Category Archives: bags

Party Sewing

Posted on March 20, 2011 by Janice| Leave a comment

Note the ever popular Happy Birthday tablecloth. Several years ago I made 3 or 4 of these. They have been through more parties than Thomas has been through tunnels.

The birthday boy chugs a cold one as he admires his birthday balloons.

Alastair’s Two-toot birthday party was a big hit with the children and as well as the adults. The cupcake train delighted everyone and was so easy to make. Typical of Florida spring, the sun shone brightly and a gulf coast breeze kept everyone comfortable.

My daughter Rebecca and I made the cupcakes and built the train cars the night before the party. A Thomas train engine pulled flatbed cars loaded with cupcakes.

The train cars were built with a stack of two graham crackers with buttercream frosting holding them firmly together.

Other graham crackers were broken into “sticks” and stacked three high for the axels, with mini Oreo wheels. Gum drops served as hitches between the cars.

We all enjoyed watching 2 1/2 year old Ethan surreptitiously pull an Oreo wheel from the train and pop it into his mouth. His mother scolded, but Rebecca assured her that the flatbed cars were there for the children to enjoy, just like the cupcakes and their teepee train bags. Continue reading →

→ Leave a comment

Posted in bags, boys, clothing, hairbows, home dec, machine embroidery, Nana fun, party accessories and ideas

Two-toot!

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Janice| 1 Comment

Sewing for Alastair’s upcoming second birthday party is such fun. I’ve only just begun and I am glad to have another week to sew for this gala affair.

I really like the look of these prominently displayed zipper teeth beneath the train wheels, but I only had one zipper of this style on hand.

A few of the “boy” teepee goodie bag favors are sewn up and I am working on the girl version in more feminine colors.

As usual, a simple little project turned into something more time consuming. I chose the pillow ticking fabric because it reminds me of traditional engineer bib overalls, worn by little guys (and train engineers) for ages. Until he was six, our son had a new pair every year because he wore them out as he explored every inch of our three acres, climbing trees and digging “forts” under the cascading bridal wreath spirea by the clothesline. It makes me grin every time I see Alastair wearing this same garb, 35 years later.

For the festivities, Alastair will be wearing his overalls along with a matching cap, both of which I plan to embroider with “Amtrak.” There is also a red bandana to tie around his neck, but we’re not sure he is going to be enthusiastic about that. Continue reading →

→ 1 Comment

Posted in bags, button machine, machine embroidery, Nana fun, party accessories and ideas

Sewing Bag

Posted on February 22, 2011 by Janice| 4 Comments

Note the shading on the tree trunk.

This is the most incredibly beautiful bag I have ever seen. It was displayed at the fashion show at Sewing at the Beach in Myrtle Beach a few weeks ago.

It was a class project somewhere in the South–I’m sorry I didn’t get the details. But I do know they met weekly for some time and learned a new technique at each class. That technique, then, was applied to a section of the bag. After a number of weeks, the bag was complete.

The design, workmanship and detail are just breathtaking, and more so in person than these woefully inadequate pictures can convey.

The topiary to the right of the front door features a variety of silk ribbon embroidery stitches. The life-like climbing roses over the door and across the front of the house motivated me to feed my climbers this week.

And just look at that basket of flowers! Oh, my! And in each window is a little rabbit, carefully selected and cut from novelty fabric. Benny the Bunny Butler, a button cottontail, sits at the front door, ready to greet guests. Surely, a responsible party is monitoring these hares or all the blossoms would be gnawed to the ground.

The details around the tree are intriguing, from the community of bird houses to a garden art angel to a bee hive on the ground. A tiny button bird is perched in the tree, undoubtedly singing a glorious springtime tune.

Just beyond the house on the right side a guest is arriving, most likely for a quilting bee. Beneath a three dimensional straw hat, a her braid swings as she scurries through the butterflies fluttering in the air. The elaborately embroidered and beaded bag over her arm carries a thimble. At her feet rests a large tote, equal to the thimble bag in glorious, meticulous embroidery. It must be heavy with a charm squares to trade and a quilt top ready for her tiny 12-to-the-inch stitches. And probably a bag of chocolates in a zip lock. Continue reading →

→ 4 Comments

Posted in bags, hand embroidery

Pyramid Bag for Jr. Archeologist

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Janice| 3 Comments

pyramid bag with miniature sphinx embroidery

Robert, 5, absolutely loves the Playmobil pyramid he got for Christmas. His mother, however, has bemoaned the fact that it has more pieces/parts than the Eiffel Tower. Each panel can be removed to reveal hidden chambers, staircases, trap doors, tombs, servants, and more.

How well I remember helping Robert’s father, our son Ryan, search the house for the many pieces to his Fisher-Price farm and two story garage. With that memory and the ease of making a standard teepee bag, I stitched this up in a hurry for my precious grandson. So this bag, made from the basic teepee bag pattern, now holds the sarcophagus and treasures of his pyramid.

