Sewing Project - Book Sleeve - Blue Abstract

I found this cotton poly fabric at the thrift store and thought that would make a great bag. I liked the blue abstract pattern at the top which was different than the rest.

Cut the outer fabric, flannel padding and the ivory lining cotton poly fabric to 9 x 12 inches. Quilted the outer fabric to the padding with a wavy decorative stitch. Sewed both side seams on both pieces.  Managed to cut handles 3 x 12 inches with similar pattern.  Folded both edges in then again in half to make .75 inch wide handles. Top stitched left and right edges with ivory thread.

Placed the handles 3 inches from the edge and pinned, added the elastic on the back piece and tacked those down with a bit of stitching and checked their orientation o make sure I got it right.  Then pinned the two pieces together and sewing the top seam leaving a gap to turn out the piece. Back to flat elastic. 

Top stitched the top edge to close the gap and finish the edge.  

Added a vintage button just the right color.

For information on the "My Bag" Line

Sewing Project - Book Sleeve - Blue Mottled

 
I made another book sleeve but with a different process - where we make the outer layer and the lining layer and then insert one into the other. I chose light grey thread for this project.

I cut my blue outer fabric, the flannel padding then the grey lining fabric all the same size - 12 inches wide and 19 inches tall. 

I quilted the padding to the wrong side of the outer blue fabric with a pretty stitch.  This one though is too thread intensive and very slow. 

I prepare my handles which measured 12 inches long and 3 inches wide and I folded in the edges then ironed it in half and sewed both edges.

I then sewed the side seams on the outer blue fabric. I decided to add a tiny pocket on the inside for a pen so I prepared that piece then pinned it into the seam and sewed the side seams of the lining fabric. I made sure that it stood the right side up this time.

I then tacked my handles in place on the outer fabric along with the small elastic just to give me a last chance to make sure they are not twisted. 

I inserted one into the other with right sides together and pinned it very well. I sewed them together leaving a small opening to turn them inside out. I then turned them right side out, ironed them, and pushed the lining into the bag. I top stitched the edge very close to the edge all the way around closing the gap in the same process.

I chose a button which matched very well.  This process is working well. It fits my large paper back book which is my guide.

For information on the "My Bag" Line

Sewing Project - Book Cover/Carrier

My sister and I had a discussion recently about products we could sew.

Book sleeves seen to sell well.  They just protect a book but don't allow you to read without folks seeing what you are reading.  I'm not sure how import that is.

We did find adjustable book covers which are not as adjustable on the height of the book only the thickness of the book.

There were book cover carriers which allow you to protect the book, open the book to read and will a flexible closure would adjust somewhat.

I did watch one video which I followed the instructions which made this book cover much larger than it should be.  I have put one of my hard cover books in it and it's still a bit too tall but about right for thickness.

The book carrier has great handles which I think are the right length. It has yellow pocket sleeves which provides a contrast to the pale blue lining fabric. There is a layer of cotton flannel in it to provide some padding. There are 2 mini pockets to carry a pen and maybe a small notebook. It has an elastic closure which allows tension to keep closed and flexibility on the thickness of the book. it has two bookmarks which may be handy. I have added a pony bead to the elastic which shorten it and works better. It also provide purchase to pull it across to the button.

The final measurements of the book cover/carrier are:

16.5 inches wide, 10.5 inches tall, cover pockets are 4.5 inches deep, mini pockets measure 2.5" w X 4.5" tall, handles are 9.5 inches long.

There are a few things to improve upon with this design. 

• I attached some reinforcements for the elastic and the button and sewed them directly through the cover pockets which now limits the width of the cover you can put in the sleeve. 
• I think the overall height is too tall. 
• The width of the overall carrier may be to much as well. 

UPDATE:

I have decided to convert my book cover to a sleeve where it is a much better size and it will accommodate any book almost.  It holds my largest paper back book which measures 5.5 inches wide by 8.5 inches tall. 

I just created a narrow tab for each end and finished the ends - top folded and bottom hemmed and top stitched it into the folded length of the bag.  The pockets on the inside are largely inaccessible and I cut off the book marks. 

I am happy with this.

This book sleeve because it is in the landscape orientation allows you to hide your book cover if you choose.

Sewing Project - Large Tote Bag - Stars and Planets

My sister and I had a conversation the other day about projects which we could make to give back. 

I still have quite a few microfiber fabric which can be used for another project.  Originally, they were collected to make Re-Useable shopping bags.

