Momma's Got a Brand New Bag!

I've been doing a little bit of Christmas sewing that I CAN'T show, because some of the giftees actually read my blog. I was getting jealous of the cute stuff and had to make myself something.

This is my first attempt at a zippered bag and that part turned out great. I still need to tack down the binding on the inside, but otherwise I LOVE it. It's a little bigger than need be, but I have a tendency to throw a ton of crap in my bag. (The original dimensions were 17" tall by 16" wide.) The handles are also a little long, but it'll work fine when I'm wearing a winter coat. It's more the color of the darker pictures so perfect for fall.

Baby gifts

My mom will be celebrating the birth of her 7th biological grandchild later this month or early next month. This is the first girl. (I have a step-niece who joined the family at about age 5. I only make the distinction between biological and not because it is amazing to me that my brothers and I have only been able to produce boys until this one.) ANYWAY. I made a few gifts for her.

First is a smallish tote bag. It's made of white canvas (actual, heavy canvas) and flannel. This is my first attempt at combining the two, and I'd really recommend against that. The canvas has no give and the flannel seems to be made of give and together it is frustrating.

I made a nice stack of burp cloths out of flannel as well, nothing fancy there, didn't even seam up the selvage edge. (I would SO do that if I weren't making them for family.)

Last, a cool little blanket. This blanket has loops on all four corners that can be drawn into a carbiner and clipped onto your diaper bag or stroller. Why would you want this? so you can scoop up all the toys in one shot! I made this of canvas and flannel as well. The canvas should keep the baby dry on damp ground and the flannel is nice and soft. Once again, I would not combine the two. Perhaps a lighter weight canvas next time, or a cotton top with some batting inside? Stunt baby is not included with the blanket.

Tote Bags

Recent tote bags.

(Blogger is hating me, the inside of the second bag is the darker pink with a stripe of the lighter pink and a flower like the outside. I can't seem to post that picture.)

After a brief hiatus...

I am back with a new bag. This one was a birthday gift for my niece, who is 7. The exterior turned out great! I quilted across the yellow with pale pink, blue, and fuchsia to match the lining, and it looked better than I expected. I added a couple of giant buttons to the outside, and made it reversible like the others. It is hard to tell in the picture, but the lining is brightly colored cats. I think it was a hit.

Girly Bag

This week's bag is a girly little thing. It's pink and brown and white, it's got little dots and a pink handle. What's not to love?

This is a tiny little bag. As you can see from the pictures, it is exactly as wide as a standard checkbook, with room for your phone, wallet, pens, and not a lot more. It's completely reversible and machine washable. This one has no interior pocket, it's just too small to need one!

If you are interested, this tote can be found in my Etsy shop!

Teacher bags!

Are you a school teacher? Know someone who is? We all know that school teachers love tote bags AND that school teachers have tons of old school spirit shirts in their closets. Can you think of a better use for those unworn shirts than a tote bag? Here's some examples!



















See the big pocket on this one (with the magazine slipped inside)? I thought that would make a perfect place for files of paperwork, and keep it somewhat organized. It's a big pocket- the height and width of the entire bag!
Now on the gray one, my camera stopped cooperating so only one picture! It has a darker purple patterned lining, and one small pocket for your phone or keys. It's a bigger bag than the white one too. So if you are a teacher, or know one, let me know at shop.sewwhat@gmail.com and I'd be happy to make some up for you! These bags would also be great for students, just keep in mind, the smaller the shirt, the smaller the bag!
(sorry for the wierd spacing on this post, I can't make blogger cooperate this morning!)

Taryn's Bag

This weekend I made two new bags. This is the second one. (The first one is part of an uncompleted set.) This bag is for my niece Taryn. After an extensive conversation about what she likes, this is what I came up with- hope she likes it as much as I do!

This one has the same shape as a previous bag, and is symmetrical, regardless of how it appears in pictures. It's got a pink exterior and a purple printed interior. The interior is purple, pink, teal and lime green circles and matches the buttons on the exterior of the bag. I included a small inner pocket that also has the purple ribbon and a smaller bunch of buttons. I really like the way this one turned out- it all coordinates as well as I had hoped.

This specific bag is not for sale, but I did end up with a small bit of leftover purple fabric, and may be able to squeeze a smaller version of the bag out of it. Let me know if you're interested!

Hell's Kitchen Tote Bag

I just listed the best bag yet! I LOVE this bag! I almost didn't want to list it, but what am I gonna do with all these bags?? This bag is HUGE. It's very casual, and I can think of a million uses for it. I swear I could fit my 2 year old into this bag no problem!

It's got this great little cardboard piece in the bottom for support. If you want a stiffer bag, put in it, if you want a softer bag you can remove it. The cardboard is covered in a little slipcase of the red flannel which can be taken off if you need to wash it. Or, if the cardboard gets soft with use you can slip out the old piece and replace it! How cool is that?

Here's what I said about it on Etsy:
This is a great-looking tote bag made from a worn-in t-shirt. It has a great graphic of Hell's Kitchen New York and a co-ordinating red and black flannel lining. This is a large bag with a large capacity. It would be ideal for a weekend trip, the grocery store, or a day on the beach. The handles are wide and made from the same fabrics. They have extra stitching for reinforcement. There is one interior pocket made from the t-shirt sleeve for your cellphone, keys, etc.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is NOT included with purchase, but is shown in the picture to give an idea of the size of the bag. You could easily fit all seven Harry Potters, the Little House on the Prairie series and all seven Chronicles of Narnia in here, and still have room for snacks and personal items.

Measured flat, the bag is 21 inches wide (seam to seam) and about 14 inches tall. It measures 8 X 13 inches across the bottom. Handles are 21 inches long with a 10 inch drop. Fits comfortably over your shoulder. Both the t-shirt and the interior fabric have been reinforced with interfacing to give the bag shape and make it more durable. This t-shirt is naturally faded. Both the t-shirt and the lining are pre-washed, but the assembled bag itself has not been washed.

This bag includes a cardboard base for stability. This base is covered in a slipcase of the same lining material and can be removed for washing or if you want a softer bag.

Machine washable on gentle cycle, air dry to maintain shape. Warm iron. Be very careful ironing the screenprint.

The Etsy shop is at http://lharsma.etsy.com Go shop! Buy this bag, it's awesome, I swear.