Grandmother's garden patchwork project

I am eager to try Grandmother’s garden patchwork project for so long.  So far I have been looking for shape of bags that is suitable for my new patchwork project.  Finally I decided to make bucket bag for this type of patchwork.  I have been choosing my fabrics these few days.  I think vintage floral fabrics will be very suitable for my new project. Here are my selections of fabrics.  What do you think ?

Sunbonnet Sue Bucket Applique Handbag PDF pattern available now !

It is December now, rainy season in Malaysia.  Rainy day is always romantic and don’t know why tropical rain always give me such warmful feeling.  This bag project theme was derived from rainy season.

Finally, it is completed. 

 Below is the back side of the bag

 The interior, I love to use different fabrics for the interior of my bag, it really add more character and personnel touch to a handmade bag.  The interior has a big pocket to put handy goodies like my subway card or keys.

 I can also add a clip on leather handles to turn this bag into a shoulder bag too.  Now it's a tote bag !  ^v^

If you are interested to purchase this pattern, please feel free to email me at 

StoryQuilter@gmail.com

or visit my Etsy shop at the link below. 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/storyquilt

I hope you will like this work of mine too ^v^

Almost done !

I have been finding solution for the handle of this project.  Am thinking a way to present it and can use in multiple way, besides that, the size and design of this handle have to be cute !

Searching through my fabric cabinets for the Japanese sakizome (taupe) right fabric pattern and color, finally this one helps !  phew !! 

Next is the shape of the handle.  To be frank, when designing a new bag pattern, one needs to put in lots of time from designing to completing a beautiful bag.  It is a big challenge, imagine you need to start from scratch, from a piece of paper, to making the pattern and to making the bag.  No wonder designers are paid pretty good price for their works.

 Of course for me over here, the most important thing is, you get something really unique and you don’t see a lot of people carrying almost the same bag as yours.  That makes you so proud, agree ?

I think I should be able to complete this project tomorrow.  Yahoo !!

   

Sunbonnet Sue Round basket bag pattern in my Etsy !

19/11/2014, started working from early in the morning 

Finally, I managed to pull myself back to the working mood again, my heart was still with Paris last week. 

Ok, I finally appliqué the other side of my new project.  It’s a cozy house with heartwarming trees.  I am not going to appliqué the front road or the field this time, I think I want to embroider a little details here.  Am still trying to think hard for the embroidery details I want to present the field.  Will see  !

20/11/2014, Shopping day !!!

I just want to stop from work, if not, i am afraid I may become anti-social lady soon, i am just too addicted to working.  My husband encouraged me to go shopping to relax myself, yeah, I guess he reminded me that I haven't been doing any shopping for so long. So am sneaking out for some shopping.

I love Kinokuniya bookstore, sometimes I can just stand there and reading the books for many hours.  There are just too many books to read !  Am adding up these 3 books for my library collection.  I think I have more books than clothes compared to other ladies.  Is it normal ?? 

21/11/2014, Done with my quilting !

Finally, all the quilting details are added to my project.  Hmmm... it's just so romantic !  Time to bind them together 

  < ---- excited, excited !!

How to choose the right batting for your bag project ?

Choose thickness based on size of your project counts !

It is very much depends on the size of the bag.  If your project is going to be big, you will need thicker and more compact batting to provide a sturdy support to your big bag.

However, use a thinner batting for your small projects like pouches, pencil cases etc. The thinner batting is enough to provide good support to your small pouch at the same time presenting very neat result (not bulky and heavy).  Apart from that, thinner batting makes it easier for your to bind the pieces together. 

Below are photos of thick and thing batting.

Thick batting

Thick batting

Cotton or polyester batting ?

Polyester batting normally produces better support compared to cotton batting when making bags.  


When making 3 D flowers ?

If the instruction calls for batting, always use thinner batting.  Thicker batting will make your flower looks very heavy and lifeless.  Or another way is to use thick fabrics for your 3 D flowers, you don't need to use batting at all.

When you can’t find thick batting at your place?

Well, you can use 2 thin batting together, just perform more quilting to your project.  Quilting allows your work to becomes more sturdy.

Below :  I use thin batting for this Sunbonnet Sue pouch below, see the background is quilted with beautiful square to provide further support to the thin batting of this project. 

(If you are looking for this beautiful sewing pattern, please visit my Etsy shop at the link below

    https://www.etsy.com/listing/162123330/make-your-own-sunbonnet-sue-pencil-case?ref=listing-shop-header-0  

When making big quilt project that requires larger batting

Simply bind the pieces together using your sewing machine.

Another funny idea, not for commercial use

This was suggested by my quilting friends in Taiwan.  For certain countries, some of you may not be able to buy batting that easily.   There is a good way for your to save your batting by binding the smaller pieces together.  Some of my friends used the batting as the cotton for varnishing their nail color.  Hahah..  I pretty love this no wastage, stay green idea.

But for this method, I would suggest you to use the batting for personnel use only.  ^v^

Completed with relief !

