Tuesday, January 03, 2012

Some of my projects...

These are the Zippy Strippy bags by Atkinson Designs.  Great pattern- very easy to follow directions and a fun project to boot.  The construction of the bag itself takes maybe 20 minutes.  It also takes about that long to make the front and back panels according to her direction, but of course I didn't do that so mine took a little longer. The designs on the front of my bags are different from hers, but I have a longarm and her patterns are for a quilt-as-you-go design. Which would work great... but this worked fine for me, also. I made several of them from blocks that were sitting in a drawer already sewn up.  I don't normally do zippers- avoid them like the plague.  I just can't get them as neat as I'd like.  Passable, but they bug me.  The method Terry uses is so easy and perfect, PERFECT- every time.  I think that might be why I kept making them- I, yes I, put in the perfect zipper.  Repeatedly.  The crowd roars!   Quite a monumental feat. I have plans to make a whole lot more- you know how compulsive I can be once I find a project I like.  (Did I ever tell you about the 13 quilted jackets I made one winter?  I have some of my Aunt Isobel in me.)  This is the medium-sized bag- there are three sizes.  And they hardly cost anything to make- the zippers are about a buck fifty and off ya go! I'm thinking you should look them up.  I'm pretty sure a whole lot of your friends would be real happy to get one and you can point out to them the perfectness of the zipper!   

6 comments:

Elaine Adair said...

Roar from this crowd - arent' they all clever - I'm going to the link to mark it!!! It's never too early to start Christmas gifts! LOL

Thanks bunches for the tip!

Donna said...

Thank you for my BEAUTIFUL bag!! The zipper in mine was beyond perfection! I have to tell you I was very impressed with it! And in the back of my mind was the thought that you hated zippers. But then, after I had inspected the completely professional job you did, I came to the conclusion I was mistaken--glad to know I wasn't completely off-base. I will treasure my sweet little bag from my sissy. Love you!

Sarah said...

Roaring here as well. I have two of her zippered pouch patterns and since I generally use fabric and batting scraps to make the bags it costs, what?, a whole $1 for the zipper. Every time I find new zipper colors I make another batch of bags...

thejoyoftom said...

I love the bags. They are so cute. I learned a neat way to do a zipper for a bag like this at the Sewing and
Quilting Expo last year. In that method you use a continuous strip of zipper which can be bought is bulk along with the zipper pulls. Of course, I have not repeated the method since I learned it and am not sure if I remember it well enough to do it again on my own. Ha! But Bethany was with me, maybe the two of us together...:)

Sarah said...

OK - where do I find this pattern? Those bags are adorable! I have a fear of zippers too - are you sure this method is easy?

Love you!

Sarah said...

Too funny - check this out -

http://emptybobbinsewing.com/2012/01/06/preschool-teachers-rule/