Sun & Surf Tote Sew-Along // Day Four

Thursday, July 31, 2014

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It’s day 4 of the Sun & Surf Tote Sew-Along! Today, we will attach the lining to the body of the bag, insert the canvas, and topstitch around the top of the bag. You’ll have the main body of the bag completed!

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Insert the tote’s outer body inside the tote’s lining, right sides together. All the pretty fabric should be to the inside, and only interfacing showing. The button loop should be sandwiched in between the layers. Align all raw edges and side seams. Pin and stitch the lining to the tote body along the top edge

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Reinforce the stitching at the button loop.

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Trim the seam allowances to reduce bulk, and snip close to the V, being careful not to cut through the stitching.

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The paper pattern instructions and the PDF instructions vary slightly at this point, but with the same result. You can either insert the plastic canvas now, which is what I did, or turn the tote right side out, then insert the plastic canvas through the opening. Just make sure the canvas sits under the seam allowance. If the canvas does not sit flat, trim a bit off the short end.

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Here, I’m pulling the canvas and main tote right sides out, but you may choose to reverse these steps as noted above.

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Stitch the opening in the lining closed and tuck the lining down inside the tote.

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Press the top edge of the tote, then topstitch along the entire top edge.

The end is in sight!! Tomorrow’s sewing is pretty light, so we’re almost there!!

See the rest of the Sun & Surf Tote Sew-Along here:

Announcement

Supplies

Schedule and Prizes

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

We would love to see your progress!! Show us your photos in our Flickr group or Facebook group. You can also share photos on Facebook and Instagram tagged #sunandsurfsewalong.

Sun & Surf Tote Sew-Along // Day Three

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

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Welcome to Day 3 of the Sun & Surf Tote Sew-Along! We’ve already cut and prepped our fabric and completed the inner and outer pockets. Today we’re going to sew the outer tote and lining, square the bottom of the tote pieces, and attach the button loop. Let’s get started! Note: All seam allowances are 1/2” unless noted otherwise.

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Pin the main front & back pieces right sides together, taking care to line up the top of the pockets. I like to put two pins there to make sure they stay in place. Sew along the sides and bottom.

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Pin the lining front and back right sides together. Sew along the sides and bottom, but leave an 8” opening on the bottom of the lining for turning.

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Measure and mark a 3” square in the bottom corners of the lining and main body.

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Cut the square in each bottom corner of the lining and body pieces.

Square Lining

Flatten out the square opening of the lining so that the side seam meets the bottom seam. The first two pictures above show how I pinned this. To make sure my seams stayed aligned, I pinned on each side of the seam allowance. Stitch the opening closed 1/2” from the edge. Trim the seam allowance as needed. Repeat for the other corner of the lining.

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In the same way, stitch the boxed corners of the main body piece. I reinforced the stitches at the center seam due to the thickness of my layers. Trim the seam allowance as needed. Press the center seam of the tote body open. Turn the tote body right side out, but leave the lining wrong side out. Push the corners out to form nice edges.

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Now we’ll make the button loop. Fold the button loop in half lengthwise, wrong sides together and press. Open up and fold each raw edge in toward the center crease and press again.

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Fold in half again, encasing the raw edges. Topstitch along both long sides.

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Position both short ends of the button loop right at the V on the right side of the back of the tote. Baste 1/4” from the top edge.

We are in the home stretch now folks! Only 2 more days, and our bag will be complete. Feel free to pat yourself on the back after today’s hard work!

See the rest of the Sun & Surf Tote Sew-Along here:

Announcement

Supplies

Schedule and Prizes

Day 1

Day 2

We’d love to see your progress!! Show us your photos in our Flickr group or Facebook group. You can also share photos on Facebook and Instagram tagged #sunandsurfsewalong.

Sun & Surf Tote Sew-Along // Day Two

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

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Welcome to Day 2 of our Sun & Surf Tote Sew-Along! Hopefully you’ve completed Day 1 where we cut all the rectangles, stabilized our fabric, and cut the V shapes. Now we finally get to sew! Today we will complete the outer and inner pockets. Note: Use 1/2” seam allowances unless noted otherwise.

Sun & Surf Tote pocket

Place the inner pocket pieces right sides together and stitch all around leaving a 2” gap at the bottom long edge for turning. Clip all the corners close to the stitching without cutting the stitches.

Sun & Surf Tote

Turn the pocket right side out and press well. Topstitch 1/2” from the top long edge. Your gap for turning should be along the bottom edge.

Sun & Surf Tote pocket

Center the pocket on a tote lining piece and stitch 1/8” from the edge on the sides and bottom, leaving the top edge open. This will close the bottom gap. Stitch a vertical line 4” from the left edge of the pocket to divide the pocket in two sections.

