Patchwork, Please Sew Along: Piece-of-Cake Shopping Bag

I'm so excited to have you here for the Patchwork, Please Sew Along! Ayumi is such a sweet friend and an amazing creator. I don't think you'll find anyone nicer in the sewing world. I was thrilled when I learned she was writing this book. 

My project is the Piece-of-Cake Shopping Bag. I wanted to give this one a try because I love the drawstring cover. I like to load my shopping bags up, and it's always maddening when they tip over in the car and everything spills out! 

One change I made was to not use oilcloth or laminated fabric for the interior. I did buy a vinyl tablecloth to try, but it was not the kind that Ayumi intended-- it was so icky to use in the end. I couldn't find laminates locally that I liked, so I used quilting cotton that I backed with my favorite interfacing, Pellon SF101, to give it more structure. 

I think the trickiest part of the bag is sewing the base pieces of the lining and the exterior to the sides of the bag. A tip: Put a dot 1/4" from each corner on the wrong side of your base pieces. When you sew up each side of the base, just line those dots up with the seam on your side pieces and sew between those points only, backstitching to lock your stitches. (And if you do end up with bunchy corners, no one is going to notice but you.) 

One more thing-- the lining and exterior cutting measurements are the same. I wasn't thinking of this at the time, but because the top edge of the exterior is folded down a total of 1.5" to enclose the lining and cover, the lining is too big. It's not a huge deal, but it would fit a lot better if either the interior height was decreased by 1.5" or the exterior height increased by 1.5".

I have 5 Aurifil sample packs, mini fabric packs and stickers from Form & Fabric, and an interfacing charm pack from Pellon to give away. (Sorry, U.S. addresses only due to shipping costs. Although if you're not in the U.S., you can always gift these to a friend who is!) Just comment below! I'll pick winners on Friday. 

And you're sewing along with us, this week you can also win a 1/2 yard bundle of Essex linens from Robert Kaufman and a $20 gift certificate to Pink Chalk Fabric by linking up your shopping bag at Deb's blog! 

Make sure to visit the other participants in the Sew Along to see each project in the book:

June 3: Penny | Sew Take a Hike :: Bell Pepper Coasters 

June 10: Maureen | MC Handmade :: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Towels 

June 17: Anna | Noodlehead :: Lettered Tea Cozy and Teabag Pouch 

June 24: Angela | Cut to Pieces :: The Polka-Dot-Cafe Apron 

July 1: Lynne | Lily’s Quilts :: Diamond Patchwork Placemat 

July 8: Lindsey | LRstitched :: Yum-Yum Apple Bib 

July 15: Sukie | Don’t Ya Know :: Dino-Mite Hat 

July 22: Jennifer | Ellison Lane :: Books-for-Baby Quilt 

July 29: Krista | Poppyprint :: My Scrappy Box 

August 5: Kerry | Very Kerry Berry :: Swedish Bloom-Time Lap Quilt 

August 12: Tamiko | Patchwork Notes :: You’ve-Got-Mail-Wall Pocket 

August 19: Monica | Happy Zombie :: Happy Hexagon Trivet 

August 26: Krista | Spotted Stone Studio :: Piece-of-Cake Shopping Bag

September 2: Lori | Bee in My Bonnet :: Triangle Patchwork Box Pouch

September 9: Amy | During Quiet TIme :: Vintage Pencil Case

September 16: Svetlana | SOTAK Handmade :: I-Love-My-Ipad Quilted Cover

September 23: Amber | One Shabby Chick :: Handy Market Tote

September 30: Deb | A Quilter’s Table :: Sweet Trips Embroidery Pouch

October 7: Leila | Where the Orchids Grow :: Prettified Pincushion

And thank you so much for our sponsors for the Sew Along!

intention

Intention-- that's my word for this year.  I will live, create, and act with intention every day.

My overall creative goals for 2013 are simple. I want to create for my family, learn new skills, and design one-of-a-kind items to grow my handmade business.

Creating for my family is in the forefront of my thoughts right now. I've had fabric prepped for two simple projects-- cloth napkins and baby bibs-- for months now. Yesterday morning I sketched out my intent for the day.

And then I took action.

