Thursday, February 14, 2008

Give Away Bag - 100th post

It's time to celebrate my 100th post in this blog. A couple of weeks ago I decided to arrange a give away for my readers to mark this milestone. Or something. It could've been an excuse to sew yet another bag...

Give Away Bag - front1

This is a messenger style bag based on inspiration from sewing Amy Butler's High Street Messenger Bag. It's rectangular and easily holds a hardcover book, a water bottle and essentials like wallet, keys and cell phone. It closes with two ribbons.

Give Away Bag - side2

The bag has one outer pocket. It is pleated and has an elastic sewn in to keep the opening of the pocket closer to the bag. The flap also covers the opening. In the picture above you can see the coverage and the outer pocket.

Give Away Bag - back

The fabric is thick (meant for curtains) and works great for bags. Both the outer fabric and the lining are bought at Åhléns. The bag is interfaced quite heavily on all sides and will hold its shape on its own. The flap only has one layer of interfacing so as not to be too sturdy to bend over the bag. The bottom is extra stiff.

Give Away Bag - side1

There has not been any attempts at matching the print on the fabric. I let the fabric do whatever it wanted to when I cut the pieces.

Give Away Bag - dring2

The strap has not been attached yet but my intention is to make it adjustable. It will be attached in the two D-rings at each side of the bag. These are metal and somewhat bronze-like. The strap will match the ribbons in front.

Give Away Bag - open1

The bag is lined with an off-white and beige fabric that makes it easy to see what's at the bottom of the bag. This fabric is also thick and meant for curtains. There's a zippered pocket in the back panel.

Give Away Bag - inner pocket2

For consistency, and colour, the inner pocket is made out of the same fabric as the outside of the bag. This pocket is big enough for keys and maybe a wallet if the outer pocket doesn't feel safe enough.

Give Away Bag - bottom

This is the bottom of the bag. I love this section of the fabric! It shows all the colours in the fabric.

Give Away Bag - front

This last picture shows the bag from the front again. Just as a reminder. And also to show one way of tying the ribbons.

This bag is made in a home that contains two cats. I can't guarantee that the bag will be 100% hair free, so please keep this in mind if you're allergic.


So, what do you have to do to be able to get this bag?

I will randomly draw a winner/receiver amongst those who leave a comment to this post and answer the following:

What is the sewn object in your possession that you value the highest? Is there a story behind it?

I will ship to anywhere in the world. Everyone who leaves a comment will be in the drawing on equal terms. One posting per person, please!

You have until noon on Thursday, February 21st, to leave a comment. And that's Central Eurpean Time, which is 1hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The winner will be announced here in the blog and if you leave contact information (email or web address) in your comment, I will also contact you personally.



What are you waiting for? Go leave a comment! :)

30 comments:

brownishcoat said...

Oh, Anna! It's beautiful!

My favorite sewn item is my Christmas quilt. My mom is a quilter, and it's the first quilt she made me after a big change in my life (my divorce). It's almost 8 years old now, and it is so warm and soft! (Not to mention beautiful; many of my Flickr FOs have been photographed on it.)

I just had to take it off the bed last week so that it will be ready for next Christmas.

Unknown said...

Oh My Gosh Anna, that is stunning!!!!

so beautiful!

hmmm favourite sewn item in my possession ... I don't have one :( but my mum still has her sewing needle case that I made when I was about 7.... it is cross-stitched on the outside and inside is SEWN a piece of felt which you stick the needles in!

I can sew - but don't, my mum always made our clothes for us and I continued making skirts and shorts until I left school.

Anonymous said...

ANNA!!! KRAM!!! Congrats on the 100th post. What a milestone. I'll be lucky if I post 25. And most of all.... Glad Valentines Dag!!!! Have a great day.

Anonymous said...

I just left a comment down below.... *yoi*

OMG - it is just stunning!!! It looks amazing - you are a fabulous sewer! A woman of many talents!

Anonymous said...

OOPs - I forgot to answer your quesiton about a sewen object....

