Marsha (follow her over on Instagram @cutestuffinside), lives close to us here in CT. She is a long time fan and makes the most wonderful things using Sis Boom fabric plus so much more.
Sew4Home Totes and Bags by Marsha of Cute Stuff Inside
One of my favorite new books for bags and totes is this book by Sew4Home.
I first made the Easy Wave Top Shoulder Bag and I have to say, I love this bag. Following the excellent directions from the book, this bag went together super easy. It’s roomy with two pockets and has a great strap that feels secure. I made this purse out of 2-1/2″ squares from Jennifer Paganelli’s Hotel Frederiksted line of fabric. I chose 15 different fabrics from this line and sewed each square together with a 1/4″ seam in horizontal rows of 6 squares each. I made a total of 16 rows for the purse body and sewed them altogether, top to bottom, to create my fabric.
Following the directions in the book, I fused my batting to the quilt fabric and then proceeded to machine quilted in a cross-hatch pattern diagonally across all the squares. I did have to draft a curved shape for the top of this bag, but following the instructions and diagram, it was a piece of cake, even with my limited drawing skills. For the lining of this purse I chose Hotel Frederiksted Krysta, in white.
After completing the body of the purse, I decided to go ahead and finish off the top with a bias binding. This was just an extra step I took to finish off the quilt look I was going for. I chose Terrie from Hotel Frederiksted, lighter blue, for the finishing touch. This fabric makes a great binding and I have used it on lots of projects. In keeping with the theme of this bag, I chose to make a strap from additional squares. Making two long strips of 24 squares (one strip for each side of the strap), I fused batting to each side and again, machine quilted through each square. Then, wrong sides together, I basted the layers together and applied binding all around, and continued with the instructions for attaching to the purse. The instructions also suggest putting a label on the front of your bag. I love this touch. I took a Sis Boom label, applied it to a square a felt with a pinked edge and added it to the front of the purse as a finishing touch. Love It! The best part of all, is that this purse is just the right size for a laptop, and since it can be carried cross-over style, it makes for perfect hands-free carrying!
The second bag I made from the book is the Boho Shoulder Bag. I made it for my daughter, Frannie, and she loves it. Christie in blue, also from the Hotel Frederiksted line of fabric, was the perfect choice for this purse. Although the directions for this purse suggest using two different fabrics for the body, my daughter Frannie requested just one, and the look came out just the way she wanted.
We added Patrice in Pink for the lining of the bag and strap so just enough of it peeks out while carrying to complete a young, hip look. I found the red with white polka-dot foldover elastic on Amazon. It really looks great against the blue fabric, makes everything pop! As expected, the instructions for this purse are perfect and it went together so easily. I love that there are no pattern pieces, just measure and cut! The strap is adjustable with a D ring which means you can wear it short or carry it long across your body. Fits a laptop and the outer pockets are great for tucking in your phone or keys. Another great, easy to sew bag!
