Day Forty Eight, Bag Forty Eight

Brown Ultra Suede Crystal Cosmetics Bag

I cut this bag a few weeks ago and then realized I needed to make adjustments to the pattern. Once the pattern was adjusted I realized I needed black zippers. I am happy to say I got a huge shipment of zippers late this week so I can now finish the dozen bags I have had sitting on the corner of my sewing table. 

The Crystal pattern is 10" across on the bottom, the bag is 6" high and 1.5" deep.l they can hold a lot. They a re great for cosmetics or other accessories. If you are traveling it can serve as a small toiletries or jewelry bag, pencils or art supplies would fit well in this style of bag, or it makes a good cosmetics  bag for on the go. 

My husband's cat decided to get in on the photographing tonight, here she is posing with today's bag. Her name is Begerra but we call her baggy, so I guess she belong in my bag blog after all. The bag has a satin ribbon on  the zipper pull. The zipper is 10" long.

I think Baggy wanted us to use her for size comparison. She is about 15 pounds, so she is not a small cat, and this bag is nearly as big as her! Oh and she really likes to play with string so the ribbon zipper pull was very popular with her.

That's it for day 48, have a good night, I'll see you on day 49! We are almost to day 50, and we are already over 1500 views so thanks everyone who has been checking out my blog. I will be doing another coupon for my web store when we hit 2000 views, what would you guys like for the coupon, I'll take any suggestions?

Day Forty Seven, Bag Forty Seven

Hot Pink and Grey Susan Bag, Small

Another new fabric. This is the first bag in this print and unfortunately it is limited in quantity, I bought out everything the store had left of it. The hot pink grosgrain ribbon is 7/8" instead of my usual 5/8" it is only a small change but it really turns the pink bow into a statement on the front of this bag. 

The straps are 28" long, the base is 3" X 13" and it's 11" tall. The measurements are the same as the hounds tooth bag from yesterday. This is the second small sized Susan bag for my show. I will be listing it on my web store in the meantime. 

Another close up of my favorite new feature of my Signature line of bags, the Fleur De Lis in Tibetan silver on the front. This bag is also labeled for my upcoming show with one of my hand embossed tags. Yes, my logo is the Fleur De Lis, so I have been putting it on everything lately! Thanks for checking out today's bag. See you tomorrow with some more new stuff. I think I have cosmetic pouches tomorrow, and maybe also a surprise or two!

Day Forty Six, Bag Forty Six

Black and White Hounds tooth Susan Bag, Small

A smaller version of the Susan bag in a new color combination. I saw this in black and white while I was shopping yesterday and I knew the accent color combinations would be so cute with this. I love how the red pops on the front of this bag!

Here is a shot of the inside red lining, and the hounds tooth pocket. The pocket is 5" X 7", the bag measures 16" wide, 3" deep at the base, 13" wide at the base, and 11" tall, the straps are 28" long. Again this is a very roomy bag even though it is listed as my size small, that is relative to the large sizes which is much deeper, and larger all around. 

This bag has a canvas bottom and straps, it is three layers thick and made with a strong outer cotton. Another new feature of my Signature line of bags is the Tibetan silver Fleur De Lis charm.

This charm is 9mm tall and is a feature of my Signature line of bags. The craftsmanship is the same no matter which line of bags they are from, the signature is set apart by being made from patterns that take a little more time to produce, they are also made from fabrics that are heavier weight. The finishes are a little more time intensive than on my Ivory Tower Designs bags. The charm is sewn on by hand, and is intended to take the place of a label. 

I have been in the middle of an overhaul on my entire web store. I am currently moving items out that are not fabric and do not fit well with my bags and hand embroidery work. I am also splitting my bags from my regular line to my new signature line. Like I said there is no difference in the workmanship, just in the patterns and materials used, so checkout my new shop set up.

Thanks for checking out day 46, I will see you tomorrow with some more new fabrics and styles. 

Day Forty Five, Bag Forty Five

Lucy Clear Stadium Bag With Pink Skulls

Here is the new style I promised. This was suggested to me by a friend, she let me know that many sports stadiums are not allowing bags to be brought in unless they are clear so here is a bag you can tailgate with and still take to the game!

There is a 2" section at the top and bottom of the bag that is made from the print fabric. The bag is lined with heavy canvas for strength and support. The straps are 28" long so this makes a great shoulder bag. I am currently trying to source some fabrics with major league logos and team logos. Hopefully those will be easy to come by, but in the meantime this is my firt run at this pattern, and I did not have too many issues with it at all. 

