Category Bags

New bags: Summit Packs by me and the husband (!) Sew My Style Feb 20

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My first Sew My Style project this year and it’s a goodie! Even better, you get two for the price of one, as my husband nearly blew my socks off my saying he would be up for trying to sew one as well! He had fancied trying a crossbody bag for a while and when I saw the Summit Pack was one of the choices for the February pattern, I showed him the pic, thinking he’d have forgotten all about his desire. To my surprise, he seemed keen and so his first sewing project was game on.

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Now, I have to be honest – this is not necessarily an ideal first project. It’s quite a complex bag, as bags go, with lots of zippers, pockets and other details that make it a fantastic pattern, but a lengthy effort for a beginner. It’s actually rated as Intermediate or Higher, but, nevertheless, we decided that with me here to help and demonstrate, we’d give it a go anyway.

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Sew My Style November: The Raspberry Rucksack and Bagmaking 101 Tips

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Ahhh – the lovely world of bags… there are so many great things about bags… You can use your scraps and feel virtuous, you don’t have to fit yourself, you can get away with a few inaccuracies and you use all that quilting cotton you bought for skirts when you first started sewing! (I know it’s not just me). I’ve made a few different bags before and I really enjoy the process, but it’s been a little while, so I’m delighted to be one of the leaders for November’s bag month on Sew my Style 2019. I already wrote an intro to the bag patterns we’re featuring this month and suppliers, and Eowyn wrote a fantastic post with lots of bag inspiration for both patterns, so check them out if you didn’t already!

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This month I’ve made the Raspberry Rucksack by Sarah Kirsten, which is a really cute, but very spacious rucksack, and not unlike some of the RTW rucksacks that are popular in high-end shops. I really like the end product and will give a few specific tips on this bag in the second part of the post (so go on and shoot down if that’s what you’re here for), but first I wanted to list a few invaluable tips for bag beginners or anyone looking for a refresh! Continue reading “Sew My Style November: The Raspberry Rucksack and Bagmaking 101 Tips” →

Welcome to Sew my Style November: Bag Patterns and supplies!

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Hi everyone!

It’s November and that means it’s time to make bags! We have two amazing patterns for you to choose from this month – make sure you use your exclusive Sew My Style discount code, which Meg sent out in the newsletter on October 15th. You can use them right up to November 30th.

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One great thing about bags is that you don’t have to fit them, so you can make one (or twenty-three) for yourself, but they also make perfect gifts… and you know what’s coming up next month… I personally plan to make at least two as festive gifts for people in my family, and I love the fact that they’re both rucksack designs that can really be adapted for anyone, anywhere! Continue reading “Welcome to Sew my Style November: Bag Patterns and supplies!” →

New tops and bag: The Ogden + Ida Swap 2019

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This is my second year doing this swap challenge #ogdenidaswap2019, but this year I decided to do the full thing and made both the True Bias Ogden top and the Kylie and the Machine Ida bag. Last year I only made the Ogden and enjoyed the challenge so much, I thought I’d up the ante this year. If aren’t familiar with the challenge, it’s much as it sounds. You choose to make one or both of the aforementioned items and are given a recipient to send them to. You Instastalk them for a few days and then make and post off your item based on the measurements you receive. Some other plucky soul does the same for you!

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Social sewing: Me-Made-May 2019, Sew Expo 2019 and how to host a sewing trivia quiz!

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I’m in San Francisco for spring break, which is very cool indeed, but I was slightly frustrated that I didn’t get my Deer and Doe Sirocco jumpsuit finished in time to bring it on the trip. I’m going to New York next week to meet my sister (I know – look at jetsetter old moi – ha), so it will definitely be perfect for that, but it turned out to be such a quick sew that I thought I would have it done. And it nearly is! So next week I’ll post about that, but instead for now, a post I started ages ago with some social sewing updates.

