Saturday, January 29, 2011

A stop at the shops...

The first term of school has well and truly started and I am fortunate enough to have a wonderful group of ten gorgeous girls who love to sew, yet again this year. So instead of the usual Year 10 task of sewing a skirt using a commercial pattern I gave the girls the option to make Amy Butler and Melly and Me bags (with zippers). I wasn't sure what their response to this would be, despite how much I love the work of both of these design houses, perhaps the skirts would really be what they wanted to make. However the response was so overwhelmingly positive for the bags, that even though we really don't get to start on the practical part of this project for another five weeks, the girls wanted to go shopping this weekend! In fact, I even saw one of the girls in at the shop when I visited today, despite me telling them to wait a little bit so I could provide them with some more advice in due course.

So, what do you do when you have a class full of girls so excited about sewing their choice of five different bag patterns, that they almost can't sit still? You warn the local sewing shop and then you go and purchase the patterns that you don't own yet and you get the most delicious fabric you can find in a hurry whilst your there, and you get busy planning to sew.


As such, I spent a delightful afternoon at
Sewco, one of my favourite sewing shops, selecting fabric and linings with the assistance of their wonderful staff.


For my version of Melly and Me's
'Sleepover' overnight bag I will be using some of the gorgeous fabrics in the Gypsy Bandanna range (a great excuse to use fabric that I have been eying off since I saw samples online).


Sleepover - Melly and Me!



Gypsy Bandanna with the coordinating green lining.

Gypsy Bandanna fabric.


One of the main feature fabric motifs up close.
The main feature fabric - yummy!

For my collection of Melly and Me's 'Raspberry Ripple' bags I will be making a black and white version with some coloured accents for the original sized bag.



Raspberry Ripple - Melly and Me!



Fabrics for the outside - black and white with a splash of colour.

The fabrics with the coordinating blue lining.


For the medium bag (one of my adaptations at the request of my students) I will be using a selection of black and white patterned fabrics.

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3
 For the large size bag (double the original size) I am going to use some of the gorgeous aqua rose, yellow and white polka dot and multi-stripe fabric coordinates that I have seen over at Two Little Fairies Fabrics. The only dilemma is whether to have pink on pink spots or yellow and white spots between the aqua roses! Also, the fabric has to to be ordered still!

                


 So now, the best thing that I can do is get moving and get sewing!