Sun & Surf Tote pocket

Place one interfaced and one non-interfaced outer pocket pieces right sides together and stitch across one long edge. Repeat for the remaining two pocket pieces.

Sun & Surf Tote pocket

Turn right sides out and press. Topstitch 1/2” from the sewn top edge. Repeat for the other pocket pieces. This is the time to add any desired embellishments to the pockets such as ribbons or trims.

Sun & Surf Tote pocket

Place one outer pocket on one main tote piece with the pocket’s finished edge at the top and all raw edges aligned. Baste 1/8” from the sides and bottom edges leaving the top open. Repeat for the remaining outer pocket and main tote piece.

Sun & Surf Tote pocket

Stitch a vertical line 6.5” from the left and right edges of the main tote piece to divide the outer pocket into three sections. Repeat for the remaining pocket / tote piece. Doesn’t it feel great to see your tote coming together! See you tomorrow for more!

See the rest of the Sun & Surf Sew-Along posts here:

Announcement

Supplies

Schedule & Prizes

Day 1

We’d love to see your progress!! Show us your photos in our Flickr group or Facebook group. You can also share photos on Facebook and Instagram tagged #sunandsurfsewalong.

Sun & Surf Tote Sew-Along // Day One

Monday, July 28, 2014

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It’s finally here!! Day one of our Sun & Surf Tote sew along. Let’s get on our way to completing our tote before the weekend! Hopefully you’ve gathered all of your supplies, and have your fabric washed, dried, and ready to go!

Today, we will tackle cutting our fabric pieces, stabilizing them, and cutting the V.

Sun & Surf Tote Cut

There are 21 pieces to cut, but thankfully they are all simple rectangles. I highly recommend using a rotary cutter, clear ruler, and cutting mat for this job. You’ll need to check your pattern for the measurements, but here is the breakdown:

  • Of the main fabric #1, you’ll need 1 front and 1 back
  • Of the coordinating fabric #2, you’ll need 4 outer pockets and 2 inner pockets
  • Of the coordinating fabric #3, you’ll need 1 front lining, 1 back lining, 1 shoulder strap, and 1 button loop
  • Of the heavy-weight stabilizer, you’ll need 1 front and 1 back
  • Of the light-weight stabilizer, you’ll need 1 front, 1 back, 2 outer pockets, and 1 inner pocket
  • Of the fleece, cut 1 piece that is 8”w x 6”h
  • Cut 1 plastic canvas

Sun & Surf Tote Interface

Now, take your lovely stack of rectangles to the ironing board to fuse your stabilizer. Following the manufacturer's instructions, fuse the heavy-weight stabilizer to the main fabric front and back pieces. Fuse the light-weight interfacing to the lining front and back pieces, two of the outer pocket pieces, and one of the inner pocket pieces. As I stated in my supplies post, I am using fusible fleece for my heavy-weight stabilizer. Since I had plenty left, I used the fusible fleece for the shoulder strap padding. If you’d like to do the same, go ahead and fuse the padding to the middle of your shoulder strap. If you are using regular fleece, do not fear, I’ll show you where to insert it later.

Sun & Surf Tote Cut V

We’ve got one more cut before it’s time to sew. Let’s mark the V shape. First, locate the center of one lining piece by folding the piece in half matching the short sides. Press a short crease. From that center point, I made my mark 3” down from the top edge. Mark the tops of the V 3” in from each corner along the top edge, and join the marks creating the V. Cut out the triangle.

Sun & Surf Tote Cut V2

After marking and cutting the first lining piece, I layered it with a main fabric piece and used the triangle as a template to cut the main piece. Repeat until you have both main tote pieces and both lining tote pieces cut with the V shape.

Done for today! Tomorrow we’ll get to sew.

See the rest of the Sun & Surf Tote Sew-Along posts here:

Announcement

Supplies

Schedule

Be sure to share your progress with us in our Facebook Group and tag your photos with #sunandsurfsewalong on Facebook and Instagram.

Nuvango

Thursday, July 24, 2014

I'm so excited to tell you that my artwork is now available in this new site called NUVANGO (formerly GelaSkins) and you can make pretty much anything your heart desires with it! WOOHOO!

Check it out... you can make tough cases and ultra-thin skins for your iPhone (any model... even the super old 3Gs!). Protect and personalize your precious cargo with wrap-around design. Add a free matching wallpaper, too!  (Plus many other cell phone brands: Samsung, LG, Blackberry, Google, Sony, HTC, Motorola, etc.)


