A Gothic Prarie?

I fell in love with this fabric when I first saw it a year or so ago. The Needle Shop was having a sale to introduce costumers to their new space, so I thought I would go and check it out. I bought the fabric with no idea of what I would like to do with it, I just loved it. Once I got it home, I decided to do a skirt with a pleat down the back that I would lace closed, but leave it open enough for walking ability. The Needle shop was having another sale a month or so ago, so of course I had to check it out. While I was there I found a remnant of the same fabric and this bag pattern from Amy Butler. I put it together earlier this week, and I am in love with this bag.

It's fairly easy to put together. What I do like about the Amy Butler patterns is that she assumes that you know very little about sewing, so every step is explained quite well. What I found is that if you follow the instructions, your bag will turn out just like the picture. I did make a couple of changes, I decided to use an invisible zipper instead of the one that the pattern called for and I omitted the plastic from the bottom of the bag and have decided to attach purse feet instead. I think it gives the bag a much more professional look. I also used chip board inside the bag to give the bottom a much more solid feel. You can get chip board at an art suppy store. It comes in two different weights. I used the lighter weight. Just measure the bottom of your bag, and then cut the chip board and put it in the bottom of your bag.

Until I started working on the fabric, I only new that I liked it, and then I saw the name of the fabric on the selvage edge, "Prarie Gothic." At first I thought, what a strange name and then as I looked at the fabric, I realized why the artist chose this name. All the images in the fabric are from the prarie, spyders, thistles, moths. And then the goth has to do with the colors that were chosen. It's really a great piece of fabric.

If you're interested in some great cottons, take a trip over to the Needle Shop. They are located at 2054 W. Charleston. Charleston is south of Fullerton. Charleston is a one-way street going west off of Damen. There cottons are fun and funky. They also have decorator width fabrics for the home. If you do make the trip over, check out Soutache which is on Damen. She has the most wonderful shop. It's truly a delight, ribbons, ribbons, and ribbons. She is also carrying a great suppy of buttons. I found the absolute perfect vintage buttons for an outfit that I did last year. You can also take a class and learn to make these beautiful flower pins.

I made these last year and I find that they look great on so many things. The orange and yellow one I wear on an orange coat that I made and the pin looks like I have a little bit of sunshine on my chest.

Chicago is such a wonderful place to live and we have such wonderful resources for our creativity, but the only way we are going to continue to have these resources is if we support the retailers. So get out and enjoy the resources we have available to us.