Amy Butler Weekender Bag - Done!!

Well the Amy Butler Weekender is done! And like many things that you build up to frighteningly insurmountable proportions in your mind - it wasn't bad at all. In fact, I loved making it.

Here it is in all it's glory....



Ready to be packed and taken to hospital.


I read many blogs about making this bag before I started and on the advice of many other "Weekender Warriors" decided to add some inner pockets. For the zippered pocket I followed this fantastic tutorial at U-handbag.




For the pocket below I just used the outer pocket pattern, lined it in black and reinforced it with the sew in interfacing. For the finish along the top I used the same method as for the outer side pockets. I divided the pocket into two with two rows of stitching about 1/8th of an inch apart.



I was so in lurve with my AB bag that I decided I needed a matching toiletries bag. Voila!




So, in review here are what I consider the pros and cons of this challenging pattern and my hot tips for successful sewing.

Pros - The pattern is really well written and when it is finished it is a lovely bag that will hold heaps. For the photo shoot I packed it with 7 bath towels, a hand towel and two face washers. Now that's a lot of manchester for one bag!

The timtex can be very difficult to manoeuvre through the machine but the lovely stiffness of the the finished product is worth it.

Cons - it is a very expensive bag to make. If I made it again I wouldn't use Amy Butler fabric for the lining; I'd go for something like a cotton drill in a plain colour.

The cutting takes a long time.

It can be physically very difficult to coax the bag through the machine. I had very sore shoulders for several days after finishing the project. But no pain, no gain right?

Tips - These items could make your Weekender Bag experience much easier. They did for me.


The pattern calls for you to sew the many layers (in some cases over 6) together with a zipper foot. Craziness!!!! I don't know how anyone would even attempt to make this bag without a walking foot to help you evenly sew through all of those layers.

I also found using the binder clips to be a winner when in the final construction stage of the bag.

Finally, I attached a magnetic fabric guide to my machine mark the 1/2" seam allowance. This gave me something to butt the fabric hard up against and kept my seams nice and even.

For other blogs featuring awesome weekender bags check out

http://notquitevintage.typepad.com/not_quite_vintage/2007/03/for_dawns_weeke.html

http://jenandfranz.blogspot.com/2010/06/amy-butler-weekender-bag-part-3.html

http://marynannasews.blogspot.com/2010/05/thank-god-for-sallies.html

http://www.madebybird.com/4-weekender-bags-in-4-weeks/


As for the swearing....I have to admit to letting about 6 magic words fly during the construction of this bag. And they were all of the type that would make a sailor blush.

Good Gravy!

Several months ago I made this quilt from Minnick and Simpson's Bar Harbor line....



And this month it is featured in the lovely Homespun magazine.....



Scarily, the magazine also features a personal profile. It was very daunting getting a photo done that would be seen by thousands of people around the country if not the world. I had to call for the heavy artillery and crack out the war paint and the hair straighteners for the occasion. Don't be alarmed dear reader, I didn't let go of my true self - not that you can see them but I am wearing pajama bottoms in the photo!

A huge thanks need to go to Catherine and the team at Homespun for doing such a lovely job with the photo shoot of my quilt, converting my pattern for the magazine and the text in my profile. You are truly a pleasure to deal with and it is a real thrill to see my work in such and esteemed magazine.

And if not for my project you really should check the magazine out because this month it features a gorgeous project from Roslyn Mirrington of Bloom. You can see the project on her blog. Lovely, isn't it? I am pretty keen to make it. I am thinking of something in red and white and linen.

But for now I have to rejoin my daughter who is busy with her making box. An unattended 3 year old with glue is never a good idea. I thought you might enjoy a sample of her work....



What that girl can do with a feather!!

Cover me. I'm going in!

After about 18 months of procrastination and general task avoidance I have decided to finally put my Amy Butler Weekender bag together. I have finished cutting everything out (a Herculean effort in itself) and have even made the handles and some of the piping.

I have read on many blogs that the bag is a bit of a demon but I would really like to have it finished to take to hospital with me next month. To be perfectly honest I am less nervous about having a caesarean than I am about making the bag!

My plan is to tackle it slowly, one step a day, so that in a week I will hopefully transform these fabrics.....




Into this bag.....without any swearing.



I think I could be kidding myself.

Come on Down!!!! Quilt Show Alert!!!

Looking for something to do this long weekend?

Pop down to Mawson Lakes for a Quilting Extravaganza!

The Australian Machine Quilters Festival will be taking place at Endeavour College at Mawson Lakes from Friday the 1st to Monday the 4th of October.

There will be great shops and companies represented (including - Horn, Hettie's Patch, The Patchwork Apple, Patchwork on Parade, A1, Constantine Quilts, Sue's sewing world and many more) with super show specials.

Demos will be taking place all weekend. There will also be a fantastic quilt show to be inspired by - there will be over 90 quilts on display by some of the finest machine quilters in Australia.

This festival is for anyone who uses a sewing machine! More details can be found HERE on the official website.

I will be working on Mum's booth (patchwork on parade) and doing demos throughout the weekend so pop by and say hello!

See you there!

Hibernation Complete!

Well it is a very long time since I posted! I am still here and, like Humphrey B. Bear, have been leading a very exciting life since April.

In May my husband and I made this :



And I have pretty much been asleep ever since.

I am awake now and ready to play. Stay tuned!

Friday, but not quite finished.

On Friday I spent a lovely day doing a workshop with Marg Low at the Patchwork Apple in Woodside.

We started the day with a little trunk show of Marg's designs. It was so nice to sit back and be dazzled by pretty things. Here is a little window into the lovliness....


A wee table-topper made from sawtooth stars in reproduction fabrics. I have in mind to make something similar using Ohio Stars.

A sneak peek at a project Marg has designed for the Red Club. It was very gorgeous. I am a sucker for hexagons.


Here are some super cute Christmas stockings sitting on a miniature quilt again designed for Red Club.


How gorgeous are those sweetheart birdies? I bought this pattern from Marg on the day and am keen to make them to hang on the door handles. The button is from Theadora Cleave. She makes truly lovely things.

Vicki fondling Marg's wares...

We went to next door to the Lobethal Bakery for lunch. As you can see I enjoyed highly nutritious, fat free fare. But how can you resist happiness in a can, a bolognaise pie and what are seriously the best jam berliners I have ever eaten (and believe me I have done some research into the matter)? You can't, so I capitulated and enjoyed every calorie laden morsel.

So what did we actually do with Marg? This....



Rhonda's finished journal cover

Kris's bookmark.


My half-finished journal. I was so happy because Marg taught me to needleturn applique which is something I have wanted to learn for ages. Cop the birdie! He's appliqued!

As usual I have come home, uploaded my photos and realised that I was too busy talking and didn't get pictures of everyone's projects. So I'll just leave you with another bird picture. Did I mention that he is appliqued?

Leapin' Lizards! I'm in Homespun!

Volume 11.4 is on sale now at your local newsagent.

This exciting moment has been a long time coming...I made this quilt during our quarrantine last June. I am so pleased with the gorgeous layout that the team at Homespun put together.

I have got a couple of other exciting things in the pipeline that I can't wait to share with you, but for the moment I am going to celebrate being published in this fabulous magazine with a cup of tea and some more little houses.