Weekender Sew Along : Pictures and Tips

I posted all the details for this bag here. :-) 

Weekender Bag Sew Along : Week Two (Pocket Piecing)

Hey there friends!  I promise I've done some sewing since my last post ... maybe not as much as I had hoped, but I was on vacation.  :-) 

I usually sew on a Bernina 710, but took my smaller 210 to the Outer Banks with me and enjoyed sewing with the ocean and sand dunes, and the occasional wild pony, in the background.  Relaxing and a fun week away.  

If you follow me on Instagram (@sewlux), you've seen these photos, but I wanted to walk you through a little more of my pocket piecing process.

You may have also seen that Sew & Sew by Chloe's Closet arrived right before I left for the beach and I changed my mind about my fabric choices...  I mean, they are just so pretty!

I knew I wanted to put an initial on one end of the pocket.  I decided it would be super cute to put it inside a spool ... I used the Spell It With Moda letter as my inspiration and scaled it down... way down.  The letter finished at 1.5" wide x 2.5" tall.  I made the Mini Spool from Thimble Blossoms a little taller to accommodate that but otherwise followed Camille's directions.  I think it's really cute if I do say so myself! ;-)

My next end pocket is the cute little flower from Handmade - also a mini pattern by Camille. I fussy cut a bunch of flowers from this print as the center.  And can we talk about these measuring tape prints?!  I plan to add some borders to this one and to make it large enough.

Since I was traveling and wasn't sure what kind of iron and ironing board might be available at the beach house, I invested in a cute little travel iron and ironing mat that I got off of Amazon.  While small, this iron definitely did the job and got super hot.  I didn't use steam, but it was hot enough to press my seams nice and flat.  (Side note: after reading some reviews about these ironing mats/pads, I brought along a little tv tray table and used it as my ironing surface just in case ... and that way I didn't risk ruining the dining table at the house.)

I decided to piece some of the small Smitten blocks for both of my larger pockets.  I machine piece these and use the Marti Michell templates to cut and mark my fabrics. 

I used a paper grocery bag to make a template of the pocket size and then the MM templates to mark the layout to figure out how many blocks I would need to make.  And then I had a great time playing around with fabrics ...

Can all the blocks be my favorite? I don't think I can choose just one... ;-)

I think this bag is going to be totally dreamy with these colors and florals mixed up.  To make the pocket panel big enough, I added some partial unpieced hexagons (using the largest whole hexagon template in the set to cut them) along the top and sides.  Since the bottom of the hexagons on the second row will be cut off some, I kept all the most intricately pieced blocks along the top row where they could be seen.

I will be quilting up my pockets and other panel pieces this weekend ... I will post an update in a few days!

Happy Sewing! :-)

Weekender Bag Sew Along : Week One

Happy Monday, friends!

Who is ready to start sewing up an Amy Butler Weekender bag?!  I'm teaming up with Debbie over at Happy Little Cottage to stitch up another great bag and I so hope you'll join the fun!

A lot of folks fear making the Weekender. While it definitely is no simple zipper pouch, it is a doable bag! And just think how proud of yourself you will be to sling this thing over your shoulder and say "I made it!" when someone asks where you got that amazing bag. :-)

There are a few parts of the assembly that are more difficult than others (mainly the worst is attaching the second side panel to the rest of the bag), but I encourage you to go for it! And have fun making it your own. :-)

This will be my third bag. I made my first one and then hosted a sew along with a few other friends a couple of years ago.  Those posts can all be found under this tag here.

Our schedule for this Sew Along is pretty laid back ...

• Mon. June 6 (today!) - Planning Your Fabrics & Materials
• Mon. June 20 - Cutting, Interfacing & Making the Panels
• Mon. July 6 - Sewing the Outer Bag Together
• Mon. July 11 - Finishing the Bag & Link Up
• Mon. July 25 - Prizes!!!

