French Memo Board

This weekend I gave into an obsession-another one-I have developed for French Memo Boards. I've seen photos posted by people who have made them.  Luckily there are a lot of tutorials online that show how to make a memo board. Here's a link to the tutorial I used to make my French Memo board: http://kidzontherock.net/?p=683
And here's a photo of the one I made and plan to hang on the wall of my office at work:

Prequilted fabric Sale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In addition to the handbag sale I am having on my web site, http://www.arlenesbags.com/,  I am also having a 20% off fabric sale on all the fabrics I have listed in my etsy shop:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/Bassetmommy     Free shipping on the first 3 yards ordered still applies-such a deal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bag Sale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A first for me-a 20% off handbag SALE!!! Check it out at http://www.arlenesbags.com/


The sale price applies to new bag orders as well as bags I have in stock. Feel free to contact me to find out which bags are readily available. The winter is over-think NEW HANDBAGS!!!!
The sale ends April 30, 2010.  Details on the sale are listed on the Index page of my site.

Give-Away-Personalized Travel Mug!!!

In honor of National Craft month & to introduce my personalized travel mugs, I am doing my first-ever Give Away.   
The mugs hold 16 oz of fluid, either hot or cold.   They come with a very secure snap-on lid.   What makes the mugs so unique is that the mug slips into a clear outside cover than can hold a personalized embroidered insert or a themed fabric.   The inserts quickly turn the dull and mundane into something pretty and cheery.
The winner of the Give Away will have a choice of one of 3 types of embroidered inserts: a monogram, a single letter or a first name.  The winner can also choose from one of the fabrics shown.

To win simply (1) leave a comment and (2) sign on to follow my blog.
I will announce the winner on April 15.

Please note the mugs should be hand-washed and are not microwave safe.
A personalized mug makes a great gift for just about everyone.  Consider one as an end of the year teacher gift or for a medical person who has been especially helpful or for a golfer.
Price: $10 which includes an embroidered or themed fabric insert.

I have also included a sample of a travel mug with themed fabric insert: 

Below are photos of the mug's snap-on lid and the outside clear holder for the insert.

My 'Take' on a Chanel Jacket

I have been obsessed with making a Chanel styled jacket since last summer when I saw the perfectly made Chanel jacket my friend made. Being the sewing purist she is, my friend followed the haute couture directions Threads Magazine published about 3 years ago. In true Chanel fashion, the directions called for a tremendous amount of hand sewing which I simply despise & don't trust.
Luckily, my friend told me the Jan.,'07 issue of Threads included an article on a shortcut version of a Chanel jacket. The article describes and explains how to do the 'bagged' method for making a Chanel jacket.
So last week I set out to do my trial variation on the bagged method. I made View E of Vogue 7975. I opted to eliminate the patch pockets & substituted a trim I thought better suited my fabric.
Because this jacket is my 'trial' version I didn't use the traditional wool boucle for my jacket. The outer and lining fabrics are machine-quilted in a Chanel jacket. Because my wool is 'flat' I had to eliminate the quilting on the front as I couldn't control puckering.
I also machine-sewed wherever I could as there is some hand sewing in the 'bagged' method. I machine-sewed the 2 sleeve lining seams and part of the lining shoulder seams. A purist I am not!
I opted for a non-fringe trim simply because I dislike fringe trim. In the photo the center of the trim looks like rhinestones but it isn't. The center is actually a dullish brownish-black.
I did hand-sew the gold chain that holds the hem in place.
Overall, I am pretty pleased with the jacket. Even being made out of a plain old wool, it still feels wonderful. I have this week out of work and will probably wear the jacket everywhere I go!

Four-sided placemats

Can life get anymore exciting than four-sided placemats???  I hope so but until it does, four-sided placemats will have to do. 
I first heard about 4-sided placemats this past Friday at my monthly sewing club meeting. When the store owner passed around her sample of the 4-sided placemat she made, I knew I had to have the directions. Luckily, I bought the last set she had in the store.
The 4-sided placemats are based on a pretty neat design concept & luckily, are pretty simple to make. A plastic template is included with the directions and the template makes it so easy to cut out the fabrics. Ironing interfacing on each piece seemed to take longer than the sewing.
I hate to sound like a commercial but the possibilities for these placemats are endless.  Seasonal prints are the most obvious.  Four fabrics, each representing a season, could easily be used.  When the season changes, just flip the placemat to another side.
Imagine the fun someone could have making these placemats with children in mind.

I don't have much themed fabric on hand so I just used 4 different prints for the one in the photos.
The placemats measure 14" X 19" which is a good size for a placemat.  A dinner-sized plate and a place setting of silverware easily fit on the placemat.

The Johanna Messenger Bag

 

I love messenger bags and am always on the lookout for new versions of them.  I found a new one this past week and made it up today.  I like this new one a lot.  It has a more casual look than the Leah and Linda Mini messenger bags I already offer on my web site.  This bag would also be a great travel bag!
I am calling this new messenger bag The Johanna Messenger Bag after my great grandmother.
The bag measures 12" L x 12" H x 1.5" W.   There are 2 slip-in pockets on the outside rear of the bag which would be great for a cell phone and keys.  On the lined inside there are 2 slip-in pockets .  The shoulder strap has a 15 inch drop from the top center of the strap to the top of the fold on the front flap.
The flapped front has a D-ring closure.
The bag shown is one of a kind because I don't have anymore of the quilted blue toile fabric I used for this bag.  The bag can also be ordered in any of the fabrics shown on my site, www.arlenesbags.com.
I will be adding this bag to my site but in the meantime, please feel free to contact me for pricing and ordering.
Thanks for now.