New purse to replace the old one....and a few others

October is here already and I'm just starting to really get back to sewing again.  The boys are back in school now which helps.  I have been going on school field trips with them, which is fun to do.

I got a chance to finish some purses that I needed to do for a while.  Both of my sisters received their Birthday purses a little late.  Better late than never seems to apply to the purses. I also finished a purse for myself.

The Two-Hour Tulip Purse

This is the Tulip Purse I made for my Sister Jennifer. The pattern is by Janice D. Pope. A good pattern to use. I love how it turned out, the colors remind me of Fall my favorite time of year.

Vogue pattern V8680

This purse I made for my Sister Elizabeth.  I used leather and upholster fabric with this. I think I would have been happier with it, if I used the fabric on the bottom of the bag.  That way you wouldn't get the leather showing at the bottom.


Here is my purse, I had started this purse in the Spring, but couldn't sew the top trim down using my walking foot machine.
I just recently pick up a machine that I could use to sew the top of the purse. (more about my new toy on a later post.)


 I can't remember what pattern I used for this purse. I love the colors I used in this bag, nice and bright. Just enough room for my wallet, coin purse and a few other things.  It's nice to have a purse that isn't too big.


I'm busy working with Jeans right now whipping up a few new bags.  I might even think up a pattern for the one purse I'm working on. 

PDF Patterns Good or Bad?

I'm a big fan of PDF patterns.  That being said I have a few concerns about them.  I didn't run into a problem before until I decided to purchased an out of print pattern for a Speed Skating suit for my son.

The pattern ended up being 72 pages. 72 pages that all have to be printed out to make up the pattern.  That is because they have 22 sizes in the pattern.  It was unbelievable each piece of the pattern was scanned in no real order. The trouble being that it was the large pattern sheets that were scanned.  Not by each pattern piece. So you start printing out the pages but they don't give you an over all picture to show you what pieces go together. So you have 72 pages to go through.

 I made the mistake of cutting out the patterns to the size I wanted, thinking that this would help me put them all together.Wrong! What a mess as you can see.  I couldn't make heads or tails out of it, I was 2 days of trying to put the pieces together.  The collar for the suit took 5 different pieces being taped together to give me the full pattern piece.  That meant that it was on 5 different pages that where printed out.  I can't believe that they couldn't think of another way to do this PDF.

Once you finished the cutting and taping together.  I found the rest of the pattern didn't have much for written instruction.  Good thing I know how to sew and follow along with diagrams.  I have no idea if there was a better instruction sheet in the original pattern.

I bought this pattern as it was what I needed for a skin suit for speed skating for my son. As it was no longer in print I had no choice but to buy the PDF.  I have purchased a lot of PDF patterns for purse making, I like the convenience on it and the fact there is no cost for postage.  So I thought I would give it a try.  I will not be purchasing anymore PDF for clothing as I fear that this is about what you are going to get.  I have spent more on ink and paper and sweat hours trying to put the pattern together.  Postage would have seemed cheap in comparison.

I loved the look of the suit when all was said and done.  I have made him two suits so far and will most likely try another one later in the skating season.  So at least I had a finished product for the trouble.  The main thing is try to find out how the PDF is made up and if all the pattern and instruction has to be printed out. And I guess buyer beware is sometime needed.

The reason I must make a new purse...............

The reason to make a new purse..............Racoons!  My purse didn't survive the attack of the Tim Horton's drinking Raccoon.

This is what my purse looked like before the run in. I had used Noodlehead 241 tote pattern  I really like this purse as I could fit everything in it. As well I liked the fabric I used for it.

How the purse had the run in you ask.  Well when you go camping we all know that you must not leave food laying around your camp site other wise you will have animal visiting. Where we were you have chipmunks, skunks and raccoons.

So we packed up all the food for the night and locked it in our SUV for safe keeping.......or so I thought. I heard the raccoons fighting outside of the tent around 3:00 in the morning.  Then I heard what I though was our dishes and coolers moving around.  DH went to check by walking around the SUV with his flashlight looking around on the ground no raccoons there so, he headed off the the Washroom.  While he was gone I heard them again, he came back climbed in the tent. I told him, he said it was fine. Once they started up again I sent him out again,  this time he looked up higher and saw a racoon on the passenger seat of the SUV. He then realized that the driver side window was down all the way.