It was a good way to start the year.

Notes: 

The bib pattern is from Chickpea Sewing Studio. It's a great size for smaller babies. The one thing I do differently is trace the full pattern piece onto rectangles of my two bib fabrics that are right sides facing, then stitch 1/4" inside of that line and cut out the bib shape afterwards. I find it's so much easier than trying to match up two pattern pieces with curves. I used hemp/cotton fleece on the back this time. I used to use inexpensive chenille from Jo Ann Fabrics, but my last batch smelled so strongly of chemicals even after washing that it worried me. Hopefully these will be absorbent enough-- once we go through a test run, I'll make more. Solid foods are coming soon!

My napkins are just simple squares of quilting cotton, prewashed and bound with a rolled hem on my serger. I'm definitely no serger expert, but I will say that once I got the settings right on my machine (a Brother 1034D) they were quick to finish up. In the past I've used this simple tutorial from Prudent Baby. Right now I'm also taking Amy Alan's Beginner Serging class on Craftsy. If you have a serger and are intimidated by it, take the class! Amy is adorable and such a natural teacher. You'll learn a lot.

still here, and sewing

So still no baby. I've got a few more days before my official due date, but I'm definitely feeling that pressure to just "get it all over with already" that comes with the end of pregnancy.

With everything ready to go, I'm trying to spend more time in my sewing room before it's harder for me to get time to myself. This morning I sewed up this sweet oobee from a DIY kit I ordered from maze & vale. (I see she's out of them in the shop right now, but hopefully she's making more!)

This was meant for the new baby, but Cooper watched me stuff it over breakfast and became quite attached. He even took it with him for his nap this afternoon. So I may just need to order another kit once they're available, or get one of Leslie's custom oobees.

I've started cutting into my other maze & vale fabrics for a quilt today too. Originally I had planned to sew up a play mat or teeny baby things with them, but they are just too beautiful to use for something that would be used for a short amount of time. So I'll be making a quilt that will be big enough for my family to love for much longer. Who knows-- if this baby doesn't show soon, I might make a lot of progress!

the new baby nest

I just completed a mini redo of the little kids' room that will soon house not just Cooper, but the new baby once he or she arrives.


This is what it looked like before:

A bit boring, but not horrible. I didn't want to do anything too crazy, but I was really sick of the brown bumper and needed to figure out bedding for Cooper's toddler bed too. The paint, furniture, rug, and artwork still worked though.

First I sewed up a crib bumper for the baby that features Cloud9's Happy Nursery leaves on one side, and appliqued leaves on linen on the other.

I won't lie-- that bumper took forever. The cutting and stitching almost drove me mad. But I love it.

I had planned to replace the crib skirt and changing pad cover, but decided that they'll still work! I still might change up the bunting. Who knows.

Cooper got a down comforter and new duvet cover that I made out of a twin size duvet from IKEA. And he actually sleeps under it! Score.

Honestly, I don't have a whole lot to do now to get ready. I need to sew up a couple of nursing covers (one for me, one for a friend who is due next week) and maybe do a blanket. I'd say I need to make this baby a quilt, but that's been taken care of by an amazing bunch of friends out there. Some of you reading this know all about it, but I can't wait to share more on it soon. I think I can stop crying (happy tears) about it long enough to take some photos and write up a deserving post.

Purse Palooza 2012

Announcing Purse Palooza 2012!!

Get ready for this fun event! I will be guest posting in June over at Sew Sweetness to get you sewing a purse for the summer! I'll be reviewing Amanda's Knitting Bag by The Sometimes Crafter.




 Here's how Purse Palooza works:

1. Every weekday in June, there will be 2 amazing guest bloggers scheduled to share with you a purse sewing pattern review. The review will contain detailed information about what they thought about the sewing pattern, modifications they made, what kind of interfacing they used, and more! Get inspired!

2. Even more exciting...THERE WILL BE A GIVEAWAY EVERY WEEKDAY IN JUNE! That's right, 20 GIVEAWAYS! Your Giveaway Fairy Godmother is Kim from My Go-Go Life - she has some unbelievable giveaways planned!

