HANDMADE PROJECTS

Velvet & Lace is one of two projects featured in the current issue of Handmade.  I made it a while back and thoroughly enjoyed creating it.  I hand painted the lace and was lucky to find the random dyed velvet in a dress fabric shop.  Would love to say I had hand dyed it too but won't!  :)  The tassle is handmade too, using three full skeins of silk thread.  Very sumptuous and fitting, I felt to match the bag.  I finished off the bag with a small amount of lace and embroidery on the back as well.  Interesting beading is along the top edge.  Hard to explain without a diagram - using approx. 3mm diameter beads with smaller seed beads in a "sort of" fly stitch manner.  A really nice finish for any edge actually.  More to show you in a new post tomorrow!  Happy stitching!




Jan xxx

NEW BAGS

Here's some of my newer bags. I never seem to be able to get the text in the right place for the pics so I'll just describe and, hopefully you will work it out! lol The Rust/Navy/Green one with the stitched inserts is called Take Me Shopping - a very roomy bag with loops at the top of the gusset to enable it to be opened out if you have shopped big time!

The Green/Bone one is Tablelands Tote and I had fun designing and making it. Just loved the new round handles and that was the basis for the design. The semi-circle is scrunched fabric with a bit of beading and I "squared" the base by having the triangle on the outside held with a large button - just for something different!

The Black one is Black Magic...fairly simple but a very usable bag once again using the new round handles.

The yellow one is Casual Chic and it's "soft" with heaps of room too. I used the Studio Mio leather handles but any sort could be used or even fabric ones as well.

I've got more designed and one already half made but have lots of other projects I have to work on as well so bags might have to take a back seat for a while. Who am I kidding!!! I really enjoy designing and making them and one day will have a huge sale!

Looking at a 38C day today so maybe won't do much sewing and probably have LOTS of cold showers! Hope your day is a good one! Cheers,

Jan - do you think this is a COOL colour? :-)

NEW BAG - FLOWER POWER

I had a great time designing and making this bag. LOVE the Amy butler fabric and it really makes me think of the 1970's, hence the name. The handles are from Studio Mio, a great company, based in Sydney, who import the most interesting handles and other "hardware" for bagmaking.

Love the new buttons from Beutron too and used them to hold the pleat in the gusset closed. I'm on a real roll with bags lately! Have another 6 or so designed with fabric choices made and just waiting for me to get to them. That's in between everything I'm planning on doing! A cold and miserable day here in "sunny" North Queensland but Megs is still sitting beside me here on the window sill. Not many birds for him to "eye-off" though! LOL

Until next time, happy stitching, Cheers, Jan