Here's is Janes interpretation of the Apropos Pack, which she smocked annd beaded as an evening bag to use at here daughter's wedding. I am so impressed with this unique embellishment. I hope jane didn't outshine the bride!
submitted by Jane Harris
Canberra, Australia |
Because Ingrid loves to quilt, she made the front of her Odyssey with cute little 3/4" hexagons. The rest of the bag was constructs from thin jeans fabric! What a good idea!
submitted by Ingrid Van Tuyl
The Netherlands |
Judy's been having a blast making these bags She has a unique gift of creativity!
submitted by JudiGraf, Tyler, TX
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I just love the purse hardware Judy chooses!
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Marylou said she just loves using her PortaPockets!
submitted by Marylou
Mesa, AZ |
Here's another real cool bag by super-tester Peg Rice of Westport island, ME. Here's what she did with the new design, the Trifecta! It looks beautiful in ultra-suede! |
Rena said she absolutely LOVED her Odyssey bag with all of it's pockets. She said it was PERFECT for her GO lifestyle!
submitted by Rena Pearson
Marietta, GA |
Beverly wanted to share these pictures of the Porta-Pockets she made for her daughter and daughter-in-law for Christmas. She said she had lots of fun making them, and just needs to find some time to make one for herself now!
submitted by Beverly Mahoney
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Arlene is a new tester and here's the Trifecta she whipped up. She'll look GREAT carrying it!
submitted by Arlene Stream
Loveland, CO
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Janet, (I call her MOM!), is making up PortaPockets inserts as gifts for Christmas this year. These two beauties are going to family members (who shall remain nameless for now!). Mom says, "I really love the compliments I get on my work... almost as much as I enjoy bragging on her designer daughter!" (Oh MOM!)
submitted by Janet Martel
Advance, NC |
This has to be one of my all-time favorite Gadabouts, submitted by who else....Peg Rice! That gal really has a way with a handbag!
Peg Rice
Westport Island, ME |
Is this not the most FABULOUS Bellagio bag you've ever seen?I just LOVE the creative use of gold braid around the edge of the flap!
Linda, of Connecticut Common Threads, made this bag up a demonstrator for a fun sewing day she was involved with. |
You might as well call this the "Peg Rice Row"! This bag, plus the next three were all made by Peg Rice, one of my pattern testers, I ESPECIALLY love the Odyssey's Peg made! They look fantastic! Looks like Peg has a few "Peg Tricks" up her sleeve!
submitted by Peg Rice
Westport Island, ME |
I have had such fun making up your bags! My only problem is what to do with them all! My favorite so far is the Gadabout. Thanks you so much for producing such gems!
submitted by Mandy Hall
United Kingdom |
Martha wrote, "Just finished this little bag. It is very cute I think! I was a bit challenged by the instructions, especially the "wallet walls", but kept following the instructions which took me right where I needed to go!"
submitted by Martha Meyers
Atlanta, GA
Karen M. also submitted this Halloween-themed Cordicella, which she made for a lucky friend. She's got it featured right now on her crafting blog site, www.mintlatte.com. Check it out!
submitted by Karen M.-
Littleton, CO |
I "felt" like I wanted this roly-poly bag in a tapestry. I spotted this Christmas themed print, and thought it would be fun! There's no rule that says you can't carry a seasonal bag!
submitted by Joyce Atkinson
Pattern Tester, Extroadinaire!
Oak Harbor, WA |
"I just wanted to let you know that I've made 2 of your handbags... the Vervalise & the Bellagio Bag. I love them BOTH! They are just the right size. Each one has such unique features.
submitted by Carla Shade
Dayton, OH |
I just love Dwen's choice of fabric for this WAY cool Odyssey bag. Dwen says that she "loves the bag and looks forward to carrying it on her upcoming trip to Florida!"
submitted by Dwen Heminway
Charlestown, RI |
Here's Susan's version of the PortaPockets, my best selling pattern! She used rickrack on the ID Pocket, and commercial quilt binding was used for the pen holders. I think it looks happy!
submitted by Susan Brugger
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I LOVE the terrific retro embroidery Joyce (pattern tester extroadinaire) used on this AbracaNiche Bag. And the Wristlet even has a cool VW Bug on it!
It's all made up in denim from a pair of her husband's old jeans!
submitted by Joyce Atkinson -
Oak Harbor, WA |
My newest AbracaNiche. It's a little wild and crazy, like me!
submitted by Carol Snyder -
Nazareth, PA |
"My first Polso Pouch. I used prequilted fabric for most of the bag & it worked out well. I also used a strip of timtex for the strap stiffener, instead of webbing. I Like this bag a lot, it holds a lot more than one would think!
submitted by Arlene McGarrahan
Cranston, RI |
I just thought I would write and tell you what a GREAT purse the Cordicella is! (my favorite!) I altered this one to make the pockets taller to accomodate some specific electronic gadgets!
submitted by Karen M.-
Littleton, CO |
Sandi says she gets tons of compliments on her AbracaNiche, which are evenly divided between her choice of fabric and the handbag design itself. Below, is a Gadabout Sandi made as a gift!
