New Messenger Bag

I have finally finalized my new messenger bag. After many attempts of making one I liked, I have finally come up with one I love. I think it's the perfect size for everyday use. I didn't want it to be too big but I wanted to fit everything I needed to take to work in it. It has two outside pockets and 3 inside pockets because I like to keep my stuff organized. I only have two posted now but I should have more coming this week.

February Bag Winner

I picked a winner for February's bag giveaway. I used Random.org to pick a number. The winner this month is Stephanie from lesjoujou. She has a new shop on Etsy, so check it out when you get a chance.
Thanks for entering everyone and if you didn't win, don't worry. March's giveaway will be coming soon.

New Fabrics

I love getting new fabrics in the mail. I told myself I wasn't going to buy any more until I used some of mine up, but I couldn't resist these. The first pic is Joel Dewberry's Ginseng in home dec weight. I have already made a wristlet in this and posted it in my shop. The second, is Amy Butler's August Fields, also in home dec weight. The third I have used many times before and it's still a favourite. It's from Michael Miller and is getting harder to get.

My Favourite Bag

If you read yesterdays post you will remember me mentioning my favourite bag. I make a lot of bags and accessories and I truly like everyone, I won't sell something I don't personally like. This one though, I loved before I even started sewing it.
It is one of my new patchwork wristlets made with plain brown twill and 2 out of print fabrics from Robert Kaufman. It is brown, orange and a deep yellow gold colour. I think it is very retro looking which is what I love about Robert Kaufman fabrics. This bag is so me. I still haven't decided if I'm going to list it in my shop yet. I have very little of these fabrics left. I will check today to see if I have any more to make another similar one.
So here it is, my favourite bag ever!

Back to the basics

You may have noticed that there is not a pleat or ruffle in my new bags. After a lot of thought I have decided to go back to the basics. When I started making purses, the greatest fun for me was the fabric. I love great fabrics with bold prints. These tend to get lost in all the pleating and ruffling. I also love straight clean lines not only for bags but in home design as well. After thinking about which way to go in my shop, I have decided to go back to the simple designs in bags with great fabric and great fabric combos. I want to see the fabric I spend a lot of time picking out. Now that I've decided on simplicity, I love sewing again. Of course you will still see my love of yo-yo's on my wristlets.

In my shop, I have added gadget cases. I absolutely love the convenience of these. I will be adding more in the next few days. I have also made a new retro looking wristlet. I think this is my most favourite item ever. I am still debating on whether or not to list it. I will show this hopefully tomorrow. This deserves it's very own blog post.

Don't forget February's Giveaway is still on until the 22nd.

February Giveaway!

I planned on starting February's giveaway tomorrow but decided to do it today instead. This month's giveaway is for a pleated wristlet/clutch with matching coin pouch and card holder. All are made with Erin McMorris Park Slope fabrics. I love the bright colours in this collection. To enter this month's giveaway you can either leave a comment about a fabric that you love or tell me what style of bag or wallet you like best in my store. To get a second entry, blog about this giveaway and leave another comment. I love finding new blogs to read. This contest ends on February 22nd at 9:00 P.M. EST.
Good luck everyone!

New for Spring

I have been sewing some new bags this week for Spring. I have decided I'm done with winter and I'm looking ahead. I started with some new market totes perfect for everyday. These will be available for a limited time only. The second bag design is a new wristlet. These are patchworked and slightly bigger than my original wristlet. These are my new favourite. I have started listing these in my shop. I will be working on a shoulder bag version of these.
Also, keep watching for further markdowns as I will be clearing out more older styles of bags.
Stay tuned, February's giveaway is coming soon!

The life of a wallet

I am often asked how I can sew so many items without any help. I took some pictures today to show how I do it. I plan my items to try and sew in the same colour groups. The wallets I sewed today all used gray thread so I didn't have to keep re-threading my machine. This is a huge time saver.
First, I cut everything out. This is probably the most time consuming with wallets because there are so many pieces. I then put the fusible interfacing on everything now I'm ready to sew. I sew all the change sections first, then the cardholders.



Next I assemble and sew the inside of the wallet. Once that's done I make all the closure tabs. I add snaps to them and the main wallet piece. I then sew the two together. I turn them all the right side out, iron them and top stitch.



It took about 3 hours with a couple of small breaks to make 5 wallets. I love seeing them all finished and lined up. These wallets will be posted in my shop in a couple of days.