Getting ready for bag party #2

The week of a bag party can get kind of stressful...partly because I want to see how many things I can create for it, partly because I tend to get lots of ideas that week, and partly because I want everything to be perfect for those who show up!  Oh, and because I work myself so hard that i forget to take the time to breathe and talk...I'm on talkin withdrawl!

But here's how creative it's been over here this week!

Saturday...

Monday...

Tuesday...

Wednesday...

(This one I woke up thinking about and rushed to Walmart to get fabric for it at 8 in the morning...creative juices flowing and I wanted to see if I could make what I was picturing.). I call it the deb bag, because it was dreamed up recalling a conversation with a great lady named Deb. 

Thursday...

Today's bag...

Yep...put in a lot of overtime hours getting ready for tonight!

If you are in the KC, MO area tonight, you should drop on by and see all the bags. Including the Eiffel Tower quilted luggage set. Open house style. 6-10 pm. With a cheesecake bar (while it lasts). 819 s. water st.  Liberty, MO 64068

A different kind of luggage

I've made quite a few quilted duffles this year, but today's bag is different, involve just as much wrestling through the machine, and turned out super cute. I'm calling this one an overnight bag with tons of pockets!

Started out with my least favorite zipper to put in, but my favorite look. 

Then the tweak to the pattern so that the contrast was pockets rather than just contrasting fabric. Corduroy, my fave!

Then straps...

Then wrestling all the fabrics to put the front and back together. This is what the outer shell looks like. 

Sewed the lining pockets to the front/back lining. One side is divided in thirds, one in fourths. Pinned into the bag :)

And ANOTHER of those zippers that challenge me. This one is the top part of the bag and gets a heavy duty zipper. This is the first step

Then...

...you slice it down the center and angle to the corners...

...and tuck the top into the opening you just slit, and iron really good sharp edges

And it looks like this now. 

...center the zipper in the opening and see close to the edge. I use a reinforced stitch. 

And now it looks like this! :)

I didn't take a pic of it pinned in place, or wrestling it through the machine, or binding the edges so there's no raveling...

...but the finished bag looks like this! :)

Side view

Looking inside!

Center front pockets :)

The big project...and other ones as well

I spent most of last week quilting and constructing this set!  Two sizes of duffles, a carry-on bag of immense cuteness, and two sizes of makeup bag type pouches. I love the way it turned out and already have it in the etsy.com shop. I've discovered it's way easier to put a bag in there as it is finished, then to sit long enough to enter in all the ones hanging downstairs. The goal was to have it finished by my birthday, and that goal is accomplished. 

I also finished a special order for a friend...

 

...and then spent all of yesterday working on cuttin out other bags. Including my first leather on...

And on the side, I've been working on trying to repair my swing...I got the idea while dealing with a major migraine on Saturday...

By this point, there is 450 feet of nylon cording...and we had one full day of rain, them one of cold, so I didn't get to work on it agin til yesterday, where we switched to cotton cording...hanging laundry roping. It seems to stretch less. 

I've got a ways to go, but it's already supporting my weight, and I cannot wait to be able to do my quiet time outside again on my swing!  :)

My first purse organizer insert.

I am dying to see if this actually fits the purse I made it for, but Heather hasn't gotten here yet...will have to add that pic later.   

So, since I was asked to hold of on the purse I started until she figures out what straps she wants, I went ahead and drew this...

And then cut it out and whipped it up. There is 2 hours of sewing time on this one. 

Here's one side...with a small zipper pocket in the center. 

And the other side has a small zipper section on the left side. 

Here's what the top looks like with the pockets opened. We only put a zipper on one pocket to leave the other open for her iPad. 

And this is what it looks like zipped shut, pocket closed. 

Now to see if she likes it...

Another finish! :)

Free-motion quilted this one :)

It was grey and rainy, so I plugged in the lights and sewed :)

Ran out of thread with less than 30 inches of outside border left to quilt. 

And now the binding is on!

Lydia's quilt, that her grandma started, is now finished.