Here is a closeup of the fabric design on the top of the bag. In the first photo you can see a special  feature of this style of bag, that is a second bag that is tethered to the inside, this is specifically to hold things like an I.D., cash, or just girl stuff that you don't necessarily want to broadcast to 10,000 people. It is permanently tethered in for security, and has a full zipper closure on the top. 

This is a great new style and I am looking forward to making many more of these, they were fun to do and the possibilities are endless, this bag can even be made reversible for those who equally favor two teams or who like multiple sports!

Thanks for checking out day 45, see you tomorrow with some more new stuff. I spent all day today shopping for some new fabrics and cutting patterns. I got 12 new fabric designs today so there should be lots of new bags in the next few weeks!

Day Forty Four, Bag Forty Four

Crystal, Cosmetics/Accessories Pouch, Pink

There's a reason so many of this style of bag are appearing together, I cut out the pattern pieces and material for 13 of this style all at the same time. Unfortunately I only have one zipper left in the right size, I am waiting on an order from New York for more zippers to finish the 13 but for now I can do 4, so I worked on them assembly line style. I am still working toward building my stock for the craft show in August so I am focusing on designs I already have rather than making a new pattern every day. That said, I did design and prototype a new pattern today as well, so that will be in tomorrow's blog, warts and all. The first bag never comes out right!

This is a pink hounds tooth in the style of the Susan Bag, with the white ribbon also.

The white ribbon also continues on the back side and the pale pink seen on the edging is also the lining fabric.

Here is a shot of the two Crystal Bags together. The pink also has a white zipper in 9" size. These bags are roomy due to their design, they are about 2" deep and just over 10" wide at the base. 

That's day 44, I will see you all with a new design tomorrow for day 45. This one was a special request from a friend who suggested that bags made for sporting events would be a good idea. I don't yet have a supply of athletic logo fabric so it will just be in something I had around. Remember, the first one never comes out perfect, there is always some adjusting!

Day Forty Three, Bag Forty Three

Crystal Cosmetics/Accessories pouch, Blue

This is the first in the line of Crystal Cosmetic Pouches to match my current bags of different styles. This one is in the blue hounds tooth  and is done in a style to match the Susan Tote in blue hounds tooth. The only difference here is that I used white ribbon for the accent, so that should be a clue that I will soon be expanding the Susan bag line to include different colors in the ribbon.

The outer edge is done in a pale blue and that same blue is used on the inside lining of the bag. The white of the ribbon is a nice contrast against the rust and blue hounds tooth design. The zipper is also in white and is 9" long. 

Here is a closeup of the inside of the bag, there are no raw edges to the fabric due to the design of this bag, so there will be no frayed fabric, the whole bag is done with closed and turned seams. 

Here you can see the white ribbon detail is continued n to the back of the bag. These take me about 2 hours each to create, so even though they are small, they have the same level of detail and care that all of my bags have. 

That's it for day 43, see you tomorrow for 44!

Day Forty Two, Bag Forty Two

Purple Stars Luna Bag

Another Luna bag, this time in a soft Purple flannel outer fabric and lots of sparklies!

I embellished this on the front flap panel and a little on the half moon bottom front with Swarovski crystals in clear diamond and deep amethyst  The crystals vary in size and make the front of this bag really special. 

The button on the flap is a silver knot work design,it's something I have been holding on to for years, it was the only one left after I made something with the rest of the set, I'm happy it has found a home on this bag.

Here is a closeup of the button and also the crystal detailing on the front flap. 

Here is a shot of the full bag and strap length, it is long enough to wear as a cross body bag. Because it is soft it will mold around your body shape, the lining is in heavy black canvas, so it is a strong bag. 

That's it for day 42, thanks for looking, see you tomorrow with some more accessory bags. I spent all day working on the problems with the Crystal Cosmetic Pouch Bag and I have it worked out, so I will be featuring some more variations on that bag.

Break

Unplanned Break in Blog

It seems I took an unplanned two day break from the blog. We had family from out of town and a long overdue home project that needed to be done and two days just got away from me. I will be back on the bags today and there will be a new blog post sometime tonight with bag 42, day 42. Hope everyone has had a good weekend, see you later today!

Day forty One, Bag Forty One

Ultra Suede Crystal Bag

I designed this bag as a companion bag for all of my other designs. It is a cosmetics or accessories pouch. It has a zipper closure that is 9"  long and is a half moon design. 

