Jellybean-athon

If you know Thomas Knauer Sews, you know that his fabric is known for well-thought-out themes and bold colors. His latest line, 'Asbury' contains images of vintage theme park, everything from ice cream cones to bumper cars. Across more than one of his lines, these fabrics have appeared, which are called Jellybeans (pictured above). I know Thomas hates the word 'blender', and sometimes I call blender fabrics monochromatic, since many of my blenders are actually monochromatic colors, but as you can see, these pair more than one color. Maybe we can call them small volume prints? Haha. :-) Call them what you will, but they're pretty amazing to use in your projects!

Although I already debuted my Accordion Bag pdf sewing pattern earlier this month, I wanted to re-visit this bag as part of the Jellybean-athon. Right when I got the jellybean fabrics, I knew they would be perfect for the pleated flap on this bag. When laying out the fabrics for the flap, I tried to organize them more or less into a ROY G. BIV pattern going from right to left. The white piping on the flap makes the fabrics stand out even more, I think. The fabric on the body of the bag is also from 'Asbury'; it's my favorite print from the line.

Here are Thomas and my friend Kim posing with the Accordion Bag at QuiltCon in the Andover Booth. And they are standing in front of his fabrics there on the right...'Asbury' just recently hit stores, so you really must get some (and get some of the jellybeans for your ::ahem:: blender stash). Thomas was one of the lecturers are QuiltCon...I always miss his lectures for one reason or another. Which makes me kind of upset, because I heard his was one of the best lectures at QuiltCon.

Haven't had your fill of jellybeans yet? I know...they're pretty sweet, aren't they? Here are the other stops on the Jellybean-athon in case you'd like to visit!

Feb 25: Thomas Knauer
Feb 26: Allegory Lanham
Feb 27: Tracy Mooney
Feb 28: Sara Lawson
March 1: Rachael Gander
March 2: Rashida Coleman-Hale
March 3: Heide Mueller-Hatton
March 4: Audrie Bidwell
March 5: Kim Niedzwiecki

 

Tula Pink Coin Purse

I got some Tula Pink Renaissance Ribbons that I blogged about last week. They were sort of intended for a bag pattern (obviously a bigger bag than the size of a coin purse, lol). The main parts of the bag were supposed to be pieced with the 1-1/2" wide ribbon and metal zippers, but as I started piecing them, I just felt like the bag as I had envisioned it was not going to work. I do like the running zippers across the front, so I might re-visit something like this at a later date, but I decided to cut my losses and make a little coin purse with the part I had pieced so far.

I have a huge stomach ache and I'm feeling a little sad looking at all of the QuiltCon fun on the internet, so I'm off to bed. :-)

Locked and Loaded Bag

I'd like to introduce you to the Locked and Loaded Bag sewing pattern! This is a large bag that many of my pattern testers have deemed a confident-beginner bag (the lining zipper pocket is what possibly carries it over into the intermediate level). The pattern features templates needed to make the pattern, 12 pages of sewing instructions, as well as 27 full-color step-by-step photos.

This lovely bag is round and large enough for all of your essentials! The bag features an adjustable strap, inner zippered pocket, and the icing on the cake is the metal twist lock, which is easy to insert with a little dab of fabric glue! You’ll just love the functionality of it!

Finished Size: 15” long x 11” tall

Supplies Needed to Make this Bag

1 yard of Exterior Fabric

1 yard of Lining Fabric (you may wish to choose a water-proof or PUL fabric, if you’d like to use this bag for the pool!)       

                                                                                        

2-1/2 yards of Pellon® SF-101 Shape Flex® fusible woven interfacing (lightweight fusible interfacing)

3/4 yard of By Annie’s Soft and Stable™, available at local quilt shops or on-line

(Soft and Stable is a 1/8” thick, foam sew-in interfacing; one of my testers also recommends automotive headliner fabric in place of the Soft and Stable; you can also substitute a needled fleece fusible interfacing for the Soft and Stable, such as Pellon #TP971F Thermolam Plus fusible interfacing)

1-1/2" metal rectangle and metal slider (I buy mine here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/JennaLouDesigns?section_id=5226774) 

9” zipper (or use a longer zipper and trim it down after sewing it in)

Metal twist lock

A couple of my pattern testers used a magnetic snap instead of the twist lock, and instead embellished their flap with a decorative button. Some of them also recommended quilting the exterior; especially if you opt to use a needled fleece interfacing, the quilting will help make the exterior even sturdier!

