Zips galore!!!

Last Saturday I went along to a Zippers for Bags workshop with Nikki at You Sew Girl. It was so much fun. Nikki is a fabulous teacher, and having done a few of her classes now I can highly recommend them. You will learn heaps! So what did we do in the class you ask - different techniques and applications of zips in bags! I love pockets and zips in bags. I'm a list person, so a bag like this is right up my alley!

In the class I completed 4 different type of zips. The first is the zipper closure for the top of the bag.

This is the zip on the outer front of the bag.

This is the hidden zip on the outer back of the bag

This is the inside divider zip piece. Here it is flat, but it will fold along the zip line to be inserted into the bag. 

I also added this zip to the lining when I got home.

The fabrics I have used are from Amy Butler's Lark range, and the charcoal on the back of the bag is from Ikea.

Here is the finished bag!!! It's Nikki's large tote pattern. It's a bit hard to see - my photography skills aren't great, but I used silver nickel oblong rings on the straps. I really like the look of silver on the webbing. 

This pocket is fantastic for putting car keys in - I hate rummaging round in my bag when my hands are full, so now I can pop them in here and find them easily!

And a pocket on the bag to hide more goodies!

I used seatbelt webbing from Auswebbing for the straps this time. I haven't used it before, but I really like it as it's softer than the polypropolene webbing. This is the top of the bag ...

And this is the inside of the bag. Oooohhh - so many and pockets! Now I have places to store everything! 

If you have ever thought about making a bag, Nikki's patterns are great, the instructions are very comprehensive and have lots of pictures in them. I love my new bag! Can't wait to make some more!

Teaching my daughter to sew...

My almost 6 year old daughter has decided she wants to sew. She received a felt easter egg kit last year for Easter that had sharp needles in it, and no holes punched to make sewing easy.

We put it away for a while and over the holidays we decided to give it a go. I am so impressed with her. I showed her how to do an over stitch to sew the middle strip on, then I showed her how to sew on sequins. One sequin was all I had to show her and she had the hang of it straight away!

I next taught her blanket stitch so she could join to pieces to stuff. She really didn't take long to grasp it at all! I really don't get people who say they can't sew a thing. If a 5 year old can blanket stitch, anyone can sew on a button or take up a hem. I think I can't = I refuse.

I can't find the finished egg now - she is at school so I will try and post later. I am so proud of her. I have decided to get her a little sewing machine like Nikki's little assistant from You Sew Girl  received for Christmas. I managed to pick one up for $100 at Metro Sewing Centre, not bad for an  Elna Mini sewing machine perfect for kids. I think this is an old picture of the one I bought. 

2011 - where did it go?

Wow, that went fast. My first year of working as a midwife has flown by, and consequently all the things I had hoped to do in 2011 like keeping my blog up didn't happen. This year I plan to be different!

I ended the year with making a quilt in secret for my husband for his 40th birthday. A business trip to the USA in December got him out of the house for nearly 2 weeks leaving ample time to get on with this quilt. It was machine pieced and hand quilted with perle thread.

I am also determined that this year I will finish my Japanese Quilt. My mother in law bought me back 10 pieces of real indigo from Japan a quite a few years ago. It took me a while to decide what to make with it but I have always loved the postcard quilt in Kaffe Fassett's Quilt Road. I am foolish enough to be hand piecing it which is why it is taking so long! I am now up to the second last round. I want it finished by April so I can buy a backing at the AQC for it.

My husband thinks it's crazy but I really enjoy hand piecing quilts!

Last week I received a parcel from Amazon! My mother in law gave me a voucher for my birthday last year and I brought these books.

I am planning to make the bag on the front in an Amy Butler fabric I've had for a year or so to make a skirt that never happened. I think it will be a great overnight bag! And I love the colours that Gwen and Freddy use! I wish I had a stash like theirs!

Now back to sewing before work! Have a 70th birthday quilt I need to get completed start to finish in 2 weeks! Yikes!!!

It's been a while...

I can't believe I started this blog almost 18 months ago. I started this blog with the intention of regular updates, which clearly I haven't done. I think it's about time I posted regular posts now that I am no longer a student and am actually a registered midwife!

I decided to post the most recent quilt I have finished. I bought the fabric on a trip to the US for my son who wanted a space quilt.

I kind of followed the quilt "Right on Target" in Kaffe Fassett's Country Garden Quilts book, but adapted it to suit the size I wanted. 

I really like how you get that floating look with the feature fabric in amongst the log cabin type blocks. When I finished the quilt I placed it on my son while he was asleep. The next morning he came racing down and jumped on me with a big hug and thanks mum I love it! It makes it all worthwhile when you get a reaction like that!

New Travelling Bags!

I decided I needed a 'larger than I currently own' handbag. A trip to Ikea to purchase some new fabric, and a bit of cutting and sewing, I now own this smart new bag.



I put a zipper closure on it so that the contents won't fall out!


This lining is from Ikea also - $3.99 a bargain! I put some patch pockets on one side, and the other I have put a pleated pocket like in Nikki's Laptop Bag pattern on the other side to hold larger things like a bottle of sunscreen!


So that I have plenty of room in the bag without making the top too wide, I have pleats on the outside. I also put them on the inside so I wouldn't lose any room. Unfortunately the inside ones are harder to photograph. There is also an adjustable shoulder strap so whilst I am juggling other little peoples hand luggage also, I can be hands free! I love these new shiny O-Rings from Nikki - they really help to finish the bag off and make it look so much more professional I think!



Now I just need to stuff full of survival gear!

New fabric

A lovely parcel of fabric arrived in the post this week that I ordered from Etsy!!!! I can't wait to finish exams and get stuck into some serious sewing! I have been itching to make some bags and purses for ages....... These are from Erin McMorris's Wildwood collection. I plan to make lots of purses with these for Christmas presents for teachers etc. These are from Joel Dewberry's Deer Valley range. This will become a new everyday bag for me. These are from Studio E. And this will become a little bag for me! Well back to the books until school pickup ....

My first posting!

Finally I have joined the world of blogging! I love to read others, maybe one day when I get more organised, you might like to read mine!

I have 3 weeks until uni is over for the year! I am really looking forward to some sewing!!!!!!