This one is done in the olive green ultra suede, and brown canvas for the lining and the edge of the bag. I did find out that the multiple layers of canvas on the seams is just too much and the thickness made it difficult to turn and it has trouble keeping it's shape when it is not stuffed. So these photos are of the bag filled with stuffing just to get the shape and design of the bag well represented in the pictures. 

Here is a top view of the zipper closure and the brown canvas that was used to accent the Olive Green Ultra Suede. This bag was not in a customer ready condition due to the problems with fabric thickness, but I am continuing to work with the pattern to iron out the bugs, this was attempt number one!

That;s all for day 41, see you on day 42!

Day Forty, Bag Forty

Gold and Tartan Luna Bag, Large

A second Luna bag, this one in a gold brocade front with a deep green and navy tartan for the main fabric. I went with a lighter fabric for this one to see if it still held it's shape well and I think it was actually better. 

The button closure on the front is a black enamel button with a crescent moon shape in gold detail that works very well with the gold moon shape on the bottom of the bag when the flap is down. 

Here is a closeup of the button, and also the colors on the Tartan, the Hunter Green, Navy, and Red striping are visible here. The strap is extra long and makes a great cross body bag. 

Thanks for checking out day 40, see you tomorrow for 41!

Day Thirty Nine, Bag Thirty Nine

Ultra Suede Melanie Bag,Large

You are not seeing a repeat of yesterday's bag, this is a Melanie Bag and it's a little different. The shaping is a modified figure 8, as opposed to Luna which is a perfect oval shape. This bag has a little more room in the lower half because it is a little more circular. 

I did use the same fabrics as the Luna bag I first introduced yesterday. I really like how this style of bag lends itself to the softness of the ultra suede, and the olive green embroidered ultra suede is one of my favorites. The button is a horn style, black, vintage, 1960's button. It's another one from my collection of vintage buttons that I inherited from my Great Grandmother about 20 years ago. 

I have been trouble shooting new styles and patterns this week, so I have been using the same range of fabrics for consistency, there will be one more round in these selection of ultra suedes before I move on to something else. This bag is lined with a medium weight chocolate brown canvas, which also serves as the strap for the bag, so it is strong. 

That's it for today, thanks for checking out day 39, see on day 40!

Day Thirty Eight, Bag Thirty Eight

Ultra Suede Luna Bag, Large

Here is a new design and some new fabrics as well. I loved the suede I was working in yesterday so I decided to raid my collection of ultra suedes and see what I could come up with. 

This had a brown ultra suede bag front, with a sage green back that folds over to become the flap. I went with two different fabrics because I liked the contrast on the front of the bag  and also it shows how this style of bag got it's name, Luna is for the crescent moon shape you get when the front flap is down. 

Here is a closeup of the flap and the button. This is another one of my vintage buttons, I thought the patina went very well with the green it has a little greenish tint to it and the flower design matches the flower embroidery of the green ultra suede. 

That is day 38, thanks for looking, this style and a few other new ones will be finding their way to my web store later this week. I have been spending most of my production time this week working on new patterns and working out the kinks !

Day Thirty Seven, Bag Thirty Seven

Royal Purple and Cream Suede Lexy Bag, Small

Time for a little change tonight, this is a drawstring bag made of two colors of super soft suede, perfect for carrying your jewelry when you travel or storing soft jewels like pearl or opals to keep them from being scratched. 

You can see there are four compartments and a larger center section to hold bangle bracelets or a statement necklace. I had this bag photographed with some of my personal jewelry inside to show size and a possible use for the bag. Though you don't have to use it only for jewelry or for travel, it makes a cute little wrist bag for a formal event such as a wedding. These would make a great bridesmaid gift in the colors of a wedding or a bride gift in white. And unlike those dresses the bridesmaids really would use this again!

The outer circle is 13" across and the inner circle is just under 10" across. This is the size small, it holds enough jewelry for a long weekend or even a week away. with the five distinct compartments you can organize all of your pieces to keep necklaces from tangling. Keep checking back for a larger version which will have 6 side pockets and the one large center area, for carrying more with you. I will also be doing these in different colors, some with the scalloped edge and some without!

 Thanks for checking out day 37 see you tomorrow, I should have some new designs this week, I spent all evening yesterday making new patterns. 

Day Thirty Six, Bag Thirty Six

Watermelon and Hot Pink Audrey Bag, Large

This is a variation on yesterday's bag. Longer straps, and a different color chosen from the print to be the main accent color. The hot pink accent draws out the green and black tones in the print. 

