Here in BC, kids get 2 weeks of Spring Break, yes you read that right! March is not my favourite time in the Fraser Valley – too much rain for my liking, but I didn’t want that to stop me from taking the kids out for some fun activities. I wanted to make sure I also had fun and participated in our activities, so I needed a bag that would allow me to be hands-free. Last summer,I made the Beatnik Waist Bag, and it was perfect for then, but this time, I was looking for something a bit bigger, to accommodate a few snacks. There are plenty of cute backpack purses out there (maybe I’ll do a roundup one of these days) but I chose Swoon’s Lucy because it looked fairly quick, and even had some options I could skip to speed up the sewing. Another plus for me was that I already had the pattern, as part of the Vintage Collection from Swoon Sewing Patterns, such a great buy!

My latest fabric purchase from Fabric Spark included these fun Echino Motorbikes and I really wanted to use them right away. Like many of the fun Echino fabrics, this one is printed on a cotton/linen blend. Now just to pick the accent and lining fabrics. I knew I wanted something bright to bring out the fun of the motorbikes, and when I saw the corner of this Dottie Bandana (now sold out) peek out from from my stash, I knew it would be perfect. Next was the lining: silly as it sounds, I wanted something that matched the theme of the activities I had planned with my kids. I planned “field trips” with lots of built in learning, so I already had an inkling I would choose a text fabric, and just like the Cotton + Steel, this Encyclopedia Galactica print practically jumped out at me.

To make the bag a bit quicker, I had already planned to skip the grommets and make a casing instead, and I was happy to find that the pattern already included that option, which made me happy since I didn’t have to do math. I also skipped the interior pocket, but I kept the back pocket and it’s perfect for my phone. The pattern has an option to use a zipper on the straps, but again, I went with the quicker, separate strap option. I will only use the bag as a backpack, so didn’t think in this case it was worth the extra steps to add the zipper.

As for size, I’m thrilled, it’s exactly perfect for my needs. It fits my large wallet (Necessary Clutch Wallet), keys, garage opener, extra zippered pouch (for girly stuff) and plenty of room for a water bottle and some snacks, but it’s not too big and it doesn’t weigh me down. The straps are adjustable so the bag can fit over a few layers if need be.

PDF Sewing Pattern: Lucy Backpack, Swoon
1″ Adjustable Sliders and D rings: Emmaline Bags
Fusible woven interfacing and fusible fleece:  Paccana 
Thread: Rich Navy & Tea Dyed, Connecting Threads
Lining Print: Andover Encyclopedia Galactica, Hawthorne Threads
Accent and Straps: Cotton + Steel Basics Dottie Bandana, Fabric Spark (sold out)
Exterior Fabric: Echino Motorbike, Fabric Spark 

Did you make something for Spring Break? What inspires your fabric choices? Let me know in the comments!

Back in January, I was invited to a “sew-in” and I know myself far too well to think I’d be able to actually sew instead of talk the whole time, so I decided to start a project that required several steps before the sewing process. I chose another triaxial weave, with the tumbling blocks pattern to put on a Filigree Double-Zip Pouch. At the time, I hadn’t really thought about the colour selection too much, but being finished just in time for St. Patrick’s Day seems very fitting, doesn’t it?

I used exactly the same tutorial as I did for the Blue Calla Clover panel. I blogged about the weave here, if you’re interested in links to the tutorial and tools I used. 

I chose the Sew Sweetness Filigree Double Zip Pouch because I really love the freedom with the front of the pouch: it’s a clean slate, and the perfect size for a feature. I also just hosted an Instagram swap for the same pattern, and it was really fun seeing everyone do amazing things with it. 

Disclosure: Some links in this post are my affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission on purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. All opinions expressed here are my own. Thanks for your support.

Incredible contest over at Sew Sweetness and discounts on patterns, plus bonus with supply purchase. Click the photo below for all the details.

Aren’t we lucky?! Another great giveaway with a discount! Click the photo below for details and to enter.

Use code OKAPI10 to save 10% at Blue Calla!

I love fabric; it makes me feel inspired and sparks my creativity! So when Daryl of Fabric Spark asked me to curate the March bundle for the Monthly Sparks subscription, I gave a very resounding “yes!” 

