Large and small ‘Maggies’, item LGD126.
Fabric is ‘Blush’ by Moda. Great colors and patterns.

A show-stopping button
If your button is a show-stopper, then its placement better be perfect. I like to add a big fabulous button to adorn the large size Maggie bags. Sewing the button in place is the last thing I do when making a Maggie. So that means the Velcro is already fused on the lining side. And sewing a button through all those layers and the Velcro is not something I want to do by hand. No thank you!

When I need to place a feature button perfectly, I use double-sided tape from the office supply store on the back of the button to hold it in place while I sew. I use a piece of tape that is at least twice the width of the button and center it on the back of the button, usually over the holes that will be sewn through. A bit of tape sticks out past the edges of the button.

On my machine, I drop the feed dogs and select a zigzag stitch. Set the stitch length to zero. Adjust the stitch width to match the holes on the button. I usually do a few practice stitches on a scrap of fabric, then hold the fabric up to the button to see how close it matches. Place the button on your project and slide your project under the presser foot. Gently lower the presser foot and manage the button so the holes are visible through the opening in the presser foot. Lower the presser foot.

Give it a whirl, literally
By hand, gently crank the wheel to lower the needle and see if it is lined up with the button hole. Continue to gently crank the wheel by hand until the needle does its first zigzag and heads for the other button hole. Adjust the stitch width as needed to make sure the needle will hit both holes without hitting the button. When the stitch width is just right, sew that baby in place with a few stitches.  You can leave a long thread tail and pull it to the underside with a hand needle if you like. I add a drop or two of fray check on the underside.

Fabric is ‘Simple Abundance’ by Moda. Love it!

Twice the fun
The big button above had four holes. I used the same technique and simply lined the button up twice for sewing. I did take it out of the machine between stitchings and cut the thread tail. I did not want the thread to go from one stitching to the next and be tight against the button where I couldn’t get to it with my scissors as shown below on a previous project. Shame on me for not fixing that.

I Lazily didn’t cut the thread between stitchings and ended up with an extra thread
crossing the center of the button.

After the button is sewn in place, simply grab the tape and tear it away. If the tape covered the holes, then the stitching would penetrate the tape and make it easy to tear at the stitching and come right off. Otherwise, snip the tape with the end of your scissors to get started.

If you get a little tape gunk on your needle, it’s easy enough to clean off with a little rubbing alcohol on fabric. Or pick up some of the little alcohol wipes at the drug store and keep some with your sewing tools.

I filled each of these large Maggies with a pack of tissues and the smaller Maggies for gifts recently. I used four fabrics from Moda layer cakes to make each set of Maggies.

Enjoy!
Joan

Here’s Jo
Last April I made the Lazy Girl “Miranda” bag and a friend liked it so much that I made one for her birthday recently.

For the new bag I used some scrumptious Benartex Batiks that I bought at Bernina University in June – “Rainforest Triple-Dyed Balis”

You can’t go wrong when you start with beautiful fabrics.

I made the bag following the included instructions – except: Instead of quilting the main fabrics I used free-motion bobbin work to hold the layers together.

First I hand-wound several bobbins with YLI Multis in a tan/olive colorway, and threaded the needle with regular cotton thread.

Wind bobbins by hand.

Rich and robust tread work from the bobbin.

I used the Black Latch Bobbincase with my Artista 630 – this is a special bobbin case on which I can easily loosen the tension without messing with my regular bobbin case.

I got out my Machingers for the free-motion work – these are rubber-covered fabric gloves that create a great “grip” on the fabric while still letting your hands “breathe.”

Stitch with the batting on the top, fabric on the bottom.

I used Teardrop Embroidery Foot #26 for my stitching, but could also have used the Bernina Stitch Regulator.

Here’s what the fabric looked like when I was finished stitching. It’s subtle, but pretty.

Another change I made was to use purchased handles, which I attached with Lazy Girl’s Handy Tabs – little lengths of ribbon that are the perfect size for attaching handles. They’d also make great little labels.

Stitch ends in place.

Flip handles to cover stitching and stitch again.

I also used Lazy Girl’s Bag-E-Bottom size D to stabilizer the bottom of the bag – it keeps everything nice and sturdy.

