Amy Butler Cameo Sew-a-long...my Grand Finale!

I had a lot of fun making this bag!  I was so thrilled to take this stack:

and find something lovely to make with i (FANTASTIC pattern, so easy to follow!  the instructions were great):

Reversible Bucket Bag from The Bag Making Bible by Lisa Lam

and end up with a gorgeous (at least in my eyes!) finished project:

(LOVE that tree!!!)

and from the other side:

and the inside:

and here I was auditioning a button...still haven't decided on a button...

and modeled by Girl:

And...just because I didn't want my other cameo fabrics to feel too left out...I made myself a little (14x14) Cameo pillow:

Because you always need pillows!  Especially PRETTY PILLOWS!!

If you missed any of the adventures I had getting to this finished bag...take a look at the following posts:

Episode 1: the beginning
Episode 2: Fabric auditions and cutting
Episode 3: On the Bias
Episode 4: putting it together

I had a blast making this bag...and pillow...and I still have a bit of Cameo left over!  So what shall I work on next???

Details:
Fabric - Cameo by Amy Butler, Kona Ash
Batting (pillow) - Warm n' White
Interfacing (bag) - Heat n' Bond (medium weight and fusible fleece)
Thread - Mettler
Pattern - Reversible Bucket Bag by Lisa Lam 

Amy Butler Cameo Sew-a-long...Episode 4!

Welcome to Episode 4 of my project for the Amy Butler Cameo Sew-a-long!  You can see how I arrived at this point by taking a look at Episode 1, Episode 2 and Episode 3!

In this episode...I get the bag put together (and have a little second guessing of myself!)... :)

Up first...After getting the exterior and lining pieces all pieced...it was time to get the two put together...and this involved more pinning...again...my LEAST favorite thing to do...but fear not...I pinned (and poked and pricked my fingers quite a few times...but that's a different story entirely!) like nobody's business!

and a close up...like I said...there was much pinning happening!

and then...one piece at a time, up first, the button loop:

and then I sllooowweddd my machine down so that I would have more control over the next steps:

And it was time to add one of the bias binding strips to one side:

and then prepped for topstitching:

and did the same on the other side, and stitched the button loop going in the proper direction, and here is where I ended up:

and this is also where I started to second guess my fabric selection (not the main body fabric...but the binding fabric)...not sure it was enough contrast to really pop...and then I said...oh well now!  LOL!  So that's it for this episode...next up...the grand finale!

Amy Butler Cameo Sew-a-long - Episode 3!

Welcome to Episode 3 of my project for the Amy Butler Cameo Sew-a-long!  You can catch up by checking out Episode 1 and Episode 2!

In today's episode...Bias Tape (inner scream of horror!) and putting things together!  I'm using the Reversible Bucket Bag (mine won't be reversible) pattern from The Bag Making Bible by Lisa Lam.

First up...Bias tape!

Another confession to be made here...I've never cut fabric on the bias before, nor made bias tape, and really wasn't feeling the whole "buy another tool" thing... so I did a bit of internet browsing...and kinda figured out what needed to be done!  (there was a bit of info in the book, but not necessarily enough for a true novice in the bias binding/tape arena).  I used this tutorial at Jaybird Quilts to get me going.

(and man was I nervous to actually cut into the fabric!).  And here is what I ended up with:

woohooo!  Success!  I used Julie's calculation (as explained in the tutorial) and was CONVINCED that I didn't have enough length once I got everything done...but sure enough...exactly PERFECT!  I had about 1-2" left over (you can see it in this pic):

once I got over the weird-o pinning and how awkward it all seemed...it went halfway decent! (and surprisingly...I will try it again!)

Then it was finally time to actually start putting together a bag!  Now...the instructions have been pretty good so far...and the exterior pieces went together WAYYY easier than I thought they would (the base piece went on really much easier than I could have imagined!).

The ONLY thing I wish had gone a little better is if I had remembered to make the pocket before I fused the fleece to the lining!

But it worked out in the end!  So now I have a bag exterior...

and a bag lining (with pockets!)...

up next...putting it together!  See ya soon with Episode 4!

Amy Butler Cameo Sew-a-long - Episode 2!

Welcome to Episode 2 of my project for the Amy Butler Cameo Sew-a-long!  See Episode 1 here.

On today's episode...we hold fabric auditions and make a selection...and then...we pin!

Ok...so I was having a really hard time deciding what fabric was going to go where on my bag.  So I started laying them all out, here are some of my favorite nominations:

Now, this bag, as written, is a reversible bag (pattern from The Bag Making Bible by Lisa Lam).  However, I am not all keen on a reversible bag...and I need pockets...so I'm modifying the pattern a bit. Which made one bit of this fabric selection process easy...the lining.  I am using Kona Ash for the lining (love the color) with a bit of Cameo for the pocket.

In the end...thanks to some assistance from Girl...I settled on this set:

(squeallll!  so excited!)

Once the fabric was all selected I got to my LEAST favorite part of any sewing project...patterns and pinning.  I'm not a big pattern kinda gal...as in a pattern you have to pin to anything and cut out (previous terrible experience) and I HATE pins...hate hate hate pins! Well...I sucked it up...pinned like there was no tomorrow...and cut out all my pieces!

No worries...I actually used more pins (quite a bit more!) than you see in the above pic.  and now...time to get to work putting it together...and cutting fabric on the bias (that should be interesting!).  See you in Episode 3!

Amy Butler Cameo Sew -a-long - Episode 1

Welcome to episode 1 of my project(s) for the Amy Butler Cameo Sew-a-long!  

Before I get into too much detail...I have a confession to make...until a few weeks ago...I had never purchased any Amy Butler fabric (deep breath everyone).  For whatever reason, as much as I loved the colorways and the patterns...I never had actually gotten around to it!  Until I placed an order with Pink Castle Fabrics (great shopping experience btw!)...and well...here is what I have:

All from Amy's Cameo line.  I love them!  I have stared at them, rearranged them, held them up, but haven't quite figured out what to do with them!  Until yesterday...when I picked up this fabulous book:

and saw this fantastic bag:

and BINGO!  I knew what I was going to do!  So this morning...I got to work:

and I have all of my pattern pieces traced and cut-out (I have multiples traced and cut out...it always works easier than reusing for me...I'm odd like that):

but still no idea which fabric is going to be which piece!!!  urk!  So now it's time to sit and stare some more, rearrange the stack again...and hopefully...make a decision!  Stay tuned for Episode 2!