I want to share my process of fabric selection because I really enjoyed it and I’ll use it next time I pick fabrics for something. I think if you know you want to make a special project, this could work for you too! I knew I needed a plan to come up with a bundle, otherwise it would just be a hodge podge of 12 of my favourite favourite fabrics, which would still be nice, but maybe not a very cohesive bundle. Since it’s the March bundle, and March is the beginning of Spring, I wanted a Spring inspired bundle. I’m not really into pastels though, so needed something more specific to guide my selection. I looked at some pictures from Springs past to gather some colour palettes. 

I have a really simple illustrator/graphic program on my computer (and my skills to use it are even more simple, unfortunately), and was able to create a basic colour palette layout with 8 colours. Then I just used the colour grabbing tool to pick my colours until I came up with some palettes I liked. I really loved the freedom of making these. It was so easy to switch out colours and grab more until I came up with something that really spoke to me.
WARNING!! Creating colour palettes from photos is highly addicting! You will want to create colour palettes for EVERYTHING!

This was the first one I came up with. Pretty, right? I thought so too. I picked some fabrics, and basically came up with February’s bundle…like 6 of the fabrics were identical. Sylvia of Country Clothesline must be a genius 😉  Back to the drawing board for me!

Then I came up with this palette and felt like it had my signature on it. I love bird watching, and wigeons (the duck featured here) are in my top 10 favourite birds to watch. 

In addition to these colours for inspiration, I had some other “wants” for this bundle, including at least one each of:

• metallic
• floral
• text
• low volume
• geometric

The Fabric Spark website is probably the easiest fabric shop to browse – you can browse by colour, collection, designer, theme, or manufacturer. You could also search for terms like “metallic” or “feathers” if you want something specific. I couldn’t find the perfect rich brown, so chose that gorgeous fuchsia Blueberry Park instead and I’m loving the pop of colour it adds to the bundle. 

Here it is! I’m so happy with it. I normally stick with one collection for projects and rarely mix and match too much, but I’m so glad I went in a completely different direction this time. I think they go together so nicely, without being too matchy-matchy. I was going to show what I’m making with it, but I think I’ll save that for another post (very soon). 

You can sign up for Monthly Sparks here, or if you just want this March bundle, you can grab it here.

If I’ve inspired you to create your own colour palettes for your next project or fabric shop, try the palette builder from Play Crafts. My friend found it after she saw all the fun I was having making mine. The tool is really easy to use and you can save the image and even match it to Kona cottons or Aurifil threads!

Last year I shared “tools of the trade” over at The Nosy Pepper, and I thought I’d share them here. You can read the rest of the series here.

There are so many tools and notions in the sewing world, it can be hard to navigate them all. When I first started sewing, about 5 years ago, I didn’t have any fancy tools, just one of those inexpensive kits you get from craft stores. You know the ones, they usually come in a clear vinyl bag with a few hand needles, some shears, some pins, a measuring tape and gauge, they’re usually a marginal step above a hotel room sewing kit. I still use that measuring tape occasionally and never bothered upgrading the measuring gauge. Over time, I got frustrated not having the right tools, so I slowly built up my tool stash to what I have today.  I don’t pretend to be an expert on them all, but I’d love to share my list of favorites and essentials with you.

Basics: these are the basic tools that I use with practically every project and likely wouldn’t start a project unless I had these on hand.

Quilting rulers, rotary cutter and cutting mat.
With this combination, you can quickly and accurately cut large pieces of fabric and interfacing.
My advice is to buy yourself the largest cutting mat you can afford and have space for. You can often find them on sale or use those 50% off one item coupons for a cutting mat, making it really reasonable.
For the rotary cutter, it really depends on what type of fabric you’re using and the size of your pieces you’re cutting. I use a lot of thicker stabilizers and only use my rotary cutter to cut straight lines, so a larger cutter (60mm blade) works well for me. If you want to be cutting smaller pieces or going around curves more, a smaller blade (18-27mm) would work for that. If you’re just starting out and just want to purchase one, you can try the 45mm blade for the best of both worlds.
The acrylic quilting rulers are the straight edge you cut along, and also a way to measure your cuts accurately. When I started out, I only had one ruler: 6” x 24” and it worked quite well. When I was able to invest a bit more, I purchased a 6.5” square and a 12.5” square and they both made it a bit easier for smaller and larger cuts. In hindsight, I wish I had purchased a ruler package for better value. ​

