An Epic Bag of Holding

A while back I used this awesome tutorial to make a messenger bag and a smaller purse.  They were both a lot of fun to make and I decided that I needed to make a bag for myself!  But this wasn't going to be an ordinary bag... no.  It was going to be epic.

I mulled over the design for months.  I inventoried everything that I regularly carried in my old, too-small purse and made sure that I designed a spot for everything.  I caluculated the ideal dimensions for a bag that would be large enough to comfortably carry everything I needed, yet not be overly bulky.  I strategized ways of adding zippers and secret pockets so that I could maximize the interior space.  The easy part was finding the right fabric... I had plenty of the soft brown corderoy left over from the messenger bag I had made my sister and then I had two shades of a lovely leafy-green print in my stash that I had been saving for something special.

Once my plan was made and once I had the free time, my Epic Bag came together very quickly!

For the front flap I used a reverse applique technique to create a leafy twig design.  I had fun "sketching" the outline of the leaves and stem with machine sewing.  The slight fraying along the edges adds just enough texture and character.

I also added leaves in a vine-like pattern around the strap.

This vine pattern was also used to quilt the back and sides of the bag.

But the really fun part is on the inside!

I made custom pockets on the front that comfortably fit my phone, ipod and camera so that they are always within easy reach!

There is a zippered pouch on the front for more easily-accessible storage and then I added a large zipper over the main compartment too.  That way, important things like my keys and wallet won't go flying if I happen to drop my bag.  

The main compartment is divided into two sections.  The back section is specifically for a notebook for jotting down crafty ideas or inspiration... because I always seem to think of great things when I am out and about!

Then there is obviously a spot for a pen or pencil and another small zippered pouch for important but not always needed things like nail clippers and band-aids.

Well there you have it!  With my Bag of Awesomeness I always feel well prepared.  Even if we're just going to the park.

Lemony Fresh Victory!

A new paper-pieced pattern is complete!  ...and it wants to TAKE OVER THE WORLD!

Invader Zim is here!

Invader Zim was a short-lived Nickelodeon cartoon from the early 2000s about Zim, a short alien with an ego the size of a galaxy who was banished to the planet Earth.  He is a bit delusional and makes it his mission to take over the planet with the help of his happy-go-lucky robot GIR.  The show could be described as a cupcake made from equal parts insanity and creepiness.  With a piggie on top.

Anyways, it's a show that my brother-in-law very much enjoyed, and therefore this became his birthday present.

Invader Zim is a pretty complicated pattern... there are 25 pieces that need to be sewn together.  Because of the complexity, I had to make him quite large... a full 18 inches square.  Here is a view of the back with most of the paper taken off:

For fun I decided to make him into a giant hexagon as opposed to the traditional square.  He is, after all, an Irken alien!

After I had him all pieced together I decided to accentuate the edges and add some details by embroidering around his head and arms.  Then I sewed him into a pillow!

You too can sew up your own Ivader Zim with my FREE pattern, available here!

Check out all of my paper-pieced patterns on the patterns page!

Roly-Poly Fish Heads!

It's summertime, and that means vacation time... which in our family means fishing time!

This picture is from a couple of years ago... Guess who caught the big fish?

Our family's annual vacation tradition inspired this super-cute pencil case:

I was also inspired by the shark pencil cases in minnebites Etsy shop.  I made up my own pattern with shorter fins and I appliqued the eyes (mostly because I didn't have any googly eyes in my stash...)

This fish sure is hungry!

Fish heads, fish heads...

...eat them up, YUM!

Pinterest Project: Modular Coasters

This week's project was from the blog "How About Orange."  We made modular felt coasters and they were super simple and fun!  To start out, we cut out 4 felt rectangles based on the templates that you can download here.  The pieces are woven together (as explained here) and voila!

A coaster is born!

Once the modular shapes are cut out, they can be arranged in different color combinations for different looks.

...and they give my morning cup of tea a pretty place to sit.

What Rhymes With Orange?

The second Rainbow Monster is here!  He's a bit of a daydreamer and always has his head in the clouds... meet Orango, the quiet and thoughtful monster.

The pattern for Orango is available right here on Craftsy.  His little brother Plurp is there too!

Orango was originally drawn by Elliot Mosher, whose graphic design work can be found here.

Lacey Love

I had a friend in college who absolutely loved anything pink, frilly, and vintage.  She was a wonderful designer, and I always admired her sense of style even though it was very different from my own.  Well, this friend of mine just recently tied the knot, so I decided to take a dive into eyelet and lace in order to design something special for her.

I used mostly vintage lace and tatting to add layers of texture to this heart pillow.  The pink background was then paper-pieced around the lace.  Finally, I hand-quilted around the heart and embroidered their wedding date on the side.

Working with all of the lace was rather enjoyable and I quite like how it adds so much visual interest through texture!

Rochester Lilacs

I grew up in Rochester, New York, which is known for Kodak camera film, long winters and flowers.  It used to be known as the "Flour City" back when flour mills harnessed the power of the Genessee river and ground grain, but now it is known as the "Flower City" because of the beautiful flowers that bloom every year in Highland Park... the lilacs.

That is little me, at age 2, smelling the blossoms!

I decided to give a nod to these flowers in my latest paper-pieced pattern, Rochester Lilacs.

Believe it or not, this is the simplest pattern I have ever designed!  I decided to keep it simple by using a purple floral fabric for the lilac flowers.  It's available for sale on Craftsy here!