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- Category: Handmade bags
I think it's pretty obvious by now I really, really love making bags. So, when a fabulously talented Amy (nana company) published a free tutorial for her Riverside Tote I knew I had to make one right away.
This tote is ginormous (I was able to easily fit four beach towels in) and I absolutely love that.
I used Arroyo linen and AGF denim in wicked sky for the main body of the bag. And, I'm totally smitten with the addition of leather tabs and rivets. They make for an extra special way to finish off the cotton webbing handles, don't you think?
I tried making large totes in the past and they always turned out very clunky and awkward looking :(. I think Amy got the proportions and dimensions just right on this one and I'm super excited to have a large tote I actually love.
Wishing you all a happy and creative day. Svetlana
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Hello lovelies, how are things?
Have you been working on any fun projects? I must say, my sewing time has been seriously limited lately and I find myself going for days without even touching any fabric at all :(
So, not surprisingly, this little baby quilt took weeks for me to finally finish.
Weeks!!! How crazy is that!?!?
I chose a simple square patchwork design (100% inspired by this beauty I have pinned ages ago) and I absolutely loved a chance to cut into lots of pink scraps and fabrics patiently waiting for just the right project.
This quilt top, as you can imagine, has come together rather quickly. And then I decided hand quilting was the way to go as my kids like it when I watch their favorite Netflix shows with them, and I like to hand quilt while watching. Totally a win-win for all of us :)
I used white perle cotton #8 and first stitched in the ditch, and then quilted a square inside each block. I think this quilting compliments the simple patchwork quite well.
I finished this little cutie by adding a lovely striped binding. I know I keep saying it, but I do love striped bindings very, very much.
Off I go, more summer fun to be had as we only have two more weeks of summer...
This quilt top, as you can imagine, has come together rather quickly. And then I decided hand quilting was the way to go as my kids like it when I watch their favorite Netflix shows with them, and I like to hand quilt while watching. Totally a win-win for all of us :)
I used white perle cotton #8 and first stitched in the ditch, and then quilted a square inside each block. I think this quilting compliments the simple patchwork quite well.
I finished this little cutie by adding a lovely striped binding. I know I keep saying it, but I do love striped bindings very, very much.
Off I go, more summer fun to be had as we only have two more weeks of summer...
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Only one more week and my kids are going back to school.
I was planning on going into a full blown sew like a maniac and make all the pouches, and lunchboxes, and drawstring bags the kids might possibly need (and more) but was stopped in my tracks when all three of them put their requests in - my son wanted a pouch for his pens and my daughters needed a new lunchbox each.
That's it !!!
Thank goodness they reminded me there was absolutely no need to put all that pressure on myself and take things easy.
And that's what I'm doing now :)
So far I only made this one Devon pouch for my son. He chose the fabric, I suggested the pattern, and we're both happy with the way it turned out. It fits all his pens and pencils perfectly and that's pretty much all he cares about.
Wishing you all a happy and productive day! Svetlana
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My friend Catherine Redford is an incredible quilter. I greatly admire all the gorgeous quilting she does on her domestic machine so when she asked if I wanted to review her new book Modern Machine Quilting I was more than happy to jump at the opportunity.
The book is divided into five chapters. In the first chapter Catherine shares lots of info on fabric, batting, thread, needles, quilt basting, as well as quilting room set up.
Second chapter is all about Walking Foot Quilting and, once again, there's lots of very useful info on supplies, stitch length, tension, as well as many trouble shooting ideas to make one's quilting look beautiful and professional.
And, there are tons step by step pictures which I greatly appreciate.
Chapter three focuses on Free Motion Quilting. I must say, I'm kind of scared of FMQ, so I love Catherine's suggestion to draw the patterns out in pencil before one tackles the quilt. I will definitely be giving this a try next time I plan on FMQ a quilt.
Fourth chapter is a gallery of Catherine's gorgeous quilts featuring both straight line quilting as well as FMQ.
Last chapter includes four finished projects + full instructions on how to make them. This...
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Hello everyone! I'm super, super excited to have a chance to show off my newest crossbody bag pattern to you today, yay!!!
I've been working on this bag for months and have gone through at least six unsuccessful prototypes before I finally landed on this design. All that work though was totally worth is as I absolutely love this bag.