Scissors
I use the rotary cutter for all my straight cuts, but for curved pattern pieces, I like to use fabric scissors. When I first started out, I bought myself a decent pair of Fiskars fabric shears, but recently I bought some gorgeous 8” Tula Pink Fabric Shears and I noticed a difference right away in quality, I love them! I also have cheap scissors I use for non-woven interfacing/stabilizers and cutting out paper patterns. I’ve used several small snips for threads and I’m really happy with my small gingher embroidery scissors. So in case you’ve lost count, that’s three pairs of scissors I recommend: good quality fabric shears, cheap shears for paper and interfacing, and small scissors for threads.

Wonder Clips
I bought a set of Wonder Clips when I first started bag-making and I never looked back. I find they work so well with layers and you don’t have to worry about pin holes on vinyl/leather. I do have pins but I rarely use them, because I prefer not to jab myself with pointy objects if I can avoid it. I’ve heard that some people have bought cheaper clips and they end up breaking, so I recommend saving yourself the headache and just going with the better quality clips.

Seam Ripper
I know, I know, we don’t want to have to rip out those seams, but sometimes, we just have to face the music, and we may as well have the right tool for the job. I really like the Dritz Seam-Fix Seam Ripper because it has a rubber head that helps remove all the little threads and then close up the teeny holes from the erroneous stitching. My seam ripper also does double duty for making holes to insert magnetic snaps and bag locks.

Nice To Have: I use these often, and they make projects go smoothly

Markers
There are so many different marking tools out there and I think at the end of the day it really just comes down to personal preference. I rotate between a few, depending on the type of fabric I’m marking and what process of the bag I’m at. For basic outlining of pattern pieces, I just grab whatever I have in a colour that’s going to show up, since my outline won’t be seen on my finished product. For marking placement, of an overlay or pocket for example, I use either Fons and Porter Mechanical Fabric Pencil, or Chaco Liners. ​

Wonder Tape
I almost counted this one as essential, because I use it for every single zipper. I buy the ¼” and it fits perfectly for zipper installs. I also use it when doing some finicky applique or reverse applique. This tape is double-sided and repositionable, so you can set your project up perfectly before you sew it. Unlike some tapes, this one can be sewn through and won’t gum up the needle.

Glue
I use Beacon’s Fabri-tac from time to time. I use it to position handle connectors before I sew them in place, and I also use it as additional security when installing hardware. There are other brands, like E6000, which some people swear by. Fabri-tac was easy for me to find locally and I was happy with it, so I haven’t tried many others.

Fray check
This product can be a life saver if you accidentally nick your nearly finished product. Just dab it on and let it dry and it will prevent your woven fabrics from fraying. It’s a good idea to seal up the slots that get cut during some hardware installation as well.

Point turner/Turning tool
Something like this Point 2 Point Turner from Clover is really handy to have. I use the larger edge to help flatten down vinyl handles, and roll out curved seams. The pointy end helps when turning and making nice sharp corners. You can find many similar tools, such as a bamboo turner or some hera markers. If you’re really in a bind, a wooden chopstick helps too.

Lint Roller
Probably not what you expected to see here, right? Well, I use mine all the time. I find after snipping threads or tiny scraps sticking to my bags, a good roll of the lint roller takes care of all that. I also find it to be the best way to clean up the aftermath of a large seam ripping.

Tablet/Laptop
The vast majority of the projects I sew are from PDF patterns. I only print out the pattern pieces and follow the instructions on my iPad. I love being able to save paper and it helps me avoid clutter from too many patterns (I have lots!). I also like being able to zoom in on diagrams or images if I’m stuck on a particular step.

Extras: these aren’t essential, but I find they make the process much more enjoyable, they’re even fun to use!