Here’s the basic process for attaching the handles. Slip the Handy Tab through the loop at the end of the handle, then stitch it in place – upside down – where you want the handle to be. There’s no need to finish the raw ends. Careful – keeping the handle out of the way can be a little tricky.

Turn the handle up, then topstitch the Handy Tab in place. Again, it can be a bit tricky keeping the handle out of the way – you might want to enlist the help of an assistant for these steps.

Just like on my previous Miranda bag, I couched some cord (more YLI Multis) around the flap/tab instead of topstitching it.

And here’s the finished bag! It should get to the birthday girl sometime this week – can’t wait to hear how she likes it!

Next: I just got some fabric to make the new Lazy Girl “Claire” pattern – but haven’t decided yet what sort of embellishments I’m going to use. When I figure it out, watch for another Lazy Girl project on our blog!

Thanks Jo! Read more about Jo Leichte here, and follow her at the Bernina Blog here. Here is Jo’s original post about this project.

Enjoy!
Joan

With my seemingly ever-shrinking attention span and dwindling memory, I better give myself some guardrails for keeping everything organized as I muscle through these three projects over the course of several sewing stints. Yes, I know myself that well, I need guardrails.

Choosing fabrics
After you’ve selected your projects, we move on to fabrics. Most of our designs use fabric groupings the same way. A single fabric for each element of the design. A couple of fabrics total, little to no piecing, very few embellishments.

Plan on using your primary or feature fabric for an important part of each project. That will help tie all of the pieces together. Mix it up and use different coordinates for the remaining elements of each project.

How much fabric to buy
Gather the supply lists for your planned projects. Identify which part of each project you’ll make with the feature fabric. Add those yardage requirements together. Chances are that in doing so, you’ll have more fabric than you need. Most pattern designers, myself included, allow for a little extra fabric in the yardage requirements. But don’t be afraid to buy a little extra than you’ve calculated just to be sure.

How many different fabrics do I need
- Miranda uses four fabrics, between 1/3 and 2/3 yd cuts.
- Sassy uses three fabrics, all three are fat quarters.
- Wonder uses one fabric, a fat quarter.

Read over the cutting directions and see how big the pieces are and give yourself an idea of what you’ll need for the rest of the projects. For instance, the smallest cut on the Wonder Wallet can come from a sizable scrap. The largest pieces of the Miranda Day Bag need larger cuts like fat quarters or half yards.

Total fabric
In total, I needed at least four fabrics and enough total yardage for all projects. Buying a little extra of each of the four fabrics for Miranda would allow enough for all three projects.

Accessories
Coordinate all of the accessories needed for all three projects when you get your fabrics together. For this grouping I used:
- 13″ black handle pair by Leisure Arts (love these handles)
- black Velcro
- zipper in coordinating color
- warm toned zipper pull added to the existing zipper pull.

Start with the biggest
Make one project at a time, start to finish, and begin with the largest design. You’ll be able to concentrate better working from one pattern start to finish. Set the other patterns and supplies aside and keep them together. Starting with the largest design will make sure you have what you need for the biggest project and biggest cuts. Then move to the next largest project and cuts, and finally the smallest project can be made from left overs and scraps.

More guardrails
- I keep a small notepad, pen and pins at my cutting area. I pin notes to fabric pieces as I cut them in order to keep things organized.

- Use a plastic storage bin or other container to keep supplies together. Put the patterns, fabric, and accessories in the bin, along with any notes to yourself. Everything will be in one place when you are ready to play.

- Take a few minutes to make notes at the end of your work session for your next sewing session. This might be where you are in the project. The step or page of the pattern. Or perhaps a list of additional supplies or notions needed.

- I keep a gallon of distilled water at my pressing area for my iron. I pick up a gallon once in a while when I’m at the grocery store. I keep forgetting to put it on the list, so I pick them up at random.

- Choose one thread color that works with all of the project in the ensemble.

- Wind extra bobbins, place them in the project bin.

Lazies, what are your favorite sewing room tips?

Enjoy!
Joan

Make a Lazy ensemble: Miranda Day Bag, Sassy Bag and Wonder Wallet

An ensemble works together
The three pieces I chose work well together. I make a Wonder Wallet to go with every bag or purse I make for myself, and usually for gifts, too. The Wonder Wallet fits nicely inside the Sassy Bag. The Sassy Bag fits nicely inside the Miranda Day Bag.

