Nesting makeup bag tutorial

Today I am sharing my second tutorial with you that I did for the crafters Companion Blog. Hope you like it and feel inspired to make these yourself!

Materials Required:

• Fat quarter bundle
• Heat n bond Vinyl
• Seeded Cotton
• Fusible interfacing
• Debbie Shore button factory kit
• Debbie shore English paper piecing Tumblr shapes
• Zips on a roll

Measurements for cutting outer front and back

Large: x2 11x8 inchs

x2 11x3 inchs

Medium: x2 9x10 inches

Small: x2 7x9 inches

Step 1: Cut out all outer front and back pieces for the Large and medium size bags Using the measurements above.

Step 2: Using the english paper piecing template cut out 5 of each of your 2 chosen fabrics, I use the prym glue marker to fold the fabric around shape. Then hand some 5 of those together alternating the fabric. You should now have two rows with 5 tumblers in each.

Step 3: Cut out the remaining pieces for the front and back of the smallest makeup bag. You shoud now have the the pieces like the picture below.

Step 4 Piece together the sections for the large bag and the small bag like shown in the picture below. This is also the time to add any embelishments to your oter pieces I used the riibon that tied the fat quarters together as a trim and my button factory kit to add a fabric button to the middle of my medium sized bag.

Step 5: Now cut out all the front and back lining pieces so they are the same sizes as the outer pieces.

Step 6: Now it's time for the vinyl. Cut out a piece the same size of each front and back. (so you should have 6 piees) Follow the instruction on the heat and bond to make your fabric washable!

Step 7: You now need to cut out your fusible interfacing for each piece of lining and adhere them on to the lining pices using no steam and on a medium heat.

Step 8: Cut the zips off your zips on a roll so they are slighty wider than the fabric, this makes is easier to sew so the slider doesn't get in the way.

Step 9: To attatch your zip get the outer front of your makeup bag, and place the zip tape right side down onto the right side of your fabric and sew, Repeat with the back piece sewing the right side of the zip to the right side of the fabric.

Step 10: This is where it may get tricky. Hold the zip in your hand so that both outer pieces are facing down and right side together, Now place one piece of the linig over the zip so the right side is facing the wrong side of the zip and sew across ( you will notice that your sewing over where you have already sewn the outer piece) Now repeat for the other side of the zip tape right side of the lining facing the wrong side of the zipper.

And when it's flipped the right way it should look like the photo above.

Step 11: Bring your outer front and back pieces so they are right side facing and the lining pieces so they are right side facing. Sew all way around the four sides leaving a gap in the bootom of the lining for turning through.

Step 12: On all four corners pinch the material so that the side and bottom seams meet to form a triangle and measure 1.5 inches from the top point and sew along that line. You can cut away the excess material above the seems when you have finished.

Step 13: turn the bag so they are right side out through the gap that you left. Making sure all the corners are nice and crisp. You can then sew the gap up that you left. Push the lining inside your bag and thats it ! Finished. Repeat these steps for sewing up on all of your makeup bags.

Crafters companion- January projects- Try a new technique.

Hi everyone

So as promised here is what I have been making for my January projects for Crafters companion.

This time we where asked to try a new technique. Now over the past year or so I have tried out many techniques that I hadn't before such as English paper piecing but the one thing I have never tried and always thought to be quite scary was free motion embroidery or free machine embroidery which ever one you want to call it. I thought it was about time I had a go so I lowered the feed dogs on my machine and off I went. I don't know why I found the thought of it so scary. Safe to say I can't stop now and want to add it into as many projects as possible.

I only did a small project as I wasn't sure how my free motion skills would be. So decided to make a fabric covered notebook. 

I used the threaders ditsy floral fat quarters these fat quarters work so well for many projects I always want to have these in my stash!

I then used Debbie Shores heart nesting die for the little hearts and free motioned these on along with free motioning my name on there too.

To finish it off I used Debbie Shores Rose flower applique and cut this out in white felt and popped a pink button in the middle to give it a bit of colour. 

I hope this inspires you to try a new technique this year. I'd love to know what it is you want to try.

See below for products I have used.

