There are a few more days left to get your name in to enter my "Floral Couture" Phoebe bag!  I'll be drawing for it on April 4th in Australia, which is April 3rd just about everywhere else.  OH MY GOODNESS!  My sister's birthday is on the 2nd and I didn't send her anything!  What a thing to realize in the middle of a blog post.  Uh oh.

Go to my post to enter here: Emmaline Bags & Patterns: Handbag Giveaway and Liebster Blog Award! and I will try and figure out how I'm going to get a card to my sister in Canada in 2 days when it typically takes 10 - 14 days to get there.... it's not going to happen is it?  Rhetorical question. ;)  DOH!

 
I have to show you what I've been up to this week, besides hoping for sunshine.  Rain, Rain go-away!  It's torrential here on the Sunshine Coast, pretty ironic and unfair don't you think?  My street is flowing like a river as we speak, and tomorrow my little man might have to stay home from school because the road to school is flooding.  Yay, not. 

Down to business:

Do you want to put a zipper opening in your Teardrop Bag, or any other wonderful, unique handbag creation of your own?  Zipper gussets really aren't that hard; it's way harder to pick out fabric for your bag than it is to sew a zipper opening.... at least it is for me.  Fabric choice... make me crazy.

I'm working on an easy alteration for my Teardrop bag pattern that will include, you guessed it, a zipper opening, and a cool O-ring variation for the strap.  Cool... and EASY!  In fact, I like it more than the original.

DO NOT FEAR, all of my way awesome Teardrop pattern purchasers, you will soon get a revision in your inbox!  (That's right, I will email all of you when I am finished the PDF version.)  It will be more like a supplementary tutorial, that will include instructions on how to create your own lining pattern without pleats, how to sew the zipper gusset, and how to use the O-ring strap variation.  I'll have these tutorials on my blog for everyone, so you can use them on your own fab projects, and all of my future Teardrop Bag pattern purchasers will have it included in their pattern.  Easy Peasy!

Thank you for reading, and please comment if this appeals to you.

Get The Pattern!

The Invitation:  I felt very honored when Justine from Sew Country Chick asked me to do a pattern giveaway.  There was no hesitation, because I would do anything to be associated with the likes of Justine's blog!  I would even iron all day for the opportunity.  NO, I would do Justine's ironing for a year. No wait, maybe just one month.  Did I mention that I hate ironing?  (Quite a fallback for a sewer, trust me.)

I digress.... Justine, fabulous woman, is giving away one of my handbag patterns.  Whichever you desire!

About Justine:   The woman behind Sew Country Chick is a designer, seamstress, mother of five, and fabulous blogger, that lives just outside of Los Angeles, California. Here are some of Justine's latest sewing projects, but trust me there seems to be no end to her projects on the blog.  She also has categories such as recipes, home sewing, furniture refashions, sewing history, crafty projects, raising chickens... and more.

The Giveaway:  Please hop over to her blog and see her brilliant work, and while there you could enter the giveaway, and link up your sewing projects at her link party: Sew & Tell Saturday.  There are some adorable features about "Little Girls" this week. Go see!

A Tutorial!!

Echino Japanese Print Skirt

The completed Pleated Boxes Pillow:

The pleated boxes pillow I was making for the Craft Buds Sew Along is all finished, and I must say I do love it.  I used some of my favorite Amy Butler scraps from her Lark and Love ranges, and some white cotton twill.  The back of the pillow is made with the dark blue dotted fabric, which is called Sparkle in Midnight. Cute name!

I actually chopped open one of our pillows from our spare bed, and used that for the pillow form because we are going to end up throwing them all out anyway when we move to Canada in a few months.   I didn't sew the pillow form closed either because the batting is only in for the picture. I'm going to ship it empty, and hopefully it will find a place in my next home.  Here's hoping I win some prizes in this great contest, but if not - this pillow was fun to make.  You can find the free tutorial for this awesome pillow at Craft Buds HERE.

For me, one of the most wonderful things to come out of blogging, is getting to read, devour, and delight in so many wonderful crafty, decorating, and sewing blogs.  Wow!  There is so much gorgeous and ingenious stuff out there happening, and I don't know where all of these ideas come from.