He had me come out to help, send me to the passenger side.  I wasn't going to open the door till I saw what I was dealing with.  Flashlight to the passenger side yep that's a big guy, then lets see if there are any more.  One sitting on the booster seat in the middle of the van and three in the back.  Great the whole family.  I opened the front door to get the big guy out, he got out after a little while but the other ones aren't moving.  DH had opened up the hatch but they weren't in a hurry to leave their food behind.  So I figured if you slam the front door that will get them moving.  The problem with the plan was I never told DH so he heads for the hatch at the same time the rest of the raccoons are rushing the hatch to get out. He jumps and yells and they stop.  So now it's time for me to start throwing things, one well thrown water bottle square of the butt of one of them gets them moving.

They didn't get into the coolers, but the Butter tart squares were fair game, Marshmallows, Jube Jubes, and all the other candy and chips we had for the trip. Other food was in open boxes so they sat on them as well as our potatoes and left some presents so that had to go as well. The biggest mess was on my purse. The raccoon had knocked over the last of the Tim Horton tea. It still had the bag in it as well. So between the tea the food mess and the mess of the raccoon there was no help for my purse.

So I cleaned out all the stuff and threw out the purse. I spent the rest of the week without a purse. I have started using one that I made before since I got home. I don't mind it but I really need to make something else up.  So I will have to look around the fabric stashes I have as well as the patterns and figure out something.

Traveling in Ontario

We had a great summer of traveling.   On our way to Sudbury we went to the Bonnechere Caves in Eganville.  It was a fun place to explore and it was a great break from the  heat of the day. We visited Dynamic Earth and the Science North, once we got to Sudbury.  What great places to visit, the kids had lots of fun.  We went into a mine under Science North. Mining certainly has changed over the years.  I can truthfully say that I could not handled being under ground for 8 hours a day.  Hats off to the Men and Women that are miners.

The most fun I had was panning for gold, that I could do for long periods of time. It is set up at Dynamic Earth just a large box full of sand and water with some gold dust thrown into it.  I was able to find a fleck for each of us to bring home.
 

The boys after the visit to the caves. The caves are a guided tour, there is one branch that you can climb into one end and come out around the corner from where you started.

I would have loved for this to be my ride......but alas I have to take 3 other people with me and all of the stuff we had along for the trip. The boys weren't so sure about it.  So it was back to the SUV, it would have been so much cheaper on gas.

 Holding up the Big Nickle with just his fingers. The biggest coin in the World.

The boys checking out the Honey Wagon, don't worry it was never used. You could roll this around the mine all day for a $1.25 or do hard labor and dig out the mine for the same wage. 

 

 

 

My new pet, this snail was so big. For some reason the Boys and my Sister wouldn't hold it.

I think our trip to Sudbury was a hit, certainly a fun part of our summer vacation.

England, Canada and New York............

I had a very busy week last week sewing, trying to get as much done as I could.  Since now we are into school summer vacation and gone are the days of sitting at the sewing machine and sewing the day away.  I will try to get some done, but it will be in between traveling with the boys.  We just came back from our first trip of the summer we went to Sudbury, Ontario.

I finished sewing 5 bags last week.  I used Lisa Lam's Compact Groceries Tote Pattern, I made a Beach Bag, and a Bag I call The New York Bag I got the tutorial from thimble.ca. www.thimble.ca. The fun thing with these bags is I used some themed fabrics England, Canada, and  New York.

I made four bags with 980 London Blocks, The Henley Studio, Makower UK. I used fabric that has Canada on it for the inside as the bag is reversible.  I really enjoy using Lisa's patterns.

I use a lot of outdoor fabrics as they hold up so well. This one is a heavy canvas that you would use in for making an awning.  I purchased rope that you would use for lines on your boat, so again it will hold up very well at the beach.  I want to make a few beach bags that are larger then this one. It hold a fair amount,  but I know you can never have a big enough one when you head to the beach.

