one of my addictions...

...is making bags. I love making purses, tote bags, back packs, diaper bags -- just about anything you can think of . My kids are always telling me that I have enough purses, but I keep making more. I keep some, sell some & give some away as gifts. I am enjoying seeing all your bags, and hope to see many more.

Here are a few bags I've made in the past few months.
I made two more today, but it's dark now, so I can't photograph them until tomorrow. Until then...

Shawna-my new spindle bag

Well, here is my new spindle bag, Shawna. She’s a real sweetheart. Do you see those big innocent eyes?

I wanted to make her all white, but t I don’t like things looking dirty fast so I thought better of it and put some brown on the bottom. She’s sat in the mud! I tried to make a splash coming up but I’m not sure if it’s that obvious. Green would also be good as she also likes to sit on the grass and chew her cud.

There's more over at my blog.

Hi

Just to say hi, I am a baga-holic indeed, though not ready to admit yet that is a problem - problem, what problem, I still got closet space! Though possibly not for that much longer. I only seriously started making handbags, apart from teen experiments, about a year ago, I still have not made any knitted handbag something I got to change next winter.

The bag on the photo was an improvisation for a swap, it´s a recycled bandana, and I started doing it with no idea of how to go on, and the process was not helped by the fabric having gone all twisty after being washed ( note: drying it flat might have helped). But it was fun figuring out how to make something I would be happy with, and I think I want to try more of these bandana bags, the size turned out to be just right and they look great filled out.

Hello fellow bag lovers...

How fun that a bunch of bag nuts can get together online and post pictures of our bags. I love making bags in fact I am making one right now..



This is my KTC project for Pride and Prejudice. It struck while reading the book that there was an awful lot of talk about money. I though Lizzie needed a bag to carry the ton of money she would get by marrying Mr. Darcy, not to mention the books she wants to read. So I started to make a large tote for the gal. Now you all know how I love Toile fabric. It was this scene that reminded me of P&P...



I am sewing this by hand and I am making good progress I just started it Sunday Night!

It will make a fine bag to add to my created collection...


In addition to my P&P bag I am planning on making a log cabin bag.

Happy Bag Making...
Amanda

Sorry, I lied

Sorry, gals, I lied. The little strawberry print bag was not my first bag. I actually made this bag last fall, but the "bag bug" hadn't bitten quite yet, so I had forgotten about it. It is made out of leftover kool-aid pouches. After the kids drink them, slit the bottom with a knife, wash it out with soapy water, and let them dry. Stitch them together with regular thread and needle on a regular sewing machine. Sometimes the needle gets a little gunky from the adhesive used to hold the seams of the pouch together. Cut pouches in half lengthwise then folded in half and sewn toghether to make the long straps. I used three total pouches for the straps, so that is three halves of a pouch to make each strap. There are approximately 22 pouches. With 10 pouches per box, I decided to go ahead and make them out of three different colors. I had seen them around and have heard that they sell on ebay for about $20 to $25. It has been a really fun purse.

And, here is a photo of my latest bag. It is a soft sided tote. I used blanket binding to make the straps. I threaded each end through a button hole and tied a knot to secure it. This is a gift for a friend with a real casual look, but several children and all their stuff to tote around.

Out of a Japanese Craft Book...

In my quest to improve my purse-making skills, I tried a new pattern out of a Japanese craft book. Let me just say that this particular book is challenging, not just because it is in a foreign language, but also because I think they assume a LOT more sewing knowledge than most patterns that I use. This purse had 6 steps. Not the 20 steps that I'm used to following when using a new pattern. Suffice it to say, I had to make some adaptations due to the language barrier, and some adaptations just because I'm not yet the sewing whiz I aspire to be. I really like the way the trim on the front and the handles turned out. This has opened up a whole new facet to purse-making for me.
I did make one other purse from the book using a purse frame. Maybe when I get better at purse frames, I'll post one here, but for the time being, my first purse-frame purse is posted here.

Me, too! Me, too!

Hi, my name is Natalie Joy and I am so excited to be able to share my new found craft and get some fun new ideas. Hubby calls me "crafty crafterson" since I have been such a busy bee lately. I'm sure I don't have too much to share that others don't already know, but I know I'll get lots of good tips from you all.
Here is a picture of the very first bag I ever made just a couple months ago. I decided to practice by making something for my little girl. I liked the strawberries and she thinks it is "Strawberry Shortcake" (like the little dolls). Now, I'll show you the purse I made for my mom and mother-in-law for mother's day. It's a little more complicated than this first one. Thank goodness I am a fast learner (and good at faking the stuff I don't know).
Thanks for letting me a part of Bagaholics Anonymous! I need it!

Hi, my name is...

