Bags, bags and another bag

I know I haven't blogged for a week or so but I have been busy sewing and designing. Little clutch bags for a change.

I started off using the scraps from my snakeskin and chocolate linen but decided before I even finished the bag that it was just too small and that linen really isn't suited to handbag magnetic snaps - interfaced or not. The wonderful Sue from http://scrap-art-sue.blogspot.com/ gave me some tips and I decided to start again. As you can see, I didn't even bother to finish this one.

Second attempt and I just enlarged the pattern from the bag above. I love the zebra print and pink lining but I was not happy with the flap, it just didn't sit right. I used a medium weight interfacing but no pellon and I think it definitely needs the pellon as well to sit right.

Third time lucky ..... so I hoped. I enlarged the base of the bag and extra inch deep, changed the flap to a triangular flap and added a decorative button. Initially I was really disappointed because the flap - despite being the same length at the base as the bag when I cut it out, didn't cover the edges of the bag, but after looking at it for a couple of days now , I think I really like this aspect of it.

The bag is meant to be a gift to J's pre-school teacher who is leaving so I'm hoping she will like it. I am also going to make a matching coin purse that I saw on http://threadsofus.blogspot.com/2010/05/finally-something-for-me.html . I haven't really given anyone home made gifts before and I am not too sure how this will be received - what do you think - it is ok or does it look too homemade?

Well, I ran out of the pellon and couldn't do a fourth attempt until I re-stock. So I thought I would whip J up another one of these zippered pouches

I am determined to master this clutch bag and I will be back ......

Zippered Pouch

J currently has an obsession for all things Dinosaur and on a wet and rainy Saturday we decided to explore Sydney a little and took him to see the Dinosaur exhibition at the Australia Museum in the city. Although it was only a small exhibition, J had the time of his life. But I think the part that he enjoyed the most was the trip to the giftshop afterwards where they had shelves of dinosaur toys! Of course he was able to pick out a little present for himself and he chose a packet of large dinosaurs.

J also has about 12 small dinosaurs which he has been diligently carrying around with him and I have been promising all week to make him a little bag to keep the dinosaurs in. So when one of the ladies at EB showed me a link to a Make It Perfect zippered pouch tutorial I knew I had to give it a go!

http://tonicoward.blogspot.com/2010/05/zippered-pouch-tutorial.html

The instructions called for a 7 inch zip but when I raided my sewing kit, I only had a 6 inch zip so I just adjusted the width of the pouch by an inch to accomodate (it was Friday night and I had had a few vinos so there was no way I was going out to buy a zip!).

It was such an easy to follow tutorial - I only had to unpick once and that was because I was so clever and managed to sew nice and close to the zip - so close that material would get caught in the zipper teeth when you opened it.

So here's the final product - you can see it is a perfect size for all those little dino's! I can see quite a few more of these pouches being sewn up in different sizes - don't you think a little one in Christmas material would be perfect for holding an iTunes card or gift card for Christmas presents?

Now J is asking for a bag for the big dinosaurs we bought at the Museum!