Those were donated and have not sold really well.  I think presentation is the problem. I am moving on.

Morning Star is an organization which supports women in crisis.

There is no dignity in carrying all you own in a plastic garbage bag so large bags can be used to give these women some self worth.

I chose the Stars and Planets pillowcase which is made of deluxe microfiber fabric. 

I paired it with some cotton fabric in deep navy small pattern which was donated to me when a quilter in our group retired and de-stashed her supplies.

I decided to put a piece of navy on the bottom since the fabric is white the bottom of the bag will likely get dirty fast and being a dark color will help.

I layered the cotton over the microfiber which will add strength.

I wanted the bottom to be boxed. I created the corners at 5 inches across then folded the  triangles onto the bottom of the bag and sewed them down.  That will add layers on the bottom and help to add structure to the bottom corners.

I chose a navy thread so it does not show on the cotton fabric.  It is more evident on the microfiber pieces.

I created the zipper insert the same what I made it for my own tote bag.  I used the method explained in this video Tutorial by Crafty Gemini.

This produces a completely finished edges with no open fabric ends.  Tabs are added to the 2 ends of the zipper so it is easy to pull open and shut.

I hemmed the top edge of the bag after I cut off about 10 inches off the top of the pillow case once I had undone the seam that created the top hem.  I used that fabric to make the handles. Microfiber more durable than cotton being handled all the time.  Handles are 1.25 inches wide finished with the seam place in the back center. They are 53 inches long. I tied the bottom of the handles in the cotton bottom for sturdiness. They were sewn 7 inches from the sides. 

 

It is important to have reinforce the stress points to ensure there is some strength is distributed to take the wear and tear.

The zipper insert is the same width as the opening of the bag. It is about 6 inches deep which is slightly more than the bottom but we have to account for the seam to put it in.

Now it is just a matter of pinning it very carefully and sewing the insert into the top of the bag.

I chose this decorative stitch on my sewing machine which produces this wavy seam which adds a bit of pretty to the bag.

Once the zipper insert is sewn in the zipper end tabs can easily be accessed when opening or tucked in when on your shoulder. 

It does allow an addition amount of space for hold stuff when the bag is full.

With the zipper insert the same width it makes the bag well sealed to ensure there are no holes where one could lose items from inside the bag.

The color of the zipper provides some contrast in the dark fabric so it is easy to see.  The tabs also help the find the zipper slider.

I will be making a few more of these to be donated in early December.

Sewing Project - Frame Bag

I am so grateful to be bringing art to the gallery again.

But with my other frame bags are packed so I decided to make another one. 

I had this piece of blue pattern fabric which was just about the right size.  I decided to pair it with some of the left over navy microfiber fabric.  I cut the navy about 3 inches bigger than the patterned.  I hemmed the patterned piece all the way around. I then sewed hems to the back and front ends of the navy. I stitched the patterned to the navy.

The fleece piece are an old pair of fleece pants that had worn out spots.  I used the bottom of the legs and quilted the pieces together, then cut it to fit in the navy piece.

I folded the navy piece right side together then layered the fleece layer on top.  Pinned the right and left hand edges very well and sewed a narrow seam.  I turned right side out and topped stitched the side seams to enclosed the raw fabric edges.

The finished bag measures 20.5 inches wide by 17 inches tall with the fleece divider sandwiched in the middle.  The divider is just a bit shorter than the front and is only captured in the sides seams and loose at the folded bottom.

The handles are white 1" wide grosgrain ribbon and extend about 8 inches above the top edge of the bag.  Enough room to put it over your arm comfortably.

They are well secured to both layers of fabric with double stitched rectangles in 2 places.

By placing the frames facing the fleece divider the glass is protected from hits from the sides of the bag.

The frames are protected from dings and scratches as they are completed enclosed in fabric.

I really like to enclose my seams which finishes the seams nice on the inside as well.

I am only considering 11x14 frames at the moment for art at the gallery so this works really well.

Sewing Project - Bespoke Casserole Carrier

I brought my sister some fabric that came my way both at the ReUse Ctr and from the quilting group.  She offered to make me a casserole carrier.  She was planning a zippered one but had not worked out the details. I thought a less bulky zippered one is what I would like so we set out together to design one.  She had this nice navy embroidered fabric and we found some yellow fabric that matched the stitching quite well.

I had brought one of my casseroles to ensure that it fit nicely. 

