Curtain tie backs and beach bags!

My husband had bought me some rope tie-backs.  As you do.  They were really chunky and were perfect for a bag handle especially as they were made out of cotton rather than a synthetic material - so much softer on the hands!

I knew I wanted to make a beach bag, so I did a little research and stumbled upon the perfect pattern.  I even had some stripy IKEA fabric with which to make it!

I love all things navy and white; the nautical look is one I adore!

I even added a gold anchor button to the pocket.

As for those chunky rope handles, I had fun and games trying to figure out how they were going to stay on the fabric.  I ended up dismantling the end of the rope which had a funny little wooden acorn thingy at the bottom.  I then sewed the loop (which dangled from the bottom of the tie-back) onto some fabric over and over.  It wasn't going anywhere, I can tell you! 

Only then did I sew this fabric into a pocket which was attached to the bag.

You'd be surprised how much weight those handles can now take!  Mind you, towels and sun cream don't weigh that much, do they?!

Next...

Seaside shopper

A couple of weeks ago I purchased a few pieces of oilcloth for a new project or three.  I do like working with oilcloth - it's so darned durable once you know how to treat it!

This is the first project that I made - a large seaside shopper:

It's large enough to carry all manner of things home from a shopping expedition - or even a day at the beach!

I decided to bind the inside seams to keep them nice and neat and tidy.

 

And because it's not always easy to find my phone or purse or other important but small items, I added an inside pocket too.

I'm really happy with the way it turned out!

Righto - on to the next project!

The joys of working with Mexican oilcloth

I love working with oilcloth - it's so darned versatile!

I'm still in the 'playing' stage as I've discovered that there's oilcloth and then there's *oilcloth*.

It's a bit like life really - the more I learn about something, the more I realise there is to learn! 

I'd not heard of Mexican oilcloth before I went looking for UK oilcloth suppliers - but look at it - it's so vibrant!  Apparently the floral designs are inspired by traditional 1940s/1950s patterns. 

Here is a hibiscus shopper that I made for a friend:

It's so roomy in there!

The pattern on the back was slightly offset to distinguish it from the front.

The interior seams are taped with green bias binding in order to a) make it look great and b) provide added strength (a tip from my favourite local sewing shop!)

Curtains and Amy Butler bags

Curtains, curtains, curtains - what do you do with yours when you decide to have a new colour scheme in your room?

Well, here's what's been happening in my house...

...another bag <grin>

 

I used a pattern from Amy Butler's Style Stitches book and I absolutely love it!  The bag itself is huuuuuuuuge!  I'm probably going to be using it for days out, beach trips, shopping trips - you name it, I'll be using it!

It's fully lined and interfaced making it very solid so much so that it even stands up on its own when not attended.

I especially loved the design detail on the sides pockets which are enormous too!  I'm thinking I could stash my sunglasses (in their case!) in here...

The interior is rather fabulous too - there are pockets galore for sandy footwear, umbrellas (if you're British!), water bottles - oh, absolutely everything you could possibly need!!

I just love making bags out of preloved fabric!

Happy days!!