Are YOU Looking for Sewing (BAG) Inspiration for Spring??

Hello friends!  If you have been wondering where I have been lately, well, I have proof that I have not been slacking off.  These three bags have been keeping me pretty busy.  I was thrilled that after some of my friends saw my first Chevron bag,  they wanted to buy one!   I still have one more to make using an Aqua Chevron fabric!

3 Bags-One Great Pattern from ChrisW Designs: Bella Bag

I'm trying to learn how to balance having a craft business, taking care of my family and homeschooling.  Any tips??  Better yet, how do you turn a hobby into a business without breaking the bank??  These bags are cute, but they take a while to make.  I'm probably making about $2.00 an hour!  I guess I need to speed up!

I made the two black bags at the same time.  Whatever could have possibly gone wrong with these bags, DID!  Needless to say, I was less than thrilled to start on the chevron bag.  However, would you believe the chevron bag went smoother than any I have made thus far?  I guess after four bags you start to figure things out.  :)

GRAY CHEVRON #2

This bag is similar to the first one I made for myself, but there are some great additions made to this bag that I left off on mine.

Purse Feet-Great for keeping your bag off the dirty floor!

I added feet to the bottom of the bag.  They are so easy to add and really add a professional look.

Polka dot fabric gives this bag a real pop of surprise when you go for your wallet.

My bag is lacking this bright pink color, because I pre-washed my fabric.  For the three bags I'm showing you today, I did not pre-wash any of the fabric.  There are mixed opinions about this, but I come down on the side that a bag should never be washed, just spot treated.  Thus, all my fabric gets three coats of Scotch Guard for the exterior and two coats for the interior.

I also added grommets to these bags and snaps to the gusset (which I still plan on adding to mine-SOMEDAY).

Snaps keep the gussets nicely closed.

Okay, this is the bag that had me pulling my hair out.  The tricky part with this pattern, for me, is all the topstitching, more specifically the edgestitching.  Everything is topstitched.  The curve in the front can be difficult and if it is not perfect, I take it out and try again.  I think I took the topstitching out four times just for the front curve.

Every seam, pocket, tab, etc...is topstitched..  Chris from ChrisW. Designs designed this pattern and she did and excellent job.  She explains that the topstiching gives it a more professional look (that is what I'm going for).  She also says it reinforces the seams, which is always good.  I am glad I stuck with it because I finally have gotten the hang of it.

My tip for edgestitching:  Go very slow and pick a set point on the fabric or your machine to follow.

Snaps can also give a decorative look-especially when you put them in backwards.

The next problem for this bag came when I went to put in the gusset snaps.  I put my first one in backwards (top), so I just decided to do the same thing three more times and just call it an "embellishment".  I decided that I could fit the snaps in below the original location.  I think it looks fine.

Fabric Flowers always add a nice finishing touch to any bag.  (They also do a great job of hiding huge holes!)

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Decorative buttons are added to each bag.

What do you think of these cute little buttons?  Picking the button out might be my favorite part of planning the bag. 

So here they are!  I have sort of a love-hate relationship with these bags.  Overall, they were a success and I am very pleased with them.  Hopefully I'll have a good report after my next bag.  One thing is for sure, you will be getting tired of seeing these bags!  I have four people waiting in line for me to make a conceal and carry bag out of this pattern.  You can see the one I made for my sis HERE.

I do have some other projects planned for the month.

*I need to make a set of American Girl Doll bags for the upcoming giveaway hosted by Diana Rambles.  Do you love to sew?  Do you want to grow your blog?  If so, you should check out the Giveaway Info QUICKLY!  Tomorrow is the last day to sign up as a contributor!

*I am also working on making Gina's Craft Corner iron on labels using my new watermark/label: GCC, Gina's Craft Corner.  Do you like the new GCC watermark on my pics?  That is what I am putting on my labels.

*I've be working on using the Magic Glos resin over scrapbooking paper to make necklaces.

*Lastly, I am working on making some custom designed purse table hangers.  I think you will love them!  You know..those little hangers that are circle shaped, but then fold out and can be placed on a restaurant table to hang your purse up off of the dirty floor.  I thought that would be a great product to offer someday alongside any bags.

I'm off to cram some more school into this day.  We are doubling up on Math and English so that we can finish school by May 15!  

Thanks for reading!  Clink on my Linky Page to see where I will be linking up this week.

Blessings,
Gina

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