I've been making bags.  It feels like I haven't made anything for me since before Christmas... but, such is the life of a craftster sometimes

I made this diaper bag for a friend (and actually 2 more friends of mine just got pregnant, so it looks like it'll be a while until I get back to trying to make clothes... sigh).  I've never made bottle pockets before, so that was an experience.  But thanks to afianto, it wasn't so bad! http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=22254.0



It includes 2 exterior bottle pockets, a matching changing pad with vinyl on one side (my first quilting experience, and though you can't tell from the crappy pics, it turned out okay!), a vinyl zippered pouch, a padded divider to segregate mom-stuff from baby-stuff, a vinyl-lined organizer (thank you FingerPrick! http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=48982.msg450364#msg450364), a zipped pocket under the flap, and an adjustable strap.  whew!





Next, I made messenger bags for two other friends' birthdays.  These two friends are married, and so I made the bags similar but (hopefully) not too 'matchy', so they wouldn't look like losers if they wore them at the same time.  They're made of denim and either black or gray canvas material. 

Am I wrong, do they look too "we're wearing the same outfit"?




these messenger bags have one zipper pocket and one box-pleated pocket under the flap, a large padded pocket on the inside and some velcro sewed to elastic to hold in their new laptop.  That's the black strip you can see (well, sort of) in the second picture.  I also made them bag organizers because these bags have so few pockets (I was lazy).





And finally, I made those same two friends a padded laptop sleeve because they just got a new Macbook and have yet to buy a case for it.  It didn't turn out quite as I'd have liked (the vinyl looks too puffy), but I love the hexagon detail on the back, and the pinstriped lining.





I'd love to know what you think!

it feels like it's been a year since I've posted something new!  After a long month of making crafts for Christmas gifts, I finally had time (and motivation! knowing you have to finish 76 projects by whatever date is so draining sometimes) to make something for me.  And I'm so happy with it!

it's not perfect, but I love it anyway.  It's a little bunchy (though, I didn't have a chance to iron it (or pull off threads, gah!) before I took pics so maybe that would help) and I can see billions of little mistakes, I don't really love the pocket flap shapes, and the lining was sort of painful, but overall it was fun to make.  I'd be happy to post a tutorial, or even just pics of the pattern pieces I drew up if anyone would like, but it's really just a modification of Ainadaliel's bowling bag: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=15938.0 .

I used pink canvas for the main fabric, gray canvas for the outside pockets, and gray stretch skull knit for the pocket details (that was not fun).  I used gray vinyl for the handles, and a lovely dark gray suiting for the inside and inside pockets.  It's fully lined and fully interfaced, and I put a piece of old plastic notebook cover on the bottom for a bit of added strength.  I had never done a lined zippered bag quite like this, so it was an adventure!


front:


top:


inside:


action shot: (pardon the blur and the mess!)


all comments appreciated!

EDIT: here's a sketch with measurements of my pattern pieces. Hope it helps! (right click and choose 'view image' or similar to see it larger)

thanks again for the support, everyone!  I'm glad I'm not the only one who likes these flowers 

I've just finished one more, and attached a pin back as per dogperson's awesome suggestion.  What do you think?  I tried to take an action shot but couldn't get a good pic.




My wire work really needs... work, so I'll have to practice a bit before I will feel these are good enough to sell.  But I'll put a link to an etsy shop in my sig when they're ready (I hope saying that doesn't violate the advertising rule ) -- thanks again!

[theblackplague]

Thanks for the vote of confidence, theblackplague! 
I'll have to start taking better pics though... 

Here's a picture of a Loonie (1 inch in diameter) plus the smallest (far left), the largest (far right), and a flower of average size (middle) so you can see how big they generally are. 

(I wasn't sure if this goes in the Beads or General section of Trinkets and Jewellery, so if I guessed wrong, mods, please feel free to move.)


I made these rings over the summer.  Okay technically I've only finished one ring (by adding the flower part to the ring base), but the others are all ready to be finished.

I basically chose a bunch of beads that looked like petals, and then chose other beads/materials in similar or contrasting colours for the flower centres and other details.  I had only the most basic of plans for the wiring part -- it's pretty messy (as you can see in some of the pics) but is quite sturdy.  Eventually I'll refine that part -- if you have any tips, please share!

Usually the outer petals were formed using a simple loop of beads, but for tubular beads or beads which required more space between them, I wove the wire in and around in a more complex manner apparently impossible to describe (at least for me;) ).  This was the hardest part; the centre was easy, as was attaching the parts.

To make each flower, I began by forming the outer ring of petals, then the inner ring (where applicable) and then created the middles (separately) and wired the 2-3 parts together, leaving at least two tails used to attach the flower to the ring base.


And eventually I had these!  What do you think?

1:
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a finished ring, action shot:

[evildeadgirl]

thank you both, evildeadgirl and tinybits!  Here's my new pyramid bag:



I'm so proud!  It was so easy; I think the entire project took about 20 minutes.  And most of that was choosing and cutting out the fabric
You guys totally rock.

[Bag Title:]

I made these bags for my sister/brother-in-law (I didn't make the larger bag too girly/boyish, so either can use it! ) and their son, my cute nephew.  The big one is a gusseted messenger bag, and the little one is a jordy with a flap.  The larger bag is my entry for this contest.

