Finally, the video for making patchwork drawstring bag is up on my YouTube Channel. I just recently realized that I have not make a proper video tutorial for this bag.
I made and sold a few bags in the past and I always wanted to make more. I have one bag that I always carry whenever I go out. Although it's small but it's pretty spacious to store my basic makeups, and other necessary items. And sometimes, I can just carry it when I run an errand.
After reading Viridan's Blog I was so inspired and decided to sort out my 2.5" scrap bins (I have 2 bins!). Then I found a few 16 patches I made in the past. I am not sure if I wrote about it in this blog, but that got me inspired. The plan was to make scrappy 16 patch every week, but somehow it stopped. I made around 9 blocks and this year Insha Allah I plan to continue.
I managed to sort it out by color. I kinda like this bins with divider. It's just perfect for the small scraps!
Here some blocks I made in the past
Finding UFO blocks in your PHD bags is like finding a new treasures and got me excited that I want to complete something small. I was thinking to make placemats or mug rugs, you know something quick, also I want to make video tutorial for my channel. So I decided to make drawstring bag. Well, I ended up making 6 bags!! But instead of using that 16 patches I have already made, I decided to make from scratch, because I want more color-coordinated scraps!
I also edited the tutorial that I wrote for this bag to make it clearer and added tutorial how to make boxed bottom/square bottom bag. It's easy, fun quick projects to make one afternoon and with small pieces, the bags looks really nice! Here are some more photos I took!
If you prefer watching video, here's the video tutorial:
That's all for today. I am so excited to make more happy scrappy stuff this year! What about you? What are you sewing this week?
I was going through my UFO bins last week and found one Sunbonnet Sue Applique which I did a couple of years ago. I think it must be around 2012 or so when I made my Sunbonnet Journal Cover. I love doing cute applique once in a while. I guess now I'm being too busy that sometimes I forgot to have fun.
Now what to do with this orphan block? Well, why not just frame it!! I bought a set of frames from amazon a few months ago and still have a few small ones that fit perfectly for my Sunbonnet. I simply cut the piece to fit in the frame and voila, I got a new wall decor.
*****
Yesterday made another drawstring bag using Indian mulmul fabrics. I cut them into 2.5" squares and sew them together. Working with lightweight fabric is challenging, so always use a smaller stitch length and proper needle size.
I did hand quilting in this bag and I love how soft it is when finished. Hand quilting definitely gives a soft cuddly feeling. Love it! I must do more :)
This time, I made box bottom type and added a D ring on the side so that I can attach a long strap and carry it as a sling bag. I am inspired by the wuxia dramas that I’ve been watching for the past few months. The bag turned out so cute!!
If you want to learn how to make the bag and not sure about the materials, now you can purchase the DIY KIT in my webshop. In
I will add more DIY KIT for beginners bag makers or quilters and some will come with Pdf Patterns.
I realized that many people hesitate to start because of the lack of information regarding bag making and quilting in India. Especially for bag making, it took me years to finally found the right materials that go into creating a decent bag.
This week, I have a couple of hand quilting projects to complete. That's my main goal for this week. I hope I won't be distracting to making other things as I just got my new Quilts Japan last week!
What do you do when you're not in the mood to sew? Well, I took out my 2.5" container and admiring my neatly stacked 2.5" squares, and started piecing idly. I did not have any specific plan, but as I went on chain piecing a few ideas pop up in my head. I even have an ambitious dream of a scrappy quilt. Ha!
But then I decided to do a humble small project as a mood booster and this cute small drawstring bag is born. It's made up of 64 pieces of 2.5" squares. Padded and quilted by machine.
Each bag measured approximately 7.5" x 7.5" and it's fully lined. I used contrast stripes for the string/cord casing. I used a macrame cotton cord from Amazon India here and I kinda like the look of it. But next time I'll get a thinner one. For the stopper, I used Chandan wood (sandalwood) beads.
I was really inspired by Sensei Shizuko Kuroha's post on Instagram the other day. Well, I don't know how to read Japanese but from the translation, she more or less said "make everyday stuff that is small and useful". What she said really stuck in my head. I keep thinking, that often we make something that ends up piling up in the cupboard without being used (Like this quilt or this pillow). For me sometimes just for a sentimental reason :). Although I also used my makes every day from bags, wallets, pillows, table runners, etc there are a few stuff that I still don't have the heart to use or give away. I guess I must learn to be more generous :D.
And when you're having fun, you cannot just make one bag, right?
Another great news is the Kawandi QAL is officially started on Facebook Group. I'm so excited but still could not make up my mind what size I'm going to make. Most probably I will do a lap size quilt, cos I plan to use my dupatta (Indian stoles) for the backing layers. Brinda ma'am explained in Facebook live session last Sunday how to go about it. Now all sorts of ideas running around in my head, so I'll just think about it slowly. I hope I can share with you soon about my progress.