This is a Retro 1960's, Pucci Style print. The shaping of the bag is very modern classic, it could be a vintage bag, or you could find it brand new, it is a great design, and it works with this type of print very well. 

There is a very large inside pocket which is double stitched for strength. The lining is also in the same hot pink as the rest of the trim color. There is a magnetic snap on the flap closure. The bag measures 16.5" across at the bottom and is 3"deep. It is 14" tall, and when cinched up by the scarf the top measures 13" across. 

The coupon that was posted for hitting 1000 views will expire tonight at midnight, so if you want a bag get it today with 10% off. Thanks for checking out day 36, see you tomorrow!

Day Thirty Five, Bag Thirty Five

Watermelon and Lime Audrey Bag, Large

The  large size version of my Scarf Bag, now it has a name, The Audrey. I have been going through my designs and working out what my best work is so far and those designs are being named and becoming part of my permanent collection. This is the first bag in my collection. 

The fabric is very Retro 1960's, Pucci Print. I love the flow of the lines and the colors. In the version with Lime Green for accents the hot pink and white really pop on the bag. This version also has straps that are a little shorter than the previous version of this bag.I do love variety. 

You can see how the pink pops on the bag with green trim and the green pops on the bag with pink trim. We'll get to the pink trim bag tomorrow!

Here you can see the shorter straps on the Lime Green Watermelon Audrey bag. This style is one of my two favorites and so far it looks great in the bright prints and bright trims I have been using. This bag can also be made into a laptop bag with a few modifications and some extra structure and padding. 

That's day 35, sorry it's s late we have been having bad internet tonight. See you tomorrow for the pink version of this bag!

Day Thirty Four, Bag Thirty Four

Shield Print Scarf Bag Small

This is a handbag sized version of the Shield Print Scarf Tote. It is sized the same as the Moonlight Masquerade and the Chartreuse Peacock bags. This one features the variation of hot pink for the accent fabric. It is lined in pink with a pink scarf and pink straps. The base is still in black to minimize the appearance of dirt from normal wear. 

I have been tweaking this style a bit so the loops for the scarf are positioned in a new place, they are not locked in to the top seam, now they are set 1/2" from the top of the bag. The flap is more elongated to fit more easily over the scarf, and the straps are set a Little wider to the outside of the bag. 

The straps are 20" long so they are generously sized for a small handbag, this will fit over your shoulder.

I used a heavier interfacing for the flap closure and also used the canvas weight for both the topside and the underside, this makes the flap closure stronger and it will not pull or tear during use. 

For the last picture you can see the large interior pocket, it is sized almost exactly the height and width of the bag so there is plenty of room in it and I double stitched the seam around the pocket for extra strength.  

This bag is 7" tall, 3" deep at the base, 11" long at the base, and 9" across when fully closed up by the scarf on top. The bag can also be used with the scarf loosened to open up the top or removed altogether for a different look.

The 10% off coupon for my Web store will expire at midnight Sunday night so if you want a custom bag or like something you see here you will have until then to get your order in. Thanks for checking out bag 34, see you tomorrow!

1000 Views!

Coupon Code Good for 48 Hours

I promised a coupon code good toward any bag on my Etsy site, good for the next 48 hours, so here it is we not only hit 1000 views we were at 1003 when I refreshed the page from 996!

Bag33

Enter this code on checkout and get 10% on any bag in my shop, this will also apply toward any special order bags ordered in the next 48 hours. So, if you see something you like but you need a change to make it truly special let me know and if we can get the details worked out in the next 48 hours the coupon will apply!

Thanks everyone for keeping up with my blog, we'll see what we can do to celebrate 2000 views!

Day Thirty Three, Bag Thirty Three

Pink Hounds Tooth With Bow, Medium

Yesterday's bag was so cute I did it again this time in pink! I cut both of these bags at the same time and they just happened to get put together back to back as well. The bow detail was a shot in the dark at trimming the bag but it looked so cute it is featured on the pink bag as well. 

The pink looks a little dustier in these shots because they were not set for lighting, I had them done quickly after finishing the bag up at 1 am! I changed some of the measurements on the straps, they are set a little closer together  and the fold comes down a little closer to the bag. I always fix my "mistakes" on the second bag of a design. 

There is double stitching on the top seam to hold the handles securely in place. 

The color in this last shot is a little too orange but you can see a closeup of the bow detail and the hounds tooth pattern. This bag has the 6" deep base and is 14" across at the base as well, it is 20" across at the top of the bag and has a large pocket in the hounds tooth fabric on the inside of the bag. It is roomy and sturdy, made from 3 layers of fabric, the outer most being canvas. 