Stiletto
I first found out about this tool watching a Craftsy class. It’s used to help get really close to the needle and help guide fabric without getting your fingers sewn. I mean, that’s not the official description, but that’s what they really want to say. I found this 4-in-1 tool and I really love the flat end and now often use it in when I’m finger pressing. ​

Thread Cutterz Ring

I tried this ring when it first came out and I really enjoy using it. My machine doesn’t have a thread cutter, so this ring keeps me from fumbling around for my small snips while I’m at the machine. You can read my post about it here.

Wishlist: my personal wishlist of tools I’d like but can live without, for now.

Steam Press
I’d love a steam press. For now I just use a basic iron, and it does the trick, but when I’m doing large amounts of fusing, I daydream of having a steam press to cut down on the time spent.

Duck-Bill Scissors
I also learned about these in a Craftsy class, and that they’re helpful for trimming away only specific fabrics in a seam allowance, for example, trimming the foam, but leaving the fabric.
​

What’s your favourite tool? Are you going to try a new one after reading my list?

I have a super quick craft to share with you, and you can even get your kids to join in! I love to have quick and easy decorations for small special occasions like Valentine’s Day, and this heart bunting is perfect. It only takes some very simple supplies and your sewing machine. 

Start by cutting out paper hearts. This is where you can really put your kids to work. It’s ok if they aren’t perfectly shaped. I even recycled some paper for a few of these hearts, and used construction paper for the others.

Next: chain piece them together! Make sure to leave a tail of thread at the beginning and end, and increase your stitch length so you don’t perforate the paper. 

Now hang them up! Simple, right?! 

Check out this post from a couple Vday’s back, where my kids and I made crayons.

Last year I made a free printable and showed how to make quick key fobs for your Valentine.

If you’re looking for a more involved project, how about my Hello With Love pillow found in One Thimble? You can read more about it in this post.

I just love the simple, pretty look. Happy Crafting!

It’s February! That means I can share the latest bag I tested. I made this Sublime Bag, pattern from Sew Sweetness, and it’s the February pattern for the Bag of The Month Club.

I love the details on this bag! The front exterior pocket opens on both left and right sides of the pocket, and I think metal zippers really help add some bling to this low-hardware bag. I used cork from the Sew Sweetness shop, and chose the black with silver specks to match my zippers. The cork was  a dream to work with on this bag, and one piece of 18″ x 54″ is enough for this pattern.

The pattern has instructions for rolled handles, like I did here, or flat handles. The rolled handles in cork were a breeze! If you prefer, you could also add some hardware on the connector and do your handles separately.

As usual, I made my own double pull zipper, but a single pull zipper works here too.

The purse feet are optional of course, but I thought they went well with my cork. 

I added a bag label from Emmaline Bags on the back, because it never hurts to #putabirdonit (see here for reference).

Inside is just as lovely! There’s a zippered pocket, and a divided accordion pocket. 

The pattern calls for 2/3 yard of exterior fabric (pink in my bag) but I actually managed to make it with just one fat quarter, although I had to cut the lining of my front pocket from a different fabric. I just thought I’d mention it in case you only have a FQ of a special fabric and want to use it for this bag. I used Safari Moon, an older collection from Frances Newcombe for Art Gallery Fabrics. As mentioned earlier, I used one piece of 18″ x 54″ cork from Sew Sweetness, but the pattern has instructions  for both fabric or vinyl/leather/cork. I followed the pattern exactly for all the interfacing suggestions, and I really like the body and structure it resulted in. 

I’m pretty sure I’ve shared this before, but I’m so slow at sewing, really! This bag was rather quick though, even the cutting  and prep didn’t take too long. Another winning pattern from Sara at Sew Sweetness! This pattern is only available as part of the Bag of The Month Club, so if you haven’t yet, sign up to get the exclusive patterns!

Have you ever participated in a craft swap before? I’ve done a few and they are so much fun. As someone who sews, I really appreciate an item sewn just for me, especially when extra attention is taken to make it special. The sewing community is so full of inspiration and really cool people, and this is a great way to know more of this community.

I decided to host a swap for a Sew Sweetness Filigree Double-Zip Pouch (medium or large sizes). Sara from Sew Sweetness thought this was a great idea and she even offered all the participants a discount for the pattern! If you already have the pattern, you can use the discount for any other Sew Sweetness pattern. Use code happyokapi for 20% off one pattern at Sew Sweetness.

