Thursday, July 9, 2009
Keyka Lou bag patterns
So, check out her etsy store. On her blog, you can register to be notified of any sales. On sale or not, her patterns and patterns from others who also sell PDFs are not expensive, considering there is no postage, sales tax, or gas used. So respect the designers’ copyrights and don’t share patterns.
Lots of pockets purse
If you look back at the green and black bag, you might notice one difference between it and this bag but there is another one as well. Of course the brown one does not have the button flap. I left it off because I decided that I wanted pockets in the front and the back, so I made 2 fronts instead of a front and a back and decided it would be better without a flap.
Question- do you prefer to have a closure on your bag or not? There just aren't many pick pockets in rural Georgia so I don't need a closure and I think magnetic clasps are expensive. The button flap is a nice decoration but I only want to sew a button on once (if it were to fall off, I'd rather ditch the bag and sew a whole new one) and the button slows me down.
Buttercup bag
https://drop.io/madebyrae/login, use password "madebyrae."
Giveaway!!!
1. Click on an ad on the side of my blog.
2. Post a comment on this post and tell me what ad you clicked on.
That’s all and when I get back on July 20th, I’ll randomly, with my eyes closed, pick a winner.
OH- what do you win? A kit of the bag I made, all cut out to make the Buttercup bag just like I did, with the directions or the bag made up if you’d rather. Sent to you, for free. I'll ship internationally as well (that's for you, Heckety in Ireland or Michelle in Finland)
Thanks for checking me out!
Great Giveaway Opportunity
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Buttercup Bag
Ok, looks a little different than the others, doesn’t it? With all due respect to Rae, who designed a fantastic bag that we can all fool around with, I made some changes.
1. I wanted a wider top band. So, I added 1” along the top of piece “A”. Here’s how- measure 1” above the black line at the top of piece a bunch of times so you can connect the dots on the curve. After you connect the dots, line up a ruler along the side black line of this piece on both ends to keep the slant going. Do the same on the lining or your pieces won’t match.
2. The pleats- my feeble, everything has to be symmetrical mind can’t deal with 5 pleats pointing in the same direction. So, I made 4 and made them pointing out from the center. Here’s how: take your “A” piece and your “B” piece. Pin your outside pleat on each side of piece “B” as marked so that they are both pointing toward the side seam. Now, pin piece “A” to “B” at both ends, at each pleat pinned so far, and in the center. Use the extra fabric on each side of center to make 1 more pleat on each side, half way between center and pleat already pinned. These should point towards the side seam also. Now, finish pinning piece “A” to “B”. Sew the seam as in the pattern.
3. Since I was using a very soft, drapey linen and not home décor fabric as in Rae’s sample, I felt my bag needed a bit more body. I cut 2 pieces of pattern piece “A” in décor weight pellon iron on interfacing. After sewing “A” to “B” and pressing seam toward “A”, I ironed on the interfacing to the back of piece “A”. Then I topstitched 1/8th inch along the seam on the “A” piece.
4. The strap- instead of 3” strip, with ¼ “ pressed in, I cut 4 inches then pressed the strip in half down the middle the full length of the strip. Then, I opened it up and pressed both sides into the middle, having the raw edge right against the middle fold line. Then I folded the strip along the center fold pressed in the first step. Then I topstitched. I’ve made quite a few bags this summer and just like the sturdier strap.
Other than those changes, it’s a Buttercup Bag! If you always stick strictly to patterns, this really is a great time to try to use your ideas on a pattern. It’s just 2 fat quarters if you mess up! But you won’t because even if it doesn’t come out exactly like you planned, you will have learned something!
My next project will be a bag or two by Keyka Lou.