I can’t wait to see the result of this bag, so far so good.  I just completed all the appliques.  This is the result of my applique tips here ^v^  I will be quilting them tomorrow.  I hope you will like my works 

Please refer to my tips for making applique works, it may help you a lot in your future projects.

http://storyquilt.blogspot.com/2014/07/important-tips-for-making-applique-bag.html

Time for me to stop for the day 

Important tips for making applique bag

You may have bought a lot of Japanese patchwork books and intend to try making the bags just like them.  But when facing the appliques, you give up!  I am sure a lot of you may have such experience.  Well, not too worry, here is some of my tips for making applique on a piece of quilt or for my bag.  Applique is never a quick job, it is a slow work with passion.  So take it slow and absorb every way to stitch, once you learn the technique, you can really stitch your works beautifully and pretty fast :) 

Always make sure your background fabric is larger than the original pattern, normally I will have larger space by an inch or more.  This is because when one is sewing the applique, depends on the person's stitching works (especially beginners), sometimes they may pull it harder or they may use larger stitch to sew, in the end, this may cause the entire piece of work to shrink and become smaller than the original pattern.  When making your own bags, it is important to prevent this from happening because all the measure measurement is fixed and you really need to stick with the measurement, you will end up having a bag that is either mis-shape or smaller.  So leaving extra background fabric will leave you extra space to do possible correction.

Photo below :  I normally leave an inch or more for my background fabric.

Always number your applique 
Take your time to look at the pattern and number them to create sequence for your to stitch (some books may not number the applique).  Start layer-by-layer, the farthest layer should be the one to start first.  This prevents you from making mistakes.  

Number your applique from the farthest layer.  

 

after stitching my first layer (furthest), I will continue on my second layer of my applique.  With this method, you can slowly come to a beautiful applique works, with less mistakes.

When facing smaller applique that you can't sew ? 
You can try using the felt to help you in your works, I would suggest you to use machine to sew in this case.  This surely reduces a lot of difficulty in stitching.


 Choosing the sewing thread that has the same color to your applique
This is applicable to machine or hand stitch applique.  Your works will become very neat for sure ^v^.


Cut out fabric needs to be larger than the pattern

For hand stitch applique, after cutting out the pattern, you will need to draw it onto the fabric, always make sure your fabric is larger than your pattern when you cut it out.  Here is a guideline for you

http://storyquilt.blogspot.com/search/label/How%20to%20applique

You are excuse to miss out applique that is less significant
This is really true. Sometimes a simple tiny thing that is not significant in your project, you can actually omit it.  Or you can always find other solutions to replace that particular applique.  For example a flower applique with complicated petals to sew, you can actually replace with beautiful buttons or small fabric flowers or felt ^v^  (lazy way to make beautiful project)

Do a final check
See if you have missed out anything important.

Practice make perfect
The more you practice, the more you get to know more about applique (you may even find more ways to sew applique).  You will also be so surprised that applique can be so much fun that makes you so addicted to.  Also, when you have complete even a very simple project, you will be amazed by your hand works, the end result will be so unique and full of your own character.


The above are my ways to making applique quilt or bags.  I hope the solutions help you a lot in your future applique works.  So why don't you start a very simple project soon ?   Good luck!

Enjoy !!  ^v^

One more to go.

I am working on my newly designed bag, it has very cute applique at the front and back of the bag.  The applique is inspired by our childhood story.  I managed to complete the second piece of my applique today.  One more to go ^v^.  Here is a little preview of my works.  I’ll let you guess the story behind 

Double zipper long purse sewing pattern

I’ve had serious craving to try my way of making a double zipper pouch.  After few round of testing, I finally get the measurement and methods right, in a faster and easier method of course!

While testing my instructions to make this purse, I thought of making something more unique than the normal purse, that is to use multiple fabrics for the card pockets.  And my idea works well in my pattern.  When I showed this purse to my friends who came over to my house for coffee break last weekend.  They were all surprised by the interior of my purse and they found that using multiple fabrics actually added so much more character and surprises to a purse.  I really feel so happy for the result.  I have got a lot of ideas in mind now but so far, let’s make this style as the start.

Purse making is really full of fun, when you changed the fabric style, it will change the character of your purse too.  Like this purse, I chose Japanese zakka and vintage style, the result is beautiful.  You can also try as many style as possible using this purse pattern from shabby chic to retro to sporty style. Just play with the pattern, you will surely be amazed with your creations.

Here is my latest double zipper purse.  

The purse pattern has 2 zipper compartments for coins and some other loose items / documents.  

There are 6 card pockets and 2 large pockets for your money or check book too.  

If you are interested in the purse pattern, please feel free to check it at my Etsy shop.  More details about this pattern in the link below ^v^

http://www.etsy.com/listing/191038656/double-zipper-long-purse-wallet-pdf?ref=shop_home_active_1

A special pouch for a special friend, Emi Miyase san ^v^

I am so thrilled when my Japanese friend, Emi, who sent so many lovely gifts for me to mark our friendship for so many years.  She even made me a very cute piggy pouch that warms my heart completely.  

I really can't thank her enough.  The only way I can show my utter appreciation is to make a very unique gift, just for her.  

Though i was inspired to make a pouch like this but what to make then ?  I did some sketching and I kept looking at the piggy pouch to see what come out from my mind.  Sometimes you can sit for whole day and never get any idea coming your way.  So, I did an hour of line dance (totally addicted  to it) .  Maybe the exhaustion help to 'spark some light' in my mind and there comes my idea , a carriage !!!  This idea is pretty fresh, not many people are making carriage pouch i think ^v^..  (giggle)

Sunbonnet sue casual bag