The Kathryn Bag

Several years ago I created this bag - The Kathryn Bag, named after my Mum and a photo I have of her when she was a little girl where she had a large fabric bow in her hair - just like the one on the front of this bag!

 The original bag I made (red and white - shown above) was claimed by my older daughter. But a few times recently my younger daughter has borrowed this bag to go shopping.

Since she liked the style of it, I thought she'd like one of her own!

My daughter chose the fabrics she wanted from my stash.  I had a pair of jeans - bought from a charity shop for $1! and some cute Eiffel Tower fabric given to me by a friend.

When I got my pattern pieces out to cut the bag, it was nice to find I'd used my girls' old paintings from Kindy!  A great way to 'use what you've' got and keep those memories!

Fortunately the pattern fitted into the jeans legs - the main bag parts from one leg, and the base and strap from the other leg!

I'm really pleased with how this bag turned out, and how easy it was to follow the pattern - having not looked at it in years!

And here's the inside, with two pockets - one zipped and the other just a simple slip-in pocket.

Best of all my daughter likes it too!

The pattern for The Kathryn Bag is one of those contained in one of my  E-books:

'How to turn what you've got into what you need.'

To purchase this ebook click here to go to Amazon where all my ebooks are available.

No more plastic bags for 2017!

How many plastic bags do you use each week when you go shopping?

Would you like your own set of pretty, sturdy and reusable bags and little cost to you?

How about making 2017 the year you stop using single use plastic bags?

Why not make your own reusable shopping bags? I've been using these bags for several years now. They are made from old sheets and are large, durable and super easy to wash if they do get anything spilled on them from split packets - so there's no need to wrap anything in more plastic before putting them in these bags!

After forgetting to take my nice, pretty, reusable bags into the shop a few times, I decided this was the next problem I needed to solve, and so made myself a pretty handbag with a nifty hidden pocket in the bottom to store these bags in, so that I will always have them with me and will never leave them in the car again!

I've made several of these bags for myself and family and friends.

And I've had a great response from others who have purchased my e-book and made the bags: (thanks Wesens-Art)

You can make your very own Eco-friendly Shopping Handbag, complete with a full set of shopping bags - a handibag and some fruit and veg grocery bags. All you need is a basic sewing know-how, some time and some old bedding, a pair of old jeans and some co-ordinating fabric, which could also be old clothes, curtains or bedding!

My e-book with all of these patterns and tutorials is now available for just the cost of a cup of coffee ($5)!

For a little more information and to purchase this e-book - go here.

I appreciate your support!

150+ Free Sewing Tutorials

Over the years I have been blogging, I have gradually built up a huge resource of my own sewing tutorials.

My Mum and Granny were both dressmakers and taught me to sew as a child, but I didn't really develop much of an interest in sewing until I had my own kids and began making things for them.

Being a teacher, I have carefully recorded how I've made things, and created over 150 sewing tutorials with detailed photos and descriptions, so that I can share the 'how tos' and others can have a go at making things for themselves and others too.  

Creativity and making things are such important skills to learn and have. Sewing just happens to be my medium.  My Mum and Granny used to sew mainly clothes for us out of necessity - it was cheaper to make than buy.  That is no longer the case for clothes now, but it still holds true that to make your own clothes and other things gives not only a great deal of personal satisfaction, but also results in unique and one-of-a-kind things to keep for yourself or give as gifts.  Designer products if you like - not just the mass produced store-bought things that everyone has!

Sewing has allowed me to make so many things for my kids and others over the years, as I've received many requests for things that you may not be able to just go out and buy, like, 

a carrot pencil case for a friend's birthday..

or penguin suits for a whole class of kids when they won

 a snow day at their school in tropical Cairns!

A bag for a friend whose old one had broken, but she loved the style and wanted another just the same.

Or even just a bag for myself, exactly the size, style, shape and colour I want!

I have made so many different things from bags to clothes, pencil cases to oven mitts and novelty gifts for Christmas.

So how do I find these sewing tutorials?

All my sewing tutorials are grouped together to make them easier to browse through or look for specific things.

You can start on the main page here and choose from there what type of sewing tutorial you are looking for.

I have tried to make each tutorial as clear and simple as possible to anyone can have a go at them. I even sometimes go back and use my own tutorials to make things again!

I have also turned each of the tutorials into PDF versions which can be downloaded for free if you prefer that! All links can be found on my tutorial pages or on each individual post.

I hope I can encourage and inspire others to sew and create in their own way - perhaps saving money, developing their skills of dexterity and creativity or simply just having fun!

Please do go take a look at My Free Sewing Tutorials

and I would love to see pictures of anything you make with them too!

Happy creating and sewing!