This photo is of the carrier closed the the handles folded on top.

She paired the navy embroidery fabric with some navy cotton fabric for the inside.  We cut the navy layers based on the casserole and rounded the corners. Then we sandwiched fiberfill in between these 2 layers, sewed all the way around and turned it right side out.

We checked again to see if it was going to be big enough.  We had planned for a band of yellow for the height of the carrier. 

We used the same method I used for my bespoke tote for the adding the zippers to the side band.  You can find this tutorial here. We found 2 yellow zippers in her stash. We decided to make the zippers go around the carrier to the left and to the right. We planned to have the side band be 4" tall but it ended up being a bit taller than that at almost 5 inches.

The carrier features tabs to open the carrier, to close the zippers, handles.

The blue tabs are at the back of the carrier and help when one is closing the carrier.  They had to be sewn directly to the zipper.

The yellow tabs are in the front where the zippers meet and there is one for the left zipper and one for the left zipper to help with the opening of the carrier.

The handles are long enough to accommodate several containers and are centrally located to allow the container to be balanced in the carrier.

I thought it would be a good idea to have something stiff in the bottom of the carrier so I searched my stash of wood and found a piece of plywood 8 inches square.  That will do nicely.

My sister donated from Mom's stash a piece of blue anti slip material in Mom's favorite color.  I wrapped it around the wood board and voila it works out perfectly.

Now, the dish will stay in the center of the carrier and will not slide around.

Really happy to have reused materials.

The carrier with my beautiful yellow casserole by Kitchen Aid.  It was a gift from a friend for my birthday years ago.

That seems to be a good fit.

This casserole measures 11 inches handle to handle and does have a lid with a knob which means the height needs to be accommodated but we measured for that.

And here it is ready to take a dish to a potluck, picnic, a family get together and party with friends.

It works so well.  

And because I had my casserole it is just the right size.  I really like the zippers which will keep all the stuff inside.  The handles will go a long way to keeping the dish level and help to avoid spills.

Of course, being navy it should handle any spills well.  It is easy to wash with all the fabric cotton.

I have 3 other containers that this carrier will handle. 

This is my non stick blue casserole dish which measures 12 inches across the handles.  It does not have a lid so parchment will ensure that the top of the carrier does not touch the food in the dish. 

Here's the carrier with Mom's bean pot which I use for soup.  Not sure I would carry it with soup in it but it could be cabbage rolls or some dish like that.

It has a lid with a bit of a knob on the top but it is taller that the other dishes but only measures 10 inches handle to handle so that helps to accommodate the additional height.

And not to be out done with hot dishes it can also carry my Tupperware mixing bowl.

It could hold fruit, salad, dessert, and very much more.

This carrier will come in very handy when taking food on the road.

Thanks so much sister for the joint project.

It turned out wonderfully.

Lined Tote Bag - Fundraiser

We have a family event coming up where we get together over a weekend.  These relatives are on my Mom's side of the family.  Aunts, uncles, cousins will be showing up to visit, share, eat and generally have a good time.

We always have a table of handmade items, art, or otherwise crafted items which are auctioned to raise funds for the next event.

With much of my supplies packed I decided to make a lined bag with a liner which could be used to carry knitting, crochet or other manner of crafting projects.

I started with a piece of fabric which was meant to be added to some denim but when I found a pink zipper in my stash it became much brighter a project.

I found the white wide grosgrain ribbon for the handles, the white microfiber fabric for the lining, so all I needed was some accent fabric for the pockets.

Off to the second hand store.  This was the only pillowcase in the right shade of pink so it came home with me.  

I loosely followed this Tutorial on Instructables to make the bag.  It is a gusseted bag with pockets.  I chose to line it with the leftover microfiber fabric from making my bespoke everyday bag.  I do not like microfiber sheets for the bed but some of them are extremely good quality and make superb fabric for sewing projects.

I added a zipper with the same method as my bespoke bag. 

How to Add a Recessed Zipper to Any Tote Bag video.  I used the microfiber because it matched the liner and it made the zipper very visible.  I'm not sure it was the best choice because of the softness of the fabric.  I chose a fancy stitch to attached it to the top of the bag.  I went right around the top of the bag to have it nice from the outside.

The fabric had a lady bug graphic on it and the other half was solid pink.  I chose to trace the graphic onto the pink side and stitched it with white thread.  I added small black buttons to the antennae and the spots.  For the other side I left the lady bug as it was designed.

