Get Out of Town!

Are you ready for the Weekend?  This is the first weekend in a looong time that we'll be staying put so it seemed like a good time to finally take pictures of my patchwork version of Amy Butler's Weekender.

I started by fussy cutting my main panel pieces from the awesome Melody Miller Ruby Star Sparkle.  It's hard to see but following Oh, Fransson!'s fabulous Quilted Weekender tips I did FMQ around the stars and quilted along the argyle lines.  I cut the straps at 5" wide to make them a little easier on the shoulders.

I went crazy on the pockets pulling lots of my favorite fabrics from my scrap pile and trying out different quilting designs on each section.

The lining is Garden linen by Ellen Luckett Baker.  For this one I decided to add a gathered pocket.  I cut the pocket using the Large Pocket template but then kept the sides straight rather than angling in.  I find the pocket very useful but it pulls the sides of the bag in a bit.  If I try this again I'll use a longer piece of elastic.

For those of you keeping count this is my 3rd (and possibly last) Weekender.  I've already shared lessons learned from my Where in the World Weekender and Nauti Weekender but here are a few more that pertain specifically to the patchwork version.

• Quilt, quilt, quilt!  Because you're not using Peltex this bag is going to be slouchier than the original version.  The denser the quilting the more structure your bag will have.  
• Make copies of your pattern pieces and either tape two together or trace them on to a bigger piece so you have a full-sized versions of the main panel and pocket pieces to use when trimming down your patchwork.  
• Once you've cut your quilted pieces to size zig zag around the edges to hold everything in place while you're assembling the bag.
• This is one of the best examples of crowd sourcing in the quilting world.  So many people have shared their tips and modifications for making this bag.  If you're thinking of making one you owe it to yourself to read up on Pinterest or Flickr.  Warning, if you weren't planning to make one you'll feel compelled to once you see all the awesome ones out there.

Linking up to the fabulous Finish it Up Friday by Crazy Mom Quilts.

Nauti Weekender

Back in May I started this version of Amy Butler's Weekender for the class I taught at Quilter's Way.  I had this fabulous Dear Stella Anchors Away  and matching striped canvas in my stash which is perfect for my current addiction to all things nautical.  I finished this up and have been using it ever since.  It's the perfect size for a quick getaway!  

When I made my Where in the World Weekender I followed the pattern exactly but this time I tried a few things that made life easier.  For the zipper panel I used Decor-Bond rather than 3 layers of ShapeFlex.  Life's too short for all that cutting and ironing:-)  I also go smart and when I taped my zipper down I moved the tape to the outer edge of the zipper.  It's still stuck in place but I didn't have to worry about sewing through the tape.  

For the inside I used this fun ikat I also found in my stash.  I used the awesome tutorial at U-Handbag to add a zippered pocket.  I added ShapeFlex to the lining pieces to give the bag more structure.

I also copied the side pockets from the outside on the inside.  They are perfect for stashing flip flops and I always need more pockets!  

Linking up to the fabulous Finish it Up Friday by Crazy Mom Quilts.

W.i.P. Wednesday: What a Weekender!

This weekend I headed down to the beach with some of my favorite quilty peeps.  I know from past experience I'm more likely to chat than sew so I brought along my patchwork Weekender pieces to quilt.

It doesn't really matter if I get distracted while quilting these and they go together so much faster with good company.  It's also convenient to have generous friends on hand who will let you shop their stash;-)

Everything is quilted now so I'm ready to start assembling the bag for my class at Quilter's Way next week.  I love how this is coming together and can't wait to see it finished!!!

Checking in at this week's W.i.P. Wednesday:-)

W.i.P. Wednesday: Weekender In Progress

Now that my Toes in the Sand BOM has wrapped up Quilter's Way asked if I would teach Amy Butler's Weekender Bag.  I love the Where in the World Weekender I made for Sewdown so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to make a patchwork version.

Despite it's reputation for being tough to construct I honestly think the hardest part of making the Weekender is just cutting out all of the pieces...

I fussy cut this awesome Melody Miller Ruby Star Sparkle print for the main body and straps and then pulled coordinating fabrics from my stash to make patchwork pockets.

Of course as I was prepping for the class I realized I was going to need to show how to make the regular version also so I also pulled out this fabulous Dear Stella Anchors Away canvas.  Two more Weekenders coming right up:-)

If your local it's not too late to join me...  Sign up now on their new & improved website.

Checking in at this week's W.i.P. Wednesday:-)

TGIF: Thank Goodness It's Finished!

The Weekender is done!  Packed up and ready to leave for the Philly SewDown:-)

I'm not sure it lived up to all the hype though I definitely benefited from the wisdom of those who have gone before me.

I definitely upped the difficulty level by using such a directional fabric.  After a lot of thought I decided I wanted the pattern to run in the same direction rather than in opposing directions.  To do this I cut my first zipper side as normal and then cut my second one with the pattern upside down butting the straight edge up against my previous cut.  

I've used the technique to install zippers in the past.  I use good old painter's tape to hold my zipper in place.  I shorten my stitch length a bit and then just carefully pull it off when I'm done sewing.

Ta-dah, it zips:-)

Step 11 is definitely the worst!!!  I found it useful to bow my bottom Peltex a bit to take a bit of pressure off the seam while I was sewing.  Like everybody says... go slow and use lots of clips.  Next time I'll take Julie's advice and just fuse it down and hand sew it.  We're talking about a 20" interior seam, it's not worth the angst!!!

I also added an interior pocket to my lining.  I cut it slightly wider than the exterior pockets so I could make some tucks for a bit more give.  If I did it again I'd try adding some elastic to the upper edge.  Hand sewing the lining is a bit of a pain but it was nice to relax and examine every detail of my bag as I finished it up.   

Linking up to the fabulous  Crazy Mom Quilts.

W.i.P Wednesday: Ready for the Weekender

Me and my big mouth;-)  I'm guessing anybody reading this knows how this story goes...  A group of us from the BMQG registered to go to the MQG Sew Down in September.  Once we got our tickets and finalized our travel arrangements the next big question was what bag are we going to make??? We've all been meaning to make the Amy Butler Weekender Travel Bag.  Of course to get it done in time we were going to have to hold each other accountable and every time I mentioned our plan to someone else they wanted to do it also until the idea for a sew-along was born.

We spent a long weekend in Maine which seemed like the perfect stress free environment to get started.  I decided to start with the "traditional" Weekender before advancing to Oh, Fransson!'s fabulous patchwork version which meant there was lots of cutting to do.

Once I setup shop on my porch it went together pretty easily.  So far I'd say it's more time consuming than challenging but I haven't faced the zipper yet:-)  It helps that so many people have done this already and shared their lessons learned.  I've got a board on Pinterest to keep track of them all.

You can read more of my tips for getting to this point (Step 7) over on the BMQG blog.

Check out what everyone else is up to at this week's W.i.P. Wednesday:-)