3. At the end of the event, you will get a chance to show off your purse in order to win some amazing prizes!

Sew Sweetness free tutorial: Caliti Convertible Clutch

Pattern Review Schedule

June 4 - Sara @ Sewsweetness (tutorial: bag interfacing)
              Kim @ My Go-Go Life (Urban Jungle Bag)

June 5 - Meg @ Fashioned by Meg (Anna Maria Horner Art Student Tote)
              Lindsay @ Lindsay Sews (Posie Rosie Little Things Jane Market Bag)

June 6 - Kaelin @ The Plaid Scottie (Oliver + S Day in the Park Backpack)
              Colleen @ The Busy Bean (something from Amy Butler's Style Stitches book)

June 7 - Bree @ My Crafty Crap (Jenna Lou Designs Mabel Bag)
              Ayumi @ Pink Penguin (Signature Bag from Kumiko Fujita)

June 8 - Tamiko @ Patchwork Notes (Hexagon Patchwork Bag from Playful Patchwork)
              Jessica @ A Little Gray (Pat Bravo Verona Bag)

June 11 - Jessica @ Sew Crafty Jess (Amy Butler Spice Market Tote)
                Amy @ amylouwho? (V. and Co. Favorite Bag)

June 12 - Sara @ The Pretty Pickle (Charlie's Aunt Casablanca Clutch)
               Lindsey @ LRStitched (Noodlehead Envelope Clutch)

June 13 - Erin @ 2 More Seconds (Keyka Lou Bucket Bag)
               Caroline @ Sew Can She (V. and Co. Carry All Tote)

June 14 - Ali @ a squared w (bag from I Like Orange Too)
               Rachael @ Imagine Gnats (Jen Giddens Pocket Tote)

June 15 - Holly @ Bijou Lovely (Noodlehead Go Anywhere Bag)
               Katie @ There and Back (Sweet Pea Pocket Purse)

June 18 - Monique @ Sew Fun by Monique (Millie's Market Tote from Happy Home by Jennifer Paganelli)
               Katie @ Swim, Bike, Quilt! (Green Bee Scoop Tote)

June 19 - Jennie @ Clover and Violet (Lunch Bag from Pink Penguin)
               Joanna @ Shape Moth (Emmaline Bag)

June 20 - Jen @ Bettycrockerass (While Baby Naps Metal Clutch)
               Krista @ The Spotted Stone (The Sometimes Crafter Amanda's Knitting Bag)

June 21 - Katy @ The Littlest Thistle (Noodlehead 2-4-1 Tote)
               Terri @ Sew-Fantastic (In Color Order Lined Drawstring Bag)

June 22 - Elizabeth @ Don't Call Me Betsy (Amy Butler Weekender Bag)
               Sarah @ Fairy Face Designs (bag from the Bag Making Bible)

June 25 - Amy @ Sukie Don't You Know Who I Am? (Amy Butler Sophia Bag)
                Heather @ {House} of a la Mode (Retro Mama Granny Bag)

June 26 - Julianna @ Jednoiglec (Charlie's Aunt Kitchen Garden Bag)
               Jeni @ In Color Order (Bari J. State Street Tote)

June 27 - Kerry @ Very Kerry Berry (bag from Suzuko Koseki)
               Michelle @ I Like Orange Too (Left Bank Granny Bag)

June 28 - Kay Whitt @ Sew Serendipity Studio (tutorial: adjustable strap with metal slider)
               Amy Barickman @ Indygo Junction (tutorial: installing grommets/magnetic snaps)

June 29 - Melissa @ Bittersweet Designs (Bella Nonna Boutique Shoulder Bag)

Sew Sweetness free tutorial: The Underwater Stripes Bag

Contest Rules

1. Check out all the purse pattern reviews throughout the month and get inspired to sew up a purse of your own!

2. Join the Purse Palooza 2012 Flickr Group.

3. Link up your completed purse to the Flickr Group BETWEEN JUNE 4th and JULY 11th. Your purse must be created and photographed between those dates; purses made prior to June 4, 2012 will be disqualified. The purse may be of your own design, or made from a sewing pattern.