I did make the pockets double as it was 50% polyester and 50% cotton and was a bit thin.  I cut two and sewed all the way around and turn the patch pocket inside out and ironed flat.

I chose to sew the pockets on top of the handles instead of behind as in the tutorial so I would not lose any of the ladybug. The corners are reinforced.   The pockets are a good size at over 8 inches square.  Will hold patterns, books, or any other flat object associated with the craft being carried.

The gusset is 5.5 inches wide.

The bag will be laundered to remove the white lines on the pink fabric.  

The repetition of the design gives the presentation of the bag a cohesive look.

The buttons were added to the pocket before it was sewn onto the bag.  I used black thread to not distract.

I added a ring on a tab to the front to allow one to secure keys which could then be flipped to the inside of the bag.  It may be any other type of tool which relates to the craft which one one wants to keep handy.

I used a black button just like the ones on the lady bug to keep things looking coordinated.

The white microfiber is really nice and heavy and worked really well as the liner. It will wash like a dream I am sure.  Being white helps one to find things in the bag.  It finishes off the bag very nicely.

The tabs on the zipper make it easy to open and close. 

The fact that the zipper does not seal the bag closed allows for perhaps knitting needles to stick out if necessary

Most people can always use an extra bag.  With the ban on single use plastics in our near future we need to start packing bags in the car for our shopping.   This one will do nicely.

Art Portfolio Carry Bag

As I de-clutter I am finding pieces of art so I decided that I needed a place for those to be stored all in one place. I decided a bag to hold a mat board sandwich would work. I have a piece of mat board 32"W x 25"T.  After checking the pieces of leftover fabric stash, I had a navy piece that would work with the mat board.  When we emptied Mom and Dad's apartment a piece of batik fabric that was made by my brother in art school was returned to me so I decided that would be appropriate for this project.  I chose a couple of other colors to complement the bag.

I needed sturdy material for the handles so I chose polyester twill tape in an warm white color.  They will run the full height of the bag to distribute the weight.

I wanted a flap over the top because I did not have a zipper long enough to close the top.  By adding a piece of teal which matched the batik that worked well.

I added the piece then worked out the flap and where the bottom would be.  The bottom was just a folded edge and I thought it needed to be reinforced so I sewed a narrow strip of the navy along the bottom. I also sewed box corners to allow for the depth of my mat board sandwich.

The mat board sandwich will be 2 pieces of similar sized mat board stuck together at the bottom with duct tape. 

I will leave about an inch of tape between the 2 to allow the sandwich to grow.

It is quite big but I thought I would maximize the use of the fabric and board I had.  Maybe I am destined to do a large art piece.  The sunrise piece is quite large.

The batik piece on the front serves as a pocket.  You can see a pad of drawing paper peeking out of it in this picture.

It is quite large and should fit any type of paper pad I need should I eventually take to a class.

A button on the pocket keeps its contents in place. A twill tape loop slips over the large purple button.

All the stress point have been reinforced.

Now I needed to keep the top closed and I decided that I would use a couple of pieces of velcro 3 inches wide near the handles.  The pieces were sewn on to the front and the closing top flap.

Now, I had stitching  showing on my flap so I placed a strip of batik fabric across the flap to look pretty and cover the stitching.

Next,  I needed a visual reminder as to where the velcro was and a grabbing point to pull on the flap.  

I added 2 short loops of the same twill tape I used for the handles.

I think this bag will work well to store my art pieces and allow me to find them when I am needing one of them.

I need another piece of mat board before I can assemble my sandwich.

Happy with this project. 

Sewing Project - Bags for Frames

I made bags to carry my framed photography when I go to a show. 

I found the idea posted by Roger Hicks - tips for putting on a photo show.

The frames are expensive and I cannot risk damaging them during transport.
The frames are 12x12 inches so I had chose this cotton left over from this apron I had made earlier.  There was enough to make two bags for the 4 frames I have.

I placed the fold at the bottom.  Sewed my side seams then turned it right side out and sewed the edges again.  This stiffens the sides.


The way the bags are designed so there is a central separator which allows you to put 2 frames in each bag - one on each side of the separator.  I decided to use pieces of an old heavy cotton bedspread as the separator which provide some cushion to the fronts of the frames.

I added twill tape handles white on one and red on the other.  The connections are well reinforced.

The frames hold 8x8 photos which are at the printers so I headed off to pick those up and make my decision about which are going into the show.