The Bon Voyage Bag

Bon Voyage Bag

Are you looking for a  stylish and functional bag for traveling?   Need an overnight bag during the holidays?  Or  are you looking for a modern bag to make as a gift for somebody special, like your mother , sister or best friend?
Then, I have discovered the perfect  bag for you!

"The" bag-                      Bon Voyage bag   by  Geta's Quilting Studio

The Bon Voyage bag    by Geta's Quilting Studio

The bag dimensions:       18 wide at top; 21 wide at bottom; 15'' tall (without straps);
                                     5'' deep; two interior pockets; one exterior zippered pocket

My Bon Voyage Bag-

The Bon Voyage Bag        by Susie's Sunroom

The outer fabrics are a "quilt sandwich", made with main  outer fabrics,  batting in the middle,  and a home decorator weight fabric  for the bottom layer.  ( The home dec fabric is not seen.   The quilt sandwich  provides sturdiness in the bag.  ) Then , I did some VERY basic free motion quilting...  around the design 'ferns' on the main fabric and rambling on the  dark, small flower fabric.  (I need to practice FMQ a lot more!)
I made the straps two-toned.  So fun!  (They are 28" long.)

My random free motion quilting

Bonus: Geta's pattern is so unique... This bag can have many "looks!"   Geta provides superb instructions, diagrams and photos  that  also show how to create a Bon Voyage bag with a hexagon front!  These bags were made for Geta's sisters, who all traveled to Paris together .  Aren't they gorgeous with  hexagons and the exquisite quilting?!!

Geta's Quilting Studio    Bon Voyage bags made by Geta
photo courtesy of Geta's Quilting Studio

So, how  much can a Bon Voyage bag hold?

This is a big bag!   Along side a 24 inch ruler

There's an exterior zippered pocket on the back side!

There are four big slip pockets inside

I began by placing a curling iron in the bottom...

On top of the curling iron,  I put a large beach towel...

How will the Bon Voyage Bag handle-  4 pairs of gym socks, 4 polo shirts, a button down shirt, and a pair of shorts?

No sweat?  It's all in there!!

There's still space in  the exterior zipper pocket yet!

My mother would've stuffed  A LOT more in this still!

There's  time for you  to make The Bon Voyage bag,  and have a totally stylish and practical gift for  holiday giving.  
Stop by soon to see another  pattern that Geta designed for her sisters and their trip!  You will love it!

I'm off to my sewing room!

I am linked up at:  Can I Get A Whoop! Whoop! @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
                            Purse Palooza 2014 @ Sew Sweetness

Halloween Cats

 Halloween Fun with Cats!

I recently found some patterns, with cats, and knew these would be fun to make for Halloween!

The first project - a Patchsmith Mug Rug called " Moonlit Cat"-

(Do  you see the cat on this cover of  The Patchsmith's book of 10 Halloween and Thanksgiving Mug Rugs? )

Pattern here

My daughter, who has a gray cat named Fritz ( or the little Prince, as I like to call him!), requested that I make her this mug rug, and make the  cat gray in color.
I pulled out some dark blue fabric, for the night sky, and some gold for the big ol' moon.  I got out random red pieces of scraps for the wall.  And I had some scrap Brussels Washer Linen for the body of the cat.

Moonlit Cat     by Susie's Sunroom

The back side of the mug rug.   I like to use the "back as binding" when I can on a mug rug to keep it flat.

Note:  There's a second black cat applique design included as a bonus in this Patchsmith Halloween/Thanksgiving Mug Rug book!

A Fritz selfie on my laptop , alongside of his  Moonlit Cat Mug Rug

The second project-  a little stuffed cat called "Scooter Pie"    by Bunny Hill Petite Patterns  (here)

Scooter Pie pattern here

My daughter asked me to make her this  sweet little stuffed cat , in a  Beatrix Potter toile fabric that she found this summer.  

Scooter pie stuffed cat     

The fabric -the 3 Little Kittens and Peter Rabbit

They are a fun little size , of 6 " x 7 ",   and don't take long to make.  I use chop sticks to get the polyfil stuffing moved into the spaces. 


Well,   you know what I "just had " to make next....

Meet  little Fritzy  Pie

These were shipped out to my daughter as a surprise :)

Fritz and his little Mini-Fritz ...

Fritz and Mini-Fritz

Ok, what do you think I did next?

( I couldn't "not" make this one for my sweet little Whiskers....)

Whiskers and her little Mini-Whiskers

And since it is nearly Halloween....

Hmmm.... where did YOU come from?

Little Scooter Pie cats ready for Halloween   Susie's Sunroom

They are a cute addition to my handmade Halloween  decorations.

I want to make a Moonlit Cat mug rug for myself soon, too!

I'm off to my sewing room!

 

I have a feeling my Whisker Pie
 will be staying out year-round!

Mixing It Up!

"Mixing It Up!"

This month's challenge theme :  MIX

Want to see what I made when I "MIXED" up ~   Patchsmith  Patterns  applique

                                                                      with 

                                                                      the ModaLove block pattern?

Oh yes , and mix in  "some"  2009 Moda Mill House Inn fabric that I have in my stash.  (Is this vintage yet?)  (And, do yards, and yards, of fabrics and a few charm packs count as "some"?)

Fabric:   Oodles of Mill House Inn      by Fig Tree Quilts  Moda fabric 

Applique:   The applique pattern  is by Amanda, The Patchsmith, from her 

Halloween and Thanksgiving Mug Rugs  pattern book .  This book has  10 patterns ! 
  I used the  "Primitive Pumpkin " pattern for my pillow. 

available here in pdf

The block pattern:  Modalove by Moda  here  (in three sizes!)

Mixing up the The Patchsmith  applique with the mini ModaLove block  Susie's Sunroom

Now, I had this pretty 12 inch block,  with this super cute fall pumpkin and crow applique in the corner. ( Just waiting to put out for fall !)    I decided to make this  block into a 14 inch pillow.  I  simply added a 1 1/2 inch  border sash on each side, and picked out a Mill House Inn Rose Red fabric for the backing.   

My Mix                  by Susie's Sunroom

The back side -   of course it has the Covered  Zipper pillow backing  
( tutorial by  Amy Made That!)

Now, if you are a regular reader of my blog,  you will have guessed by now that I  couldn't just  look at  stare and adore this sweet little, lonely,  pillow for the whole fall...

 Before I knew it, I had another Modalove block all layed out with different fabrics and colors from my Mill House Inn stash.   ( And, I knew I had a  book of applique patterns to choose from for this next pillow !)

My second pillow     with the Pilgrim Settler pattern applique   and the Currant Jam colorway featured , from  Mill House Inn  fabrics

Backside of this pillow    in  the Currant Jam colorway  (I love that name!)

I like mixing fronts and backs together, too.

Oops!   How  When did that third pillow (with the butterscotch fabric)  slip in there?!  

Mixing it up  ....by Susie's Sunroom

Mixing up the colors and the fall applique patterns    by Susie's Sunroom

       This cute little bird and the leaves are from the  Holiday Wreath patttern from

                            Special Days Mug Rugs Book   by The Patchsmith  on pillow three

I have really loved working with all of these color and applique combinations!  

What fun it will be to look at my "mixed " up pillows this fall!

For more "Mix" inspiration,  click "here" to go to the Le Challenge blog.  There are more gorgeous projects being shared for this month's challenge.

I'm off to my sewing room!

Mix challenge

And also linking up at:  Sew Darn Crafty @ Sew Many Ways  and
                                  Can I Get a Whoop! Whoop!  @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict