the buttercup bag

Friday, October 30, 2009

If you frequent sewing blogs at all, you've probably seen the free pattern for the buttercup bag, created by Rae of Made by Rae. I tried my hand at it a few months ago with a fat quarter I had laying around. I love the colors in this fabric, and hope that I can find more of it one day. I'd love to build a quilt around these colors!


This first go-round, I didn't have a magnetic snap, so I didn't use any kind of closure at all. Since I was using quilting weight cotton, the bag is pretty floppy. But pretty :) and it went together easily…I only stumbled when it came to sewing the liner to the outside…I have a very hard time getting this step right! Something about how my brain is trying to see the end result, instead of trusting the instructions and just going with it.


It eventually came out just fine. Though I wish I had used brown thread to do the top stitching. It's in the back of my mind to rip it all apart and do the brown one of these days. We'll see.


My mom thought the bag was kind of cute, so when I was visiting her recently, she picked out some fat quarters for me to make one for her. Thanks to this tutorial I found, I decided to attempt a zipper closure. And it really wasn't all that hard. I also added interfacing to the outer fabric so the bag had a bit more substance and didn't just flop everywhere like my attempt number one.



I even made a flower pin to dress it up a bit.


And that's about all I can think of to say about that. :)

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is a huge accomplishment! Yea for you!

I just finished a pair of pajama bottoms from Sew Green - the pattern was a little funky but it worked out in the end. They're a little lower rise than my other pajamas but I may find out that I like that! Certainly no where near the "waist" that Shirley Z measured for me when we were doing your attendant's gowns!

Keep up the sewing inspiration!

Andrea

Janice said...

Love Love Love the bag!!! Floppy and all! :) So all I have to do is send you a fat quarter...?! Lol!

Hopefully our travels will be through Sumter before you are no longer there...

Then again perhaps we will be traveling through the new location!

jen said...

A…I'm cracking up about the "waist" :) I have yet to try any sort of garment (other than altering an existing one)…seems like PJ pants would be a great place to start!

J…2 fat quarters…and let me know which is outside & which is inside! Would love to make one for you :) I've been collecting placemats also…have yet to actually make a bag out of one, though!

Jenny @ Words on Wendhurst said...

Glad you are finding the time to get your craft on! I owe you an email... which I WILL reply to very soon. Promise. :-)

chel said...

very nice! i love the colors.

it also looks like your purse has one strap and mom's has two. is one way simpler than the other?

jen said...

Jenny…looking forward to your email :)

CHeL…that's just the trick photography of shooting the purse while hanging from a mirror!! I did, however, sew my mom's strap in between the liner and the outside…looks much nicer than mine which is just sewn on after putting the liner and outer together.

Melissa Guerin said...

Jen what would it cost to get you to make me one...I love it!!! Glad that you have time to learn about this new talent that you have.

jen said...

Melissa…I'd love to make you one! I can't actually sell them without buying a license to resell the pattern…but if you send me your fabric choices, I can whip one up for you, no problem! I think I've got your emails somewhere…I'll send you some more details :)

Victoria said...

How'd I miss this post? LOVE the bags!!! And people asked you if you'd get bored being a "housewife" - you are truly fulfilling the Prov. 31 ideal.

BTW - still loving my JD bag!:)

JulieMom said...

Love your bags!!! I've made a few bags myself that are bunchy like that, and I love them!! I'm thinking the next time I make one I'll add the interfacing too.

So, you had some tutorials you were going to send me??? :0) Would love them any time you're not too busy!!