This allows the flexibility of carrying your purse items in the Sassy, then throwing your Sassy into Miranda when you have a full day planned and need more Lazy to get through your day on the go. Likewise, the Wonder Wallet coordinates with Miranda, so you can bypass Sassy and use those two together.

For strap management, I tuck the Sassy strap into its back pocket or tuck it into the purse and under the flap. It’s not perfect, but it controls the chaos for stow and go when Sassy becomes a passenger.

How to choose pieces for an ensemble
Think about the recipient and start with the bag that fits the user the most. Think about lifestyle and function. What else is needed? Larger bag? Small organizers or special purpose accessories? Pick and choose several pieces that work together or compliment each other.

Consider creating items for a theme such as a new mom, back to school, off to college, new job, book lover, knitter, etc.

Easy add-ons
A few of our designs are great add-ons for any ensemble you’d like to create. Among my favorites in addition to the Wonder Wallet are the Perfect Pouches and the eye glass case (a bonus in the Towne Purse pattern). The Perfect Pouches offers three sizes and I usually make the smallest size to go with everyday purses, the medium and large sizes to go with the larger totes. Purse-Nickities go nicely with luggage or travel needs.

Perfect Pouches, Purse-Nickities

The Checkbook Cover or Paperback Book Cover are nice lifestyle additions to keep in mind. How lovely to make a purse or tote and a coordinating book cover for the book lover in your life.

Checkbook Cover, Paperback Book Cover, Take-Along Bags

The drawstring Take-Along bag is great for a small knit project such as socks. That would fit inside Gracie, Claire, Whimsy, Summer or anything larger.

Here are some combinations that work well together:
- Miranda, Sassy, Wonder Wallet
- Gracie, Wonder Wallet, Perfect Pouches
- Claire, Checkbook Cover, Wonder Wallet
- Miranda, Wonder Wallet, Perfect Pouches, drawstring Take-Along Bag
- Whimsy, Perfect Pouches, Paperback Book Cover
- Towne Purse, eyeglass case (bonus inside Towne), Checkbook Cover, Wonder Wallet
- Summer Tote, Paperback Book Cover, Perfect Pouches
- Whimsy Bag, Runaround Bag, Wonder Wallet
You can see all of these designs at our website here.

What do you know about the person you are creating this ensemble for? Are they on the go? Carry lots or littles? Bring a small project with them? Don’t carry a purse at all? Start with one main project, then add a few other items based on the needs of the recipient.

Next week, we’ll talk about project planning including fabric selection and use, accessories, and logistics in the sewing room for creating several projects.

Enjoy!
Joan

Miranda Day Bag, Lazy Girl Designs # 123

Comfy on my shoulder
I made two alterations to this Miranda. First is the addition of my favorite, double-padded shoulder strap from the City Bag design. This assures comfort on my shoulder for a fully loaded bag and a full day of fun. The construction of the strap is easy and attaching it to any open-top bag is a breeze. The City Bag shoulder strap has a double layer of batting from seam to seam. Fabric is wrapped about the batting. No tube to make and turn – I wouldn’t do that to you!

For ease in sewing, I remove the batting from the last 1/2″ of the strap, making it easy to attach. Sew in place at the side of the bag. Match the final stitching to the topstitching around the top edge of the bag and the strap blends in nicely as a permanent addition. If you don’t have the City Bag pattern, use the shoulder strap or handle instructions from a pattern you like.

Blend the stitching with the existing construction.

When not in use, you can see that the shoulder strap is long enough to hang under the bag when carried by the handles. Or, simply tuck the strap inside the bag and under your goodies, or even under the Bag-E-Bottom.

Shoulder strap is long enough to hang
below the bag when not in use.

Secure pockets
Finally, I like to add flap closures for two of the inside pockets. It’s a little more security for the wallet pocket and a privacy pocket (things I don’t want the world to see when they glance in my tote).

I use my tutorial from here and place the flaps on pockets near one end of the bag. Flap closures are easier to add than zippered closures during or after construction.

Add flap closures to pockets.

Why these two pockets
If you are anything like me you’ll understand when I tell you that I can experience pocket confusion with too many closed pockets to search for an item. I cannot remember what is where if I can’t see it. You too? I thought so. Two closed pockets is enough. I like them on one end of the bag, across from each other. If the bag is on my shoulder, they are the front end of the bag as it hangs by my side. I can reach in and grab what I need without taking the bag off my shoulder.