You can also outfit your tablet or reader with a wrap-around skin (many models available, not just the ones shown here!)



Is your laptop or gaming console looking a little dated or beat up? No problem.. check this out... so cute!!



If you're looking for other things besides electronic devices, they also do GREETING CARDS, STRETCHED CANVASES and FRAMED ARTWORK!

Do you have a favorite Patty Young design that is not shown in our Nuvango store? Just ask! We can upload any artwork to the site and have it ready for you in minutes!!

Happy shopping!

Sun & Surf Tote Sew-Along // Schedule and Prizes

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

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Only 5 days and counting until the sew-along begins!! I hope you’ve narrowed down your fabric options and gathered the rest of your materials. If not, you still have time!!

Here’s a breakdown of what’s in store for the week ahead….

Sun & Surf Tote Sew-Along Schedule

  • Day 1 – Cut the fabric pieces, stabilize the fabric pieces, and Cut the V shape.
  • Day 2 – Sew and attach the inner and outer pockets.
  • Day 3 – Sew outer and lining pieces together, square the bottoms, and sew the button loop
  • Day 4 – Attach the lining, insert the plastic canvas, and topstitch the bag
  • Day 5 – Install the grommets, sew the strap, and attach the button.

We’ll tackle each step and have a bag ready for the weekend!

Not only will you have an amazing bag when we’re done, but you also have a chance to win an awesome prize pack just for participating. This is an awesome bundle with a retail value of $219.39!! One sew-along participant will be selected at random to win.

Let me give you the details of the prize pack….

  • Cotona 50 Premium Quilting Thread Box with 18 variegated threads of assorted colors by Madeira (courtesy of Tacony Corporation)
  • 6" All Purpose Sewing Scissors by Creative Notions (courtesy of Tacony Corporation)
  • 3 1/2" Collectible Embroidery Snips with hand-painted ladybug clip and limited edition ladybug thread cutter by Creative Notions (courtesy of Tacony Corporation)
  • Pink chevron Hobby Basket by Suzy's (courtesy of Tacony Corporation)
  • 15-piece fat quarter bundle of Textured Basics fabrics by Patty Young for Michael Miller Fabrics
  • Splendid Spears Designer Pin Tin with 100 pins by Patty Young
  • One Grand Bazaar Ribbon Sample including 2-yard cuts of 3 jacquard ribbons
  • One copy of Generation Q Magazine

Here is exactly how to participate:

  • Sew along with us or at your own pace.
  • Ask questions here or in our Modkid Facebook Group.
  • Post progress photos in our Flickr Group, Facebook Group or Instagram with hashtag #sunandsurfsewalong
  • Photograph your finished tote and add it to the Flickr Group or Facebook Group. Post photos of the totes to Facebook and Instagram using the tag #sunandsurfsewalong so we can all find you.

To be eligible for the grand prize, be sure to add your photos by Monday, August 4th. Please only add photos you don’t mind us sharing on the blog!

Grab your materials, wash and dry your fabrics, and get ready to sew!! Create a buzz about the project and start posting your fabric choices, and Patty just might be tempted to add a second prize in the mix!

Modkid Styled - Baby Hannah

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Today we have another Modkid Styled post. This time we are featuring the Modkid Baby Hannah for a summer look for your little tot.

Baby Hannah Styled

  1. Fabric - Peacock Gardens Red
  2. Fabric - Red Texture
  3. Yellow Sandals
  4. Straw Hat

Sun & Surf Tote Sew-Along // Supplies

Thursday, July 17, 2014

We hope you’ve marked your calendar to join in with our Sun & Surf Tote sew-along!! We’re getting things started with all the supplies you need to make your tote. You’ll have a week and a half to collect your materials, then the fun begins.

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First and foremost, you’ll need to purchase the pattern unless you are Terri A. or Michelle D., who won the pattern giveaway. You can choose from the PDF pattern or the paper pattern. Remember, it’s on sale from now until the end of the sew-along on August 1st.

SUN SURF TOTE-cover

Materials List:

Our sample tote uses 3 fabric designs: Main fabric #1 (front & back of tote), Coordinating fabric #2 (all pockets), and Coordinating fabric #3 (tote lining, button loop & strap).

  • Main fabric #1: 1/2 yard
  • Coordinating fabric #2: 3/4 yard
  • Coordinating fabric #3: 2/3 yard
  • Heavy-weight fusible stabilizer: 1/2 yard at 44” wide
  • Light-weight fusible interfacing: 1 yard
  • Fleece: 1/6 yard (or a small scrap 8” w x 6” h)
  • Plastic Canvas: 13” x 6” piece
  • 1 large (1 1/2” to 2” round) decorative button
  • 2 large (1 9/16” or 40 mm) snap-on grommets
  • Coordinating thread

Let’s talk fabric options.There are so many!! You’ll want a woven cotton like quilting cotton, denim, corduroy, linen or twill. Patty has one made up in laminates in our Flickr group.