Luisa finishes at 10" wide x 9" tall x 3" deep. And, the addition of a hidden zipper pocket on the front, slip pocket on the back, zipper pocket in the lining, as well as a main zipper closure and adjustable strap makes for a super useful, perfectly sized everyday purse.
Materials needed to make Luisa Bag:
fabric A (main exterior fabric) – ¾ yard
fabric B (contrasting exterior bottom + strap) – ½ yard
fabric C (lining) – ¾ yard
interlining fabric (canvas, denim, or some other heavier weight fabric) – ½ yard
SF 101 interfacing (or other medium weight fusible interfacing of choice) – 2 yards
one - 12” long metal or nylon zipper
one - 8” long metal or nylon zipper
one - 6” long metal or nylon zipper
two - 1” rectangle or circle strap rings
one - 1” rectangle strap slider
five - 7mm rivets (optional)
fabric A (main exterior fabric) – ¾ yard
fabric B (contrasting exterior bottom + strap) – ½ yard
fabric C (lining) – ¾ yard
interlining fabric (canvas, denim, or some other heavier weight fabric) – ½ yard
SF 101 interfacing (or other medium weight fusible interfacing of choice) – 2 yards
one - 12” long metal or nylon zipper
one - 8” long metal or nylon zipper
one - 6” long metal or nylon zipper
two - 1” rectangle or circle strap rings
one - 1” rectangle strap slider
five - 7mm rivets (optional)
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
As usual, I had help from a few super talented ladies...
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Well hello!! Happy Wednesday to you all!
Lately I've been trying really hard to stay away from many, many new fabric lines coming to market at incredibly fast speed and work mostly from my stash instead. And you know what? It was pretty fun and I drastically reduced the amount of fabric I own, yay!
Did I ever tell you I don't like having too much of anything, including fabric, in my house as it makes me feel all overwhelmed and unable to concentrate? Yes, there's definitely such a thing as too much of a good thing for me. I reduced my stash to about a third of what it was a few years back and I love it. I do an occasional "stash enhancement" of course, but I try hard to choose only the fabric I love and have a plan for.
So, when I came across Amy Sinibaldi's Magnolia print from her Charleston collection I knew right away it would be perfect for a new Anna pouch.
Lately I've been trying really hard to stay away from many, many new fabric lines coming to market at incredibly fast speed and work mostly from my stash instead. And you know what? It was pretty fun and I drastically reduced the amount of fabric I own, yay!
Did I ever tell you I don't like having too much of anything, including fabric, in my house as it makes me feel all overwhelmed and unable to concentrate? Yes, there's definitely such a thing as too much of a good thing for me. I reduced my stash to about a third of what it was a few years back and I love it. I do an occasional "stash enhancement" of course, but I try hard to choose only the fabric I love and have a plan for.
So, when I came across Amy Sinibaldi's Magnolia print from her Charleston collection I knew right away it would be perfect for a new Anna pouch.
And it really was. I totally love how this pouch turned out. The tiny checks I used for zipper bindings and tab are from Amy's Les Petites collection.
This is such a fun little pouch. Actually, it's two pouches joined together to form one and is a perfect size to keep little items in one's purse organized and contained....
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I finished my Sawtooth Star quilt and I'm completely in love :)
This quilt is special to me not just because sawthooth star block is one of my most favorite quilting blocks ever, but also because I screen printed the fabrics I used and it feels amazing to see them turned into a quilt.
I used a mixture of Kona and Cirrus solids for my blocks. Each block measured 12.5" unfinished, sashing was cut at 2.5" wide. (click here to read more on how I make my blocks)
When it came to quilting, I wanted just a simple design so the stitching wouldn't compete with the blocks. I think this grid quilting does the work very nicely.
And the stripes for the binding, of course. I don't think I will ever tire of adding striped binding to my quilts.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
QUILT STATS
finished size: 40" x 54"
fabrics used: Kona + Cirrus solids, screen printed fabrics (can be purchased here)
batting: Pellon's Nature's Touch Natural cotton batting
Wishing you all a happy and creative day. Svetlana
Linking up to Finish it up Friday over at Crazy Mom Quilts.