You can see the Miranda Day Bag here and the City Bag here.

Enjoy!
Joan

The Sassy is a small-ish bag designed to be worn across the body and hang at your side. The flap closure is engineered to close all by itself. The front expands as you add contents to the purse. Two inside pockets keep a few necessities in place and secure. An open back pocket offers convenience for grab-n-go little things. A padded shoulder strap offers comfort while you combat the maze of daily life. The Sassy is rugged gear with a Lazy lifestyle in mind. I feel well-equipped and prepared when wearing my Sassy.

Having said all of that, what could possibly be needed for this little gem?

Bigger Is Better
Sometimes you need a bigger Sassy to hold more for your daily expeditions to the wild that life offers. I increased the width of this Sassy by 1/2″. To do so, cut all of the pieces an extra 1/2″ in width.

I once tried to increase the size of the Sassy by 2″ in width and height – wow, what a disaster. As we saw with the Wonder Wallet, a more conservative increase goes a long way in adding to the capacity without losing the over all integrity of the design.

This 1/2″ increase in width will add a total of 1″ of space to the Sassy.  That’s a generous and noticeable increase for this bag.

Flap Closure
The flap is already wider than the bag by design. Simply cut it 1/2″ wider than the pattern states and make as directed.

Pleated Front
The pleated front is still prepared the same way. The pleats are determined through a short series of folding this way and that. The pleat placement will be perfect using the same folding instructions. Keep the pleats the same size, too. The overall finished/pleated/elasticized, Velcro’d piece will be the same width as the other parts of the bag which were widened by the same half inch. Be sure to cut the elastic 1/2″ longer as well.

Inside Pockets
The Sassy has two inside pockets, one a bit wider than the other. Great for sunglasses, cell phone, pens, etc. You have an extra half inch of play – divide the pockets as you see fit.

Shoulder Strap
With a slightly larger Sassy, I felt the shoulder strap might benefit from being a little beefier for extra comfort. I cut the batting strip 1/4″ wider and I cut the fabric 1/2″ wider. These are the widths for the Miranda Day Bag fabric handles. Follow the instructions in the Sassy Bag pattern for making and attaching the shoulder strap. For a finishing touch after topstitching along both edges of the shoulder strap, topstitch along the center as well.

Adding A Zip Pocket
A little extra security in the way of a zippered pocket is a nice option to add to the Sassy Bag. I used the directions to make the front of a Runaround Bag (LGD111) to add a zippered pocket to the back of this Sassy. Again, we widened the purse, so the zippered component needs to be the same width. I also want the zipper to be above the back pocket for easy access.

I cut the piece above the zipper at 4″ by the width of the Sassy and followed the zipper instructions in the Runaround Bag pattern. I cut the fabric for below the zipper to be longer than I thought I’d need, then trimmed it to length during final assembly.

For final assembly stack the back pocket on top of the zippered piece and treat them as the back piece of the Sassy. Reminder – pull that zipper tab to the center before stitching all of the layers together.

Velcro
I used the Fusion fusible Velcro for this project. I wet the area, then let it dry, to help the Velcro adhere better.

Decorating
I used fabric glue and a frog closure to decorate the flap after the project was finished.

Next week we explore the Miranda Day Bag.

Enjoy!
Joan

It doesn’t really look like I changed anything on these designs, but I did.

Lovin’ My Stash
When I sew for the business, I usually work with the latest fabric releases and my stash sits there feeling ignored and unloved. Well Girls, I loved my stash for this ensemble. I recently found a tidy little stack of this nine year old Moda fabric amongst the ‘stuff’ in my sewing area. Woohoo! I used this fabric on the cover of the Towne Purse pattern.

Wonder Wallet
If you load your Wonder Wallet (LGD211) to the brim and can’t fit another thing in there, you might want to increase the size the next time you make one. If you don’t need a crow bar to pry out your credit card and you can browse through the contents comfortably, then you probably don’t want to make your Wonder Wallet any bigger.

Increasing the size of the WW sounds simple enough, but because of its engineering and small size, you must be articulate and conservative with any changes in size. You might be surprised to hear how slight and how easy these modifications are to make, and how much they impact the overall project.

