found the section I needed it was really helpful.
Lining Up Elastic
Neither of the videos have talking. The sound is all musical (I turned the sound off), but there are some titles. It doesn’t matter, the visuals are helpful. The part about the elastic also gives a helpful tip for lining up the elastic as holders for needles.
After getting over the elastic hump and learning to add snaps, I was able to make good progress in a few hours. The last step I have is to sew on the binding.