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Lately I've been feeling incredibly overwhelmed and exhausted, finding myself with a mile long to do list and very little energy to tackle it all. So, the other day I decided to forget about all the urgent stuff and indulge in some much needed "scrap therapy" instead.
I dove into my scrap bin and improv pieced these random blocks.
I knew I didn't want to commit to any large project, so I simply turned some of them into coasters.
And then I made more coasters, of course :) These were super fun to make and I greatly enjoyed adding little hand stitched details to each.
And, after spotting Chase's adorable scrap pouch I decided I needed to make one, too.
I love how it turned out and I can't wait to do some more scrappy sewing soon.
How about you? Do you enjoy sewing with scraps? Or do you prefer using your stash?
Wishing you all a lovely and creative day. Svetlana
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Hello everyone!
Let's celebrate the beginning of summer with a little sale, shall we?
Use code SUMMER30 during checkout to get a 30% discount on all sewing patterns at my etsy shop.
(discount code valid through Friday, June 23rd)
Happy sewing! Svetlana
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Summer has arrived in full force. It's hot and muggy and the kids are on their summer break, so we try to make the best of it and go swimming as often as we can. Which of course means I needed a new beach bag :).
I've gone back and forth on quite a few designs but in the end I decided to make myself a Market Bag from one of my most favorite sewing books Handmade Style by Anna Graham.
This bag is fabulously roomy (it fits at least three beach towels easily) and way more stylish than most beach bags one can buy at the store, I think ;)
I used yarn dyed Essex Linen in black for main body and a mix of my own screen printed fabric as well as some adorable prints I bought from Krista (spotted stones) for patchwork bands.
I went with olive green canvas for lining. It's wonderfully sturdy and there was no need to add interfacing which is always nice.
I followed directions in the book to make one zipper pocket and then I added an extra zipper and slip pockets to the other lining as well as a snap hook for my keys to make this fabulously large bag more functional.
I love how it turned out and I'm quite sure this bag will get used a lot over the next few months. Yay for stylish and...
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Hello friends!
How are things? Are you enjoying some lovely summer weather these days? My kids have been out of school for over two weeks and we're now in full summer mode. It's fun being able to spend more time with the kids and take things easy, but it also means a lot less sewing time for me.
So far though I've been pretty successful in squeezing a few quick projects here and there (you know, to keep my sanity intact) and it seems to do the trick :).
I made this Sylvie Tote as a gift for my mother in law and I absolutely adore the combination of this long hoarded cotton print by Jeni Baker for AGF and yarn dyed Essex linen.
I made an 'everyday size' and went with slightly shorter handles than the pattern calls for as my MIL prefers her totes this way. And, I added rivets and magnetic snap closure to make it a sturdy and functional tote. I hope it will be loved and used a lot.
And then I made myself a new Devon Pouch. I think this is the fifth or sixth Devon I made in the last few weeks and I still didn't get tired of making them. That's definitely a good sign :)
How about you? What have you been working on lately?
Svetlana
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Hello everyone!
I'm super, super excited to show off my newest pouch pattern today, yay!
This is Devon Pouch.
A double zipper, super handy pouch that comes in two sizes. Large one would make a fabulous pencil or make up pouch, and the small one is a perfect coin pouch.
Small size actually fits my Iphone SE (it's on a smaller side, so if you have any of the larger phones and want it to fit into your pouch then go with large size).
Finished size:
small – 6 ½” wide x 3 ¾” tall
large - 7 ¼” wide x 5” tall x 1 ½” deep
Difficulty level: intermediate
!!! This is a measure and cut pattern, no templates needed !!!
Materials needed to make your very own Devon Pouch:
1 FQ (fat quarter) of fabric measures 18'” x 21”
fabric A (pouch exterior) – 1 FQ
fabric B (pouch lining + zipper pocket lining) – 1 FQ
SF 101 interfacing (or similar medium weight fusible interfacing) – 1/2 yard
large size needs an 8” and 6" long metal or nylon zippers
small size needs a 6” and 4" long metal or nylon zippers
(I buy all my zippers from Zipit Zippers on Etsy)
optional – two zipper pulls (I used a 6” and an 8” long 1/8” wide leather lace)
Supplies:
cutting mat, ruler, and rotary cutter
zipper foot for your sewing machine
Wonder...