Unassumingly larger Wonder Wallet.

A Little Goes A Long Way
Increasing the width runs the risk of making the pockets so wide that your cards are not secure. Making the pockets deeper could mean your stuff sinks down below the pocket tops. A small adjustment to the width is all we need here.

The WW expands front to back as you load the contents. Adding 1/8″ to the width of each piece allows the WW to expand an extra 1/4″ front to back. That’s roughly 8-10 credit card sized items. Not bad.

Increase The Flap Closure
Now the flap closure needs to be longer to accommodate holding more stuff. But how much longer? Well, 1/4″ of course – easy peasy on that one!

The cover/flap is a folded piece, so to increase it 1/4″ in length, cut the cover 1/2″ longer. When folded, that will be 1/4″. Perfect.

I used left over cuts to make this coordinating Wonder Wallet.

Constructing The Flap
Remember, the flap part of the cover is the first thing we do in Step 1 of the pattern. Increase the stitching from 2 3/4″ to a full 3″. That’s our extra 1/4″ of flap length.

Interfacing
I do like to add a piece of fusible interfacing to half of the folded the cover. Cut the interfacing 1/2″ narrower than the folded cover, and 1/4″ shorter. This will keep the interfacing out of all of the seam allowances during final sewing. We don’t need to add bulk to that seam.

Velcro
I use the Fusion, fusible Velcro for this design. I think Fusion Velcro adheres better to washed fabric, but I don’t wash my fabrics. So I use a spray bottle and wet and wipe the area with a clean towel where I attach the Velcro. Fuse the Velcro in place when the fabric dries.

I’ll see you next week for details on the Sassy Bag.

Enjoy!
Joan

A centered stripe fabric, or border print,
makes up the symmetrical green fabrics.

Where To Start
Below is the striped fabric I used for this Claire. The stripe wasn’t wide enough to use just one for the cover, but the stripes are close enough that I can use most of two stripes and the space between them.

I lined up the center of the green with a line on my cutting mat. Then I simply measure for half of the cover in each direction and cut.

A wide stripe or border print can be fun.

I’ve overlaid the photo with a graphic showing the center and the overall cut size. The angled lines represent the center panel that will be swapped from the front to the back of the bag.

Find the center then cut the cover piece.

The Final Result
With the front and back views side by side, you can see where the center of the striped fabric offers a little variety on the back and the fabric is symmetrical because we centered the piece.

Front and back views of the same bag.

Here’s a view of the inside of this Claire Handbag.

Critters and Cuties
Are you a fan of Tula Pink’s designs? I am. I love Jen’s critters and cuties which are composed of, and nearly hidden amongst, her elaborate scrolling designs. The border print hides a dandy owl shown below. The pink ‘V’ is the beak. The lining features a bunny and you probably saw the butterfly on the pink fabric.

Fat Quarter Giveaway
Compliments of Moda Fabrics, leave a fabulous, Lazy comment on today’s blog post and one lucky Lazy commenter will be drawn to win a set of the fat quarters of the Hushabye collection used to make the Claire in this blog post. You have until Tuesday June 30, 2009 at midnight to post a comment and be entered for the giveaway.

Enjoy!
Joan

Shown here is a close-up of some ready-made handle options and our Miranda which is made up in Sketchbook fabrics by Yolanda Fundora. The colors match better than is shown in the picture. They coordinate well enough to work with this design.

All six shoulder strap options are from the Exclusively You product line by Leisure Arts. You might remember that I fell in love with these products while writing my Bold Bags book for Leisure Arts.

We have six viable options. Different colors, some different textures. But how to choose? I posted a couple of pics at Facebook and asked for feedback. Facebook Lazies – thank you for your votes and comments!

So, it’s back to our auditioning techniques. I gathered everything up and I hung it all on the front door out of direct sunlight. My neighbors must think I’m crazy. I took a few pictures, stared at things on the door for a bit, took a break, I’m sure coffee was involved, but I still couldn’t decide. I needed help.

Listen to your camera
The wild-card auditioning technique for today is the addition of the camera. We’ve used it before, but today it was the decision maker for me. The camera sees things differently than I do and I need to pay attention to what it tells me.