I am sad to report that I don't have an sewen object made by anybody. And I don't sew myself, yet. I think you are inspiring me to start though! Sorry for sending you two comments - maybe you can combine them?!

Geek Knitter said...

Oh goodness, it's lovely!

Hmmmm, most valuable sewn item. That's a tough one. I think I'm going to have to go with my Paddington Bear that my Grandma made for me about 30 years ago. he's moved across the country, had surgery to repair his paws and re-attach his arms. He's been through it all, and he knows all of my secrets!

KellyK said...

ANNA! That bag is WONDERFUL! I bow to your talent...

I dont own it still, but the sewn item of which I have the best memories are the shorts that my mother made me when I was small... 4 years old, maybe. She made herself a pair to match. She did this often. They were a dark blue denim fabric with Sesame Street characters all over them. Poor woman must have loved me to PIECES to wear Sesame Street shorts when she was nearing 30! ROFL!

ekittie said...

I don't have a sewn item. :pout: I can't play.


LOVELY bag though. I love that fabric. :)

Stiney said...

My grandma was a seamstress for a living, so considering that, we have surprisingly little that she sewed. She would re-do all of the dresses she bought at stores so they were more flattering, but we don't have her clothes anymore. Tons of doilies and afghans she crocheted, though, including the two on my bed right now.

The things we have left are all Halloween costumes she made--the pink princess costume I wore when I was about 7, and two witch's costumes--one adult, and one small. She made both of the witch's costumes for my mom. There was a big witch's nose made out of putty that my mom had to wear when she was a kid, and she hated the nose. And when I wore the kid's costume, my mom put nasty costume make-up on me that made me gag (almost everything made me gag when I was a kid) so my face would be green. But I wore that costume for years and years. There's even a little cape that goes with it that is trimmed in orange.

The adult witch's costume could double as judge's robes, and I was definitely a witch one year in the kid's costume and my mom wore the grown-up one.

It's sad we don't have much that she sewed anymore.

iKate said...

Anna--I'm again impressed by your gorgeous work. Every time I walk by the sewing machine aisle at Target, I'm tempted to sneak one in the cart. I'm not a sewer (yet) myself, so my sewn object was made by someone else. As little kids, a family friend made these pillows for my sister, brother, and me. These weren't just any pillows...these were "turtles." It was a pillow with a head, arms, legs, and a tail sewn on. My brother and sister are twins, so theirs were matching, but I'm the oldest, so mine was unique. Theirs were "turtle" colors, but mine was orange and white. We used them all the time--in our beds, to lay on the floor and watch TV, to sit on, etc. Unfortunately, it had to be "retired" because of how much I used it. Just thinking of it brings back lots of memories. Anyways...sorry for the rambling. Happy Valentine's Day! :kram:

Anonymous said...

Anna, you have outdone yourself! That is one seriously gorgeous bag. And congrats on your 100th post!

It's no longer in my possession, but my great grandmother made me a quilt that I still adore. It was a giant crossword puzzle with little messages stitched in the blocks. I often think about that quilt.

Jen said...

Anna! You should be *selling* these bags!!

My favorite sewn item...hard to say. I'd like to say I have something I kept that my mom sewed, out of sentimentality, but I've long outgrown any item of clothing she made for me. :) Maybe my boys' Halloween costumes throughout the years? I am quite partial to a silk Roman shade I made, though...someday I'll actually get it hung up. (Oops!)

BrownBerry said...

This bag is amazing!! And I'd love it! :)

I'm going to post about this on my blog too in the hopes that you'll get some more visitors.

My most recent sewn object that I prize is a needle holder and knitting bag made my dear friend Nancy at emeraldlane.com. She doesn't knit but has always been so supportive of my creativity and I find that I use these 2 things all the time. She let me choose the fabric, but it was her thoughtfulness and time and care that made them turn our PERFECT.

Great job Anna!!

Anonymous said...