I got the tutorial  for this bag that I call The New York Bag at www.thimble.ca. Laural wrote a great tutorial for it.  It is big, it should hold lots of stuff for the gym, beach or what ever. I added some grommets on the handle and the metal hardware to add some bling. This is a surprise bag for one of my friends, she heads to New York when ever she can.  It is fun coming up with different ways to change up patterns.

Strawberries Yummy

 

I have enjoyed picking Strawberries and Raspberries this week.  It has to be the best time of year, it ranks right up there with the first corn on the cob of the season.  I did see corn in the field but........the stalks are only about 5 inches tall so I think I will have to wait a bit for it.

I went Strawberry picking twice this week, in all I picked 20 litres of Strawberries and about 2 litres of Raspberries.  I have put about 15 litres into the freezer for the winter and the other ones have been eaten already or will be shortly.

I don't do anything exciting with them, like making Jam.  We just don't eat enough Jam in a year to use it up.  I use up the frozen fruit, making lots of yoghurt smoothies for the boys. ( OK I admit I will make myself some as well.) Of course I make fruit crumb with all the fruit as well, the Rhubarb was picked last mouth for it and I will get Blueberries in late July or August.  Nothing better on a cold winter night then a fruit crumb with all the fruit you picked in the summer. 

My bunnies have been still hopping around the yard, I like to see them around.  Except when I see them chewing on the fence that is around the vegetable garden.  The fencing wasn't something that it could chew through so we still have the vegetables in there.

I found some time this week to sew a bit too.  I got some Queen's Jubilee fabric, it is called London Blocks.   I have made one bag up already and I have 3 more to do.  They are a reversible shopping bag that can fold up  and be put in your purse.  The pattern is Lisa Lam's from her new book.

I have been missing my sewing.

I find it hard to believe that I haven't posted in over a month.  A lot has been going on here, and my time during the day to sew has all but disappeared. My DH tore his Achilles Tendon on April 2nd. So I have had to drive him where every he wants to go or needs to go. Driving him back and forth to work everyday, dropping him off first then to school to drop off the kids,  turning around and doing it over again at the end of the day. If things work out I only have to keep driving him around till the end of June.  That's life and hopefully things will change back to a normal pace soon.

When we were sitting in the Emerg after he did it, I asked him if he had already gotten me my Anniversary card as our anniversary is on the 3rd........nope so I guess your not taking me out to dinner either.............nope. I offered him a drive to the card shop, but he wasn't really able to get around so no card for me or him either. I forgot that I had bought him a card I found it about a week later. He thought it was a funny card. We did get out for dinner this month to celebrate, after 13 years of marriage and 20 years together we don't mind waiting for things like that.

I have also spent a lot of time on my flower gardens, getting them weeded and mulched for the summer, and working on all the other lawn care needed.  I built my first block wall around a vegetable garden.  Now my boys can grow vegetables with help from their Auntie.  I made the wall but Auntie had to work up the soil and add the new mulch and soil.  I couldn't have all the fun.  We still have to plant the pumpkins and bird house gourds this week.  It will be fun to watch everything grow.

Now all we have to do is keep out the squirrels, chipmunks and bunnies. Speaking of bunnies I found a nest of baby bunnies in my flower bed that I was weeding.  I will have to leave that bed for the time being until they leave.

I have been waiting for  Lisa  Lam's  new book to arrive.  I got the notice it was shipped on Sunday, I checked the tracking of it today and it said it was out for delivery.  I waited all day for it, checked again tonight it still says out for delivery but won't arrive till the 24th.  I'm use to it saying out for delivery on the day they will deliver it.  Oh well only two more days to wait.  I already have a long list of bags, purses to make.  So I better wait to look at the book.

I have posted some pictures of my garden at the present, hopefully by the weekend I will have everything mulch and weeded....expect where the bunnies are.  Just in time to come inside and get caught up on everything that has been piling up inside the house.

The start of the vegetable bed. Notice the level,  I used .

