Category Archives: Bags

Metro Double-Zip Pouches

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Click any photo to enlarge As I mentioned on this afternoon’s bag post, I’m making a few Metro Double-Zip Pouches from the Sew Sweetness Minikins 2 collection. Bag #1 The bag, as designed, calls for SF-101 interfacing on the exterior and lining fabrics and the wristlet handle. I wanted it a little thicker, as we travel a lot and I like the idea of having a quick place to stash my phone and/or my passport. Interfacing: I made the medium size bag—the main pouch pattern piece is 9″ wide and 6″ tall; the pocket piece is 9″ wide and 5″ … Continue reading →

Winter Break Bags

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YSU’s winter break was four weeks, which gave me plenty of time to both practice and sew. Yea! The first picture shows how the individual components look before a bag is actually constructed. The side panels are interfaced. The lining side panel has the zippered pocket installed with a mega*cool black and white striped zipper. (And note that the company I bought the zipper from a couple of years ago no longer stocks them. Did you hear that little sob?) I’ve been working my way through Sew Sweetness’s Minikins and Minikins 2 sets. And by “working my way through,” I … Continue reading →

Two More Sidewinders

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I wasn’t completely sold on the Sidewinder pattern that I made up for the Sew Sweetness Secret Santa exchange, but I had already cut the pattern out in another fabric, so went ahead and made it up, then made it up again. The third make was in a music-themed fabric, as I am a working musician. I thought I’d give it to one of the music professors I work with at Youngstown State University. But when it was all finished, on the morning I was taking my new half-sister (whom I discovered two-and-a-half years ago via Ancestry.com) to the Cleveland … Continue reading →

Santa Sews!

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A lovely young woman named Sara Lawson creates sewing patterns for bags under the name Sew Sweetness. She has a Facebook group that 31,000 sewists have joined. We talk about her patterns, we ask each other’s advice, and we dispense encouragement. Liberally! This year a member named Michelle Graham organized the first Global Sew Sweetness Secret Santa event, which almost 400 sewists joined. To join, interested participant-wannabes had to send an email to Michelle with their name and mailing address and agree to have their bag finished and in the mail/on the FedEx or UPS truck no later than December … Continue reading →

A New Bag. For Me?

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I’ve made a number of Swoon bags. (Explore my Swoon posts.) And I’ve purchased four Blue Calla bag patterns, that haven’t made it to the top of my to-do list yet. In early August, I learned that Alicia Miller, who is the designer behind Swoon Patterns, and Celine Allaert, who designs the Blue Calla bag patterns, had put their heads together and formed the Carried Away Pattern Collective. They’ve had a brilliant idea. These bags are available by subscription only. The designers, Alicia and Celine, take turns designing a bag each month for six months—three bags each in six months. … Continue reading →

A Little Evening Bag

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I’m heading to Southern California next week for a special wedding on April 15. The bride is my great-niece, my half-sister’s granddaughter. The mother of the bride, the grandmother of the bride, and I will be traveling together on Wednesday, and the aunt of the bride will be following on Friday evening. My sister has been most gracious in including me in all the planning—including turning to me for wardrobe consults. You know I loved that!! Today I whipped up a little evening bag that might be used by either the MOB or the AOB. It’s based upon the Big … Continue reading →

Little Bags for Old Friends

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In mid-March, I attended the 50th reunion of the Class of 1968 of Forest Lake Academy, near Apopka, FL (Orlando outskirts). I grew up in Orlando and attended Orlando Church School (now Orlando Junior Academy) from 1st through 8th grades, and Forest Lake Academy from 9th through the first six weeks of 12th grade, when I dropped out of high school and started college a semester early. I was a rather lost soul. It was the 60s. I had no clue what I wanted to be when I grew up. For years I’ve attended the reunions of the Class of … Continue reading →

Swoon Ramona #4

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About two years ago I made a Swoon Ramona crossbody bag for my younger grandchild. I don’t think they have taken it off except to sleep in all the time since receiving it. With that much use, it’s now threadbare. And all the ScotchGard in the world cannot guard against that amount of wear. It’s feeeeelthy!! I begged and begged for my babe to take it off and give it to me so I could wash it. When they refused, I just ordered fabric to make another. Happy grandma, happy teenager. This is the third Ramona I’ve made. Number 1 … Continue reading →