It is a really lovely bag =) I hope you understand my english because my main language is swedish and german... Anyway, I want to tell about the time when I first started to saw. I was about three when I started (with the help from my grandmother) to saw "korsstygn". I thougt I was really good although all the crosses where marked out so it would be easier for me to saw. I made a lot of tablecloths during my first sawingyears and I also remember that I had a special outfit as I was sawing. If you look at my picture on Facebook you can see it, but otherwise I can describe it as a typical 70:s outfit =) I had a white t-shirt with lilac flowers, pants (strumbyxor, and - the most important thing - sunglasses... Do not ask me why I (for real) thought it would be easier to saw with my sunglasses on... Anyway, thats what I remember as my best sawing experience although I have sawn much harder and advanced things later in life. Jessica.

Anonymous said...

Awesome design, Anna!

The sewn object I value the most is my snow suit. While it is bulky and not the most elegant garment I own, it protects me from the elements extremely well. Two weeks ago, we survived a cold snap in Alberta: it was -48C at one point, and any exposed skin simply froze in seconds. I couldn't have survived without my trusty snow suit!

eve knits said...

nice blog! i love the bag!

the most cherished sewn object for me would be this first (and only) quilt i made for my mother-in-law for mothers day 2 years ago. it was a true labor of love, especially since i had no idea what i was doing, but it came out ok and she uses it daily!

Pikku- Kettu said...

Oh my! Are you seriously going to give that away? You are a better person than I.

I would have to say that my most precious sewn object is definitely my Weekender. It's the first major sewing that I did and it still cheers me up to pick it up and say to myself "I made this!".

Kim said...

What an incredible bag - I've heard lots about them. Thanks to BrownBerry for blogging about your contest.

My most precious sewn object is a quilt I made for my daughter when she was 8 years old. I was a new quilter with an old sewing machine (that has since died). I was a newly single mom of three small kids (my daughter is the middle) who worked full-time. The quilt would come to life after the three little ones were fed, homeworked, bathed, and tucked into bed. The pieceing went well and I began to hand quilt it.

The quilting stalled a bit when I reached the border to the point that my daughter became concerned. She had watched with eager anticipation and was anxious to possess her quilt. Relenting, I simply machine stitched the border then slip stitched the edging.

My daughter has coveted this quilt for nearly 10 years. It has loved away worries and celebrated successes. It is only in my possession for a short time as she will be carrying it off to college next fall : *

squiggi said...

my favorite sewn item is a patchwork quilt done by my great-great aunt. She was a talented quilter and sewer. I'm sorry to say I never knew her personally, only through her work.
I love to imagine where all those tiny squares came from, and what they might have been in a previous life.

essjay said...

Stunning bag, Anna!

I think that my mom problaby has most of the items that were "sewn" for me. My 2 most prized are a blanket that was made for me when I was young by my grandma & mom. I still have it and even though the batting in the middle is all worn out and there are a few holes I still hold on to it. The other is a set of quilted placemats that my mom made for DH & I, she designed them herself.

Anonymous said...

Anna,
That bag made my jaw drop. It's beautiful!
I'm having a hard time picking just one item in my home that's sewn and that I love.
I think the best, though, is the tiny apron that my grandmother made for me when I was about 3 years old. She embroidered my name on the front. I wore it a ton, and now my little girl wears it!
Thanks for such a generous give-away! Carrie

Mona said...

Men jösses! Vilken sömmerska du är! Jag är IMPONERAD! Verkligen.

Så. Mitt favoritföremål bland mina handsydda pryttlar... Hm. Jag har två. Det ena är en kjol som jag sydde för en herrans massa år sedan. En svart. Tänk tidigt 60-tal. Massor av tyg. Bred linning i midjan. Knälång. Och till den en tyllkjol i vitt. Jag kände mig så stolt när den var färdig. När folk frågade vart jag köpt den någonstans pyste jag nästan över av stolthet. Min fina kjol som fortfarande hänger i garderoben.

Det andra är en tygpåse, en sådan som man fyller med lavendel och lägger i linneskåpet. Den är dekorerad med en liten handbroderad viol och har ett rosa band. Ingen stor sak. Inte avancerad på något vis. Men det är farmor som gjort den och jag tog reda på den och hennes sygrejor när hon dog. Ett doftande minne som jag sparar i garderoben, tillsammans med kjolen. (Och mina studentklänningar, som jag också sydde själv efter egna mönster. Hm... Varför slutade jag sy egentligen?)

