Thursday, June 10, 2010

It's in the Bag!

Happy Monday Everyone-

Well! I finished my bag yesterday and I'm so glad. I'm very happy with the way it turned out. By using neutrals I'm sure to get a lot of use out of it and not tire of it anytime soon. I thought it would make a good project back to keep by the couch, or to take books to the library, or stuff to the post office. A good sturdy tote.



nice inside pockets.Pauline came over last Thursday to work on our tote bags. I think we did more talking and ripping out than actual progress. She recently returned from a quilt retreat where they had a grab bag. These were her prizes - nice!
What cute sewing minder

I love the beaded comb and wobble (or whatever it is).


For lunch I made Janet's rustic pie recipe. I printed the recipe from her blog months ago and finally gave them a try. Delicious. I used ham instead of bacon and chives instead of onions. I think you can make many delicious combinations with the basic recipe - thanks Janet!


Okay, I took the process challenge, so here was the sewing process of the bag once the strata was completed. For those not interested, it's cool, I get it. See you next time.

After the strata is cut into the 3 pieces you attach a binding to the four corners.

The inside pockets are sewn down during the process.
the seams are covered when its turned to the inside and stitched down.
Here is am attaching the binding. It is so awkward to get every flap out of the way and they were quite stiff.


This is how the sides come up to form a corner of the bag. I think I was watching angels and demons at this point, but it looks like a classic B&W movie in the background.


I used a curved needle (awkward!). It worked well in grabbing some of the clothesline and making it a strong ladder stitch. Boy, were my fingers sore, it was impossible to use a thimble, did I mention awkward?

here is a corner done from the inside.

attaching the top binding, while also attaching the 2 handles.

Sewing down the inside seam. I little hard to see while sewing.


As a final touch, I sewed a seam across the bottom of the handles so they don't always flop down the outside of the bag. You can see the difference here.


And that, as they say, is that.

14 comments:

Lori said...

It looks like a lot of work, but well worth it in the end. It's awesome!!!

Crispy said...

Wow what a great tote!! I love seeing the process, even if I don't ever make the project. It's amazing how much sewing information I have gleaned from these kinds of posts :0)

Crispy

Mary said...

Congratulations, great tote! Your sewing machine deserves an award for best supporting player. My fingers are sore just looking at that curved needle.
Three more days till your visit. Can't wait!

janet said...

That is so sturdy looking. Even thought it was very labor intensive, I bet it will hold up well and last for years. I love how it looks, thanks for sharing the construction.

Jan said...

Very cool & worth the effort. I like it much better than purses that I've seen made with the technique. I'll bet that it will last you for years, too. Great job; love it!

antique quilter said...

Love the bag! I like that its so sturdy , worth the wrestling with it!
Kathie

Ann Champion said...

I love that bag! The sewing looks like quite a challenge... maybe a bit like wrestling an Alligator? I think the final product was worth the effort though. It's wonderful! :)

Anonymous said...

It turned out great and I am sure you will get a lot of use out of it.
cheers
Christine

QuiltSue said...

What a great looking bag. I did wonder though if it is very heavy, before you start putting all the things in that you buy at a quilt show outing?

Janet said...

The bag is wonderful, I made one that shape once that was a lot of sewing but worth it. I like how stable it is. Glad you enjoyed the pies and yes, do any combo and it'll work.

Sandra Henderson said...

I missed this lovely post due to life getting in the way here. Your bag is GREAT! I saw that curved needle and the clothesline reminded me of the tissue welt cord from my upholstery/drapery/slipcover of 15 years~ yes, hard on the hands...
Well, I'm going to go catch up on your other lovely posts and yummy recipe now! Great job! XO

Sandra Henderson said...

P.S.
Forgot to mention how wonderful Pauline's prizes are! I have chickens, use to have a peacock, we have wild turkeys,etc., so I adore all "fowl"things! :)

Barbara Campbell said...

Love your bag, Barb. I hope you can bring it by some Wednesday for us to see in person. Hope you'll have fun with Mary and at the quilt show.

Ann Marie said...

When I saw the finished pic I wondered how you put it together. So glad you added that info. I'm not a bag maker, but tempted because it looks so good and would be so useful. Is it heavy?