Sunday, January 10, 2016

It all started with a poodle (embroidery)





A week or so ago I did this hand embroidered poodle, (see that post  CLICK HERE ! 
I decided to turn it into a pocket for a tote. I bordered it with pink, layered it with backing, batting and sewed around all edges doing an envelop turn. Quilted it and added in a few crystals...
After the whole tote was done, I didn't like the amount of pink so I added the black ribbon you see on the top photo
that was the easy part. I thought "I have designed hundreds, er, tens of, um other totes I can just start making one with my Eiffel Tower and favorite spots fabrics". MUCH harder than it should have been.

I estimated a size, pieced the three main fabrics together, so that when it was folded up it would have the Eiffel Towers upright, put in fast to fuse stabilizer instead of batting backed it and quilted.
The majority of quilting was done by couching the hot pink ribbon...







along the pink, then vertically as well. Several more quilting lines done with black thread. The inside (which was the backing) is pink too.
Some pink webbing for handles are next, attache the pocket, add in the zipper gusset,









sew up the sides, cover the seam allowance with bias tape, box the corners to make a gusset, turn it right sides out and press in a fold line so it stands up fine.
 that's the backing/purse insides








 Add in a  couple of embellishments like the Love emblem, and this little reminder...


I was unhappy to see my embroidery stitches on the toes start to make that little ladder thing. I thought I had done it tight enough, but with working the bag, the pocket got some mushing around. Any suggestions to avoid the ladder look are appreciated.


30 comments:

Norma Schlager said...

It is adorable and I bet Cole loves it, too.

PaintedThread said...

Really cute bag. I love all the pink details. And a zipper. Oof, that's a lot of work!

Tanya Quilts in CO said...

A perfect home for your poodle!

scraphappy said...

So many fun details on your bag. Nice way to feature your embroidered block.

Glen QuiltSwissy said...

Love this bag! great way to use the fun, random stuff we do. One can only have so many wall hangings, but one always needs more totes!

Anonymous said...

Cute, you can carry Cole's treats in it. You shouldn't fuss so much about the toes. If you are really unhappy, next time take tinier stitches or use the back stitch.

Kathy said...

Very cute bag! At this point for the embroidery, just tighten and straighten any unhappy stitches with your needle and pin any weird spots down with a bead or two! Deco-repair! Otherwise, use, enjoy and don't worry a bit about it!

Maria said...

Oh I love it! Exactly what I imagined when you first introduced the poodle ... A tote bag! Great job!

Sarah said...

Great bag and gorgeous embroidery. I wouldn't stress about the teeny tiny ladder honest it's fab!

Joanne said...

Hi LeeAnna!
Great result!
A fun way to use the materials!

Joanne said...

Hi LeeAnna!
Great result!
A fun way to use the materials!

Tails Around the Ranch said...

Squee!!!! It's just adorable! Love the "Cole" bag. ღ

The Cozy Quilter said...

I don't see any problem with the toes...great bag!!!

Sara said...

A great bag!

Michele McLaughlin said...

I LOVE THIS!!! Well done! Hugs, Mickie

AlidaP said...

I don't see anything that needs fixes. I think it's really cute, bright and cheerful! Thanks for sharing!!

Mary in Boulder said...

Such fun. You're right about the black trim.

Shannon said...

what a perfect thing to do with it! And your poodle goes well with all those Eiffel Towers!

gayle said...

I'll bet Cole wanted to take you for a walk to show off his... umm... your new bag. 8) (Does he ever get tired of being an inspiration and muse?)

Kaja said...

I love your black and white fabrics with the pink; perfect for a Parisienne Poodle

Val's Quilting Studio said...

Oh that is one proud poodle!! LOL I too always love pink and black

Susan Torrens said...

Instead of stitching with a stem stitch, use a backstitch - no more pulled stitches!
Great project!

Ellen said...

Great bag!

Unknown said...

I think that is so adorable!! XOXO – Bacon

Bonnie said...

very cute! pink and black -- how could anyone go wrong with those colors?

Jennifer Fulton Inquiring Quilter said...

I jumped here from Sew Cute Tuesday, and your bag is just that--so cute! Just the right touches of pink!

Quilts, Cakes and Other Fun said...

very nice job!

Kate said...

Very cute and very fun!

Shami Immanuel said...

beautiful bag.

Create With Joy said...

Your poodle made me happy! :-)

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