And here come the parade of bags! I am over the moon with how lovely all of the bags look, and I find every single one of them to be gorgeous!! Thank you so much to my pattern testers for all of your hard work and critique of the pattern!!!

Tiffany of This Crafty Fox made this awesome version in V. and Co. fabric, with cute little hedgehogs on the flap! I was joking with Tiffany that I have seen her making a lot of purple bags lately, so I wondered if it was her favorite color. ;-)

Melaney made this gorgeous version in peacock fabric...Melaney can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe she made this either in a day or in an evening. Very quick, and it's beautiful!!

Samantha of Handmade by Mrs. H made this great bag, and here she is modeling it in the photo! Fiona also sells pdf bag sewing patterns, so you'll want to check out her site!!

Alli made her bag in Echino fabrics (love the Echino!!) and she chose this lovely oval twist lock. I also like that her strap fabric coordinates with the flap, so pretty!!!

Susan made this bag in a soft and beautiful large-scale rose print. Maybe it's just me, but how did she fussycut the flap to continue the pattern on the top of that large rose in front?? Amazing!!

Vera of Halabala Style made this lovely version; I absolutely adore the main fabric, and I love that the flap and strap are the dark brown, which is such a great contrast to the main fabric. You can read about her experience here on her blog. Wonderful job on this bag!!

Anna made this bag in which she stitched some beautiful embroidery on the front. She also added her own bit of trim along the flap, and I think it's the perfect compliment to the embroidery! So pretty!!

Yvette  made this absolutely lovely bag using a vintage flour sack she had been hoarding, and Heather Ross fabric for the lining. She used Soft and Stable for her bag, but was curious to try it out with batting as she thought it would also hold the shape well!

Susan made this awesome version in some Alexander Henry fabrics. I think it's just stunning to see a large-scale print, such as the one she chose for her bag. This one rocks!!

Sharon from Dexter Days made this awesome version using the coastal cruiser applique by Tula Pink! I just love the combination of the heart fabric with the little VW! What a great idea!!!

Holli from Nauti Stitcher made this wonderful bag...is it me or does this look a bit nautical? ;-) Lovely shape of the bag, great professional finish, awesome job!!

Mhairi made this lovely bag in a green and purple floral, with a darker lining. And look and that pretty heart-shaped twist lock!!! Wonderful job!

Vanessa made this awesome version, and in true country-girl fashion, she used a red gingham-like fabric! So very pretty, and I love the decorative button on the flap!!

Zuzka made this great directional fabric for her bag. I love that the flap has the horizontal lines, it really calls attention to the great twist lock closure on the front!

 DeeAnn made this lovely version in Kate Spain florals, and she also quilted it beautifully. I love the pretty stitching on the exterior, and it sort of reminds me of a BuiltNY bag for some reason (sturdy and cool prints).

Denise made this awesome version in a rich, warm fabric. I love the quilted fabric in particular, and think it really makes this bag stand out!

Jennifer made this beautiful version in tan and black fabrics. I think the shape of her bag is really excellent, and I also love the quilting on the exterior of the bag!

Emily of Created Custom made this great light citron bag. I love the lining fabric too, I'm often frugal with my linings so sometimes they're not the best match, but these two fabrics go perfectly together!

Donna made this beautiful version, and I don't know if you can tell by the photo, but she quilted her fabric before she assembled the bag! I love it, and the Anna Maria Horner fabric on her bag just floor me!

Anna from Charmed Liebling made this pretty gray version, and her bags are always so well-finished! Look at that nice crisp side panel, beautiful job!!

Joan made this fabulous version in upholstery fabrics. Her bag looks so sturdy and polished...doesn't it look like you could have gotten in from a boutique shop?!

Marti of 52 Quilts in 52 Weeks made this awesome version, and she took a lot of care to fussy cut the fabric and the flap! It looks gorgeous and the lines in the fabric that she chose really accentuate the clean lines of the bag!

Kate made this pretty floral version; seeing all the pretty florals really make me wish for spring, yucky cold weather! Kate did a wonderful job, it's just beautiful!

Cindy of Raspberry Sunshine made this great version in Robert Allen decor weight fabric. Since she had thicker fabric, she substituted Soft and Stable for fusible woven interfacing and fusible fleece, and she was happy with how the bag turned out!

