Travel Bag Part 2

I am sure you all know this is a Simplicity Sew Along featuring a pattern designed by Suede, a new designer for Simplicity and discovered through the Project Runway series on Lifetime.  You can read more about Suede on his Facebook page and follow along with the Sew For A Cause: Suede Says Red Bag Sew Along by clicking on the links.

On my last post I was very disappointed with the front zippers, and I had ordered regular 7 inch zippers.  Funny what a few days away from a project can do for mental anguish!  I was able to make those zippers work without using the ones I had ordered.  (Well, I like having extras on hand anyway! lol)

Front Zippers

I have the handles on the bag front and have the inside front mesh pocket in place.

Bag Front and Handles

Mesh Inside Front Pocket

I also have the pocket on the back of the bag and the inside back pocket in place. I still need to put in the 28 inch zipper and add the sides. It is coming along quite nicely! I am really getting excited about the bag and ready for my summer trip to the beach!

Back and Outside Back Pocket

Inside Back Pocket

I love that the inside back pocket is actually two pockets.  One smaller then the other and perfect for a curling iron or shampoo....etc.

I hope to be able to do more sewing on my bag today, but I have a ton of laundry to do, so I may not be able to get very much done. Hopefully I will be able to sew some on it this week, but I am often to tired after work to sew. I learned years ago never to sew if I am tired, makes for too many mistakes!

Have a great week!

Happy sewing!

Ready to Rock It with Suede!

Well the "Suede, Sew For A Cause"  Sew Along will begin on Tuesday, and I have been busy getting my supplies organized. This pattern calls for both bias tape and piping and I will be making both of them. For the Piping I will be using Wrap and Fuse Piping made by Clover and designed by Nancy Zieman of  Nancy's Notions and Sewing With Nancy .

It is really very easy and makes beautiful piping.  You cut a bias strip of fabric 1 and 3/8 inches wide and simply wrap the fabric around the Wrap and Press.  The directions are on the back of the package and are very simple to follow.

The product is simply cording wrapped with fusible web, but the process is much easier then wrapping and sewing the fabric around normal piping cording.

After wrapping the fabric around the Wrap and Fuse, simply press with your iron along the seam allowance using a low to medium setting and No steam.

As you can see from the photos, it turns out great!

Home made bias tape:

You can purchase a Bias Tape Maker from Simplicity. It is really pretty neat, it presses and folds the fabric for you. I actually do own one of these little gems, but I find it is almost as easy to just do it myself. This pattern calls for 1/2 inch double folded bias tape. To make your own start with a bias strip of fabric 1 and 3/4 inches wide. Press that in half.

In this case,  press with a setting as warm as the fabric can handle, and  use lots of steam. After  pressing the entire strip in half,  fold each side in and meet them in the middle (actually, I leave a very small space and do not let them touch in the middle). Press well and fold each side in again, this time I fold and press one side slightly larger then the other. This assures that a little bit of a lip will be formed and when you place the slightly larger side on the under side or wrong side of your fabric, it is sure to be caught in the stitching while stitching it down from the right side of the fabric.

See, easy as pie! I am now ready to start sewing! Let the fun begin! There is still time to join if you would like to make this great travel bag! You can request to join here.  Hope to see you there!

Happy Sewing!

New Sew-A-Long Coming Up!~

I will be participating in another Simplicity Sew A Long on Facebook. It will begin on January 24th. I know I have complained about some of the patterns that are offered by Simplicity, but this is a travel bag designed by Suede so I have high hopes that this will be a great pattern and a great sew a long.  Also some of the proceeds from the sale of the pattern will be going to charity.  I think that is very cool!

Simplicity will be doing things a little different this time, they will be offering video tutorials.  I think this will be a huge improvement!  This bag offers some techniques that I have never had the opportunity to do and videos will be a nice way to learn.  I always do better with a visual tutorial.  The written word just don't cut it sometimes!

Here is a link to the  Simplicity page featuring the bag that will be made and a picture is shown below.

The next photo really shows the size better, as you can see it is a very roomy bag and I think it will be a lot of fun to create a travel bag!(Look out beach, here we come!)

As I said before a percentage of the proceeds from the cost of the pattern will be going to charity. Keep A Child Alive is a charity that provides treatment, love and support for families affected with AIDS in Africa. You can go to  Keep A Child Alive to read more about this great charity!

If you would be interesting in joining the Sew A Long, you can click here and request to join (upper right hand side of the page).  Remember it will begin on January 24th and you will need time to order your pattern, so join us today!  Hope to see you there!

If you are not interested in joining, I hope you will follow along as I learn a few new tricks and hopefully create a great travel bag!

See you soon!

Happy Sewing,
Glo