One of the easiest ways to increase your confidence in sewing zippers is to make some zip pouches. They are also great gifts because who doesn't need at least one zippered pouch in their handbags?! I love the Manhattan Zippered Case because it's not just your plain Jane rectangular zip pouch. The rounded bottom and the additional front zip pocket lets you load it up with all that stuff that’s rolling around in the bottom of your bag. A bonus is that with a wrist strap, she could easily double as a clutch for a night out.


Another reason to love this little lady is that she is so quick to sew up. Although she's a bit fancier with her two zippers, she really doesn't take any more time than a normal zip pouch. You could easily knock one out in during nap time or after dinner.


The top panel is a great way to add a contrast, like this one with orange cork. Or you could just use the same fabric for a uniform look.



This is great project for the scraps of your much loved prints that you've been hoarding.



TASSEL TUTORIAL:
This is also a great project to add a bit of bling, like these tassels. You can find the caps to make these here and the tutorial to walk you through step by step HERE.



Don't forget to get add your bling!


You can get your metal bag label, available in many finishes and styles here.

Go grab your scraps, pick up some bling and grab the free pattern for the Manhattan Zippered Case here.

Get the Tutorial! 

Learn more about the Manhattan Bag pattern here!! 

Photos and content provided and written by Cyndi Farfsing, from The Nosy Pepper. Cyndi's blog is chock is full of more bag photos and make making tips. Check out her recent bag series "It's in the Bag! Better Bag Making Series," to learn a ton of new bag making skills!

I've got some great items to give to you this week!  Instead of my usual way of just giving things away on Facebook, I thought I would hop over to the blog and let those who follow in different ways have an option to win this prize pack worth $40.00!!  Updated: This giveaway is now closed.

You will win a printed copy of my latest sewing pattern, the Totes Ma Tote:


PLUS:

I am happy to say that after it's first debut in the 2014 Bag of the Month Club, the Butterfly Sling Purse is now available for individual resale on my website!

Buy the pattern

I am very happy to finally share with you, The Spring Sling, a pattern I originally wrote last fall, that was published in the 2014 Spring issue of Quilters Connection magazine. Let me tell you all about it!!


I'm pretty proud of this bag, as it was my first submission to a magazine. The theme of the magazine was "modern quilting", and I tried to come up with a pattern that was both fun to make and had characteristics of many of the new trends in quilting: negative space, solid fabrics, secondary quilting patterns, random piecing, linens and - just modern quiltiness. Yes, quiltiness is now a word. Here is a picture of the magazine, along with a photo of me where I look 4 years younger than I actually am. Ahem. Yes, that is a selfie. I think I need a new profile photo. Note to self...

Quilters Connection:: For Canadian Quilters

Click to enlarge CLICK IT!!

The Spring Sling bag is a quilted, barrel shaped bag, that will appeal to both traditional & modern quilters, and bag makers alike. This will look wonderful either in bright spring colours, or rich jewel tones with a dark main fabric. It's easy, fun, and very fast to make up.

The finished bag will have a zipper pocket, that creates a second "divider pocket", bag straps attached through grommets, and an adjustable cross-body strap.

This pattern is suitable for an intermediate to advanced sewer. Pattern instructions are provided in both imperial and metric measurements and are geared towards an intermediate quilter. Measurements are given to cut pattern pieces with a rotary cutter, ruler and mat.

The finished size is approximately:  Width: 11” (28 cm), Height: 7” (18 cm), Depth: 3” (7.6 cm)

Click to enlarge

MATERIALS:
Fabric and Interfacing:
•1 Yd. (1 m) quilting cotton or linen for bag exterior, straps and binding
•0.75 Yd. (0.75 m) quilting cotton for bag lining and zipper pocket
•22 mini charm squares OR 22 mixed scraps of 2.5” (6.5 cm) squares for the patchwork panel on the front flap
•12” x 36“ (30.5 cm x 91.5 cm) byAnnie’s Soft and Stabletm  (This size is available HERE, at the bottom of the page, or alternatively, you can use automotive headliner foam. You could also layer one layer of fusible light/medium interfacing combined with fusible needled fleece, such as Pellon Thermolam Plus over top, this may not provide as much firmness and shape to your bag.)
•0.5 Yd. (0.5 m) light fusible interfacing for zipper pocket
•1.5” x 1.5” (38 mm x 38 mm) scrap fusible Peltex or heavy stabilizer or interfacing

The Spring Sling Hardware Kit is available with 3 different lock choices!

Bag Hardware, Notions & Tools:
•(1) 12” (30 cm) or longer zipper (Nylon, closed end)
•(1) “Spring Sling Hardware Kit” or
  - (1) Small turn lock (purse lock)
  - (1) 1” (25 mm) adjustable strap slider
  - (2) 1” (25 mm) rectangular rings
  - (2) 1” (25 mm) or larger oval grommets
•Zipper foot for sewing machine
•Erasable marking pen
•Coordinating thread for quilting
•Neutral thread for piecing
•Clear drying instant adhesive glue for fabrics, crafts & metals, such as Beacon 3-in-1
•Rotary cutter, mat, and rulers, 1 with a clear 45 degree line
•Sewing machine walking foot for quilting


 

I've been spending the last couple of days working with some of the gorgeous prints from the Jungle Ave fabric collection that Sara Lawson from Sew Sweetness sent to me. This fabric is a new, limited edition, collection with Art Gallery Fabrics that will come out this June (2014), and I was lucky enough that Sara asked me to share it with you!

