Thoroughly Mod

So here at last is the second finished Mod - I did get it done in time for giving to the teacher - with a day to spare I might add!

The colour is a little more raspberry than these pics indicate, a lovely rich colour

I am really happy to report that both bags were very well received, the teachers at first a little taken aback when the girls started bragging that I had made them, which is a nice reaction.

When we left Miss L's teacher she had her head almost in her bag reading the personal ads and laughing.
I am also pleased to say she took them in the lighthearted way they were intended and was not offended, you never know...

This bag feel really lovely, so soft

Silver square-edged rings on the strap and front tab, again!

I carefully positioned a personal ad for a dog lover on the bottom of the bag as Miss P is a dog lover so I thought she'd find it amusing.

Internal zip pocket on one side for all the important, or personal stuff!

Working for the first time with microsuede provided me with a few challenges and lessons, the greatest of which is concentrate on what you are doing when fusing interfacing to the microsuede and don't get distracted by 'The Lord of the Rings"!!

Little zipper tab again - chosen by Miss L because as she told me, "I love Miss P".

It is a slow process bonding interfacing to a fabric such as this as you have to work slowly and carefully to avoid burning the fabric, or shrinking it.

I really enjoyed making the bag - but putting the interfacing on was a bit tedious, especially when I was dying to rip into the sewing!
Nikki advised me to accept the kind offer of use of an Elna press, as per the lovely Wendy, for the next time and that using a press such as this is a really great tool for bag preparation.

The details of what I used and where I got it are in this post in case you were wondering.

Lara's key tab idea again - I really wish my bag had one of these!

I was very grateful for my lovely new sewing machine, as at some points there were multiple layers of suede and interfacing to sew through - and I know my old machine would not have been strong enough to do it.

Sue of Millrose also reminded me that I should be using the dual feed function of the machine, sort of like a built-in walking foot, to feed these thicker layers through.
I was very grateful for this reminder as it made it even easier.

I haven't talked about it much but I am loving the new machine - it makes sewing even more of a pleasure and there are still so many things for me to learn.

Three internal pockets on one side that fit sunglasses and phone

The girls have been allocated their teachers for next year and we are delighted with who they both got as we have heard wonderful reports about them all.
I say 'all' because Miss L is in a class with a shared teaching position - two teachers who together make an amazing team - but that means only one thing to me - THREE TEACHER BAGS NEXT YEAR!!!! (from that year on really as Miss G will go the year after...)

Cam - you better start that bag challenge in about May this year to get me going early!

Totally Mod

I should warn you that there is a bit of picture overkill coming up, so read on at your peril!

I originally posted back in July about joining in Cam's Bag Adventure by making bags for the girls' school teachers - starting them early so I wouldn't have to rush - blah, blah, blah!!

Anyway, fast forward to one week before school ends and I have one bag fully made and another nearing completion.
This bag was a bit of a step up in 'trying something new' for me - with a zippered gusset at the top and a curved outer shape.

So here's the finished product.

In case you missed the brief - this is Nikki's Mod bag.

I chose this because, well, I liked the look of it and hoped the recipients would too!

Heavy silver flat rings for the front tab and strap

I learned a lot making this.

I want to learn more about interfacing as I think that it is the key to getting the shape and feel of the bag right.

The interfacing I used for the flap was a little too heavy - so Nikki advised me to do a second row of topstitching - which helped immensely.

I wish I had styled this correctly because I carefully cut it so the ring sits centrally over the pattern!!

It's a roomy bag, perfect for lugging around all the things teachers might need as well as having room for their lunch if they like.

I made this one using fabric from the David Butler/Parson Gray range called Curious Nature and lined it with a very vibrant Lecien red dot.

I wanted a zip top so everything stays in  when you are on the move, I added the zipper pull to make it easier to use - they are easy to add and just give it a bit of a finished touch.

Clip off the existing pull and add one of these - easy!

Lara always puts in a key tag and I always wish I had one in my bag - so this one does.

So easy to add in - a piece of ribbon with a clip on it.

It also has three internal pockets on one side for sunglasses, tissues, phone or whatever else fits...

You can never have too many pockets I say!

And a zip pocket on the other side because it's handy!

My handy model showing the handy pocket!

I'm really very pleased with how this bag turned out, Nikki has a way of adding extras into a pattern that mean you end up with a product that looks professionally finished.

She helps you ensure your items look Handmade rather than Homemade if you know what I mean.

This fabric almost makes me dizzy at time!

Who knows, perhaps the lure of a bag could tempt some other lovely teacher to make the move to Melbourne...
This kid will need a Prep teacher the year after next if you're interested Annie...

Just had to include this so you could admire my Mod model's lovely foot positioning!!

Now working on the red microsuede version...
Stay tuned!