submitted by Sandi Harrah
Suffolk, VA
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Blair had never written before but just wanted to say how much she LOVED the "Bags with Panache" line. "They are so different from any other designs I can find on the market!" The vervalise is her current favorite, and here's 2 very creative examples of her work!
submitted by Blair Sechrest
Cary, NC |
Blair says she has trouble carrying large purses (fibromyalgia causes my shoulders to sieze up), but the Vervalise is the best size to carry all of her essentials and still give her body a break. Here's one she made for her Mom. Incidentally, besides sewing, Blair is also a glass bead artist, so if you ever need some custom beads for your creations (zipper pulls, or decorations to add to chain handles), then click here.
submitted by Blair Sechrest
Cary, NC |
I complimented Carla on her impressive choice of fabric and her skill in embellishment, and she said, "You've made my day! and week! and month! When making both, I was hoping that my handbag would turn out half as good as the ones shown on your pattern. Your choice of fabrics was an inspiration to me, to try out different fabric choices!" Way to go Carla!
also submitted by Carla Shade
Dayton, OH |
This great Gadabout was submitted by Kelley Barkei. She says, "I did it in black denim with Laurel Burch designs on the front. I did a matching jacket with all Laurel Burch stitched designs and matching fabric. The purse and jacket are drop-dead gorgeous and I've received rave reviews on both!" And LOOK! Here's Kelley modeling her creations. They really are incredible!
submitted by Kelley Barkei
Naperville, IL |
This Vervalise was made from a strata of oriental and metallic-printed fabrics, using a technique quite similar to Kat Trick #4, "Convergence". Catherine told me she added a D-ring sewn in with the strap to clip her keys to. She said she gets compliments on it everywhere she goes, and not just from other fabric-junkies!
submitted by Catherine de la Cruz
Santa Rosa, CA |
Along with this picture, Catherine says that she made up this glitsy Vervalise to carry to a wedding. She said, "The bag came out so good, and turned so many heads, that no one noticed that she was wearing a repeat outfit!"
submitted by Catherine de La Cruz
Santa Rosa, CA
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Here's another real cool bag by Peg Rice of Westport island, ME. Looks like Peg may have almost as many handbags as I do! This one is a Kizmet Klutch! |
Lorna made her Vervalise in beautiful autumn colors. (I just love this interior shot!) She said that she loves her vervalise, as the interior keeps everything she needs at her fingertips, without weighing a ton!
submitted by Lorna Comeau
Nova Scotia, Canada |
Karol's been making PortaPockets again, and these are just fabulous. The grey one has a faux reptile exterior, & the red one is made up in faux suede!
submitted by Karol Saxberg
Sutherlin, OR
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Along with this picture, Karol says that this Odyssey was a swap gift she made up after first making one for herself. She added that she likes to use the pen loops to hold lipstick tubes!
submitted by Karol Saxberg
Sutherlin, OR
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What do you think about this beautiful Gadabout? It's from our friend Mandy in the UK. She says, "the pocket fronts done in crazy patchwork, with scraps passed to me by friends."
submitted by Mandy Hall
United Kingdom
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This SideKick bag features some really unique usage of fabric. Linda did a finejob of placing her images!
submitted by Linda Stokes
Key West, FL |
Melody found this wild material a couple of years ago and didn't know what to do with it. "You'd think I quilt, with all the fabric that's in my craft/sewing room!", she says.
She purchased the "Polso Pouch" pattern at the sewing Expo in Puyallup in early March, because she loved how unique it was.
(And doesn't it look great in this fabric?)
submitted by Melody Teel
Renton, WA |
Lorna made up the free Kash Keeper pattern to go with her summer Gadabout, because she didn't seem to have a wallet that went with it. She said it fits perfectly in the back outer pocket of her Gadabout, leaving the interior compartment free for more important stuff! It looks fabulous!
submitted by Lorna Comeau
Nova Scotia, Canada |
Check out these COOL PortaPockets pictures. I love the fun fabric Karol chose. This looks like a PortaPockets that's just as much fun to show off as it is to use!
submitted by Karol Saxberg
Sutherlin, OR
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"Fabric squares given to me at a quilt shop. I sewed them together, then made the Bellagio Bag for the 1st time!"
submitted by Jo Lacy F.- Chandler, TX |
another Peg Rice original- Need I say more??? |
And ANOTHER by Peg Rice of Westport island, Maine!! |
"I have my 1st Bellagio Bag made. I LOVE it!"
submitted by Ann H.
Kingsville, OH |
What a COOl Polso Pouch!!
submitted by Carolyn Griffin -
Laramie, WY |
"I really enjoyed making my Gadabout. The little details you include in the pattern really add a lot to the end result. I can't wait to try some of your other patterns!"
submitted by Sandi Harrah
Suffolk, VA |
"I can now find my keys w/o cursing, & answer my cell phone before it goes to voice mail!"
submitted by Mary B.-
Winston-Salem, NC
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This Bellagio was submitted by Carol, one of the fabulous sewers in the Connecticut Common Threads group!
submitted by Carol-
Connecticut Common Threads |
I love the fact that Joyce was so brave with the exterior design. This print on print exterior is just beautiful and the kitty button is PERFECTO!
submitted by Joyce A.- Oak Harbor, WA |
I Love the whimsical frogs in this fabric!
submitted by Linda McKane -
Advance, NC |
