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Friday, September 5, 2014

Big City Bags, by Sara Lawson

Have you had a chance to check out Big-City Bags in your local quilt shop yet?  This book was written by the very talented Sarah Lawson and published by Martingale.  SewCalGal views this is a "must have" book for anyone that enjoys making bags.  It is also an excellent book for anyone interested in making their first bag, improving their bag making skills, as well as for those sewing enthusiasts that have experience but want to make some super sophisticated bags.


Handmade bags always stand out and capture the spirit of the creator.  And they make a fantastic gift.  Speaking of which, the holidays are coming up and wouldn't a beautiful handmade bag make for a perfect gift?  Actually, any time of the year a handmade bag would make a great gift.   



There are designs in this book to make bags that are perfect for getaway trips, as well as carrying supplies to a quilting workshop.

There are bag designs that perfect for just about anything from a day of shopping to a night out on the town.


And Sara does a fantastic job providing instructions, with great visuals on how you too can make a bag that looks professional and will be durable.  You'll learn her techniques for installing zippers, magnetic snaps, creating adjustable straps, as well as how to select the right interfacing, stabilizer, or batting for any project.

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Think about how much fun you could have having a girlfriend's sewing party to make bags from this book?  Of course then you'd want to go out to lunch, some quilt store shopping, or a quilt show so you could all show off your beautiful handmade bags!

Or maybe you want to make a special gift for a new mom.  There is a cute pattern for a baby tote, but I think this design would also work well for using fabrics to make a tote for adults too!


And don't forget when you make a bag for a gift, to stick a lucky penny inside of it!


There are 12 new designer-style patterns for bags and purses, which alternative colorways provide additional inspiration, included in this book, making this book an exceptional value.





If you have made a bag using a design in this book, SewCalGal would love to see a photo of it.  And, if you have not yet checked out this book, I hope you get a chance to very soon. You should be able to find it at your local quilt shop, or favorite online shop.  If not, just let them know you are interested in having them make it available in their store.  Of course, you can also check it out online in Martingale's shop or on Amazon.


Sara also created a Youtube video to share some tips on interfacing:


If you have problems watching this embedded video, or you are using a mac, here is a link to watch this video directly in Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjcJiy9RFCI

While these bag designs look stunning  in various fabric prints and colors, SewCalGal also thinks that for those that enjoy free-motion quilting you could also use these designs to create stunning bags that would show off your FMQ!

What fabrics would you use to make a bag with this book?  Fall Fabrics ? Halloween Fabrics?  Christmas Fabrics, Bold Fabrics? Or ????


You can find Sara at:
Sew Sweetness:   www.sewsweetness.com


You can find Martingale at:

https://www.facebook.com/shopmartingale

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