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My kids will be finished with school year in just a few days, so I decided I needed a new bag for all the outings and fun activities we're planning on doing over the next three months.
I wanted this new bag to be sturdy and larger than my regular everyday purse with lots of pockets as well as main zipper closure. And, as luck would have it, my Cora handbag pattern fit the bill perfectly (the only adjustment I did was shortening the handles a bit and adding a removable strap).
I think the combination of this beautiful print from Maureen Cracknell's Nightfall collection and Wicked Sky AGF denim is just perfect for this bag. And the addition of Pellon Flex Foam makes it wonderfully structured without adding extra weight.
I used metal zippers for main closure and inner zipper pocket,
and added matching hardware to the strap. I think metal hardware always adds a perfect finishing touch to any handmade bag.
I got my middle daughter to model the bag so you can see the scale better.
All in all, I couldn't be happier with the way my new bag turned out (you can purchase the pattern here in case you'd like to make one for yourself). Just four more days and the outings can begin. Wish me...
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I started a new quilt, yay!!!
It's been ages since I felt like making any traditional quilt blocks, so when I suddenly couldn't get the combination of my newest screen printed panels and Sawtooth Star block out of my head I knew it was time to drop everything else I planned on doing and do some serious piecing instead :).
I'm so excited about these new fabric panels, I think they'll make for a super fun quilt.
I haven't decided on how big this quilt will be yet so I'll just keep making blocks as long as I feel like it and I'll see where the whole process takes me.
Oh, and I'll have some of these panels for sale at my etsy shop next week in case you'd like to add some cuteness to your stash :)
Wishing you all a creative and relaxed weekend.
Svetlana
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Hello friends, happy Monday to you all!
Once again I find myself with way too many finished projects taking up precious space in my studio so I decided it was time for another handmade sale.
All the items in this mosaic (and more) are listed in my etsy shop now. Click here to be taken directly to the shop.
Hope you'll find something you like and thank you for your support :)
Hope you'll find something you like and thank you for your support :)
Happy shopping! Svetlana
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Hello lovelies,
I just wanted to pop in real quick and let you know added quite a few new screen printed fabric panels to my etsy shop.
Enjoy :). Svetlana
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Yesterday afternoon I came across this lovely photo of a beautifully styled bed. I think it was made mostly to showcase that fantastic quilt. What caught my eye though, was the black and gray pillow in the background. I love that it's simple, yet bold at the same time and I decided to make a similar pillow for our family room.
I wasted no time, of course, and got to work right away. I decided to go with yard dyed Essex linen for the main cross, and I used Kona cotton (probably Snow) for the corners.
I was very tempted to use black for the corners (as in the original pillow), but just one thought of our super fluffy white cat made me realize white is just a better option for our household :).
I needed my pillow cover to fit an 18" square pillow form, so I cut each square at 6.5".
Once my pillow top was pieced, I adhered fusible fleece to its wrong side and hand quilted it using sashiko thread.
I like my quilting lines not to be wonky, so I used disappearing fabric pen and ruler to draw the lines before I started quilting - they are 1" apart.
As soon as I started making this pillow I knew I wanted to use one of my most favorite fabrics ever (these sweet little houses by Sarah Golden)...
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Hello everyone!
I'd like to show you my newest quilt finish today.
A super simple and sweet whole cloth quilt I made for our local homeless shelter.
This was such a quick and satisfying project. I used fabric from my stash - poppy print by Katarina Roccella for the front and this lovely alphabet fabric (cut up Ikea comforter cover) + another Katarina Roccella print for the back.
I used straight line quilting to form an irregular grid and bound it with light gray solid fabric. I like this kind of quilting as it adds a wonderful drape to the finished quilt.
Finished size of this quilt is 40" x 46" and I'm happy to send it on its way for a special little one to snuggle in.
Wishing you all a lovely day. Svetlana
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Happy Monday, friends!
Thank you to each and every one of you for all the wonderful comments on my six year blogiversary post and for taking part in my giveaway.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Mr. Random and I have chosen our three winners:
Mary (havplenty)
Yolanda (soft things sewn)
Kathy
Congratulations, ladies. Your winning will be on the way as soon as I hear from you.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Once again, thank you all for all the happy and encouraging comments.