I have linked up a few of my latest tutorials, such as:  Make Your Own Printed Fabric Craft or Sewing Labels, Make Your Own Vinyl/Leather Look Handbag Straps - A Tutorial,  Fabric Cradle Purse : A new take on the old crocheted fave! to some really amazing blogs and I'm thrilled, and feelin' pretty darn lucky, that I've been featured on a few.

Check out these amazing blogs, and learn to craft, sew, cook and decorate like modern, retro, thrifty, crafty diva!  You will have polka-dot washing machines, organized cupboards, repainted picture frames and crafts for every season.  You WILL be Martha Stewart (without the jail time), complete with soft skin from homemade body butter, and gorgeous modge pod finger nails.  If you don't know what any of this means, you need to read some blogs and see a few link parties!! Start with these:

The Pattern Details: 

The Emmaline Bag is extremely practical, very spacious, modern and classy.  A stylish handbag that's wonderful for everyday wear.  This bag turns out so beautiful and professional looking!  Easily tote all of your essentials and keep your keys, phone or wallet tucked away in one of the 3 optional inside pockets.

Be your own bag designer and customize this pattern with different fabrics, pockets and straps. Included are instructions for a magnetic closure, a zipper pocket, and a double slip pocket.  Learn how to sew gorgeous straps and make a bottom gusset with a stiff bag base.  If you are interested in trying vinyl/leather look straps, visit my tutorial HERE to learn how to sew vinyl.  The pattern includes 50+ full color photos and diagrams, and full size pattern pieces with seam allowances included.

Finished Size:  (Measurements are approximate) Width: 15”  Height: 9” from bottom to center  Straps: 16” from ring to ring, 13.5" from top of bag.

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MATERIALS:   (yardages are approximate and generous)

1.25 yds/1.25 m    Exterior fabric (Cotton, canvas, or décor weight cotton)
1 yd/1 m                   Lining fabric  (Light to mid-weight fabric)
1 yd/1 m        Sew-in Interfacing, canvas bag lining, or fusible batting/fleece
1 scrap    of fusible interfacing for zipper pocket (3” x 10”/8cm x 26cm)
1 scrap    of fusible interfacing for slip pocket (10” x 10”/26cm x 26cm)
2 scraps of heavy-weight fusible interfacing for magnet (1.5” x 1.5”/4cm x 4cm)
7” (18 cm) or longer zipper for interior pocket
14mm – 18mm Magnetic Snap Closure       
Water-soluble Erasable Marking Pen, or Chalk Pencil
Rotary Cutting Tool, Mat, and Ruler (or a long meter or yard stick to measure)
Clear Template plastic for bag base (find this at any quilt or sewing shop)
4 Rectangular Rings 1 ½” wide or 1 ½ - 2” O-Rings

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Emmaline Bags & Patterns Copyright 2012
All Rights Reserved
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COPYRIGHT AND LICENSING INFORMATION:

•    You may sell items made from this pattern in your shop or market stall; however this pattern is not to be used for mass production.
•    You may not claim this pattern as your own or allow others to use it. Do not make copies of this pattern; this pattern is for personal and limited commercial use for one purchaser only.

To be 1 of 3 randomly chosen winners of my latest 

PDF sewing pattern you should:

1) Follow my blog via GFC, Blog Lovin or Linky Friends

2) Follow me on Facebook  (all links are on the right side bar) 

When you have done either or both of these, leave me a comment here on the blog post to let me know where you are following (your comment is your entry!!).  Current followers can enter too!  You will receive one entry per item.  The contest ends at noon Monday, March 12, 2012, EST, Australia.  So enter now and share my blog with your friends.  The pattern will be for sale in my online shop after the contest closes.

The Emmaline Bag is extremely practical, very spacious, modern and classy.  A stylish handbag that's wonderful for everyday wear.  This bag turns out so beautiful and professional looking!  Easily tote all of your essentials and keep your keys, phone or wallet tucked away in one of the 3 optional inside pockets. 
 