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How to hold a sewing quiz

First: ever wanted to host a sewing trivia quiz? Ever heard of a sewing trivia quiz? No, of course not. But myself and lovely fellow sewist MaLora from our Seattlesews Garment group decided it was high time someone put one together, so I thought I’d tell you what we did, in case it tickles your fancy. It was a lot of fun and easy to do!

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New bag: House of Klum Oberlin tote in waxed canvas

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This was one of the #sewmystyle projects for 2018 and I knew pretty quickly that I wanted to make one for my sister for Christmas as the styles were pretty much up her street. I got a little distracted with other things and didn’t make it in time for the October #sewmystyle deadline, so just aimed for Christmas and here it is now!

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House of Klum has a range of different bag patterns and kits – and the first thing to say is that they aren’t cheap. I was originally going to make the Fremont bag, but the finishing kit (straps and hardware) for that was $60 and then there was the pattern and fabric on top. Now, I’ve made a few bags and I know sourcing good quality finishing can be pretty difficult and expensive, so I’m not saying the price is unfair – but there’s no denying that it’s at a level that makes you think twice about your project.

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New bag: A large Noodlehead Trail Tote

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IMG_20170824_142723When I’ve been having a few fitting issues or just need a little break from apparel, I usually turn to making a bag. There are many advantages to bag-sewing:

  • Bags don’t give you fitting problems!
  • They are wonderful scrap/stash busters as they tend to need small amounts of different fabrics
  • All those bright quilting cottons sitting in your stash that you bought because you liked the pattern/colour? PERFECT for bags.
  • They’re usually pretty quick to make
  • You get to use your bag all the time, as opposed to a great dress, which may only see daylight once in a while
  • They’re actually quite forgiving – if you go a little off your seamline or misjudge cutting, you can usually get away with it

Continue reading “New bag: A large Noodlehead Trail Tote” →

A Christmas Moneta and other pressies

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Last post of the year, now that I can update with a few recent makes. It’s been a funny Q4. For some reason, I really thought I was going to get a ton of sewing done, but it hasn’t worked out that way really, and I don’t even know why. In any case, I did manage to make a few things for other people. I had planned quite a few more, but of course you never have as much time as you think. I just re-read this paragraph and this is possibly the dullest intro to a blog post I’ve ever written, so I think I’ll just get on with the makes, shall I? Haha.

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First up, I made quite a number of Petal Pouches by Noodlehead (Anna Graham) as gifts. I mentioned it in a previous post, but didn’t want to completely give the game away for #stitchingsanta, so here’s a little more. I had planned to make six sets initially ( six large and six small) but finished up with four sets. Two were made from this fun pink Japanese linen, which features celery (I think) and a green linen lining. The other two sets were made from a Japanese striped canvas and have a fun clashing blue checked lining. I cut out out two sets of yellow bird canvas, but still need to finish them up. Continue reading “A Christmas Moneta and other pressies” →

New make: The Weekender Bag

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Hey folks! I’m determined to make a few Xmas presents this year, and while this bag isn’t necessarily one of them (although it could be) I’m definitely going through a little non-apparel phase. I have to say I’m ridiculously happy with this bag. I can only describe it in terms of it being the way I’d like to feel about the clothes I make. That is, that it’s so much better and nicer than anything I could or would purchase in the shops, and not even because the sewing is so wonderful, but just because of the level of detail and the materials. I’m sure I will feel this way about clothes once I’ve improved on the fit and made something a little more complicated (maybe my coat?), but for now, the bag rules!!

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6 months in sewing – what have I done?

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I don’t mean that in a “Lawks, what have I done to him??” kind of a way, more in a “What have I actually done“, as in sewn, way. I wrote my first blog post 6 months ago and time has gone FAST. I thought it might be a good idea to take stock of what I’ve achieved so far in the world of sewing as it will no doubt point me in a few specific directions going forwards. Therefore, this post will probably be of interest mainly to… well, ME, but hey, feel free to peruse my summing uppery. Continue reading “6 months in sewing – what have I done?” →