In my last Weekender Bag Sew Along, here are some thoughts on supplies that I shared (image from then as seen in this post):

General supplies you need: 

• The pattern!  (Obviously!) ...   We have these on order ... and will be arriving soon.
• Zipper (I have used both metal and plastic molded.) You need a 30 inch zipper - I found mine at a big box fabric store in the past, but this time plan to order a double pull from my favorite zipper supplier. 
• Coordinating thread 
• Jeans Needles (trust me, you need a jeans needle)
• Appropriate machine feet - regular piecing, walking foot, zipper foot, piping foot (Note:  I don't have a piping foot, so I use my zipper foot.) 
• Clover Wonder clips (or binding clips) - HIGHLY recommended.  Pins would work, but its not going to be fun. 
• Fabric marking pen
• 5 yards of cording to make your own piping (I am working on getting this in the shop)
• Sewing Machine - this is definitely the job for a machine! ;-)
• Fabric and interfacing (more details on what I used last time here) 

I am planning to piece my pockets again this time.  And I have been back and forth with myself about the design.  I've sketched out a few things in my graph paper notebook, making notes about the larger panels and what blocks might fit in the side panels, etc. 

Funny thing.... when I mentioned to my Mom about this sew along, our conversation went like this ... 

Her: "Haven't you already made two of these?"  

Me: "Yes, but I gifted one."

Her: "Maybe you could make this one for me." 

In my mind: "I was planning to keep this one."

So ... it looks like I may be attempting two.  Crazy talk, right?! Which means I may experiment a little on the second and share my thoughts with you. :)

She picked out Grand Canal by Kate Spain (due out this Fall). 

I picked out Handmade by Bonnie & Camille (due in September). 

My fabric selections should not be a shock! ;-) 

I hope you will sew along with us!  I will share my progress and tips here as well as on Instagram (@sewlux).  Join the fun with #wbsa2016

See you soon!

Weekender Sew Along : Round Two!

Happy Friday!

I am really excited to share that I am teaming up with Debbie over at Happy Little Cottage to stitch up along Weekender Bag!

My first bag is about 2 years old now and is a favorite when I travel.  Here she is on her first big trip to Maui...

My second one, which I made during the first sew along, turned out so great!  I surprise gifted it, which was super fun.

You can see more about my process from the first sew along I did here.

When Debbie asked if I wanted to sew along again this summer, I couldn't resist!  Head on over to learn more and get a coupon code for some of my favorite supplies as well as the pattern. :)

Hope you will sew along with us! :)

Sewvivor - Sew Lux

Have you seen the buzz about the Sewvivor competition hosted by Rachel at Family Ever After?  I've been back and forth about entering and finally decided to go for it!  And regardless of whether I make it into the competition, I will definitely be following (and sewing) along!

So, what's "Sewvivor?"  Well, its kind of like the reality show, only the challenges aren't standing on a pole over a mud hole for whoever can last the longest ... its all quilting related!  Truth be told, I used to watch the show religiously in college and even helped my roommate make her contestant entry video!

This year, its all about the quilting and there are four different challenges with some twists and turns here and there and it sounds like so much fun.  I've even been sketching up some ideas for what I might make to stay alive!

But first, here's my entry ...

I had two different options for what I feel like are my favorite quilting projects.  But in the end, my first Amy Butler Weekender Bag won out.

The pattern sat in my sewing room for several years ... all that interfacing and the horror stories were a little scary!  But seeing some friends make them at retreats, I figured "hey, I can do this."  I knew that I wanted to quilt the panels, but QAYG seemed like it would take forever and I really wanted to piece them.  And then Camille started introducing the mini quilt patterns.

If you know me, you know I love pink, aqua and a good black & white low volume (especially dots), so the fabric choices were easy.  I pieced a mini Swoon and then a mini Spool ...

And then a little economy block (since that was also all the rage on IG at the time)...

And did a little subway tile pattern for the back pocket.

All the panels and pockets were quilted and I have to admit that I carried this around the house from room to room after finishing it just so I could keep looking at it!

Making a bag like this was challenging and I learned a lot.  The piping, the zipper, the importance of the jeans needle.  Lots of new techniques to practice in this one.  And I loved it ... except for sewing on that second side!  I've even made a second one since!

Fortunately, I was able to take some glamour shots in Hawaii a few weeks after finishing.  (Tough, right?!)

So there you have it ... my entry for Sewvivor!

Thanks for stopping by and good luck to everyone!