I chose the Filigree because the front has a nice clean slate to showcase a special element for the swap. A requirement for this swap is to make the pouch extra detailed somehow. You can add ribbon and piping as the pattern shows, or add a quilt block to the front. Other examples are embroidery, paper pieced front, woven panels, or patchwork pieces. My hope is that you challenge yourself to add a special detail for a truly unique pouch. 

To participate, fill out this form, and make sure to read the expectations and schedule at the bottom of the form before you submit. 

I’m only accepting a limited amount of participants, so don’t wait too long to sign up.  

Here’s the schedule of the swap: The first check in should be by January 25, indicating your intentions for the item: fabric pull, paper piecing pattern choices, etc. The second check in should be by February 10, and should show that you’re on track to have the project completed in time to mail. You should mail your pouch by February 20. To check in, post your progress picture and tag me @reecemontgomery, and use #filigreedoublezipswap.

Questions? Email me or message me through Instagram. Thanks for joining, and have fun!

It’s here! The Clover Convertible Bag is the first bag in the new Bag of the Month Club, and it’s from their newest designer in the group: Celine from Blue Calla Sewing Patterns. This bag is not quick, but it’s loaded with features. In addition to being really functional, the added details make it extra special.

Update: the pattern is now available individually! Find it here.

I really love the piping details between the panels. I never would have thought of it and I think it highlights Celine’s creativity in her pattern designing. 

Check out this train case bottom! You could insulate it and carry your lunch around, or just keep makeup in there, or whatever else you want separate from the main compartment.

I like how the bag looks with the magnetic snaps done up; it narrows the top and helps secure the contents of the bag. You could undo them to make more space too!

The back of the bag shows how this bag converts from backpack to cross body. The cross body configuration is shown above, or move the clips to the lower D-rings and attach the O-ring to the center clip to carry as a backpack.

I made the flap with the woven panel I featured here. I actually made the weaving specifically for this bag. I love how the tongue lock from Emmaline Bags shines and adds the perfect amount of bling to the bag.

The top handle and bottom are made with cork from Sew Sweetness. It’s a wonderful material to sew and is a great alternative to leather.

I received several different Alison Glass prints from Sitka Fabrics and since I used Alison Glass for my weave, I used these for the lining of the bag too. The main (purple) is the Andover Chambray that I also used in the weaving. It has different colours depending on the light it catches, such a cool farbic!

There’s a zippered interior pocket, plus a divided slip pocket. I used metal zips for all but my train case. 

I think the front panel with the zippered pockets and piping is my favourite. It took quite a while but it’s so worth it. 

I did my “best nine” on Instagram last year and had fun seeing which were the nine most popular posts again this year. I decided to write a quick blog post with links to original posts (if I made them). I used this site to find mine; it was quick and easy. 

From top left to right:

I made this Hanging Cosmetics Organizer from the Craftsy Class Sew Sturdy Travel Organizers. Read more about the class and my review here. 

I haven’t blogged this yet, but I made a Swoon Dallas for Jackie McFee for her new fabric line to display at Quilt Market a couple months back. The new collection is called My Gray or the Highway, and it will be available this summer. I’ll post more about it around its release date.

I made this bag from the Sweet Talk pattern from Sara Lawson’s second book. You can read all about it, including the amazing glitter vinyl I used, in this post!

I tried out a pattern from the latest issue of One Thimble: the Sakuro Clutch. I also used cork for the first time. Check out this post for all the details.

I think this is the favourite thing I learned this year. I can’t wait to do more in 2017. I used a bit of this weave as a feature in the Sakuro clutch, but you’ll find out soon what I used the rest in. Check out my post explaining the process here.

I used some of my precious Tula Pink Saltwater collection for this free Swoon pattern. I didn’t blog this one, but you can get the free PDF here. 

I celebrated 1000 followers on Instagram with a giveaway. If you aren’t on Instagram, check it out for oodles of inspiration. 

There you have it! I hope next year is even more exciting. Thanks for making it a great one! Read my previous post to see what I have planned for 2017.