Svetlana
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Hi Lovelies,
There's been such a positive reception to my retreat pattern collection, thank you so much for your kind words! Today we're sharing the first batch of the tester pices from the Fiesta Tote.
The Fiesta tote is perfect for beginners, or for those who want a quick and satisfying sew. It's easy to modify and they all look so different, just with different fabric choices!
First up is Agent Bushy with her whimsical Fiesta. I loved it so much I bought it from her!
Next up is Anna from Messy Rooms who made this beautiful Fiesta tote, I love the hot pink straps!
Annette went wild with strips using her fabric for her outer, lining AND her straps, I love it, and it really makes a feature of the shape of the bag!
Barbara didn't let me down and created this bag all in pink to make us all wink! I love it! I love her large pocket on the front too, it really works so well!
Christine from Bags by Bags of Style took this pattern to 'hack' it as far as she could for the retreat. In this version she used faux leather to colour block it and added some blingy hardware in between the straps!
Cyndi chose to make a bag that'll stand out from the crowd with this version with a stunning hot pink...
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I've been a fan of Maureen's beautiful fabric designs and quilts for years now and last week I had the pleasure to work with her newest fabric collection Soulful. I love the Anthropologie feel of Maureen's gorgeous fabric and enjoyed my "soulful playtime" immensely.
Would you like to see what I made?
First I sewed up this patchwork-y Laura purse.
I didn't have large enough pieces of fabric for main panels so I decided to piece them using differently sized strips of fabric. I think it worked really well and I absolutely love the finished look.
Oh, and this hardware. I just love everything about it. It was all provided to me by Dritz company and I'll be definitely using it again in my future projects.
I then used some of the leftover scraps to make this qayg Nina Wristlet.
And I added yet another little Dritz detail to my pouch. Those "handmade" tags are just fabulous, don't you think?
Both the bag and the pouch are heading Maureen's way right now and will be displayed in her Spring Quilt Market booth. Can't wait to see how it all comes together :)
Svetlana
Both the bag and the pouch are heading Maureen's way right now and will be displayed in her Spring Quilt Market booth. Can't wait to see how it all comes together :)
Svetlana
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Hello everyone,
I just wanted to pop in real quick and let you know I've added quite a few screen printed fabric panels as well as some charm packs to my etsy shop.
Oh, and I'm not planning on doing another shop update any time soon so in case you see something you like grab it now as once it's gone it's gone.
Wishing you all a happy and creative day.
Svetlana
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- Category: Handmade bags
One of my go to projects when I feel creatively stuck and completely uninspired is making grocery bags. I know, super glamorous, right? :) I use Grocery Bag pattern by Michelle Patterns as these bags are quick and easy to make, and I get to play with pretty fabric without thinking too much.
Lately I've had quite a few of those "stuck" days with mile long list of things I needed to do but no desire to tackle any one of them. So I raided my stash and decided it was time for yet another grocery bag making session.
Denyse Schmidt + Cotton and Steel
Charlie Harper
Curiosities by Jeni Baker
As you can see I like to work in batches when making these bags, so I went ahead and made three bags in one go. I really love the unique but super effective construction Michelle came up with as it makes for very practical and durable grocery bags.
The handles are a bit fiddly to make, but definitely worth a bit extra effort. You can see in the photo above how I make them. Instead of cutting all four handles out, I just cut one pair of handles, pin them to second fabric, stitch and then cut the handles out. I find this to be a quicker and more precise way to make my handles.
I love how these bags...
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Hello everyone!
I'm happy to introduce my newest pouch pattern to you today :)
This is Olivia pouch.
This pouch has been in the works for quite some time as I wanted to make sure I got all the dimensions just right and I'm excited to offer it in three very useful sizes (full size templates are included with the pattern, of course).
Small size is perfect to keep tiny random items inside one's purse organized, medium size is just right for pencils and pens and the large one would make a wonderful toiletry bag or a dopp kit.
I used a variety of cotton and cotton/linen blend fabrics to make these pouches and I absolutely love how they turned out. I hope you will love this pouch's "tent" shape with straight side edges and wide bottom plus the little side handle as much as I do.