Happy Sewing!  :-)

Weekender Sew Along : Bag Assembly

Hey y'all! I am overdue by like 2 weeks with this post, but between Quilt Market and some other things (ahem ... I made two Super Totes the week of Quilt Market), I got a little behind.  BUT ... my bag is finished!  In fact, I mailed it off yesterday to surprise someone.  Sure hope they like it (and overlook a few wobbly spots)! :-)

Ok ... so in my last post, I didn't show you about the zipper.  The reason was because I went ahead and added the lining then too based on a theory and I wanted to make sure everything worked out before I told y'all to do something.  So let's start with the zipper.

Making the Zipper Panel
I made the zipper panels by quilting them with Linen, batting and canvas like I did for my main exterior panels.  I cut them to size using the template and then added the zipper as instructed in the pattern.

After that, I assembled the lining completely leaving a fairly large hole open in the bottom of one side where the bottom piece and the main side piece meet.

 I folded the lining back and laid it wrong sides together on the exterior zipper panel and stitched the lining to the zipper panel.  I was lucky enough that my thread matched the bag very well so the stitching doesn't jump out at you.

Why did I install the lining so soon?  Well, I'm too lazy to hand sew the lining in.  In fact, my 1st bag (finished in mid February) is still unlined!  Also, after wrangling this bag through the machine, you'll just want to be finished.  Attaching the lining now is like making a pouch ... we'll turn it right sides out later.  

Some words of caution for attaching the lining early ... (1) this does make the wrangling slightly trickier. (2) This will make it harder to see and check your seams and piping after you attach the main side panels to the zipper/bottom piece - especially after the second side. And (3) I wouldn't do this if you didn't quilt the body.  You'll be smushing the bag through the opening and if all you used was the thicker interfacing you may not like the creases you could get.  Hope this all makes sense! 

Next, follow the directions in the pattern to attach the end pockets and the bottom to the zipper panel.

Prep the Bottom Panel
In my last post, I showed you that I quilted the bottom panel.  After quilting, I added a piece of thick interfacing that is 1" smaller than the bottom panel.  The interfacing is fusible, but I stitched over a couple of quilting lines in the corners to stabilize the piece especially since it would be manhandled later!

Tip for Attaching the Straps
I followed the directions in the pattern.  I did stitch all the way down both sides of each strap to the bottom of the bag.  Otherwise, I followed the pattern.  Then attach the pockets as instructed in the pattern.

Attaching the Piping to the Main Panels
I did decide to use bias strips for the piping on the main panels. I ddin't in my first bag and the only place I really notice a difference is in the corners.  The bias strips allowed me to really curve the piping around without as many puckers.

Use Clover Clips to keep everything in place.

Note - I didn't crowd my piping at this point.  I didn't want to worry about stitches showing if I missed it later, so I went with my needle at -4 to the left and followed the edge of my zipper foot otherwise.

Attaching the Sides

This is the fun part!  Kidding.  This is actually what I consider to be the hardest part. So, prepare yourself mentally.  I wouldn't start this step at 11:45 PM.  I actually did one side one day and the second side the next day.  It takes some time and some muscle to get this through your machine.  So take it slow and use a jeans needle!  :-)

Line up the center of the main panel with the top and bottom of the zipper/bottom panel. Use Clover clips to secure all the layers in place. If you attached the lining early, keep it on the other side and out of the way.

I like to clip and sew the zipper/bottom piece (top) to the main panel (bottom).  It seems easier to smush the zipper/bottom piece out of the way instead of the main panel.

Stitch around the whole bag trying to crowd the piping as much as possible.  I moved my needle as far left as it would go (-5).  After you've gone around, check your bag on the right side to see if you have any spots where you need to sew a little closer to the piping.

Before adding the second side, OPEN YOUR ZIPPER at least half way.  Don't forget (especially if you've already attached your lining)!

Next, flip the lining over and clip the second side on like you did the first side.

This side is the more difficult of the two.  So, I went around the bag at a 3/8" or so seam to hold everything together.  Then I went back around stitching further over and crowding the piping.  This seemed to work better for me as I could focus on crowding the piping instead of trying not to shift any layers.

When you are done, peek through the lining and check it from the front - this will be a pain, but check it and fix any spots (sewing closer to the piping, etc) before the next step.

