Tag: bags and accessories

A Natural Pair – Orange Marigold/Papaya

~ Pamela Klingensmith ~ Leave a comment

Happy Thursday, sewers!
This week’s colors are orange marigolds and the Papaya zipper.
Yes, the name does match the zipper color,
but there might be some who have never seen a Papaya.
So I’m sharing this photo to give you a frame of reference for the color of the
Marigolds (botanical name is Tagetes) are sold in several different colors.
The most common colors are yellow and orange.
They are part of the sunflower family.
Here in the high desert area of the United States,
marigolds are easy to grow.
They just need some regular watering and a good amount of sunlight.
I use them to outline my vegetable beds because they are pretty and they also attract
nasty little pests (slugs) who choose to feast on the marigolds instead of my vegetables.
The focus of next week’s zipper color is pale pink.
I will also have a completed project from one of By Annie’s newest patterns to share with you.
Happy gardening and sewing, my friends!

A Natural Pair – Stock/Wild Plum

~ Pamela Klingensmith ~ Leave a comment

Photo has not been altered.  Picture was taken at Noon on a bright, sunny day.
Hello Sewists!
I’m starting a weekly blog post aimed at giving you a better idea
of what color the By Annie handbag zippers are in real life.
I know it is difficult to be certain of what color to order when you can’t
see the zipper in person.
Since God placed a plethora of color in nature,
I will be using natural items to pair with a matching zipper.
First up, we have the Stock plant and the Wild Plum zipper.
Stock (botanical name is Matthiola incana)
flowers have a lovely clove-like fragrance.
Stock is available in a variety of colors.
This one is more pink than purple.
For a good comparison of the pinks and purples,
take a look at this photo from Burpee seeds:
Next week’s featured zipper color is Papaya.
If you have a zipper color purchase that you are pondering,
and you would like a better idea of the true color,
post a comment below and I will hunt down something in nature
with which to pair the zipper.
Happy sewing, my friends!

Katie Cupcake Cheerio Wallet Pattern

~ Pamela Klingensmith ~ 4 Comments
I’ve really put my Necessary Clutch Wallet through the paces,
so I decided it was time for a new wallet.
Whilst I love my NCW, I also really enjoy trying new patterns.
So I decided on the Cheerio wallet pattern this time around:
I did alter the flap pattern piece so I could use the metal edge trim from Emmaline Bags.
The lining is one big, long piece.
Be certain to mark all the lines as indicated on the pattern.
Beginning with the bottom of the lining,
self-made (or purchased) binding is attached at the first line
(with the lining wrong sides together folded at the line).
Then the binding edge is folded up to the next line, etc.

It’s kind of like fabric origami.
If you are new to zipper insertion,
or just timid about giving it a try –
no worries.
The pattern walks your through a very simple zipper insertion method.
I used an ivory By Annie handbag zipper and a lipstick color zipper pull.
I love having the option to customize my zippers.
I used By Annie Soft and Stable instead of the fusible fleece as suggested in the pattern instructions.

The Soft and Stable is a bit thicker than the fleece, so I added a stitched line to serve as my
“score” line so the wallet would fold nicely.
I chose to add an embroidered monogram to the front flap because the Blush linen 
just asked for some kind of embellishment.

The one step that I did not change, but that I would change on a future wallet,
is that I would insert a piece of Timtex the full size of the flap, rather than just a 2 x 2
piece as called for in the pattern instructions (see how the outline of the Timtex shows
through the fabric underneath the snap).
The fabrics I used for this wallet are:

English Roses by Penny Rose Fabrics for Riley Blake Designs

All in all, this is a quick and easy wallet pattern.
If you are in the market for a new summer sew,
this one would not take up much of your summer sunshine!
Happy Summer Sewing, friends!
Thank you for reading my blog.