I've been knitting away - the cool, cloudy weather we're having is perfect for that. I finished all the pieces of my Shimmer cardigan on Monday, and they've been sitting ever since. I just haven't summoned the will to sew those raglans together to work the neckline! So meanwhile I finished the pair of socks I had started on our San Francisco trip. And I started knitting an Auden sweater using the yarn from last summer's ill-fated Saffron cardigan. I really hope this pattern ends up being "the one" for this yarn - it's my fourth try! Nothing else really seemed to work!
On Tuesday I made 3 more feathers for my quilt, and on Wednesday I finished watching the Making Leather Bags Craftsy class for the second time and started a little leather clutch.
On Thursday I bought some lovely fabric for my weekend sewing project: Hubby's requested shirt. But I also made up a couple of framed clutches that have been on my list for quite a while.
Ever since I came across this post, I've been wanting the same exact purses, so a while ago I bought a little of each of the Dear Stella prints needed to make them. I followed the linked tutorial to create my own pattern - I knew I wanted my bags to be slightly deeper and more square than the ones shown, so I adjusted my measurements accordingly, and I'm very happy with the shape my pattern produces.
I decided to make two bags and do a little experiment. For one I used leftover quilt batting and for the other I used fusible fleece on the back of the outer pieces. I wanted to see what the differences were in the finished product. I was really hoping that I'd like the batting version most, because I have a LOT of leftover batting laying around! But I ended up perferring the fusible fleece, so I'll be using that for future bags.
Here's my first bag. This is the one made with batting. The bag is nice, but it lacks stability - it kind of falls into itself when empty. You can see that the sides are a little crumply. For the outside I used Piper Stripe, and for the inside I used Patterned Dots. Such fantastic colors and designs on these Piper prints!
For my second bag, I used Queen Anne's Lace in purple for the outside, and Sprinkles for the inside. This is the one using fusible fleece, fused to the back of the outer fabric. Look at those crisp, stable sides!
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And here are the two of them side by side. The difference is slight, but I think it's visible in this photo:
Both my purses were made to fit 8" x 3" frames. I followed the sewing instructions in the Dear Stella tutorial, which was a different method than I've used in the past but which I think gives a superior result. The stability of the bag made with fusible fleece made it possible for me to insert the purse into the frame without having any of the glue seep out - a first for me! The glue I use is Beacon 527, which I've been able to find at JoAnn's.
I can see making lots more of these, even though I don't really have a use for them! I just love them so, and they're very fun to make. Perhaps I'll need to open a little shop . . .
Great-looking bags!
ReplyDelete-- stashdragon
Thank you!
DeleteYour purses look great and thanks for pointing out the differences in the two. I've been meaning to learn how to make these for the longest time. I must get around to it, especially with preschool fete making just around the corner.
ReplyDeleteI think these would be great for a school fete. They're not really hard to make, but they look pretty impressive!
DeletePretty! I love the flowered print (of course).
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteThese purses are lovely. So lady like and pretty. You are so talented.
ReplyDeleteChecked out that Auden pattern. I like the fit. Had to Pin that.
Thank you! Isn't the Auden great? I had meant to make it last fall and didn't get to it - it's actually a lot simpler than I'd thought it would be!
Deletethese are all sorts of cute! love the fabrics you used.
ReplyDeleteHehehe - thanks! I really can't take credit for the design, only the execution! I really seem to be on a Dear Stella bender lately!
DeleteI'm really amazed how industrious you are with your crafting. You get so much done! Good job on it all!
ReplyDeleteYes - sometimes to the detriment of housework and laundry, LOL!
DeleteSuper bags! I'm going to have to screw up some courage and attempt to make some one of these days. I also made Auden, using Loft. It softened up tremendously, but the sleeves have a tendency to stick out. I washed the sleeves, massaged in a ton of hair conditioner, and they still tend to stick out like a football linebacker. Even so, I still love it. Good luck on yours!
ReplyDeleteYou should go for it! They're pretty easy to make. The hardest part is gluing the bag into the frame, but if you just take it slowly it's not so bad. I've also found that if I get excess glue on the metal frame, I can easily scrape it off with my fingernail once it's dry, and then use a Qtip soaked in rubbing alcohol to wipe away any smears.
DeleteI agree about the Auden sleeves - I've seen a lot of FOs just as you describe! My yarn is a cotton/wool blend and pretty drapey, so I'm hoping it will be less of a problem, but I do have broader shoulders, so we shall see!