Jungle Ave Collection

I have to admit that Art Gallery Fabrics are hard to find way up here in the cold white North... and I'm hoping that will change soon, because these fabrics feel so good in your hand, and I just love working with these cottons.  It's beautiful stuff! I only used 3 prints out of 8, so make sure you check out the rest of the collection. (There are also 2 knits and 1 voile as well.)

I've got a new bag pattern that is soon to be released, and I thought it would be great to try it in Sara's fabric. The Totes Ma Tote bag is a trendy looking tote, featuring adjustable handbag straps, attached by buckles into 4 shiny grommets that just give the bag that professional look. I've also included instructions on how to add a nice shiny metal bag label of your own. These can be found on my website here. The best thing about this bag is - it's easy and fast to make with BIG results!


The tote pattern actually has a zipper opening, a zipper pocket, slip pockets and a large internal side pocket that will fit an e-reader, tablet, or even just your pesky bills. We need to keep them out of sight ;).   In this version, I just wanted to make it up quickly and tried it with a magnetic snap opening and it works wonderfully.  Stay tuned for the release of the Totes Ma Tote!



 The scraps from the Totes Ma Tote bag, were enough to make something else so I dug out an idea that has been wanting to be a free tutorial on here for quite some time, and finally put it together. It only has one pattern piece, took about 7 minutes to cut fabric, and about 10 minutes to sew, and now I have a great thread and/or scrap basket to take to sewing guild meetings with me, or just keep on my sewing desk. I'm calling it the Scraptastic Basket. Kind of a silly name, but no sillier than "Totes Ma Tote", so it will fit right in.

After seeing Melinda's (Quirky Granola Girl) Patchwork Death Star, I knew immediately that I absolutely had to make one for my Star Wars loving sister-in-law, Shelley.

Click to Enlarge

Melinda kindly provided the paper pattern for the Death Star on her blog and I downloaded it immediately. Then the very next day, I was at my quilting guild's sewing day and scored some great grey scraps (whoop!) and the plan came together very quickly.

That one section looks really green in these pics, but it's more of a grey!

The pieced segments are basted to paper (I used a glue stick) and then you hand sew them together, which was a bit fiddly, but didn't really take that much time. I changed it up a bit, because Melinda actually pieced the background sections to the Death Star, but I appliqued the star right on top of a large square of background fabric. I was thrilled when I found the background fabric, and I love it's blue hue which gives the whole pillow a nice "spacey" feeling.  I can't think of another way to describe it! It's called "Texture" by Janet Clare for Moda.


After appliqueing the star on, I layered the top with batting and a backing fabric and started quilting. I used a variegated grey/white pearl cotton to hand stitch the stars, an outer running stitch, and the detail in the circle for the super laser. I used black pearl cotton for the line that goes around the middle, which Wookiepedia tells me its an equatorial trench. I used Aurifil cotton quilting thread to machine quilt the black rings in the background, and the grey stitching in the segments. I don't know a lot about death stars, but I followed Melinda's example, plus googled and viewed plenty of pictures.


The back is a from the Ghastlies collection by Alexander Henry.  The zipper was supposed to be a hidden, lapped zipper... but I forgot how to do it.  I decided to go for it anyway and it didn't quite work out as "lapped" as I would have liked, but it's not too horrible ;).


The pillow was for Shelley's birthday, which isn't until next Saturday, but I just couldn't wait to get it to her. So after quilting guild today, I drove there to pick up my son, whom she was babysitting for me, and gave it to her right away. I'm very happy to say that I got the squeals and reaction that I was hoping for. She loved it!!!  And... so do I. Very happy day!


I can add this to my collection of other geeky projects, like the Minecraft Lapis Lazuli block, and the Lego Sewing Machine.


Thanks for looking, leave a comment!

The March pattern for the Bag of the Month Club is AWESOME!  Kudos to Samantha, the awesome bag designer, from Sewing Patterns by Mrs. H for her very smart design on this bag that converts from a sling to a backpack.  I'll be making this convertible bag very soon, as soon as I pick some fabric.  I have a niece in mind for this one, and I think it will be so cute for her!






I'm loving the bags that are linking up in the flickr pool. There are some gorgeous January and February bags there already.  Make sure you link up yours too! Hint:: Prize announcement coming ;)

Thanks for reading!!

It's done.... and I love it!

Click to Enlarge

It's a bit small for the space, but I love it and I just love seeing this greet me when I come in the door.


Laney waiting for her boy to come home from school.

ABOUT THIS QUILT:

Thanks for looking!