"Round my hometown, memories are fresh" - Adele
I had this song in my head the entire time I was sewing this bag. Is anyone else an Adele fan? I love her...!
Something else I love? The hometown line. I've had a few FQ's for a while now, some of which I used up in my table runner... but when I hit up the LQS at the weekend I got the "wanties" pretty bad for a bit more. They also had a pattern for a reversible tote bag, which, even though I bought the pattern, I probably didnt need to... The pattern is so simple! But being a bag making newbie, I thought I would buy it anyway (you can find the pattern online here if you are interested). The link didn't work in IE (Thanks Trudi!). You'll just have to go to the stores website and use the search facility. Type "tote bag" and its the last result.
The pattern suggests you use home dec weight fabric, but this was £18.95 a meter at my LQS. My wallet gave a little shriek of horror and begged me to work out an alternative. So I bought just normal quilters weight cotton (still £11.95 a meter mind you!) and used some of the 6 yards of medium weight iron on interfacing I have left at home. I had massively over ordered for a previous project, but at 99p a yard, who's counting!
I think this actually gives a nicer finish than the sample they had stitched up in the shop... It's a lot less stiff, and the hometown fabrics have a slight sheen to them which is lost in the home dec weight stuff. Maybe for the next one (I bought enough for 2), I might try some fusible fleece. I hear great things and I haven't really tried it to its full potential yet.
The little birds are machine appliquéd with my machine's blanket stitch function... I should have used heat n bond, or wonderweb or something as well but I couldn't find it anywhere when I tried. I think thats a sign I need to clean out my craft drawers.
I also really like the subtle detail of the reinforcement stitching around the handles. The whole bag has a pretty nautical theme, which as you may or may not know, is right up my street!
Anyway, this little number is headed onto the Christmas gift pile, and can be struck off my Winter Sewing List. It wasn't actually on my sewing list... but I have changed my mind about making aprons, and replaced them with these bags.
Happy 1st November peeps!
P.s. I just read my 1st November post from last year and had a bit of a giggle. You can too right here...
I love Adele and Hometown too :-) great bag!
ReplyDeleteOK, where do you consider your LQS? I can't think of anywhere in Leicester that I would think of in that way. In other words where do you get yours Fat Quarters etc from?
ReplyDeleteSo cute! I'll have to check out that pattern- I need a good bag for schlepping my stuff back and forth to work in :)
ReplyDeleteI love hometown too and this bag looks great. I use quilting weight cotton in bags all the time and have never found a problem. You don't look like a bag making newbie at all!
ReplyDeletePinch punch Laura! I love Adele so so much and am very happy to have that particular song whizzing around in my brain for the rest of the day. Gorgeous tote and I love it when we work out a cheaper and better alternative! Gorgeous fabric.
ReplyDeleteI love the bag, especially the wee birdies, but £18.95/meter from home dec weight?! FFS! If you've got a Dunelm Mills nearby, they have it between £6 and £10/metre
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this bag!
ReplyDeleteLove it. The birdies are adorable.
ReplyDeleteFab fabric, i need to get some of that! and a useful bag too - ticks all the boxes!
ReplyDeleteLove Adele, who wouldn't with a teenage diva in the house! lol Great bag! Great giftie idea too! Gotta try me some bags, the link to the pattern has an error on it Laura :(
ReplyDeleteLovely as usualy, I really like the fabric with the writing on it. Is it all names of cities?
ReplyDeleteLove the Hometown collection too! Your bag is super cute with those birdies! Lovely Christmas gift! Jxo
ReplyDeleteGreat bag - don't think you can go wrong with Hometown.
ReplyDeleteI have just cooked Hugh Fearnley Whittinstalls Butternut and Nut butter soup whilst listening to Adele. The soup was horrible, but Adele was great. You may think this is sad, but I discovered her whilst learning to line-dance to Roling in the deep.
ReplyDeleteI have just cooked Hugh Fearnley Whittinstalls Butternut and Nut butter soup whilst listening to Adele. The soup was horrible, but Adele was great. You may think this is sad, but I discovered her whilst learning to line-dance to Roling in the deep.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous, I love those little birds too! Such a great gift :)
ReplyDeletelove your bag - the applique looks great. I also love your black and white quilt from last year!
ReplyDeleteLove the bag and you definitely don't look like a bag making newbie from here!!
ReplyDeleteGreat bag!
ReplyDeleteHope you had more in the cupboard than old nuts this year!!
I love the bag.. but not having a sewing machine I'll just have to buy my bags.. which I love to do! :-)
ReplyDelete((hugs)), Teresa :-)
*raising my hand* I like Adele! Cute bag!
ReplyDeleteI love both Adele & hometown too. Are we surprised twinee? Looks like a fab bag! And iron on fleece (called Pelon here) is the shizzle! I use it all the time for bags and purses.
ReplyDeleteLove the bag, especially with the fabrics you chose to use. Great gift item.
ReplyDeleteOooo your bag looks fab, Miss Laura! I use all sorts in my bag making, often plain grey or linen coloured furnishing fabric as a background with pieced quilting cottons as the feature. This is cos I've got a super cheap secret source (£3 per metre!) Let me know if you want some and I'll send you a chunk ( I buy it by the roll, and there's at least 15 rolls in varying shades in our basement!) x
ReplyDeleteAce bag and love those birds!
ReplyDelete