Horses and Dogs and Cats and a Free Pattern

I was browsing online over the weekend and came across a free bag pattern from Swoon Patterns.  I have made many Swoon bags in the past but the free Ramona Bag was new to me.  I was looking for a small crossbody bag to make up some animal themed bags and I thought this pattern would be perfect.

I love how they turned out.  I used quilting cotton for the main panels and faux leather for the trim, bottom and the adjustable strap and tabs.  The pattern only called for fusible interfacing.  I used SF 101 on the main pieces and all of the lining pieces.  I was afraid it would not give me the body I wanted so I added fusible fleece (thermolan) to the main body pieces.  I cut off  1/2" of the fleece on all of the sides so I would not sew the fleece into the seam allowance.  It gave me the structure and body I was looking for.

I love the front of the dog bag because I used to have a cocker spaniel like the one here. (Nancy, I bet you like the pug on the front, too).

The top of the bag is closed with a recessed zipper.

The Ramona Bag is a small hipster bag.  The finished bag is 10" H x 9" W x 2.5".  The inside of the bag is open with no pockets.  I like that in a bag this size because many times pockets just get in the way.

It is fun seeing the cats peeking out from the faux leather strips.

And I can't tell you how much I love this horse fabric.

I plan to make more of these bags.  If you want a copy of this free pattern, you can get it here.

The Snazzy Slouch, Updated

I recently tested another bag from Chris W Designs.  This bag is not new but has been updated and refreshed.  Since I have never made it before, it was new to me.

I made this bag out of denim and quilting cotton.  To keep it slouchy, I did not add any stabilizer to the denim parts and used the recommendations of the pattern the rest of the way.  I used a double zip on the top closure.

If you are someone who likes lots of pockets, this bag is for you.  There are 4 large slip pockets on the exterior...

and 4 slip pockets and a zippered pocket divider on the inside.  Count them...9 pockets!

The finished bag measures 14" x 8" x 3".  It has an adjustable strap so you can get the perfect length for you.  You can purchase the pattern for the Snazzy Slouch here

If you have this pattern, and would like to get the new version for free, read the instructions on the Chris W Designs.blog here to find out how to do that.

I have so many other bags to show you so stay tuned...

The Bag of the Month Club is Officially Over and Prizes Have Been Awarded and Guess What....

Wow!  I found out this morning that my Seneca Creek Bag took first place in the Bag of the Month Club for the month of May.  How lucky am I?

This great pattern was from Betz White and converts to a hip pack.

If you debated about the Bag of the Month Club this year and last, don't let it go by next year.

So what did I win?  A $25 gift certificate from The Fat Quarter Fabric Shop and a $25 gift certificate to Emmaline Bags with all of that fabulous hardware.  What could be more perfect than that?

See all of the winners of the Bag of the Month Club 2015 here.  The judges had to wade through 1420 pictures of some pretty fabulous bags on flickr.  Let's make next year even bigger...

Congrats to all of the winners!

The Manhattan Mamma by Emmaline Bags

I have actually had this bag made for awhile but have not posted about it.  The Manhattan Bag is from Emmaline Bags and was the April bag in the Bag of the Month Club.  It is now available to buy as a single pattern on her website here.

This bag gives you a lot of choices from the beginning.  There are two sizes to choose from.  The Mamma is 11.5" W x 10.5" H x 3.5" D and the Miss is 9" W x 7.5" H x 2" D.  Once you decide on the size of the bag, you can decide to make a sunglass case (optional) that velcros to the inside of the flap that zips open.  I did not make this.  There is also a free tutorial for a small wristlet that is shaped like the flap and can be carried there.  I have not made this yet but hope to.

I was given this small piece of bronze metallic faux leather and felt this was a great place to use it.  This is the front exterior pocket.  You can see there is a slip pocket in the interior, too as well as a zippered pocket on the back exterior.  And don't forget, the flap unzips for another unique pocket.

I love the bronze faux leather.  It matched the outside fabric perfectly.  I opted for more metallic in the lining.

You can see the lining better in the flap pocket that is unzipped in the above photo.

The finishing touch is a little zipper bling from Emmaline Bags.

So I did complete all 6 patterns before the Bag of the Month Club finished.  In fact, I made an additional Campfire Bag!  Can't wait until the new club starts in January.

The New Pick A Pocket Wallet by Chris W Designs

I was a tester for Chris W Designs' new Pick A Pocket Wallet and I just have to admit it ... I think I am obsessed with it.  I just completed my sixth one!  Already have fabric picked out for five more but I have an order and a test bag to do before I can continue down this wallet path.  It is not surprising that I love this pattern.  I love all Christine's patterns.  Great instructions and pictures are a part of all Chris W Designs patterns and this one is no different.

The other great part is that are actually two inside designs to choose from.  Both styles have a zippered coin section, 3 slip pockets, a phone pocket, and an ID window.  Then you have a choice of 12 slot pockets or 4 slot pockets and another zipper pocket.  All of that in a  7.5" x 3.5" x .5" wallet.  Here is one version.

Here is the other version.

And the rest....

I, also, decided to try the Decovil 1 that Christine suggests.  I had to order it from Germany.  I ordered through Amazon from TOKO KurzWaren.  Thanks, Christine for introducing me to this awesome new stabilizer.  It makes such a difference.  Love it!

You can buy The Pick A Pocket Wallet here.  I know you will love it as much as I do.  You,ll be seeing more on my blog.  In the meantime, see the other testers' wallets here.

Last Chance for Bella

I made this bag a few weeks ago and never posted it.  I thought I better post it today because this pattern will be retired very soon.  This is the Bella Bag from Chris W Designs.  This was a special order for a customer that was looking for an ivory bag out of faux leather.

The Bella Bag pattern was to be retired today but Christine has extended the availability on craftsy here for a few more days only.  If you have thought about getting this pattern,  get it now...don't be sorry.  This bag continues to be a very popular choice by my customers.  I think that is because it is easy to carry, has so many pockets (8 total), the structure vs slouchiness factor is perfect and it holds so much. 

I never seem to tire of these Paris prints for lining.

Buy Bella now!  Don't make me shake my head when you decide you want it later!