The wall completed, very happy as the stones are level the whole way around.

The boys very happy as the vegetables are in, and the fence is up too.

The baby bunnies are under all the fur, I could just see them moving.

This is one of the flower on my tree peony. Love them.

Carpet Bags

I made these bag a while ago.  I love making up my own designs for my Carpet Bags. I have an Reliable MSK 1541S walking foot machine.  It will sew through the carpets so easy, that way I can add leather to a bag with no problems.  I love to try sewing just about anything that will fit in the machine.  That way I can make one of a kind bags.  Looking for different carpets to sew is fun, the bags can look so different by how you sew the a carpet together.

The smaller carpet bag at the bottom I added leather handles to it, I used that one for my purse last fall.  I wish I would have picked up more of those carpets as the color was so nice and bright. It was a prefect size to carry around, not so big that you filled it with too much stuff.

Lisa Lam has done it again.............

Lisa Lam's Fashionista  Baby Bag

 




Lisa Lam has a new book coming out A Bag for All Reasons.  I can't wait for the book.  I was able to order a PDF 3 Beautiful Bags an exclusive extract from the forth coming book.  So happy I did, I started with this Fashionista Baby Bag.

What a great Diaper Bag!  Plenty of pockets, lots of room for everything a baby parent could want.  There is a zippered inside pocket to put your wallet and phone.  The bag closes with a zipper. I added snaps to close the front pockets as, I'm not a big fan of Velcro.  I also added a key holder, or it could be used to hold the babies soother.  I have already cut out some jean weight fabric to make another one.

Once I have it finished I will go on to try the next pattern which is the 3-in-1 Conversion Backpack.I think I will try it in leather.

Lisa's patterns are straight forward; she is very good about the writing of her patterns. You understand them.  You are sure that if you follow her instructions and use her patterns that the purse will turn out just like it is suppose too. Lisa's tutorials are also very good.

On her website  www.u-handbag.com you will find bag making supplies, and lots of information and help.

Overnight Bag For Myself.

 

Well this is a project that I started awhile ago.  I wasn't happy how things were going together so I left it sitting in my sewing room. I was going through everything, Spring cleaning I guess.  I got out every unfinished project, and asked myself if I would ever really finish this or is just something that will sit here forever. This was the only project I saved, all the others were not ones I liked as the pattern wasn't right or just not my cup of tea to finish it. I saved the fabric if I could from those projects, otherwise they went.  One contractor bag later, of things I had accumulated over the years, of course stuff I wondered about why the heck I have it. I can see a few empty spaces to work in, I really need to sew a lot more and stop bringing in new stuff till I empty my fabric stash a little more..... like that is going to happen, you can always find a few more little spots to put more stuff.

Supporting the bottom of your bag.

A lot of the purses, and totes I make need extra support.  I have tried different products for that but I wasn't happy with some of them.  I came across plastic cutting boards, I found them at the dollar store.  They measure 14 7/8" x 10 1/4" x 1/8"  you can easily cut them to the size you want.

What you need to cut them:
Quilting ruler if possible, a regular ruler will work.
Craft knife
Sandpaper
Scissors

• Decide on your size needed,
• Once you decide on the size, place and hold ruler. 
• To ensure that you are cutting a straight line continue to run the knife along the edge of ruler.  
• Repeat until you have completely cut it apart. 
• You can also finish cutting it apart with scissors by bending it back towards it self. 
• Then cut it with scissors.
• To finish off the corners use a piece sandpaper or the knife.

It is now ready to place in your bag.

Liebster Award

 The Liebster Award.


I'm very excited, I won the Liebster Award.  The Liebster Award is presented to up and coming blogs with less than 200 followers.  Thank you  Janelle  I'm just a little excited right now.  Hop over to Janelle's website she has a great contest on right now.  She has a great website, and has come up with some great patterns as well. Since we all know we never have enough purses it is a great site to visit.

Here are the rules:

- Thank the person who gave you the award and link to their blog.

- Choose 3-5 blogs with less than 200 followers to pass it on to.

-Display the Liebster Award somewhere on your blog.

