Merinque Clutch

Here is my  Merinque Clutch by Sara Lawson in the book "Big-City Bags".

This is a clutch but I've been using it for a makeup bag. It works great for that. I can just grab it and go when we go camping. It only took me one weekend to make this bag. The hardest part is gathering the ruffle strings, but it ended up working out pretty well. I used an Amy Butler print and Kona solid. Maybe I'll make another one down the road to actually use as a clutch purse.

I want to make more bags from this awesome book, but I never have enough time. Too many quilts, etc in the works.

Bye Bye Love Bag

This is my Bye Bye Love Bag. It is great for carrying my curling iron, hair dryer, brush, comb and makeup bag with me when I go camping or on a short trip. This is a pattern from sewsweetness.com. She has some fantastic patterns.  I made this bag using Riviera batiks from Fat Quarter Shop.

I just did random piecing of the batik fabric in a rectangle larger than the pattern piece. After basting the Soft & Stable to the rectangle, then I quilted straight lines.  

 

It has pockets all along the inside that I can keep my sunglasses and other items in. I love blue and batik.

City Slicker Bag

This is my City Slicker Bag.

I love how it turned out. I've been using it for a few weeks now. This was the last pattern for the Bag of the Month Club that I was a member of. Well, I should have had this completed by July 15, but didn't get it done in time. I guess because I do too much running around in the Summer. So since it did not get completed by then, I let it sit longer without finishing it.  Here's the back.

I made the welt pocket on the back. You could have just made a zipper pocket, but I wanted to try making a welt pocket. It is really neat because I can just toss my keys in the pocket and grab them back out when I need them. 
For my City Slicker Bag, I used a purple-colored Kona cotton. Plus I used Downton Abbey fabric that I absolutely love. I'm a big Downton Abbey fan as you can see by the inside of my bag.

I love this pattern because I am so organized. I can put my sunglasses and glasses cases in the pockets, plus the zipper pocket keeps my contacts easy to find. And the other pocket, I can put my lipstick and other items in. No searching around in the bottom of the purse. I would like to make another one down the road, but that's when I have some extra time. Who knows when that will be?! But for now, I'm loving this Downton Abbey bag. It's me.