Bag Title: A/B (+ J)
Bag Pictures: (sorry for the backlighting)

both bags:



CU patterns and outer material:


J (the little bag) - velcro closure, zip pocket inside:


A/B front (buckle closure):


A/B open (velcro pocket):


A/B inside (zip pocket, 2 other pockets):


A/B side (velcro cell pocket):


both bags, angle:


thanks for looking!  

I made this clutch for a friend of mine who's moving back next week after having lived in Taiwan for a year.  Problem is, I'm not really a clutch kind of girl (I apparently need to carry around far too much stuff all the time), so I don't really know what makes a good clutch.

The material is polyester, I think, made to look like silk -- originally it was a pillowcase from Ikea's as is section.  I lined it with some black and white plaid/tiny houndstooth fabric I found in a thrift store, and added frogs as a closure (plus some red seed beads and a red swarovski crystal for decoration). 

The bag itself is basically a wide, slightly A-lined jordy-bottomed zipper pouch with a flap; I used e.r.i.k.a's zipper pocket tutorial to make the pouch.
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=22875.0



But I'm not sure about the shape and style -- my sewing skills are still kind of basic, so the purse itself is a bit wonky (the flap is a little crooked, my zipper installation is uneven at best, and the sides look messy).  I was able to iron out some of the puffyness you can see in some pics (eg under the flap), but I'm still not sure if it's neat enough to give as a gift.



colour reference (cause most of the pics are washed out):


front:


side:


under flap:


inside:



And so I appeal to you, fellow craftsters.  Is it cool, or ugly?  Do those beads in the corner look like bug or fish eggs?  If so, is that a bad thing? Any tips on making a good clutch for next time? As always, all criticism is so appreciated -- plus I'm not in love with this bag, so I won't be hurt even if you absolutely hate it

[Bag Title:]

Bag Title: Secret Agent Bag

Materials used: nylon webbing, plastic clasps, plastic clip, handle and strap pirated from an old laptop bag, black+white plaid/tiny houndstooth for lining, medium gray cotton twill, black polyester "duck" material, light gray pillowcase, red silk (zip pocket lining), elastic, 2 zippers (gray and black), interfacing, reflective tape (on the strap's padding), velcro, vinyl (on nintendo controller applique), plastic from old notebook covers for inner stiffening

What are it's functions and compartments?

Here's a compilation picture showing the pockets and their potential uses:


Left to right, top to bottom:
1. outside, side one: water bottle pocket made using nylon webbing and elastic (the pocket has a box pleat to provide roominess)
2. outside, side two: PSP pocket and ipod / earphone velcro strap/holder (the velcro can accomodate any sized ipod plus earphones, or just a single pair of earphones)
3. PSP detail (the pocket is box pleated, and fits both the PSP and the PSP in the padded case it came with)
4. under the flap: a lined zip pocket (which is 5"x4"), 3 elastic pen holders, and a small velcro pocket for change, keys, or a flip cell phone
5. inside, front panel: this panel has a lined zip pocket and a velcro pocket made to fit a nintendo DS (also box pleated)
6. DS detail (plus half a shot of the zipper pocket - also 5"x4")
7. inside, side one: small side pocket made from nylon webbing, box pleated -- currently holding DS games (but can accomdate a non-flip cellphone, as seen in final picture below)
8. inside, side two: clip for holding keys, wallet, etc
9. inside, bottom: a secret pocket made from the lining material
10. inside, back panel: a large patch pocket (10"x7") for holding cds, papers, etc
11. the flap and back outer panels have sewn-on gray detailing -- I left these pieces open on one side for concealing secret documents, passports and other sensitive documents.  The light gray strip's open side is underneath the darker gray's, so concealed items won't fall out at inopportune moments


edit: forgot to mention, the inside of the bag is large enough to hold a 15.4" widescreen laptop, plus several books and notebooks.  The bag's dimensions are approximately 10" high x 13" wide x 4" deep.

The strap length is adjustible, as are the lengths of the clasps which secure the flap.  The strap is clipped on to D rings on the sides, making it easy to remove completely should the user prefer a briefcase style as opposed to the messenger bag style.

Bag picture:

outside front:


outside back:


inside front (under flap):


inside:

I'm a huge fan of the game Guitar Hero for PS2 -- it's a rhythm game, like Dance Dance Revolution, but way cooler. Using a guitar-shaped controller, you strum while pressing coloured buttons which correspond to notes on the screen, to "play" a bunch of rock songs.  So much more fun than that description! 

Anyway I've cheerfully addicted several friends to the game, two of which are unfortunately moving to another province in the next week.  I made them these Guitar Hero cuffs as a going away present.

They were super fun to make, and didn't take very long at all. 
I had no idea how big their wrists were, so I measured mine (6.5") and my boyfriends' (7") and added two more sizes (7.5", 8") just in case.  I figure they can trim the extraneous snaps if they like.



cuffs (The game comes with the white guitar; you can buy the red one from the developer's website for multiplayer!):



artsy angle shot:



detail shot of the guitar body (the two white beads by the whammy bar represent the controller's start and select buttons):



detail shot of the neck (these 5 beads represent the 5 coloured buttons that you press to play notes in the game):



Sorry for the lack of action shots -- forgot to bring my camera to the party... 
But my friends loved the cuffs, which is so awesome!