Wow - you've been getting so much done! These are so cute - I really like the combination of fabrics you've used. Purse making is on my 'someday' list so if you do start a shop I'm definitely buying one (or two).
ReplyDeleteThanks Shar! You can do this! Like I said above, it's one of those things that's not too hard to do, but looks super impressive and professional.
Deletei love them!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lori!
DeleteThe bags are gorgeous, beautiful fabric choices. I'm itching to try making a frame purse but daren't add anything else to my 'must make' list - it is very long! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jacq! I think you should add it - I'm a very slow sewer, and I made each of these in an hour! And that includes the cutting out of 2 outer pieces, 2 linings, 4 interfacings and 2 fusible fleece pieces! Honestly, the cutting out is the part that takes the longest!
DeleteYour bags are always awesome lol. You should totally have a shop. I love the kiss lock closure and really want to make one!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jo! Make one! There's no fitting involved, LOL! Easy!
DeleteCould you not quilt along the vertical stripes for more stability
ReplyDeleteThe quilting would not interfere with the visual
Quilting thru only the outer piece and batt would leave the lining free of the outer piece
Just a thought. :-)
Hugs
I could quilt through the outer, certainly. I have some other bags in mind that I'm planning to do that on. But for this one I wanted to compare the two as written in the tutorial. For this style I really like having the outer smooth, i.e. no texture from the quilting.
DeleteCute! I especially love the purple one, great for summer evenings methinks.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sabs! The purple one is my favorite too - so when I went out the other night, I took the striped one, because I was afraid of getting the purple one dirty, LOL!!
DeleteGorgeous bags Gail. The second one particularly is beautiful, I really love that print.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sam. Such a great print, isn't it? It's my favorite in the collection - I also got it with cream background!
Deletevery polished looking!!
ReplyDeleteGood to know about the fusible fleece. I have a fabric I bought to make a bag for a dear friend but have been stalling because I knew I needed to figure out what would not make it look like a limp home ec project :)
Thank you! I definitely recommend following the tutorial I linked. I've done these bags in a different way as well, but I think the results this method gives are better :-)
DeleteThat second one is speaking to me :)
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to try this with the frames, just haven't yet. Is it difficult to insert? If you mess it up the first time is it easy to redo?
Isn't that fabric great? I love me some Dear Stella!
DeleteI'll be honest - it's a little fiddly to get the bag inserted when you first start making these. But what I have done is a couple of practice rounds without the glue, just inserting the fabric into the channel and then taking it out a few times. You'll want to play with it a little to find out which position is the most comfortable for you to hold the frame and the bag. Most tutorials I've seen recommend starting from the center and working out, but I've always found it easier to insert the side edges first, and then work in toward the center.
This glue sets up pretty fast, but you do have some working time. What I do is hold it all in place with my fingers for about one to two minutes once I've got the bag positioned the way I like. You do one side at a time, and leave at least an hour in between so that the first side is really set before you start working on inserting the second side. Once the whole frame is installed, I let the whole thing set for approx. 24 hours, then I gently tug at the bag all the way around the frame edges to see if there are any loose places. Sometimes I do have to pull part of the bag out and add more glue then reset it. So you do have a little leeway.
Very professional looking, you should really consider the idea of selling these! Great fabric choice. I like the one with the fusible fleece better too, so I'm off today to our fabric shops to search for fusible fleece :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carmela!
DeleteYou are such a busy bee! Love these bags!
ReplyDeletebzzzzzzzzzzzzz! Thanks!
DeleteAaaaand now I'm daydreaming about making frame clutches. Must resist... At least until maternity leave... Haha. Who am I kidding?
ReplyDeleteHehehe - you could find an hour to do this ;-)
DeleteOh I just LOVE them!! You've given me an idea .... X
ReplyDeleteOh, you should definitely open a shop! You make such cute things and a non-sewer like me would totally buy them.
ReplyDeleteAwww, thanks, Pam! I'm sort of toying with the idea of doing custom orders rather than actually creating a lot of inventory, and then maybe just having that be a page up top. We'll see how motivated I can get! I tend not to want to sew anything unless it's for myself - so terrible!
DeleteThese are awesome and the Dear Stella line is so cool. Thanks for the heads up on the new way to insert the bag to the frame ... I may just have to try hat this fall.
ReplyDeleteLOL! You're the one who taught me!!
DeleteI've noticed it's easier for me to work from the sides in when pinning seams too, not center out like you're "supposed" to. I guess I'm just a backwards girl!