Fabric Basket Bag Thing-y

Ok, so you all know about the Breast Cancer Awareness Auction and Dinner coming up on October 4, right?  IF, by chance, you don't - you must be new!  Thank you for stopping by!!   This is the event that I made my quilt (See it here!  or  See It Finished Here!!)

Well, I also made a Rice Heat Therapy Bag out of the same material (See post about that here!) to donate to the dinner/auction.  I have a couple things that I purchased that I'm donating, too.  I was trying to figure out what to put it in, or to display it in.....  I came across a tutorial from Pink Penguin (see it here) and thought it was perfect!!

I didn't make it the same size she did, but I pretty much followed her directions.  My squares around the top are 4" x 4".  The middle/bottom canvas piece was 30 1/2" x 21" (or something like that - - I did this late last night and I was tired!!)

For the lining, since I didn't have any interfacing, I used warm n natural quilt batting.  The bag ended up being a little 'floppier' than I had planned, but it turned out pretty well.   The tutorial was very easy to follow and I'm happy with the results.

That cute little tag says:  handmade by suz '11   


Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you have a GREAT weekend!  Mr. Inspiring and I are finishing up a HUGE remodel project - - I haven't really posted much about it because the project started like 2 years ago and we he finally got that last splurge of energy to get it DONE!!  (drywalling 3 bedrooms and a long hallway!!).  Today we are painting and priming and then tomorrow - time for the floors!!  I'll be doing the 'Paperbag Flooring' treatment!!  I WILL post pictures - - IF it turns out!! hahaha

Hugs ~~ Suz
I'm joining these great parties!!

Knocking Off - Again!!

I hate purses.  I hate having to carry one because it just catches all my junk and trash.  Yes - - trash!!  If I don't see a trash can, bam - - in the purse it goes.........  I hate buying purses.  I hate spending money on purses....... 

Well, last year, I was invited to a Thirty One party.  So, I bought...........

A purse.


I know - - what was I thinking??   Well.   I bought the purse that you can change the outside 'skirt' to make it look like a different purse.  And I really like that part about it.


Yep  - -

There's a BUT in there....

I'm not so thrilled with their choices of fabric this year.   I'm not the kind of girl to carry a bright purse. 

And I just didn't find one that I liked to go with the brown purse.  So - - I bought...........


Another one........... 

I know - - what was I thinking???

Well, the new one is black and I bought the skirt that is black with white swirls...... 

But I still didn't see any new 'skirts' for the brown one...........

Last week when I was shopping at Hobby Lobby, I found some wonderful fabric that I could use to make a skirt for my brown purse.  I think it turned out ok.  Actually, I really like it, but....  If you know anything about these purses, you'll know what I'm talking about.....


The part that hooks to the purse, that's under the flaps?  Well, it has a weird curve.  And since I'm not a seamstress, I just don't know how to make that part of it.

I looked for a pattern online, but I couldn't find one.  I see where people are making these, but they're just not sharing their pattern.......   So......I took the stitching out of the corners on my first skirt, and used that as my template.

I stitched up the sides (My new sewing maching does the edge stitching to keep your fabric from fraying - - how sweet is that?!?!?!?!?) and then stitched the bottom.

Then I 'opened' the corners, and matched the side seam to the bottom seam, and ironed it flat.

I measured how long the seam was at the corner on the original skirt.  It was 3", so I moved my ruler up the seam until I had 1 1/2" on each side of it.  I drew a line and stitched it.

At this point, I just kind of winged it.  I folded the top down and stitched it.  I made 4 button holes on each side to slip the hooks into that hold the skirt in place under the flap.  I didn't take pictures because this is the part I'm not 'getting' how to make. 

Here's what the finished product looks like......  I really like it.

I found some really great black, grey and white paisley.  I'm going to make one for the black purse next!!!

Thanks for looking!!

Hugs ~~ Suz

I'm linking up here: