Success !

Yay!!! After receiving two A grades in my English GCSE and being so over the moon with my results, I had almost forgotten that the end of the summer holidays is near *gasping sound* and I should probably start organising my equipment ( and other school-ish things) for next year.

In other words, I need a school bag to carry all of my unnecessarily heavy books and folders.

Just like shopping for school shoes at the very end of the holidays in shops packed with moaning kids not wanting to try on anything because they 'never want to set foot in that prison of a school ever again' , I don't like buying school bags at the last minute. Shopping should be fun, not stressful and tedious.

Right, enough of me going on and on about the dreaded subject of school shopping.

This is my vision:

 



 

So in my picture I've used the same measurements as the bag in the Craftseller magazine Issue 21: 40cm x 8cm x 30cm (L x W x H)

The bag will have an inner zip pocket which measures 6 inches, two rectangular rings to attach the strap to the bag, an adjustable ring to adjust the length of the strap and four pieces of Velcro to fold the flap onto the bag.

 

I have collected most of the 'ingredients' needed to make this bag, with the exception of the interfacing and the rectangular rings.

 

 

I have a ready made strap from my previous school bag (I loved that bag...) and some pretty city fabric by 'patty young for Michael Miller'. I'll use that fabric for the flap and the inside pockets.

I also have some thick grey cotton. Heavy-weight cotton - I guess - I'm not very good with the technical terms.

 

 

Hmmm...I bet you didn't think I took that picture with my nose ( maybe...probably...)

 

 

Anyway, confession time...I don't know how to make this bag. I mean it seems kind of straight- forward to make but I keep getting confused about how to construct it, also I've never sewn an inner zip pocket! Sure, I've sewn a countless amount of zips before, just never a pocket zip.

I found a great tutorial for that though over at Pretty Prudent.

 

I should get on alright with this project but just in case, feel free to post a comment including a link with an easy to understand tutorial for a messenger bag. ( I have looked for some tutorials, and they are all very good, but I need a tutorial that shows me how to add all of the features I have thought of for this bag.)

 

Thanks guys

 

Happy Crafting xxx

 

TLZ

 

 

 

 

London Baby !

So, in celebration of the birth of the Royal Baby, I have been creating London themed gifts for the home and for babies.

 

 

Presenting the Baby Cot Quilt and the Patchwork Baby Bib:

(And also a London purse and a set of four Patchwork Placemats)

 

 

 

The inspiration for the bib came from a blog called Sew She Sews, and if you are interested in making one for you or a friend, just hop on over to this clear and easy to follow tutorial.

 

 

 

Yesterday I gave this one as a gift to my cousin Archie.

Today I will give another one to my other cousin Sienna.

This one...

 

Remember to 'pin' these gift ideas onto Pinterest if you like the look of them.

 

Happy Crafting :D

 

TLZ