My Bags Are Packed!

The final post for the Sew News Grainline Studio Portside Travel Set sew along is up on the Sew News blog and you can find it HERE. 

I had such a good time putting the bags together. And even better, I now have 2 sets to choose from. So depending on my mood....or my traveling outfit ;), I'm all set.  Believe it or not, I actually have a pair of boots that match the first set I made!!! Now that's coordination :)

My finished sew along set below. I am super pleased with how the bags turned out. Love the distressed leather and how well the Amy Butler fabric coordinates with it.

In the post, I did my best to walk you step by step through the process of creating the adjustable strap.

It's just a bit tricky, just give it a try and I think you'll figure it out.

Christmas is just around the corner, and since the bags are great for men and women alike, and since they go together so quickly and easily, you just might want to consider doing a few as gifts. But then, you might be like me and just decide to keep them all for yourself!!!

If by chance you would like to make the bags up at a later date, here are the links to the sew along posts,
Week 1 HERE
Week 2 HERE
Week 3 HERE
Week 4 HERE

Thanks so much for following along.
Rhonda

The Grainline Travel Set Duffle Bag

Until I started working on the Grainline Studio Portside Travel Set for Sew News, I had no idea how much fun it could be. As I said last week, I am now addicted to making the little dopp bags. They are fast, easy to make, and they are so cute once finished. Guess what my husband is getting for Christmas. Shhh, don't tell him ;) I've watched how he looks at the 2 that I have made so far and I can tell that he would really like to have one, but doesn't want to ask. So it will be a nice surprise unless he reads this post!!!

In the inspiration post I did a few weeks back, I showed you how the sky is really the limit when it comes to making your own duffle bag. It can be sleek and sophisticated, or as unique as the one I showed you that was made out an old coffee sack. 

I purchased the fabric below at a little shop here in Chicago called The Needle Shop. It's a small shop, but they have some wonderful pieces. The embossed faux leather was a piece that I purchased at a home dec store in Houston, Texas. If you are ever in Houston, be sure to check out some of the home dec fabric stores as they are amazing. Home dec fabric stores can be a great fabric resource for bags, coats, jackets and even skirts.

The Portside duffle bag is well designed and I especially like the fact that you are instructed to stitch over the webbing and create handles. If really gives the hand a break when carrying the bag.

The bag also features a great side pocket, perfect for storing things that you need quickly, like a boarding pass. And you'll see that creating the pocket is an absolutely no fail process. I really like no fail processes :)

In this week's sew along post, we are putting the duffle bag together. As you can see, it's basically a layering process, so it goes together very systematically, i.e., no fail!  

If you choose a fabric with a pattern, it's really quite easy to keep the pattern aligned as you insert the zipper.

You can find this week's sew along post HERE on the Sew News blog. And if you have not picked up your pattern, you can find it HERE.
Happy Sewing!
Rhonda

Make a Dopp Bag That Will Not Only Impress Your Friends, But Even You!!!

Happy Wednesday Everyone!
I am actually on Monhegan Island, Maine this week and loving every minute of being here. We are having the most incredible weather. I'm hiking, going to yoga classes and knitting. I'll post a little more about my experience here tomorrow.
As you know, the current sew along for Sew News is the Grainline Studio Portside Travel Set. I am not exaggerating when I say that I am hooked on making the dopp bag. It is such a fun project and so gratifying. I have now made 2 and I just can't help but admire my work!!! So if nothing more, give the dopp bag a try.
I used a faux leather for the first dopp bag that I made. A great material to use as you won't worry about sitting the bag on a wet surface since you can just wipe it dry.

I decided to use leather for my second dopp bag. I had both the leather and the Amy Butler home dec print. I think I must have been a cowboy in another life as I love my boots and I love distressed leather!
The sew along begins with the pouch as it is so very easy to make and a great place to start and build confidence if you've never made a bag like this before. From the pouch, we move directly into the dopp bag.

You can find the sew along post HERE on the Sew News blog. Next week we'll jump into making the duffle bag. It too is fun to make, but there's just something special about the dopp bag. Make one and you'll see ;)  

The Portside Travel Set Sew Along Begins With a Surprise

Happy Tuesday Everyone!!! For those of you here in America, I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend. It was glorious being in Chicago this past weekend as it felt like everyone left the city!  

Now that the Labor Day holiday is behind us, school has started, and summer is basically over, it's time to start a new project, so how about the Portside Travel Set from Grainline Studio? 

The pattern includes;

*Duffle Bag

*Dopp Bag

*Travel Pouch 

Week 1 of the sew along is now up on the Sew News blog and you can find the post HERE. 