Thanks fgor checking out my bag today, see you tomorrow!

Day Thirty Two, Bag Thirty Two

Blue Hounds Tooth with Bow, Medium

This is a new design and a new fabric print. I am really happy with how this bag turned out. It has a very deep 6" base which is also 14" across. This bag has a very large inside pocket and is extremely roomy without feeling too big.

The bag has a light blue cotton lining, the bow and ribbon accent are double sided satin, and though it was a last minute decision, the bow really makes the style. 

Here is a closeup of the hounds tooth design and the bow trim.

This bag also features a new strap style, It is 4 layers of heavy canvas, and very strong. For the size of this bag the extra sturdy handles really allow you to stuff this full of electronics or books, anything you need to tote with you, it will even hold up to a busy day of errands and function as a shopping bag for all of the small items you need to pick up. 

The bag stands about 13" high, and you can see the straps are very roomy, they are approximately 25" long. 

That's it for day 32, check back tomorrow for day 33!

Day Thirty One, Bag Thirty One

Paris and Poodles Tote, Small

This is a small size version of the Paris and Poodles tote I featured a while ago. This one is trimmed in solid black canvas which makes the green and navy in the design really pop!

You can see a little pop of the inside lining color, which is a bright green. This top picture is of the back of the bag.

This picture shows the front of the bag and the length of the straps. These are super strong canvas and are long enough to be a great shoulder bag. As much as I loved the combination of the blue stripe with the Paris a d Poodles fabric, I think the simple black really stands out and makes this a very versatile day bag. Strong enough to carry books, water bottles, a laptop, or everything you would stuff in to a regular purse, this would also make a great diaper bag or school bag. 

Here is a shot of the inside color,it is super cheery and bright. 

Thanks for checking out day 31, I am getting ready for a craft show in 59 days so even though it sounds like a lot of time, I am rushing to gather some handbag inventory together by then. So there may be a bit of overlap for a while and some similar designs but I am trying very hard to keep every bag on this blog unique

Day Thirty, Bag Thirty

Multi-Color Rose Print Clutch

I ran a little long working on the custom order today. It figures, I ran out of gold thread with only one strap left to attach, and I had just gotten back from the fabric store. So the photos for yesterday's bag will get an update in just a minute as well. I finally got on to today's bag at around 10 pm so I am a little behind.  

This one is the same variety of fabrics I used for my quilted Beach Tote. This is about the end of these floral prints too, I have a few small pieces left but that's about it. It was just enough to do a clutch. 

The yellow rose print really stood out so I used yellow again for the lining. The button is one I have been holding on to for a bout 10 years. I love to snatch up different, unique findings when I can and most of the time I do not have a use for them  until much later. I am finding these bags have been a good way to use some of those old treasures.

Here is the silver love knot button in close up. Love and roses, maybe this should have been a Valentine's Day bag!  

This is a great little clutch, very summery, and perfect size for any vacation activities  or evenings out. Check it out on my web store, and unless it goes before then I will have it at the Mt Charleston Craft Show on August 10-11. That wraps up one month of this blog Tomorrow we are on to the start of month 2!

Day Twenty Nine, Bag Twenty Nine

Navy and Gold Celestial Print Bag 

(Custom Order)

This particular bag was done as a custom order for a client. It is my Celestial Beach Tote but in just the Navy with a beautiful gold accent fabric. The gold is super soft and fuzzy it feels like velvet even though it is a regular upholstery weight fabric. I love the shimmer it has and it sets off the print on the navy fabric very well. 

I have a few in progress pictures for this bag. In these you can see the shimmer so well. This side still has pins in it.

Here is the bottom, if you look closely you can see the reinforcement stitching in the base. This is the full length of the piece stretched out, it covers my entire work surface!

And finally here is a picture of the completed bag, it was a little longer in coming than I anticipated, I ran out of thread at 10 pm with only 6 more inches of stitching that needed to be done and I had to wait until Monday to get some more.It turned out great though, the color combination is stunning

This will be the last bag of this color and fabric I will make, this is the absolute last of this fabric. So, a big thank you to my lucky customer who special ordered this with the gold trim, the bag turned out beautifully and the colors are amazing! I do have plenty of the cranberry color of this fabric, maybe I will see how it blends with the gold. Have a great day and we'll see you tomorrow for bag 30! One whole month is down and only 11 more to come!