Be your own bag designer and customize this pattern with different fabrics, pockets and straps. Included are instructions for a magnetic closure, a zipper pocket, and a double slip pocket.  Learn how to sew gorgeous straps and make a bottom gusset with a stiff bag base.  If you are interested in trying vinyl/leather look straps, visit my tutorial at emmalinebags.blogspot.com to learn how to sew vinyl.  This pattern is very easy to follow and suits an intermediate to advanced sewer. 

Click to Enlarge

The pattern includes 50+ full color photos and diagrams, and full size pattern pieces with seam allowances included.  Finished Size:  (Measurements are approximate) Width: 21”  Height: 9” from bottom to center  Straps: 16” from ring to ring, 13.5" from top of bag.

Lisa McManus Lange, is not only a very good friend of mine (best friends for 25 years in fact!), but also a very inspirational writer.  Lisa's words inspire me daily and I just have to share her latest blog post, Why Walk When You Can Fly, with you.  Loved it!  I hope it will make you smile, ponder, walk, waddle or FLY!   Please hop over to her blog where she writes weekly about writing, inspiration, writing inspiration... and daily life.  Ok, that is not well written, but SHE is the writer (among many other talents, including anything handmade) not me!  ... I just play one in a blog.

I think I'll do a Work In Progress Wednesday. Yes, why not?  I'm loving this Sew Along hosted by Lindsay at Craft Buds, but seriously, what am I going to do with this pillow when it's finished?  I'm supposed to be packing for moving to Canada in August, not making more things to pack!!  I might have to either not stuff it with batting, or give it away. 

So far I've got the pillow top all put together, and I've created the "messy pleats".  I wasn't supposed to do that much, but I jumped ahead because I couldn't help it!  I wanted to see what the pleats looked like.  I'm loving the way my Amy Butler scraps look with the white in this pillow.  It's all crisp and cool, and summery at the beach, all at the same time.

If you want the free pattern for the Pleated Boxes Pillow, it's still available for download here.  Get yourself one!  It's Ca-UTE!

It's time to revisit an old favorite!  My dear Grandma used to make those cute little crocheted purses to sell at craft fairs. She made them for my girls one Christmas too, and they just loved them.  You know the ones, don't you?  They are all over the internet.  She taught me how to make them when I was about 22 or so, and I used to sell them at markets, along with other baby things and countrified treasures. That was so long ago... yikes.

I don't know why, but I was thinking of my Mom and my Grandma and how they taught me to sew, knit and crochet and it got me thinking about these little purses.  I had this thought niggling at my poor rattled brain for a few days saying "you should make one".   But why?  My girls are all grown up and I don't really crochet anymore, plus I love sewing things that are a little bit more modern.  Then it occurred to me, that I could sew one.  And that was all it took for me to be instantly obsessed with completing my next project to be.

They turned out really cute, and I think any little girl would be happy to get one for Christmas or any other time of the year.  I'd make some more, but my 6 year old son and his little friends probably wouldn't be as impressed as a little girl you might know, so I thought I'd share this tutorial.

About following blogs:  Recently I put Linky Friends on my blog, because Google Friends Connect was supposed to be gone for all those that aren't Blogger at the beginning of March.  Linky Friends is alright, but I don't think it's very good for viewing new posts.   A lot of people are recommending Bloglovin instead, so on I'm hopping on the next band wagon... and I'm lovin it! Bloglovin is where it's at, YA!

Bloglovin has a live feed so you can see all the latest posts of the blogs you follow in a stream.  You can browse blogs by category, sort and find popular blogs.  It's clean, uncluttered, and pretty awesome.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Then join in the fun and make some new blog friends by joining the blog hop at The NY Melrose Family Blog.

The Emmaline Bag with handmade vinyl straps.

Yippee Yay! I've just finished my Emmaline Bag ePattern and have a few bags for sale. Having bags for sale is the one of the best by-products of pattern making. I just have to try them out 10 times and 5 different ways, it seems. One of them is ready for the shop, well it has been for a week or so - but I was reluctant to part with it. I can't keep them all though, so tonight I'll have some time to post it on the Etsy and Made-it Handmade shops.

This is the Emmaline Bag made in a gorgeous french country scene toile in a home decor weight linen. It's finished with handmade leather look straps and gorgeous shiny nickel rectangular rings. It also has a nice sized magnetic closure for security.