Threaders Ditsy floral fat quarter bundle 

Debbie Shore heart frame die

Debbie Shore rose flower die

Crafters Companion- July- Extra Project- Wine Bottle Holder

Because I love sewing! I decided I was going to make a few extra projects for July. I decided to make a project out of sew inspire issue 4. There is so many projects in there and it was hard to chooses which one I wanted to make. I decided to go with the wine bottle holder and make it very summery.

I used fabric I had left over from The cotton craft co pastel patchwork pink fat quarters and some wadding I had lying around. 

I also Used my Debbie Shore heart frame die to put some appliqué on the bottom.

This project was quick and easy, I would say the hardest part was the binding around the top.

I love how it turned out and love that the fabrics I used give it a lovely summery theme!

The cotton craft co pastel patchwork pink fat quarters 

Debbie Shore fabric dies heart frame

Sew inspired- Issue 2- Fold away shopping bag

A couple of weeks ago I made these fold away shopping bags that are from sew inspired magazine, issue 2.

I first made myself one and ended up using it loads. It's great to just pop in your bag or even keep it in your car and the next time you end up bobbing to the supermarket you know your not going to get caught out with a 5p carrier bag charge.

I then went on to make a couple more, there a great project because it uses calico, which isn't expensive and I tend to always have it in my stash. Then the pocket parts I used fat quarters but I had loads left over!

Another good thing about this make is that when the bag is folded out the pocket is on the front and is usable.

I thought these would be a good edition to my products that I sell! I have these along with lots of other Debbie Shore projects www.facebook.com/emibdesigns

The fabric I used comes from my local fabric/quilt shop www.ohsewsweetshop.co.uk

More fabric shopping

Today me and my mum went fabric shopping at oh sew sweet shop again but this time at their Wombwell shop.

I went knowing exactly what I wanted to make so that I knew how much fabric was needed.

I am wanting to have a go at making the sew together bags that seem to be very popular within the sewing world.

My first choice was the beautiful metalic butterfly fabric in the first picture, this is for the outer of the bag,  I then chose three contrasting colours in a print but as you can see they are all the same print.

I then didn't know what to choose for another sew together bag as I was spoiled for choice but as I was at the cutting table I saw some fabric that they had just got in and they where cutting them into fat quarters. The fabric is by Lewis and Irene and as you can see in the second and third picture they have a Chinese new year theme to them which I thought was different and I adore the fabric with the pandas on.

Lastly, I needed interfacing and was shown a new interfacing that has diagonal quilting lines on as a guide for quilting so I thought I could quilt the outer of my bags !

So that was all I bought today but I know I will be going back for more fabric very soon. Keep popping back to my blog as I will most deffinatly be blogging about my sew together bags.

If you would like to check out oh sew sweet shop please find their online shop below.

www.ohsewsweetshop.co.uk

Debbie shore charlie bags

A couple of days ago I had a go at making the Debbie Shore charlie makeup/toiletry bag. I believe this pattern is from the bags galore cd rom but also comes free on a learn to sew cd rom from issue 1 of sew inspired magazine.

I can't belive how easy these where to sew especially when they look so effective.

I used the fabric that I showed in my last blog post and the two contrasting fabrics look fab so much better than if you where to use just the one fabric.

The red makeup bag I used a regular Wadding and because of the wide bottom it does stand up slightly. The pink makeup bag I used bosal foam and that stands up perfectly so for anyone wanting to make these I would reccomend using that.

Tomrrow I am planning on making a bag from the high style handbags cd rom so I will blog about that when I'm finished.

How to make your own Sewing Projects Folder

Todays post is all about gathering sewing tutorials from off the internet or even in magazines and compiling them into a folder and organising them into catagories so you have somewhere to look when your lacking inspiration. 




First off your going to need a folder/binder. I believe mine is from paperchase a while back now but theres always loads of pretty ones you can get. You could even buy a plan one and decorate it yourself. 

Then you want to start getting your tutorials together whether its something you have seen online and you print it off or something you have tore out of a magazine, it could even just be picture of something you would like to remind yourself to make. 

I then sorted out mine into categories went into a word document and made some title pages so I could organise behind them. My categories are bags, accessories, homewares, Fat quarter and scrap projects and christmas. It all depends on what you have and you can always add as you go along. 

It's as easy as that but thats how I organise my inspiration.