Actually, I had made ponchos for Laurel and her doll and needed something for Robert. It was late when I finished the ponchos and I wanted to shut down my sewing room and go to bed. But duty called. I needed to make something in a hurry for Robert, so the bag came to mind at once. Of course, it’s pyramid shape seemed especially appropriate for Robert. Continue reading →

→ 3 Comments

Posted in bags, machine embroidery

Dance Bag

Posted on December 29, 2010 by Janice| Leave a comment

One of Laurel’s Christmas gifts was this new dance bag. Almost three years ago, I embroidered a sweet pink bag with pastel ballerinas. Dirty and stained, it apparently has long since passed its expiration date.

Laurel’s 6 year old taste has gone over to the wild side, likely the result of glitzy marketing that targets her age group. Though I prefer the look and mood of the old bag, I have to remind myself that I am sewing for Laurel.

The shiny, new, waterproof, black bag should be impervious to stains, like the huge red blotch brought on by a leaking bottle of Gatorade that she planned to finish after dance class.

Continue reading →

→ Leave a comment

Posted in bags, embroidery blanks, machine embroidery

Margaret Tully Sews

Posted on October 19, 2010 by Janice| 2 Comments

This past weekend Margaret Tully taught a class at the Sewing Garret in South Daytona. As always, she was delightfully entertaining while she teaching her students fabulous techniques and tips.

I was unable to stay for the sit and sew portion, but snapped these pictures of some of her inspiring samples.

Margaret is best known for her serging expertise, but she is equally adept with sewing. The creativity and variety of her samples shows just how diverse her talents are. Continue reading →

→ 2 Comments

Posted in baby accessories, bags, heirloom sewing, home dec, linen blanks, machine embroidery, serger, techniques, uncategorized

More Bulto Baby

Posted on October 15, 2010 by Janice| 1 Comment

It seems that Haydee, one of my friends in Puerto Rico, has taken or taught another Bulto Baby bag class in San Juan (see earlier post (Bulto Baby). Recently, she shared these pictures of three more spunky bags. At least one of these, the BLAH BLAH BLAH bag on the left, appears to have been redesigned for use as a general purpose bag, rather than diaper tote.

How cute is this BLAH BLAH BLAH fabric?? (enlarge photo on left) It would make anyone smile.

The pattern for these bags is from Kati Cupcake Pattern Co.

Continue reading →

→ 1 Comment

Posted in baby accessories, bags

Bulto Bebe–Bags in Puerto Rico

Posted on October 7, 2010 by Janice| 8 Comments

UPDATE: For those who inquired, Haydee tells me that the pattern is from katicupcake, My Favorite Bag

My talented friend Haydee who lives in Puerto Rico just sent these photos of wonderful bags. Though you would never know it by looking at her finished projects, Haydee is relatively new to sewing and takes many classes. Apparently, these bags were made in one of the sewing classes in which she was enrolled.

I’m not exactly sure what her message was, as my she speaks no English an my entire Spanish vocabulary consists of “hello”, ”good bye” and “Where is the bathroom?” But I THINK these are baby diaper bags and she is encouraging her friends to sign up for a subsequent heirloom sewing class.

Haydee’s note is posted below in the hope that a Spanish speaking reader can translate for me.

“Hola chicas: les incluyo fotos de la clase de bulto de bebe, o de costura, todas escogieron una variedad de combinaciones para sus proyectos y les quedaron espectaculares.

La clase se esta ofreciendo en Heirloom, los jueves llama y reserva tu espacio.” Continue reading →

→ 8 Comments

Posted in baby accessories, bags

Ladybug Garment Bag

Posted on September 14, 2010 by Janice| 2 Comments

Freckles wants Judy to stay home!

We arrived home last night about 10 p.m. after the 12 hour drive from the mountains. I am still exhausted. There is no joy greater than spending quality time with my three grandchildren, but there is no greater Nana energy drain than my three grandchildren. So once again, I am relying on the beautiful projects of my dear friend, Judy, for a post.

This is a really neat project, done with Judy’s universal good taste and excellent workmanship.

I love the way she took two totally unrelated items and brought them into the same family. This surely looks like an expensive matched set to me.

I’ll let her tell you about it.

**************************

Ladybug garment bag–I purchased a plain black garment bag to embroider to match my ladybug luggage. I did the monogram in Masterworks II. The ladybug on the leaf is a BabyLock design which I sized it larger in Designer’s Gallery SizeWorks.

The design was stitched on my BabyLock BMP8 with adhesive stabilizer in the hoop. The bag was floated over the hoop and basted to the stabilizer instead of actually hooping the bag.

→ 2 Comments

Posted in bags, Judy Day's creations, machine embroidery, uncategorized

Cabin Loft Bag

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Janice| Leave a comment

Our mountain cabin has a cozy hideaway loft. Children love it and so do I.

Often, on a cold or rainy day, I’ll climb up there to read or do hand work. With a cup of Constant Comment orange spice tea and a smocking or shadow work project, I feel so snug.