To make shopping even easier, Patty has listed a few tote kits on Etsy to get you started. Quantities are limited, so grab them while you can. Check out these options:

Kit #1: 2 large grommets (6 color options) and 1 large button (4 color options)

 

Kit #1 for the Sun & Surf Tote with Large Grommets and Button (pattern sold separately)

Kit #2: 2 large grommets (6 color options), 1 large button (4 color options), and plastic canvas

Kit #2 for the Sun & Surf Tote with Large Grommets, Button and Plastic Canvas (pattern sold separately)

Kit #3: 2 large grommets, 1 large button, plastic canvas, and Just My Type fabric

Kit #3 for the Sun & Surf Tote with Fabric, Large Grommets, Button and Plastic Canvas (pattern sold separately)

Kit #4: Complete material set as shown.

Kit #4 for the Sun & Surf Tote with Fabric, Large Grommets, Button, Plastic Canvas, pattern and notions

With so many stabilizers and interfacings out there, I thought I’d let you know what I’m using for this sew-along. For the Heavy-weight fusible stabilizer, I’m using Pellon Fusible Fleece 987F. For the light-weight fusible interfacing, I’m using Pellon 911FF fusible featherweight interfacing. Stabilizer widths sometimes vary, so make sure have plenty. The fabrics I’m using are from Patty Young’s High Society line available at Joann Fabric Stores.

We’d love to see what fabrics you’ve picked out! Be sure to share with us in our Facebook Group and tag your photos with #sunandsurfsewalong on Facebook and Instagram.

Sun & Surf Tote Sew-Along

Monday, July 14, 2014

Are you ready ladies and gentlemen? It’s time for our first sew-along!!
You may have heard on our Modkid Facebook Fan page or within our Facebook group that Patty is working toward having all her existing paper patterns in PDF form. To celebrate the first paper to PDF pattern release, we’re hosting a sew-along!

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The Sun & Surf Tote is perfect for a trip to the beach, swim lessons, or a day at the park. It’s big enough to hold a couple of towels and has plenty of inside and outside pockets. Best of all, it is the perfect size to use as a diaper bag or a market tote, while being stylish and unique!

The sew-along with be July 28 – August 1. So put it on your calendar now! Between now and then we’ll be posting what you’ll need, where you can buy supply kits, the schedule, and prizes. During the sew-along we’ll tackle a few steps a day to take you through the pattern, so by the weekend you’ll be set to hit the pool, beach, or market with your new tote!!

I’ll be back to tell you more, but you’ll want to post your tote in our Sun & Surf Flickr Group by Monday, August 4th to be entered to win the final prize pack. Don’t have a Flickr account, no problem. Post totes to Facebook and Instagram using the tag #sunandsurfsewalong so we can all find you. We’d love to see progress photos and totes in our Facebook Fan Group as well!

More good news! For the duration of the sew-along, Patty is offering the Sun & Surf Tote pattern at $5.95 (that's $2 off the regular price). So, pick up your PDF pattern or paper pattern, and get ready to sew! Two lucky winners will receive a free Sun and Surf Tote PDF pattern to get the party started. Enter below, but be quick, we'll announce the winners Thursday, so you'll know if you need to purchase the pattern.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Shorts on the Line 2014

Monday, July 14, 2014

Have you heard about the Shorts on the Line series hosted by Imagine Gnats and Small+Friendly? It’s a fun event hosted on a creative site called Kollabora. You can find the details here and the rules here. Modkid patterns will be part of the prize pack!! So, sew up your favorite shorts and post them over on Kollabora to join in the fun. I’ve rounded up our favorite Modkid shorts patterns to get you started. If you don’t have time to sew something new, you can post any shorts you’ve made in 2014!!
 
sotl 2014 button
 
The Zoey pattern has two shorts options to choose from for great customization. Since the Zoey is a PDF pattern you can get to it today!
 
ZOEY Summer Ensemble PDF Downloadable Pattern by MODKID... sizes 2T to 10 Girls included - Instant Download
 
There’s plenty of paper pattern options too. The Bailey pattern is well known as a great romper, but don’t overlook the cute bubble shorts version.
 
 
The Hannah cuffed shorts are a great option.
 
Hannah

The rules state that anything shorter than pants qualifies, so the Hannah Capris above or the Grace cropped pants work too!

Grace
We can’t wait to sew what you sew!!

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