Finish It!

Now, carefully turn your bag right sides out through the hole in the bottom of the lining.  Carefully push out the corners and shape the bag.  Iron into shape as needed since you probably needed to smush it a little while turning it.

Stitch the hole in the lining closed by hand or machine.

Step back admire your work.  Pat yourself on the back ... You Did It!  :-)

The Glamour Shots ...

I sure hope you enjoyed sewing along with me!  I had so much fun with this bag!

Happy Sewing! :-)

Weekender Bag Details: 
Bag Pattern: Amy Butler Weekender Bag
Patterns for Pieced Pockets: Mini Swoon, Mini Dwell, Mini Rise & Shine, and Mini Spools all by Camille Roskelley of Thimble Blossoms
Fabric:  April Showers by Bonnie & Camille, Essential Dots White Black, and Linen Mochi Dot in Putty all from Moda

Previous Posts:
Supplies
Making the Pockets
Making the Exterior

Weekender Sew Along : Making the Exterior

Hey there!  I've been really busy stitching up this bag over the weekend and I am nearly done!  :-)  I'm looking forward to finishing it up and sharing the results next week.  But first let's chat about how I've gotten the exterior of this bag together.

First, once you have your pockets all pieced, its time to quilt them.  I cut out the pocket pieces in the drill canvas and layered them with batting (trimmed approximately 1/2" smaller than the canvas) and then the pieced pocket front.  I used the iron to crease the centers on all four sides of each pocket top and the canvas piece so that I could line up my pockets straight.  I basted with 505 spray, but you can use pins.

Then go ahead and quilt up your pockets as desired.  :-)  I did a lot of outlining of the main shapes for mine.

I made my pockets a little big on purpose so that I could trim them to the proper size later.  After quilting, I like to use the template as my trimming guide even though I have the canvas piece.  Sometimes with the quilting, you may have a little shifting so it is good to check.

Get all your pockets quilted and trimmed so we can add the piping.

For the piping on the pockets, you don't need it to be bias strips.  So cut 2" strips and fold them in half lengthwise.  Put some cording in the middle and stitch it closed - not too close to the cording.  We want to stitch progressively closer to the cording with each step.  Then, use a ruler to line up the edge of the cording with a straight line on your mat.  Then shift the ruler down 1/2 inch and trim any excess fabric. 

Baste the piping onto the top, right side of your pocket. I used a zipper foot with my needle 3 positions to the left of center.

Then add the pocket lining right sides together on top of the piping and pocket piece. Sew as close to the piping as possible.  I moved my needle over so it was 5 positions to the left of center (as far as it would go on my machine).

Fold back the lining so wrong sides are together and press.  Sew about 1/4" below the piping to secure everything in place, then sew around the edges of the sides and bottom to secure the pocket lining to the front.  Trim away excess fabric. (Note - I didn't cut pocket linings with templates - I just used squares/rectangles and them trimmed them later.) 

Repeat to add piping to the pockets.  (The pattern only calls for piping on the main pockets, but I like them on all four pockets.)

Next up, straps!  I made my straps in the same width as the pattern, but added about 6 inches to the length. I wanted them a little longer to swing it over my should with ease!

I used 2 layers of SF-101 on my straps.  Then I folded them in half lengthwise and then used a ruler to draw a line 1/2" above and below the center fold.  This line serves as a guide for how far to fold down the sides. Fold the edges in to meet the lines and press back in half.  Before sewing down both sides of the straps as well as the center, I added a 7/8" wide piece of fusible fleece inside the strap to make it a little sturdier.

 

For the main panels, I just straight-line quilted them with the Mochi Linen, batting and drill/canvas just like I did with the pockets. I did not use any interfacing on the main panels.

For the bag bottom piece, I did use a layer of SF-101 and then batting and drill/canvas.  I quilted this piece in a diamond pattern.  Fun fact:  The Bernina walking foot and the Mochi Linen Dot are a perfect match!  I just followed the dots with the sides of my foot to quilt this piece.

How are your bag parts coming along?  I am hoping to sneak in some sewing time this week before we head to market!  Share a link to your progress or tag me on Instagram.  And if you have questions, please ask!

Happy Sewing! :-)