Jamie’s Leaf Bag
Another bag similar to Chelsea’s and my paisley one, from that same simple messenger bag pattern. This one was for Jamie, the other lovely niece in my life who, along with Chelsea, has passed through two important rites of passage lately:
a) turning 18
b) graduating from high school
I had a hugely difficult time in nailing down the design for the flap. It really makes me sweat bullets to make something handmade for the younger generation. I’m so not cool, but I want my gifts to be. Of course with the requisite added pressure of just a few evening hours in which to design/make it as well as pack for the trip. You should see the pile of sketches. I was so inspired by Orla Kiely’s signature leaf thingies and ended up with a variation on that theme.
And I spent a lot of time I didn’t have sitting in the floor of my craft room wearing a slightly crazed look and surrounded by piles of fabric, willing my brain to produce the perfect color combination from the existing stash.
Body of the bag is brown linen, lining is green cotton. Leaf appliques are cotton and linen backed with Heat N Bond Lite and zig zagged.
I’m very pleased with how it came out, and Jamie was sweet enough to even use it a couple of times when I was there. I love those two girls.
this looks like a nice and practical bag!!
That bag is fabulous! I love the leaf pattern. I'm sure it will get lots of use!
wow! that's awesome! LOVE it!
I love it (though I'm so not cool either)! You did a great job with this one.
Absolutely gorgeous plus love the green lining on the inside!
What a lovely bag! I would love one of those for myself!
I love, love, love this. It is perfect! I wish I had one!
fantastic!..i love it!
It's absolutly gorgeous!!!Beautiful, elegant and practical. And the leaves are almost kind of Orla Kiely-ish!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!
Love it! I have been appliqueing a few things with the tips you gave me. It is so fun and addictive! I really need to do a new crafting post.
And I think the bag turned out "cool". 🙂
Did you know you are my crafting hero? Everything you make turns out awesome!
What I great bag. Love the colours of the leaf pattern and the green lining inside.
Wow, everybody! thanks! I'm getting all geared up to do a tutorial for the basic bag soon.
Larissa that's a perfect bag! Bravo!
So cute! I love the leafs.
Love the leaf bag.
I love your bag, it has a contemporary style. Very modern!
You should be proud of yourself!!!
Love the bags! Colors are great, so are the colors on your header too by the way :).
Absolutely love this bag! Now I'm very far cry from 18, but I could easily imagine this getting touted around a campus! I bet she'll use it a ton!
Great job 🙂
I love your blog! I keep gazing at all of your projects and dreaming of them! The sew-y owl in a shadow box is genius. I wanted to ask how much weight the leaf appliques add? I was thinking of adding something like that to a baby kimono made of a linen cotton blend but don't want it to be too heavy.
thanks, everyone. y'all always make me smile with your witty comments.
K, hey! doh! that rhymes. The applique is pretty stiff on my bag because of the Heat N Bond layer. If your leaf applique is smallish enough not to use a bond, then you could totally do that in cottons on the kimono without it being too stiff, and for ease of sewing you could use that tear away stabilizer paper.
Thank you! I'm looking forward to the tutorial.