Bag of the Week 16

Floral Evening Bag

Here is another bag I created several years ago and donated to a silent auction.  The pattern is Vogue 7221, View B (this pattern is out of print but readily available on Ebay).  The fabric is black silk dupioni and the embroidery design is from Pfaff’s online store.  

The finished size of the bag is 8” wide by 7” high.   The design is clever as it includes a drawstring pouch sewn into the top of the bag to contain the purse contents.  ½”-wide belting is used to interface the strap giving it a nice shape.  The bag is lined.  I added piping in the seam between the upper and lower portions of the bag (because I think piping makes everything better!)

This bag is a very cute little evening bag and one that you can embroider or embellish in many ways.  Give it a try.

Bag of the Week 15

Cutwork Bag

I must start with an apology for such a lousy picture.  I created this cutwork bag several years ago and donated it to a silent auction so I no longer have the bag and can’t take a better picture.  But I hope you can get the idea.  This lovely design was created by Hatched in Africa – you can see much better pictures of the product here.  The panels for the bag are created in the hoop and the lining is added during the embroidery process.  After stitching, the bag is assembled with ribbon threaded through the stitched eyelets.  I stitched my bag on silver/gray silk dupioni and used black satin ribbon, black lining and a black tassel to complete the bag.  In addition to the cutwork design pictured, the embroidery design includes two additional side panels.  Instructions are included with the design files and are excellent.  Hope you enjoy this bag of the week.

My Spring Sweater

This spring has been so beautiful.  I don’t know if it is because of the winter we endured or the warm weather so early on but the flowering trees, shrubs and flowers seem more spectacular this year.  This sweater, which I have dubbed my spring sweater because I typically wear it only in the springtime and often as a sort of declaration that spring has arrived, began its life as a store-bought cotton sweater.  I used Evy Hawkins’ Applied Flowers to create the flower blossoms and leaves out of silk organza.  I then used additional elements from her designs to stitch the stems and attach the flowers and leaves to the sweater.  The “grass” is constructed from Lion Brand Fun Fur which I wrapped around a U-shaped piece of wire and stitched down the middle, creating a fringe that I then sewed onto the sweater. 

I will admit this sweater took a very long time to create.  It consists of twenty flowers.  Four are made up of three layers of petals; the other sixteen are two layers for a total of forty-four individual flowers that had to be stitched out.  There are also twenty-four leaves.  I made this sweater to wear one year at Martha Pullen’s School of Art Fashion.  People stopped me in the halls on the day I wore it.  It has continued to be a real attention grabber (too much so at times!)  It does make me happy, though, and I always feel like winter is over when I pull this one from my closet.  I think I’ll wear it tomorrow.

Bag of the Week 14

Applied Flower Tote

I created this tote bag using Evy Hawkins’ Applied Flowers designs.  I stitched the blooms (32 in all) on cotton home dec fabric.  I then beaded the centers and attached them to the tote bag which I created without a pattern.  The bag is lined and the looped closure fastens around the top center flower.

Next week I will feature a garment I made with these same blooms.  It’s a totally different look.  Tune in.

Oatmeal Raspberry Bars

I first had these luscious treats at my friend Lisa’s house last summer.  They were unbelievably bakery fresh-tasting so I was thrilled when she told me they were homemade.  She shared the recipe with me and now, I am sharing it with you.

These are simple to make with supplies you probably have on hand (except perhaps the raspberry jam).  Today I made the crumb portion by hand (literally) but would like to try it in a food processor next time.  There is nothing tricky about the process but here are a few thoughts I will throw out there:

• If you use unsalted butter increase the salt (to at least ¼ teaspoon).  The crust should have a slightly salty taste.
• Don’t skip the part about lining the pan with parchment/foil.  This step makes it SO much easier to remove the bars from the pan before cutting.
• I like to use Polaner Fruit Spread (seedless raspberry) instead of traditional jam.  This makes for a less sweet bar which I prefer.  For those with sweet teeth, use regular jam and, if you want to gild the lily, drizzle the cooled bars with melted white chocolate.
• You can double the ingredients and bake in a 9”x13” baking pan.

These bars don’t photograph very well but they sure taste great.  Enjoy!