Finished size:
small - 6 ½” wide x 4” tall x 2” deep
medium - 8 ¼ ” wide x 3” tall x 2 ½” deep
large - 9 ½” wide x 5” tall x 3 ½” deep
Finished size:
small - 6 ½” wide x 4” tall x 2” deep
medium - 8 ¼ ” wide x 3” tall x 2 ½” deep
large - 9 ½” wide x 5” tall x 3 ½” deep
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
As always, this is an instant download pdf pattern available worldwide and you can purchase it by clicking on the link below or by going to my etsy shop.
I'm offering this pattern for an introductory price of $5.00 for the next 48 hours, after that the price will go up to...
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Hi lovelies,
Lots of people have asked about fusing vinyl to their fabrics to make the Toiletry Tote, so I've prepared a comparison for you of the most popular three.
To be compared are
Pellon Vinyl Fuse - £7.22 for 15” x 2yd
Buy from Amazon.co.uk
Heat n Bond Iron on Vinyl - £5.45 for 17” x 1yd
Buy from SewHot.co.uk
Vilene Lamifix - £5.99 for 18” x 1m
Buy from Minerva Crafts
I’ve used the Gloss finish for all three.
Packaging & Information
Pellon Vinyl Fuse – Comes rolled in a box, with instructions printed on the box. The roll is protected by the box and unrolled with few creases. The backing sheet did not have a grid printed on it which could have made cutting to size easier. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. The Vinyl fuse seems to be the thicker, weightier of the three vinyls.
Heat n Bond Iron on Vinyl – Came rolled with the plastic instruction sheet wrapped around. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. The vinyl did receive some creases from the roll being flattened in the post.
Vilene Lamifix – Came folded with no instructions. The selvedge has minimal instructions printed in code. Leaving the vinyl unfolded overnight did not remove all of the folding creases,...
Lots of people have asked about fusing vinyl to their fabrics to make the Toiletry Tote, so I've prepared a comparison for you of the most popular three.
To be compared are
Pellon Vinyl Fuse - £7.22 for 15” x 2yd
Buy from Amazon.co.uk
Heat n Bond Iron on Vinyl - £5.45 for 17” x 1yd
Buy from SewHot.co.uk
Vilene Lamifix - £5.99 for 18” x 1m
Buy from Minerva Crafts
I’ve used the Gloss finish for all three.
Packaging & Information
Pellon Vinyl Fuse – Comes rolled in a box, with instructions printed on the box. The roll is protected by the box and unrolled with few creases. The backing sheet did not have a grid printed on it which could have made cutting to size easier. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. The Vinyl fuse seems to be the thicker, weightier of the three vinyls.
Heat n Bond Iron on Vinyl – Came rolled with the plastic instruction sheet wrapped around. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. The vinyl did receive some creases from the roll being flattened in the post.
Vilene Lamifix – Came folded with no instructions. The selvedge has minimal instructions printed in code. Leaving the vinyl unfolded overnight did not remove all of the folding creases,...
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- Category: Handmade bags
Hello, hello! Happy Thursday to you all!
Today is a special day as exactly six years ago I wrote my very first post for this blog. Crazy, isn't it? Things have changed, of course. I don't make the same things I used to (which is definitely a good thing because those first mug rugs make me laugh every time I see them :). Sewing and designing patterns has become my job instead of being a hobby, and I definitely have less time for sewing just for the sake of sewing. What haven't changed, however, is my love of making and the enjoyment I get from sharing it with you all.
So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!!!
Thank you for coming along on this super fun creative journey with me. I couldn't do what I do without all your encouragement, support, and feedback.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
And, to celebrate, I have a giveaway for you.
The giveaway is open worldwide and three lucky readers will win a pack of 15 screen printed charms pictured above, plus a choice of three pdf patterns from my etsy shop.
To enter, simply leave a comment below letting me know what fun project you're working on at the moment. Mr. Random and I will choose our three winners on Monday (May 1st) noon.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
And, in...
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Hello lovelies,
We were very fortunate to have a few extra goodies left over from our super generous Bag Retreat sponsors!
We've got the following goodies to giveaway, so scroll to the end to enter!
3 x Janome Swatch Buddies
1 x Butterfly Sling purse paper pattern from Emmaline Bags
6 x Pearl Wallet Clutch paper patterns from Swoon Patterns
4 x Tape Measure keyrings from Bags by Bags of Style
Even more exciting than goodies, is that we've released the tickets now for our next retreat in October!
