Go Green! Sew a Shopping Bag!

Do you want to Go Green?!  Well here's a really simple way.  Sew your own shopping bag.  You can use if for groceries, or clothing, or any kind of bag to save on those paper and plastic bags in landfills.  Here's a quick how-to video on my youtube channel.

http://youtu.be/gPvHhuUWH84

Need a bag, or a purse, or a clutch to match that outfit?

My favorite project growing up was always sewing bags and purses.  If I didn't like any "old" ones that I had...or just wanted one to match a certain outfit.  So here's some simple photos of bags or purses or clutches that I've made in the past.

Beautiful Silky Fabric Clutch

I found this awesome fabric just browsing.  I thought it'd make a really cute clutch purse.  (Plus I LOVE the color red).  This is really simple.  I just sewed right sides together, (added black lining) and then I sewed up the sides on half of it.  This one rolls around a few times before you close it, hence the black ribbon.  The ribbon didn't hold too well, because the fabric is so "slippery" so I also sewed in a zipper to keep it closed tighter.  I added in a black ribbon (two pieces for strength) for the handle into the side seam.  Let me know if you need further instructions.

Ribbon and Denim Clutch

This was really fun to make!  (Coolest part it was all made of scraps)  I love ribbon, and I had a ton of extra ribbon lying around.  I thought it'd be fun to sew a ribbon clutch with some denim.  I used an old pair of jeans.  So I just sewed the ribbon on in various directions using white thread on both sides of the ribbon.  I added in the bow, and sewed both ends of it, and then tacked it down in the middle.  Then I had my front piece.  I sewed both sides together on the top, and then each separately for the inside.  Next I sewed the two insides together with a top stitch.  Finally I hand stitched some claps on for the top to close.  A very simple project and a fun clutch to match any outfit!

Simple Jean Clutch with Red Accent

(See I told you I LOVE red)  Here's another simple jean clutch.  This one I made in one hour and one half.  I needed a clutch really fast for a concert, and whipped this one up.  I used an old pair of jeans, this one was the pant leg.  I sewed on some red square for accents, and then stitched up a handle in the side seam and a blue zipper.  

Quilt Square Should Bag

I bought some fat quarters at the quilt shop, and wanted to sew this awesome bag with them.  I then found the guitar fabric, and loved it!  So I had to sew a bag with them all together.  It's super busy, but I still like it!  The quilt squares are just random fabrics sewn together using triangles, and then I laid them out until I liked the way the pieces looked.  It's a big bag, that I can use to put my school books in or for an over night.  

Happy sewing...if you have any questions or want more directions for these bags, leave a comment.  Don't forget to subscribe on youtube:

www.youtube.com/megasaurusrx

or follow me on twitter:

www.twitter.com/megasaurusrx

Current Project: Puzzle Piece Quilt

I am currently working on a puzzle piece quilt, hence I haven't posted much in a few days.  I'm really excited about it.  It has a lot of bright colors, and I'm taking photos of each step, so you too can create your own.  Also I just finished an elegant tank top, so I'll be making a blog about that soon, too!

Red Lace

I love lace, it's so eloquent in clothing.  I bought 1 yard of red lace, and made two different pieces of clothing with it.  One I sewed a lace vest.  It works to spice up a plain colored shirt.  Here's a photo and the how to video.

http://youtu.be/B3OepA2c6p0 

Also I sewed some lace onto a tank top I already owned.  It also dressed up a plain tank top.  It's really simple project for beginning sewers, because it's just straight stitching.  Here's a photo and the how-to video. 

http://youtu.be/neCUOdHeHrY

Now you can create your own projects using lace.  It's a great way to take a casual look and dress it up.  Happy Sewing!

Bulletin Board Project

Here's the bulletin board I used fabric to frame.  It was a simple project that only took roughly an hour to create.  I had many fabric scraps from my quilt that I'm currently sewing, and I didn't want to throw them away.  Here's a link to the how-to video. Enjoy

http://youtu.be/zrI69vbGRqA

YouTube Channel

Check out my youtube channel for videos of how-to sewing and crafting projects.  Here's a link to my channel, and I'll add in specific videos later for references.

www.youtube.com/megasaurusrx