A Pencil Case and So Much More!

Last week I showed you this adorable little pencil case from Ithinksew Patterns. 

Well, I made one up and I am in love!

I wanted a bag for my watercolor brushes and this one is perfect. My brushes are longer than the original pattern, so I simply added 4" to the length.  

The bag is fully lined and when open, lays nicely on the table.

I included this picture just to give you an idea of the new length of the bag. Reminds me of a giant tube of toothpaste!!!

The bag is billed as a perfect project for a teenager. Hey, I'm no teenager, but I loved it too. The bag is so fast and easy to put together. If you are teaching someone how to sew, this is a great project. The  zipper is very easy to install and the bag offers just the right amount of sewing time for the beginner. The bag would make great gifts that are quick and easy to make. They would also be great party favors for children. Just lots of possibilities.
Ithinksew did not provide me with the pattern, it's just one that I thought might be fun and since it was on sale, I decided to give it a try. And as it turns out, it was a lot of fun to make and I will be making more. The pattern is on sale until February 27th and you can find it HERE.

The Emily Bag Sew Along Begins and Magazine Winners

I had promised to post the winners of the Sew News magazines yesterday.Sadly, there was a bit of a technical issue on the Sew News blog, so the post didn't get up as soon as they would have liked. But it's up now and here's a link, http://www.sewnews.com/blogs/sewing/2014/10/06/sew-the-emily-bag-form-ithinksew-join-the-first-week-of-the-sew-along-today/

So without further delay....
The winners of the Sew News magazines are
Anne Wambui!!!!

 And Nanc who is listed as Buck Orser!!!

Congratulations ladies!!! Please email me at sewbussted@yahoo.com with your address so I can get the magazines out to you.

I have decided to make 2 new bags during the sew along. I would like to have a really nice shopping bag for my groceries, so I'm going to use these fun prints along with the leather for the handle.

 The second bag will be made with this print and the faux leather.

If you would like to take a look at the video, here it is,


And if you are joining the sew along, be sure to check out the Flickr page, you can find it here, https://www.flickr.com/groups/sn_sewalong5/ We would love to see your fabric choices as well as your progress. I think you are really going to enjoy the sew along and especially the bag!
Happy Sewing!!

The Emily Bag From I Think Sew

Wow, the new sew along on the Sew News blog caught me by surprise as it's coming right on the heels of the Colette Clover Pant Sew Along. Although it's close, I think you are REALLY going to enjoy this one....A LOT!!!! It's the Emily Bag from I Think Sew. I've made 2 and I'm geared up to crank out my third!

Just to prove that I've made 2 ;) Take note that the handle is a little longer on my second bag. I will talk about lengthening the handle in the sew along. The first is great, but I felt that the handle dimensions were just a little too short for sitting comfortably on my shoulder. This is an easy fix.

The bag is quite roomy. I took both with me to the expo last weekend. I used one as my tote for one of my classes and the other, well as you can see, it held more shoes than anyone really needs for 4 days away from home :)

 Just to show you how many shoes were really in the bag. I think I have a problem!!!!

 The first bag was lined with a faux leather and I topstitched all of my seams..

The bag has a great zippered pocket. If you've never inserted a zippered pocket, I encourage you to give it a try as it really isn't that difficult to do and it's a nice addition to the bag.

The second bag was lined with a cotton print.

The bag also has an optional patch pocket. I added the zippered pocket as well as the patch pocket to my second bag. I really like having both.

I made a few changes to the pattern by adding feet. These were purchased at Joann's Fabrics, so easy to find.

I also made a hard bottom for my bag as I wanted it to hold its shape rather than sag when I put my things inside,

 The hard bottom is removable.

 You can find the bag in the October/November issue of Sew News.

I have 2, yes 2!!! magazines to give away, so your chances of winning one is a little better!! Just leave a message on this post and let me know that you would like a chance to win. I will announce the winner on Monday, October 6, 2014. If you have won an issue this year, then you are not eligible. I would like to give everyone a chance to win.
You can find the pattern for the Emily Bag here. It's a downloadable PDF, so instant gratification :) Don't let the PDF put you off on the pattern as there is very little taping to be done.
The bag will make great Christmas presents, so this will give you an opportunity to get a jump on your holiday sewing.
I'll give you a link to the sew along as well as the Flickr page on Monday.