We are already fully booked for April '18 unfortunately, so if you're thinking about joining us, please do book soon to avoid disappointment.
Tickets are available at full price, or on instalment plans to help spread the cost slightly.
What's included?
The retreat ticket includes a 3 course dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings, a choice of continental or full cooked breakfast on Saturday and Sunday mornings, tea & coffee throughout, with cake on Friday and Saturday afternoons, a hot buffet lunch on Saturday and a carvery lunch on Sunday.
The ticket also...
We were very fortunate to have a few extra goodies left over from our super generous Bag Retreat sponsors!
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| This was our 'selfie with the sponsors' poster, a great way of saying thank you to them! |
3 x Janome Swatch Buddies
1 x Butterfly Sling purse paper pattern from Emmaline Bags
6 x Pearl Wallet Clutch paper patterns from Swoon Patterns
4 x Tape Measure keyrings from Bags by Bags of Style
We are already fully booked for April '18 unfortunately, so if you're thinking about joining us, please do book soon to avoid disappointment.
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| Add caption |
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| A selection of the bags made at the retreat |
The retreat ticket includes a 3 course dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings, a choice of continental or full cooked breakfast on Saturday and Sunday mornings, tea & coffee throughout, with cake on Friday and Saturday afternoons, a hot buffet lunch on Saturday and a carvery lunch on Sunday.
The ticket also...
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Hello lovelies,
It's time to share some exciting photos with you today! Last week I released my Toiletry Tote pattern so today it's time to start showing you some of the testers' pics!
First up is AJ who chose to highlight her zips in a contrast colour, I love it!
Next is Amy of Virginia Girl Design , I realyl struggle to choose fabric combinations, but she nails it every time!
Next up is Anke with a fabulous purple and polka dot version. Thanks for the wide open shot Anke, your bag has a lot of space!
Next up is Casey JC Mila Designs who made this gorgeous fun Toiletry tote. You can see in the 3rd pic how the optional hook strap can snap out of the way for zipping.
Next up is Christine of Bags by Bags of Style who's gone pocket crazy and added even more pockets! I believe this tote was snapped up within minutes of being finished, and I'm not surprised!
Next up is Christine who made her tote in two different cork fabrics. I love the contrast flap and pockets!
Hilari made such a bright tote that I asked her to send it to me. Now it graces my samples shelf and features on the cover!
I couldn't resist Jana of Bubo Boutique version of the Toiletry Tote either and so she made me another,...
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Hi Lovelies. Becky from R.j.A.f.MAKES is with us for the last time to talk about how to take better bag pics, and this week she's looking at lighting.
Why is it all about correct lighting?
Correct lighting is needed to show off the true colours of the fabric you have used. Daylight is the best lighting to use, but it has its pros and cons. The most important thing to remember about daylight is that the sun and clouds will give off different colours at different times of day. The human eye will not always see this but your camera will pick it up, trust me on this one. The sun gives off a warm glow from around 12 noon onwards all the way to sunset, so the best time of day to take photos with natural light is around 9am to 11am in the morning. This is when the sun isn't at its brightest but also isn't at its yellow “glow” stage of the day.
When you take a photo in the morning make sure there is no direct sunlight and a little cloud covering. This will give a white light as it appears to the human eye. To a camera, this white light will actually be a mild blue light. It will not affect the colours of your photos, but it gives off a more balanced control of light and a more natural...
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- Category: Handmade bags
I've been meaning to make a protective case for my laptop for ages now but I was totally stuck on what design and fabrics to go with, of course. And then, while browsing Pinterest the other day, I came across these simple, yet wonderfully stylish cases and I knew right away a padded giant pouch of sorts was the way to go.
I combined some of my screen printed fabric with black and white striped fabric from my stash and loosely based this case on my Purse Organizer (just made it much bigger and with less pockets).
I then added some fun bag hardware and leather accents to spiffy the case up a bit and I absolutely love the final look, especially that zipper tab. I must do things like that more often.
I love how this case turned out and it's a perfect fit for my laptop and the charger.
Now I'm tempted to make cases for all my electronics :)
Thanks for reading, friends. Svetlana