Despite sounding like a hipster law firm or even an 80’s supergroup, the title of this post actually relates to the three main components of this flat zipper bag…
Please ignore the fact that there are no progress photos of this – creating this blog is a very new idea for me, for a long time it’s just been me and my crafting so no need for progress pics! As new projects are made I will be taking lots of in-progress photos but in the meantime I’ll talk you through this. I have made another smaller version of this bag – again though, no progress photos! BUT…I have a third one planned that I WILL take photos of…promise!
Off we go…
Here is this post’s namesake hanging from my IKEA pegboard as decoration in my craft room.
The beautiful Acufactum fabrics are from Elmhirst Fabrics. I bought them years ago and you can still get bolt-end remnants in their Sale section now. There’s something so special about Acufactum’s storytelling fabrics and the selection I’d acquired were just begging to become something momentous, so I kept them in a plastic bag for years, only taking them out every now and then when I wanted to stare at them before carefully returning them to their bag for a while longer!
When I finally decided on what to make with my fabric I had decisions to make…fussy cut or not? I had never fussy cut before and when I’d seen others doing it I’d inwardly scream, “noooooo, what a waste”!!! I knew I’d need 90 squares of fabric, so before any cutting was done I did some rough sums and figured out I’d easily get the amount I wanted from the fabric I had, so fussy cutting it was. And to be honest, I really don’t think I’d have loved this bag as much as I do if I’d have cut without using such precise placement for each part of the pattern on every fabric I had.
The project bag is my own design, my only specifications were that it was big enough to store quilt blocks in and that it had a clear vinyl front so the quilt blocks could be displayed from within. The finished size of the bag is 18½” square – it’s a big ‘un! I didn’t have enough Acufactum fabric left for the lining but I did have this gorgeous navy cotton that forms the ‘vintage’ part of my post’s title…
…This fabric was gifted to me by a friend in America for Christmas 1999 along with quite a few others. They’re all from the Cranston Print Works in Rhode Island, it closed down in May 2009, and they’re all stunning prints. I thought this particular print went so well with the Acufactum fabrics and it means that even when the bag is empty it still looks like art!
I design my own labels and order them through Contrado, it adds a lovely personal touch to each of my projects – and when I’ve added them to quilts they stay looking perfect even after going through the wash.
The ‘Made For Greatness’ label at the top of the bag is a Little Rosy Cheeks label – I have a few designs and they are so cute and positive.
I could have added a photo of each square of pretty fabric because they’re all so special but I’ve had to settle for a small selection instead! If you’ve ever considered Acufactum fabrics then I highly recommend them, even the smallest details are crisp and sharp. I kept my quilting simple, as I do with most projects anyway, as I didn’t want to cover much of the design.
I remember reading a quote ages ago that said:
“There are quilters and there are bag-makers, and then there are quilted-bag makers”
That quote is me to a T.
The binding fabric is a fat quarter from my local Abakhan store, I thought the colour suited the other fabrics so well and it even looks similar in design to the blue egg-shaped spots in one of the Acufactum prints.
This bag has been well-used since its creation last year, I love the simplicity of the design and how it doubles-up as wall decor.
Have you seen a print in my many photos that you think is cute? What are your thoughts on fussy-cutting? Would you like to see a simple photo tutorial on how to make one of these bags in any size you choose?
A big thank you to Stephanie from Elmhirst Fabrics for her incredible kindness regarding my blog and her help in guiding me towards the correct links and information for her Remnants Sale – we wanted to make sure you got the correct info!
Happy stitching everyone x
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