Brenda made this beautiful soft-colored bag, and she had a really great tip when working with the Soft and Stable...this particular interfacing is not fusible, so Brenda suggests using quilt basting spray to baste the two layers together. Great tip Brenda!

Brenda made this great bag in patriotic fabrics. I also liked that she used the same fabric for the flap, straps, and side panel. It really looks great with that continuation of blue along the side and strap!

Linda made this beautiful bag in some Asian-inspired patchwork fabric! Gorgeous bag, and I love the fabric choice on this one!!

 

 Bernie made this awesome bag in a citron floral; she said that her twist lock had screws, so she did not need to use fabric glue on her lock. Also, Bernie used Pellon Thermolam on her bag (instead of Soft and Stable), and she was quite happy with the way it stood up on its own!

Dianne made this bag in a contrasting brown fabric and floral combination. I like the brown fabric in the front because I think it really accentuates the curves along the bottom of the bag, and the floral flap looks so pretty peeping out from the front of the bag!

Corrina made this sunny floral bag, and she improvised the twist lock and instead used a magnetic snap closure on the flap and sewed a large decorative button on the exterior side of the flap. I think it looks absolutely amazing, and quick thinking on her part!! You can read more about her bag on her blog!

Fiona of Celtic Thistle Stitches made her bag in embroidered wool, with Castle Peeps fabric for the lining. This totally looks like a store-bought bag, and I like that the twist lock is large and prominent on the flap, it looks super unique!

Teresa made this lovely sherbet-colored bag; I loved that she used a large-scale print for her bag, as it really shows off well in this big bag.

 

Rachel made this gorgeous gorgeous bag in a large-scale green floral. I really love this bag, and the shape is so lovely too! Green is my favorite color. :-)


Thank you again to all the testers! See, I told you their bags would be amazing!!! So...are you feeling a little frisky? Perhaps ready to try out a twist lock if you haven't used one before?? Check out the Locked and Loaded Bag pdf sewing pattern, available via instant download in my pattern shop!

 

New Sponsor and GIVEAWAY: Lima Sews

This giveaway is now closed. The winner was #156 Terry Kessinger.

I'm very excited to introduce new sponsor LiMa Sews! LiMa Sews is a combination of Etsy Shop and long arm quilting services. I looked over some of their information on the long arm page, and their services sound very reasonable! Perhaps you have a quilt top that is ready to be long armed??



LiMa Sews is an Etsy store devoted to designer quilting fabrics and is operated by a wife/husband team of Linh and Mark. Linh gets to do the fun stuff like buying fabric collections and putting together daily orders, while Mark is responsible for the business side of the store, as well as the photography and graphic design.

Linh and Mark also offer a longarm quilting service.  They are based in Portland, OR, but they have successfully helped quilters from across the country finish their quilt tops quickly and economically! You can find the store and information about the longarm quilting service at www.limasews.com, or follow Linh’s blog at elvycrafts.blogspot.com.

Before I talk about some of the fabrics in the shop, I just want to let you know that now through Sunday, February 24th, all bundles and pre-cuts in the shop are on sale (no coupon code needed!). The one in the photo above is a Joel Dewberry Notting Hill bundle.

I also really really love these New Leaf by Daisy Janie fabrics. I love that the warm colors are so so bright, and the floral prints are really stand-out and gorgeous!

Besides bundles and pre-cuts, you can also purchase yardage (or half-yards!) of many of the same fabrics that you can find in the bundles. I purchased this Color Me Retro print last week for a bag to use in one of my patterns, and once I got to see the fabric in person, was stamping my foot a bit because I really love it so much and should have gotten it in other colorways/prints (I will now, I can promise you that!!). But Jeni Baker's 'Color Me Retro' has just come out, so you have time to get yours (although I'd act sooner rather than later!). I know I've said it before, but I adore Jeni, and her work totally does her justice as she is a beautiful person inside and out, and her fabric line definitely reflects her talent! Props to Art Gallery Fabrics for picking a winner!

Soooo....want to win a Color Me Retro fat quarter bundle courtesy of LiMa Sews, your one-stop shop for all your fabric and long-arming needs??? Please click on the link below to enter! You have until Sunday, February 24th (and don't forget to check out their bundle sale!!!!).

Click Here to Enter the Giveaway!!