Traverse Bag and class stuff

I really like Noodlehead bag patterns. Very good instructions, diagrams and listing of needed items. Cut Up and Quilt asked me to make the Traverse Bag as a store model and I had fun using this canvas piece with many of the Cotton and Steele prints on it. I am still debating on whether I will teach a class on it or not. It depends on the interest. 

 I loved all of the prints, but wanted to have the houses front and center so used them for the flap that hides front pockets and snaps closed.

 The lining is the jacks in green, color isn't showing up great here.

 A back zipper pocket that was easy to install. Love it when I learn new ways to put in zippers and pockets.

 It's not a huge bag ( 12" x 9") but does have an adjustable cross-body strap, which is handy for shopping trips. I have enough canvas for another bag, which I will be making soon. I got more of the same lining fabric because I do love it. So they will be very similar. I'm making the 2nd one for a gift.

I have the second class today for the Dresden Plate Special, so I'm excited to see their dresden blades sewn together. Here are some pictures from their first class 2 weeks ago. I have made the dresden block with the curved blades too, but have to confess that I like the pointed blades the best for their ease in making. Stay tuned for more pictures from today's class!

The two gals above and below didn't shop together, but had some of the same fabrics!

I will be teaching this class again on Monday evenings beginning in Sept. So much fun and a great way to learn one of the ways to applique.

Dresden Plate Special

Prepping is fun...but now I want to finish this Explorer Tote!

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Three front pieces. 

I had started the prepping for the Explorer Tote class a few weeks ago, getting the pieces cut and interfacing fused, but I didn't want to do it all too soon, as it's a review for me too.  But the class is 2 weeks away now, so  I worked on it some more Saturday when I sewed with friends. I think it's ready to go now.

Center section has a pocket with the turn lock attached. Easy peasy to do. 

Inside lined pocket. They still have their labels on them from the pattern. It will make things easier to set up before the class. 

Denim bottom, with cutouts done.

Tote flap completed. This one will go on the bag.

I made a prep flap too, so I could show how to attach the rest of the turn lock.

When I finished prepping the Explorer Tote, I started working on my Letter Challenge project for my guild. We picked our letters months ago ( I got the letter U) and I have been thinking of some ideas, but hadn't settled on one. At our meeting last Tuesday, I realized they are due next month, so I needed to decide and get on it.

Several ideas I had: 

--A small quilt using many cars that could be "Ubers".

--Something using an umbrella (maybe decorating one with applique shapes, or  making pieced umbrellas for a quilt. 

Unicycle (yea, fleeting thought)

--Useful: I wanted to make something I could use or give as a gift. Which gave me the idea of making a bag. I have been wanting to make the Heidi Foldover Clutch by Swoon (free pdf) ever since I found it online, so since it unzips, that became my theme to making this cute useful clutch. 

Heidi front: I didn't have any vinyl, so self faced the accent pieced on the bottom since I thought it added so much to the bag. 

I decided to use the fabrics from the new Explorer Tote, as it might be nice to have a clutch to match the bag if I use it myself or give as a gift.

The Accent is the same as the lining for the bag.  I made the back out of denim. 

There is a set in zippered pocket on the back. I used a gold zipper for it.

I printed out some U words that were useful for the clutch on June Tailor White Colorfast Sew In Fabric  Sheets.. I love these for printing pictures and labels as well. 

                                          

I spent a lot of time framing the words with gold fabric. I trimmed them, backed them and turned and pressed...but didn't like how they looked on the clutch when I was finished. They were meant to be labels to put in key places and they stood out too much.  (Plus I just like fabrics with words on them.)

So I cut them out of the frame and backed them with fusible web. Sigh....wasted a lot of time, but that's part of the creative process.

Here's one on the back. 

Can you find them on the front below? I had to attach them before I sewed the clutch together.

I hope to finish it this week, though I have classes tonight and Tuesday night, so we'll see....

Pat came one night and finished her More Peas in a Pod quilt. It turned out so pretty! She has already gifted it to a granddaughter! I am adding her picture to her class's final post as well. 

Explorer Tote...making #2

A few weeks ago I made the Explorer Tote by Noodlehead as a class model. I love how it turned it out and recently started to make a working model so that I can show it as class progresses in a few weeks.

I got all the pieces cut out and started the fusing process. This is the part that I dislike...fusing on the interfacing seems to take forever but is an important part of the process.

I love this fabric. It's a duck cloth type fabric, so a little heavier than what I used for the "Paris" mode. I wanted to see how it worked up. I still used the fusible fleece on the back and front, and the heavy interfacing everywhere else. It was hard to stop working on it!

This pattern has a great feature...a set of tabs so you can keep track of what you have cut and how many. I found this to be really helpful when cutting each of them and also when marking these pieces for the upcoming class. I will sew together a few more things before class, but decided to wait until the class was closer so it would be fresher in my mind for the class.

I guess I really do need 2 Explorer Totes, right?

Another Super Tote...love these kitties!

I finished the second Super Tote last week using this cute kitty fabric. I love it as much as the first one.

This bag is larger than most bags I've made, with lots of room inside for storing stuff. This time I just made one gathered inside pocket instead of two and made a flat pocket for the other side.

The inset zippers are fun and easy to make. Plus the bag has closure. There are so many uses for this bag that I think everyone should have at least one! I will be teaching this class at Cut Up and Quilt on Jan. 9.

I've also been working on a new sampler design...I have seven out of the nine main blocks finished. This quilt has a modern touch that I hope my fellow quilters like.

I got bogged down the last couple of nights, so no sewing...but I need to get at least the main blocks finished by Monday. I can do it, I can do it...

Mini Retreat fun

I went on a mini retreat over the weekend to the Retreat Center at Log Cabin Quilting in Exira, IA. A couple of the gals went Friday morning, 2 more came Friday after work and I drove up early Sat. morning. What a great time we had sewing, chatting, sewing.

My first project was to sew a backing together for a quilt top I finished on my last retreat, but haven't quilted yet. That went quickly and I could put a check mark by it! 

 I then went to work on this Super Tote pattern by Noodlehead. I came across the pattern one day and loved the size, the recessed zipper, and the front pocket. I had trouble picking out the fabric for it at Cut Up and Quilt, starting with these gorgeous circles, picking out several others, but then coming back to the circles in the end. I'm so glad I did and wonder...why did I waver? They are perfect!

 It's a fairly large bag with a deep gusset, so it will hold lots of goodies.

 There are large pockets on the inside too, perfect for your smaller treasures. I worked on figuring this out and making it most of the day on Saturday and plan on making another one soon to see how much faster it goes the second time around. I want to teach this pattern in January.

There was lots of creativity going on at the retreat and I'll write more soon with more pictures of my friends' projects as well as my other project. I really enjoyed myself on this retreat even though it was shorter than I'm used to. In some ways it was easier to pack and plan for and I didn't get so tired from all the late nights. No matter the size, retreats are always fun!