I'm passing this award on to:

Bending Pins

Raspberry Sunshine 

Dilly Dimple

New Bags to show off.

The Purse and Tote were made with Leather and Upholster fabric.  The Tote has one large pocket and snaps on the sides, to help you place things in the tote.  The purse has a large zipped center section, and two side snap closed side pockets. Lots of room for everything you need to carry.

This is my newest Carpet Bag.  I make every Carpet Bag different from the previous one.  I will change up the type of pocket handle etc,  or the bag might be a little  different because of the size of carpet.

The fun of finding just the right piece of fabric.

The fun of finding  just the right piece of fabric. Of course before I go grocery shopping, I just had to stop at the fabric store as patterns are on sale.  You can never have too many patterns or fabric, maybe not enough room to store the stuff.  But  if you fold it really small and squish it a little it will fit.

Anyways I looked at the patterns and didn't find any I needed, I then made the mistake of heading to the back of the store to the clearance section.  Should have stopped and turned around, no will power.

I found these fabrics, I have an idea of what to do with them. Now I just have to make sure to get them done quickly so they don't fall to the bottom of the list of things to make.  It is not my bucket list, it is my bag list.  A very big and long bag list, I seem to find lots of bags to add to it.

The blue fabric is linen and cotton.  The other fabric is jean  and swimsuit fabric the quick dry type.

New Bags to see.

I have added some new pictures of my Bags.  I will try to get them all up in the next few days, and also work on keeping it up to date.  Some of the Bags I still have for sale, some are ones that I have already sold.  If you have a questions about any of the Bags let me know.

I have been absent for awhile.  I had a sale yesterday that I was getting ready for it, as I kept changing my mind on what to make it seemed to take me longer then normal.  

I had a great time yesterday, I sold a few things.  As well as  I got a chance to talk to some friends and meet some new people.  It's great to get out and get some new ideas of what people would like.  The location couldn't have been better either as we were in Gananoque Inn and Spa, which is right on the water.

I will have to spend sometime working on some new ideas, and working  on finding another place to show off my bags.   I think it's about time to also start working on a PDF for a bag idea I have.  It should be fun as I have no idea how to go about it.  I think I'm up for the challenge.

But first I have to work harder at keeping my posts up to date.

Well we are on hump day, this week is flying by.  I got a few things finished that needed  to be, but my list of things to do keep growing.  One of the goods things is that I decided to let the list grow today and spend most of the day sewing.  I think I could be winning the battle on it.  :)  Which is a good thing because the 26th will be here before I know it.

I have had lots of fun over the last few days visiting lots of websites and checking out patterns trying to get a handle on what to sew.   My DH says I do more research then sewing and some days he is correct.( I can say that because he most likely won't read this post.)  But sometimes it is what is needed  to get the creative juices flowing.

I will have to wait to post pictures of everything till I'm done.  That way I can take the time with it.

Have a good end to the week.

Hi, Welcome!

If you are coming to visit,  because of Lisa Lam great invite for us to all post  our Blogs, Facebook pages, or Etsy stores, etc sites.  It is great to have you visit.  She has given us such a great chance to connect.

I have just started this page in the last few weeks, it is a slow process.  After I finish getting ready for a craft sale at the end of the month, I hope to jump in with two feet.

I hope to be able to post new bags, totes and purses that I have made.  I also hope to post some PDF of designs I have come up with.  That would entail figuring out how to make a PDF file.   That will be for another day.  I happy right now with being able to have started this blog.

I hope you come back to visit again in the next few months.

Sewing up a storm.

I have a craft fair to go to the end of Feburary, so I have been sewing up a storm.  Five items sewn in the last two days.  It is going to be a busy Month.

1st Bag up

Still working on getting my bags to show easily . . .

It looks nice, but there's only 1 !

Launch !

Well, we are now into the 4th week of the New Year, and I finally have my Blog up and running. 

I have set this up so I can share some ideas and designs that I have for purses, totes and bags. "Carriers" - that's what they are.

You can never have enough of them. 

I think they are more important then another pair of shoes.