Kramar och en skön helg till dig, sömnadsdrottningen!

sarcasticmom said...

Anna, your sewing skills are amazing!! My favorite sewn item is a tote bag that my mother made for me. She had pictures of my kids put on fabric, and she traced their handprints and cut them out on fabric, then used them to create a bag for me. I use it every day to carry my stuff to and from work.

Jessica Kalmeta said...

Anna, that is soooo beautiful!!! The fabric is amazing looking. You make me want to learn how to sew better! We should totally do a trade for a bag from you and some yarn from me (plus extra goodies from the KP nightmare :angry:). I would LOVE to show off your work!
Love yea!
Jess

Anonymous said...

Anna, that bag is incredible - I *heart* that fabric!

My favorite sewn object would have to be the baby blanket that my paternal grandmother made for me when I was born.

It has traveled the world with me - in fact, I sewed on it myself when I was in Denmark (I put a border inside the satin edging of all the patches I had collected from various things: Scouts, sailing, swimming, etc.).

-Knick (from Ravelry)

Unknown said...

I have two favorite items. The first is a quilt that my grandmother made. She had about 50 grandchildren and we rarely received anything from her. On my 11th birthday, she gave me a quilt with embroidered ballerinas on it. My second is the dress that I made for Kate's first communion. I took a pattern from a company called Alteryears for an Irish Renaissance overdress with a bag sleeved shirt called a Leine and an underskirt. I cut the pattern down to size for an 8 year old, made a prototype out of a bedsheet, had to alter the pattern again, and then I used a gorgeous polished cotton for the dress, a sprigged cotton for the underskirt and handkerchief linen for the shirt. It was gorgeous! Steve took some fabulous pictures of her in the gardens in Rochester. I tried to find one, if I do, I'll post it in my blog.

I'm very impressed with your sewing skills. It's obvious that you put a lot of care into your craft. I just wish that I had a good fabric supplier like you have. :superjealous:

a bit-knit obsessive said...

That bag is absolutely stunning. I wish I could sew!

The one item I have the is sewn is a stocking that has a stuffed bear at the top. I made it in girl scouts when I was about 10. I loved that thing because it was one of the first crafts that I had made myself. Unfortunately, I didn't continue with the sewing...knitting is my passion instead.

My email address is beppermee@gmail.com

The Sexy Knitter said...

What a gorgeous, gorgeous bag!

My favey sewn item is my bedroom curtains! They're made of leopard-print velvet and blood red suede, trimmed with black tassels and topped off with a black and red boxpleated valance! Whoa! Trust me...they're fabulous! (The hubby loves 'em, too!)

My E-mail address is: SarahLois@msn.com

Tanya said...

My grandma gave me a pretty hankie that her mother made when my dad died. I was crying while speaking at his funeral, and I had snotface. There were NO tissues in site, and she had my brother hand it to me.

It is over 100 years old, and I can't wait to get married and wear it somewhere.

She past away last year, and it's one of the few things I have. I really cherish it because we weren't close at all. She wasn't very kind to me, and I was touched. Truly touched...

On a side note, if I don't win, I want to know how I can order one.

Gudinnan said...

Shit, nästan den enda som skriver på svenska här...

Hur som helst, skitsnygg väska! Du kan det här emd symaskiner :-)

Få se nu, jag har inte så mycket hemmasytt från släkten, mest stickade och virkade saker (alla strumpor min mormor stickat är det käraste hemgjorda jag äger). Jag har nyligen börjar min bana framför symaskinen och jag är nog mest nöjd med flera saker. Jag var otroligt stolt när jag lyckades klä Ikea-fotpallen i grått fuskfår så att den matchar Lamino-fotöljen men jag tror att julgransmatta och den tillhörande julstrumpan är det jag är mest stolt över och helst kommer att visa upp. Än så länge, jag ska bli ett pysselmonster när jag blir stor :-)

Kram på dig!