Hi, my name is Joanna and I'm a bagaholic! (*^-^*)
I've been buying nad making bags as long as I remember, sewing them at least for 15 years now (but not taking photos of all of them unfortunately...). I love changing bags very often, I like different shapes, sizes and fabrics, I make bags for myself, for exchange and for sale. I sew them using sewing machine and also by hand, when I need a bag for the medieval events I attend, this year I also started to knit bags.
Here are some examples of some last and this year creations, more to come soon (because I have a pile of freshly made unphotographed bags next to me! ^^)



Enjoy and see you soon! ^^

Beach bags

I just thought I'd show the two beach bags I made out of my favorite flip flop material, one is for my mom and one for me.I put a tape measure in the picture so you can see the size of these monsters. If you look closely you’ll see my little sewing helper Alida’s hand and two paws and a nose from Pip, the tape-measure-chasing cat.

I made a large pocket for the inside and sewed down the middle of it which makes two great deep pockets for the little things I have to tote around with me. The handles are long, 40 inches long to be exact, which is the way I love them. I just hope my mom likes them too. I’m pretty sure she will. We're ready for the beach now.

Since I mentioned my bag made of jeans in my introduction post I thought you may like to see pictures of it. It is a little wrinkled where it has been put away in my closet, so please excuse that.


I used children's jeans. I tried using ladies, but, it made the bag way too big.














I used a regular bandana through the belt loops. I put it on before stitching the lining in.

I lined it with bandana fabric that you buy by the yard. These bags are extremely had to sew due to the thickness of the denim and when you line them you sew across the belt loops. I also made some with fabric straps instead of the hard handles.

I hope this gives you some inspiration. Sew Long for Now.

Basket Bag

I made this basket bag for a friend from church this weekend. Most of my bags just have an open top, but I used a magnetic closure on this one. I haven't mastered zippers yet, but hope to one day. I've purchased magnetic closures for around $4 locally, but found that I could buy a package of 25 from this ebay store for around $16 plus shipping from Hong Kong (around $7). What a deal! And the quality seems just as nice. I also bought some purse frames from this store for around $3 per frame. Hopefully my next post will include a purse made using a purse frame. We'll see...

My turn! My name is Cindi. A couple of years ago I saw a handbag I liked in my local sewing shop. I looked it over and decided I could copy it. I came home and made a pattern out of freezer paper and made the bag. A friend saw it and ask me to make several for her for family members. Then another friend saw it and ask me to make one, etc. Finally, some one suggested I make them and sell them at craft shows. I did and and have been selling that particular bag for 4 years. The next year the lady who suggested I make the bags and sell them at craft shows brought me a picture of a bag she thought would be a good seller. It was a bag made out of the top part of a pair of jeans. I made and sold over 100 of those. Since then my friends have come to know me as the bag lady. I have tried all kinds of bags and love to make new ones. I don't often use patterns, I just see something I like and try to figure it out. My latest passion is making quilted bags similar to one I saw on a blog. Here's one I completed recently. Sew Long for Now!

Hi, my name is Randi! I made my first handbag six months ago and I have been going strong ever since. It is so fun to take a few pieces of fabric and transform it into something beautiful and useful. Since I don't know how to make a nifty collage like all the other gals have, I have to settle for showing you my most recent creation that I made with thrifted curtains:

For more details about the making of this bag, click here.

My blog is called I Have To Say...

Hi my name is...

Hi my name is Sue and I too am a bagaholic. Here's a few examples of bags that I've created lately and you can see more of my work on my blog.

I have been a sewer for over 25 years now and one of my favorite things to sew are purses and bags. I have a closet full of bags and yet I still have to make more! I think bags are the perfect canvas to showcase surface design techniques. Wearing your creation over your shoulder or carrying your supplies in a bag to work or to a class that you’ve created with your embellished original fabric is a perfect way to show it off for all the world to see! And because you typically don’t need a lot of fabric to create a bag it's an ideal canvas for experimenting with different techniques without having to create yards and yards of fabric to sew with. Right now on my sewing table I have a pile of linen and cotton fabrics dyed with walnut ink that are waiting to be turned into a bag. What's on your sewing table waiting to be turned into a bag?

Hi my name is...

Hi there. My name is Kimberly and I'm a bagaholic. Here are a few of the many bags I've made over the past year.
I admit I have a problem and I'm certainly not willing to stop. You can see more over at my blog- The Giving Flower .
I'm glad Linda and I can be here to help others through such a tough time. I can't wait to see what you have to share. Now I must get back to my next bag project.

Hi. My name is...

Hi. My name is Linda and I'm a bagaholic. Above are just a few of the purses that I've made in the last year. After making my first nappy bag (bottom left photo) I couldn't stop. I am of the belief that a girl can NOT make too many purses. I've sold a few, given away more than a few, and kept many for myself. I post my new creations on my blog, Craft Apple. I look forward to meeting you and seeing your creations in the coming weeks and months!

I used to buy fabric that I love and make purses out of it, however my last purse has sent me off in a new direction.

This purse was made out of a tank top and now I can't stop looking at old clothing and wondering what kind of bag I could make out of it... same disease, bagaholism, just a new direction. To see the tank top, go here.