From left to right:
Tan – it’s okay, perhaps a bit boring for the style of these fabrics.
Orange – matches beautifully with the orange tones (trust me on this one).
Black – beautifully supports the dark feature fabric and is a safe, classic choice.
Cream – springy and light, it does coordinate with the lightest tones of the feature fabric, but it’s too much light color for the whole project
Copper – blends right in to the medium warm tones of the feature fabric.
Red – matches our reds beautifully.

All things being equal
Well, all things are not equal. Before I took a picture of the conglomeration hanging on my front door, all I saw was color. Which color do I want on this bag? In looking at the photo, I saw something else.

The camera brought my attention to the fact that I’m introducing a new material. These are not fabric handles. They bring a new character, or design element, to our project.

Take another look and notice the materials used in these handles.  The black and orange faux croc handles now seem more like something you’d see on a leather bag. And the copper faux snake suddenly seems rather briefcase-y or such.

Quilted faux leather
Now, in looking at the smooth handles one more time, I notice that the topstitching on the long edges and the slightly poofy center seems rather quilty in character. I never thought about it before, but the design of the smooth handle fits the style of our quilted bag more closely than the others.

A close match in style and color supports and compliments the bag rather than competing with it.

Several of these handles would be a fine pairing with our project. But given this new insight regarding the character of these materials, the red handle jumps out as the clear winner in my humble opinion.

The black faux croc handle is my second choice. Despite its surface texture, it would have brought the color black to a second area of the project, offering visual comfort by repeating the color.

Here’s Miranda with her newly attached accessory.

A shoulder strap is easy to add to any open-top tote like Miranda.

Don’t hesitate to listen to the results of your auditioning techniques as well as looking at them. And if one technique doesn’t answer your question, go back to your toolbox of techniques and pull out another one. While it might seem like you are adding more variables to consider, you might actually be narrowing your choices more easily. I was only looking at color before the camera pointed out that I should consider the material as well.

Enjoy!
Joan

Floral and tan fabric to the left. Floral with striped fabric to the right.

Our Project: Miranda Day Bag
We are working once again with the Sketchbook line by Yolanda Fundora. Above, I’ve laid out the feature fabric for the body of the bag and I’m auditioning two fabrics for the faux binding/lining combo around the top edge of the bag.

Tan Fabric:
I like the warmth and calm that the tan brings to the black floral. Look how yummy that is. It is supporting and visually easy on the eye, making the black fabric stand out as the feature. The fabrics coordinate nicely. I love these two fabrics together.

Striped Fabric:
I love stripes. Visually dynamic. Emphasizes the red color in the floral pattern. But, I’m not sure who’s in charge here. The stripe is competing for my visual attention rather than supporting the black fabric the way the tan does. Stripe is not as warm as the tan fabric. It’s a bit of a challenge compared to the tan fabric.

Squint and Cover Test
I’ve laid out the two test fabrics along with the floral fabric for the body of the bag and the red/orange fabric for the base of the bag. Stand back, hold out your hand like you are going to stop traffic and visually cover half the image and close one eye.

On The Move
Now move your hand back and forth to see only one fabric combo at a time and see which you like better. Both combinations work. Again the tan is softer and warmer. But now the red seems balanced in strength with the floral, supported by the red/orange fabric.

Stand Back and Squint!
Finally, stand back at least five feet from your computer and squint if you like – look how the tan fabric fades away. You can’t see the paisley print any longer. All you see is tan. It has no individual character other than color. The stripe, however, holds it’s own and somehow transforms into a delicate detail or accent from further away.

Final Choice:
I chose the red striped fabric.

I’ve mocked-up an image showing the tan simply pasted on top of the finished bag. And it’s fine, it works, it’s lovely, it blends and coordinates. Below that is the finished bag using the striped fabric. The red stripe is dynamic and actually blends more that the tan based on pulling in the red/orange fabric at the base of the bag.

I think both combinations are lovely. However, I couldn’t visualize how each fabric might turn out on the bag until I put more of the picture together by laying them out and auditioning them. I could have gone further and put scraps in place for the handles and the flap closure.

Sometimes a little auditioning time is worth it when we see the final result. I walk through all of these techniques regularly as I plan and dream about projects. And time and time again, I let the fabric tell me who wants to come out and play. Apparently, I’m just the help.

Enjoy!
Joan