To kick off the sew along, Jen of Grainline Studio has generously offered to give away a Portside Travel Set pattern!!!! And it gets even better, the winner will be given the choice of a printed pattern or a PDF. So for those of you who hate to tape patterns together, you're in luck :)

So here's the deal, 

1. Leave a message on this post 

2. You must be a follower of this blog. In your comments, let me know how you follow.

I will draw a winner on Friday September 11, 2015.  

Good Luck!!!!!

The Winners and a Sneak Preview

My apologies for not posting the Sew News magazine winners yesterday, but better late than never!!

So here are the 4 lucky ladies;
Shelia

 Elleegeemakes.com

Joi Bostic

and Mary Ellen

Congratulations ladies!!!

Be sure to email me ASAP with your addresses so I can get your magazines in the mail. My email address is sewbussted@yahoo.com

Now for a little sneak peek at the fabric that I'll be using to make the bags for the sew along.

I have a few fun ideas for the bags that will give you some options that you might enjoy incorporating into your bags. Be sure to check out tomorrow's Monday Morning Inspiration post as I'll be showcasing duffle bag ideas.

In the meantime, check out all of the super cute Grainline Studio patterns.

Hope you're having a fabulous weekend!!!

Rhonda 

On The Cover and Celebrating

It's not everyday that a girl gets her handmade items on the cover of a magazine!!! I actually found out by accident as Sew News never mentioned that they had chosen the bags for the cover. A picture of the August/September cover came up on the Sew News website and low and behold, there were the bags. Fun! In case you missed the previous post, the bags are from Grainline Studio and they are the Portside Travel Collection.

So, for those of you who have followed the blog for more than a minute, you know that I love nothing more than being able to share the joy. Sew News graciously gave me 4 copies of the magazine to share with those of you who drop by the blog. Well, to be honest, they gave me 5 issues, but selfish me, I'm keeping 1 for myself :) 

Of course I'm a little partial, but it is a fun issue. There's a super cute clutch pattern. It's a free pattern until the end of September. You can find and download the pattern HERE.

 For those of you who enjoy painting and embellishing fabric, there's a fun article on stamping.

The beautiful wooden stamps are hand carved and for sale in the Sew News store. You can find them HERE. I have a vintage wooden stamp that I actually use as decortive art in my home. So the stamps make lovely artistic pieces when not in use.

The drill will be the usual;
1.You must be a follower of this blog. Let me know in the comment section how you follow the blog, email, Bloglovin, Feedly, etc.
2.And of course, just leave a comment and let me know that you would like to be in the running. 
I will draw 4 names on Saturday, August 15, 2015, so be sure to stop back by and see if you won!
Good Luck!!! Maybe my good fortune will rub off on you :)

My Portside Travel Collection Makes The Cover!

I was so excited when I found out that the bags I made for the upcoming Sew News Sew Along made the cover of the magazine. What an honor! The bags are the Portside Travel Collection from Grainline Studio. 

I thought I would share a few of the pictures that I took in preparation of the article. The bags were a blast to put together. The fabric that I used was purchased at The Needle Shop in Chicago. I have had someone inquire about the fabric, so I went to the website and sadly, I didn't find it. The sew along will not begin until sometime in September. In the next week, I will pop over to the store and ask the owner if by chance the fabric is still available. If it is, I'll be sure to let you know. Check out the website though as there are a number of fabrics that would be fabulous for this collection. 

The dopp bag and the bottom of the duffle were done in a faux crocodile embossed leather. Be sure to check out the home dec department at your local fabric store as they are now carrying some great faux leathers.

I had some turquoise and coral on hand, so I made little zipper pulls.

The dopp bag is fully lined. It also features a great side pocket for combs, or any other flat items that you might like to easily find.

The set also features a travel pouch. I recommend making more than 1. The pouch is great for passports, cords, or even delicate things that might get snagged in your bag.

When preparing for the set, I found this great webbing for the handles and straps.

And I was able to pull it all together with black hardware. For those of you in America, the webbing and the black hardware came from Joann's Fabrics.

The duffle bag is very roomy. Once I finished it, I thought I would check out just how much I could get in the bag. Believe it or not, it will hold a week's worth of clothes. But....if you are like me and take 10 pairs of shoes for a five day trip, it might be a little tight ;)  

The duffle also features a side pocket on either side of the bag, great for stashing your boarding pass. 

If you would like to purchase a paper pattern, you can find it HERE on the Sew News website. If you prefer a PDF pattern, you can find it HERE on the Grainline Studio website.
Hope to have you join me in September for the sew along. I think it's going to be especially fun!