Watch for samples here on the blog for the next week or so. I've got some end of summer tidying up going on and have a collected a small stack of sample sale items.
First up is a Grocery Bag made from a lightweight pinstripe denim. Sold - thanks! This fabric is only about an ounce heavier than quilting cotton, so this is not a heavy denim bag.
This is the large size in the pattern and it is lined in Rifle Paper Co's "Rosa" print in periwinkle.
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Here is another patchwork version of the medium Grocery Bag and it turned out so great! I'm very pleased with the overall look and how these patches turned out.
I've made a lot of Grocery Bags in patchwork (see info about making these in this post), but after making the first one with raw edges I started making them from pieced patchwork. Raw edges aren't really my personal favorite. I think they look neat and someday I would like to make another bag like the first one, but in general, I like the fabric edges finished off in some way.
So this bag was an experiment to go back to something like the style of the first one, but with patches with more finished edges.
Sample Patches
While I was making the patchwork panels, I was reminded how tricky it can be to pick patchwork fabrics! It's easy to do a bit of agonizing over what to use together. It doesn't really help that everything doesn't really come together until you finish up the bag so there can be some second guessing on the fabric choices.
Then there is the issue of just having a number of fabrics that will work together. I think most of us sewing accessories think more in terms of needing two fabrics that work well together--exterior and lining. When you need 7-9-or even more fabrics to make a pleasing combination, sometimes we just don't have them in our stash.
With that in mind, and the large collection of fabric I gathered during the lock down years, I decided this summer I'd put together patchwork kits and make them available so people will have a fun mix fabrics they'll feel confident using together to make something in patchwork that is both cute and interesting. Watch for the kits later this summer.
Since people might need some ideas for making the patches, first I'll do a couple posts about making different styles of patches. So today let's go over how I make these applique style patches with the turned under edges!
If you can cut a straight enough--doesn't need to be perfect--edge and don't have specific dimension in mind, feel free to freehand cut the interfacing. If you need help getting the edges straight, or want the patch a certain size, use a fabric marking pen and ruler/straight edge of some sort, or rotary cutter and mat, to help you cut the interfacing pieces.
Following the interfacing manufacturer instructions fuse the interfacing to the section of fabric you want to feature in your patch. I'm using Pellon SF101 woven cotton interfacing, which is my go to interfacing for just about everything.
Cut out the patch leaving a 3/8" - 1/2" margin of fabric all the way around the interfacing. Unless your cutting is messy, there's no need to cut perfectly straight edges here, so just eyeball it and cut around the patch.
P.S. The scissors in the photo are my favorite patchwork scissors! They are razor sharp, ergonomic, and just plain awesome. They aren't going to last a lifetime like stainless steel scissors, but they are still well worth having. You can see in the photo the plastic is stained with blue dye from all the denim I cut, the orange on the handles is fading, and eventually the spring will wear out, but they'll last a few years and are just fantastic scissors. Because they are scary sharp, I keep them closed at all times when I'm not using them.
Using the edge of the interfacing as the guide, press the fabric edges to the WS of the patch.
At each corner, hold the fabric in place with small pieces of Wonder Tape. Leave the backing on for now and then the patches can be arranged and rearranged until you decide on a layout (tip: take a picture of your layout to use as a reference). When it's time to stitch the patches down, take the backing off and the tape will hold the patch in place and you can skip the pins.
That's it for today. Stay tuned for more posts about patches--including ways to attach them to the fabric.
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Today there is not one, but two sample sale bags up for grabs. Take one, or take them both, if you like. There aren't really any rules.
Both are made from a cotton/linen canvas called Juliet Rose, which I think is out of print and getting a little hard to find. They are lined in Kona cotton in a color called Dragonfruit, which is my favorite hot pink. They are the smallest size in the Grocery Bag pattern, so there are quite small but still quite useful. I have two of these small ones in these fabulous cotton/linen fabrics and often use them as a purse.
- - - Sold out - Thanks! - - -
Juliet Rose in Black
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Affiliate Disclosure: The link in #3 below is an affiliate link.
Just a quick note to let you know the acrylic templates for the Grocery Bag handles are back in stock!
You can find the templates in three places:
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It's been a long time since I've posted a sample for sale so let's rectify that with this denim Grocery Bag.
In case you are wondering, the sample sale items are things I didn't list for sale in either my etsy shop or website. Sometimes I set them aside to post to one or the other, or both, and then well, it just doesn't happen! In the past, I shared them regularly here but fell out of the habit somewhere along the way.
So this bag is the large size in the pattern. The large size isn't huge since this pattern is designed for quilting cotton fabric that is 42" or so inches wide. But it's big enough and gets heavy when full. The denim ones are super sturdy and great for cans and jars.
The exterior fabric is a hickory stripe denim. A fat quarter--which is NOT enough for one of these bags--is available here and there is a link to a shop with yardage of this fabric in this blog post. I think she's taking a break right now, but hopefully will be back.
The lining is this fabric from Sevenberry for Robert Kaufman.
This bag is $15 + $5 flat rate shipping (US). Order it using the cart buttons below. Sold - thanks! These buttons go to the cart used for my website and shipping is a flat $5, so you can add other things to the cart, if you'd like. Just as an FYI, postage rates went up again last weekend so I've gone back to calculated by weight shipping on etsy. Eventually I'll do this on my website too, but it's more complicated to switch there so it could be some time. In both places there is still free shipping at $50.
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Acrylic Templates for Grocery Bag Handles
Are you planning to make Grocery Bags for Christmas and other holiday gifts this year? If you are, there are several new items perfect for sewing these bags.
First, check out the new acrylic templates for the handles. They are awesome and for those of you who consider the Grocery Bags one of your go to patterns for gift making, or if you make these bags to sell, or just make a lot of them, you'll love having these templates.
Then, take a look at these lovely, fruity cotton/linen blend fabrics from the Under the Apple Tree collection by Loes Van Oosten for Cotton + Steel.
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