Sweet Harmony: Exterior is finished!

I had a couple of hours this afternoon to work on the handbags. (we had very bad thunder storms last night and this morning so too soggy to work in the garden)

I finished up the exterior of the handbags... now I just have the linings to do!

Attaching the sides to the front and back main panels.

Sewing the sides and bottom on took a little manhandling to get the stiffened and interfaced fabric all together.

Using a zipper foot to attach the bottom panel with the peltex

All together and inside out

Right side out :) front/back view

Side view

Sweet Harmony Progress

I have started the sewing of the Sweet Harmony Handbags.
I am doing the bulk of the sewing on my older Necchi mechanical machine. I think that it is a bit more heavy duty to go through all the layers of this project. I have it threaded with an all purpose white thread.

My computerized machine I am using for any of the colored topstiching and alternating between the spring green and berry red colors for the 2 bags as needed.

The pictures below show step by step progress. enjoy!

Above: Green pocket front with bias wrapped cording in the lining fabric

Below: Pink pocket front with bias wrapped cording in lining fabric

Above and below: Green main exterior panel with cell phone/gum pocket detail

Above and Below: Pink exterior panel with cell phone/gum pocket

Above: Green exterior panels with pockets attached

Below: cell phone detail in exterior pocket

Above: Pink exterior panels with pocket attached

Below: exterior panel with cell phone detail

Enticed away from the sewing room by a wonderful bowl of fresh fruit and berries!

Sweet Harmony

This is the latest project on my sewing room table. AmyButler's Sweet Harmony Handbag and Tote pattern along with some Amy Butler fabrics that I bought at the sewing expo last fall. I bought fabric for 2 so I figure I may as well make 2 from the start. The only problem with making 2 is that there are a gazillion pieces! No, I am not kidding you. Between the exterior fabric, lining fabric, fusible fleece, fusible stabilizer and the peltex... I probably spent a total of 5 hours cutting in 3 different sessions.

All of the pattern pieces!

All the fabric, except for the striped one on the right, are from Amy Butlers collections.

Today (since I am home sick with a nasty spring virus) I decided to do all the fusing. I spent 2.5 hours at the ironing board. Every piece had at the minimum a layer of Pellon decor bond interfacing. All off the exterior pieces first had a layer of fusible fleece and then the Pellon decor bond over it.

large pile of Pellon decor bond and fusible interfacing and the curling stiff stuff on top is the peltex.

The bottom piece was the best. From out side in, it has: fashion fabric- Fusible fleece- Pellon decor bond- 2 layers of Peltex- Pellon deco bond. Everything layered and fused into a big ole sandwich. Sure will make for a stable bottom!

The pattern instructions are written quite thoroughly however it would be better to have more illustrations. I found myself having to read and re-read the instructions several times over to make sure I had it correct. Where as a simple addition of an illustration would have made things a bit faster.

The bottom pieces. on the far right is the initial sandwich of fashion fabric, fusible fleece and decor bond being added to that is the middle 2 layers of peltex, sewn together, and then held in place by the Pellon decor bond on the left. (the shiny part is the fusible stuff)

Below: is the entire thing all sandwiched together!

I am not sure that I want to attempt any sewing construction while I am taking the cold meds... I have that nice foggy head cold medication feeling going on! Although... how often do I just get time in the house :) Guess I will just have to wait and see how I feel.