4. You may link up to 2 views of the same purse. More than 2 photos of the same purse will be removed from the group.

5. There is no limit to how many purses you may enter, as long as they were made between June 4th and July 11th, 2012.

Sew Sweetness free tutorial: The Urban Jungle Bag

 

 

The Prizes

First off, there will be a team of lovely judges that will choose 1st through 6th place. ALSO, 3 randomly chosen winners will be picked out of EVERYONE who completes a bag! Some great chances to win!!

1st Prize

* $50 gift certificate from Fat Quarter Shop  * 3-pack of books from Martingale Publishing * $50 gift certificate to Zipit * $70 Pellon gift pack * fat quarter bundle and sewing pattern from Art Gallery Fabrics

2nd Prize

* fat quarter bundle and sewing pattern from Art Gallery Fabrics * 3-pack of books from Martingale Publishing * fabric bundle from Sew Fresh Fabrics * $30 gift certificate to Spoonflower

3rd Prize

* fat quarter bundle from Art Gallery Fabrics * 2-pack of books from Lark Crafts Publishing * $20 gift certificate to The Quilted Castle

4th Prize

* fat quarter bundle from Art Gallery Fabrics

3 Randomly Chosen Winners



$20 gift certificate to Pink Chalk Fabrics

The Sponsors

Thank you to all of the lovely and extremely generous sponsors!

Art Gallery Fabrics // Artsy Crafty Babe // Noodlehead // Izzy and Ivy // Serendipity Studio // Martingale & Co. Publishing // Betz White // Sis Boom // Atkinson Designs // Mommy's Thimble // Lila Tueller // Sew Fresh Fabrics // Bari J. // C&T Publishing // Keyka Lou // Clover and Violet // Indygo Junction // Marie-Madeline Studio // Pellon // Pink Chalk Fabrics // Lark Crafts Publishing // The Quilted Castle // Fat Quarter Shop // Craft Apple // iThinkSew // Emmaline Bags // Bag Purse Frames // Zipit // Oliver + S // Ellen Medlock Studio // Charlie's Aunt Patterns // Spoonflower

Grab a button, and let's get this party started!

<center><a href="http://www.sewsweetness.com/2012/05/purse-palooza-2012.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Sew Sweetness" src="http://i869.photobucket.com/albums/ab257/bluemerleboutique/resizedpursebutton.jpg"/></a></center>

for my mom

In leiu of giving my traditional hanging flower basket to my mom this year for Mother's Day, I decided to make her some knitting accessories. She is traveling more and more for her job and goes to regular knitting meetups with a group of friends. I thought this gift might be more useful.

The tote pattern I used is "Amanda's Knitting Bag" from The Sometimes Crafter. (I'll be talking more about it during Purse Palooza next month, so stay tuned!) The matching project bag was modified from Jeni's lined drawstring bag tutorial. I essentially added a canvas bottom, interfaced the outer fabrics, and changed the dimensions up a bit.

By the way, that brown yarn prop up there is a scarf I started making when I was about 8 months pregnant with Cooper. I think I'm going to give up knitting as a hobby.

Are you making things for Mother's Day this year?

Modern Patchwork Magazine

I'm feeling a bit stunted in the creativity department lately. Lots of cleaning and purging and list making is happening right now, but no sewing. Hopefully I'll feel like getting back into it this week? In the meantime, just a quick note to mention that I have a project in Interweave's magazine Modern Patchwork.

Personalized Placemats are something we've utilized in our house for a couple of years now and they make setting the table really easy for the kids. It was fun to make another set to add to our rotation.

Valentine's Day Pillows

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm not always the best at making handmade gifts for the kids on holidays. But this year I managed to make up some pillows for each of the kids using paper piecing patterns from Sonja of Artisania Patterns.

A hedgehog for Avery:

A horse (of course) for Claire:

And a robot for Cooper:

This pregnancy is moving along nicely. I'm 17 weeks along now and feeling great. This belly is already something else.

I've never really been a person who loves Valentine's Day. And I still really don't-- but I do love my family and know I am so lucky to have them. I hope you have a wonderful day with the ones you love too!

Lest you think I'm a meanie wife and forgot all about Rob-- he's anti-pillow, but will be well taken care of with some good beer and red duct tape. He appreciates more useful gifts!