About two years ago my daughter was accepted into a writer’s group in San Francisco.
she asked me to make a special tote bag for her. I make great totes. But I wanted something different for her.
Sew I searched the internet and found Joan Hawley, owner and designer of
Lazy Girl Designs (LGD). She designs wonderful, usable, sewable handbags.
The Summer Tote spoke to me.
I was having trouble finding a source for the pattern, and called the number on the Lazy Girl website. Joan answered, and heard my tale of woe. I offered to pay the full price of the pattern if she could fax or email it to me. The design of the pattern guidesheet would not allow that.
So Joan gave me the name of a few distributors, and asked me to choose one, she would then instruct them to send me an additional free pattern for my trouble!
So began my love affair with LGD and a renewed creativity for me.
I had been so beaten down by my stressful job, and worn out from building my new house, my creativity had withered and almost died.
The Summer Tote pattern would not reach me in time to make the bag for Miss Meliss’s trip.
So I found the videos of Joan making the bag. and I watched it over and over again, and ripped and sewed and finally got it right.
Here is the very first LGD bag I ever made:
Melissa’s book is called Universal Blend and it is about the first cafe on Mars. And coffee has always been an important part of our lives. That’s my pool in the background.
Since that summer in 2007 I have been sewing non-stop. My stressful mortgage job went away with the crisis, and I am better for it. And now I sew daily.
I have made bags for friends and everyone wants another!
Melissa again asked for a specialty bag, ” A Sassy Bag that looks like summer, I miss the beach…and you too, Mom.’
Sew here is Miss Meliss’s Beachy Sassy Bag:
My cousin Barb sent me hundreds of dollars of Thai silk she had purchased on her travels and never used. She shipped it all to Miss Meliss, and on every trip to see her I would take some silk home with me.
Here is the LGD Claire bag I made from Thai silk and African fabrics:
And here is the inside pocket:
I love the elephant print.
My sister Patricia is a master gardener, and has written a book: The Earth Knows My Name. I made this Summer Tote for her. I also added two Perfect Pouches to keep things neat inside the bag. Since there are specially -sized pockets on the outside I found good looking pictures of fountain pens, cameras, keys and a picture of an Iphone on the internet, printed them, cut them out and put them in their corresponding pockets. Here is what she said:
” My bag just arrived! I love it…..love the fabrics, the colors, all the pockets, with their smart little cut outs to tell me what goes where (including the great fountain pen)…….and the way you made it double thick. The zipper pouches inside are perfect…I can never find anything when I dump it into a bag, and this will help me organize. And they’re just so lovely and cheerful. And that I can slip out the insert to wash it is great. Now I can’t wait to use it.”
Here is the very veggie tutty fruity Summer Tote each side is different, the inside is the same. and following are two Perfect Pouches I made to go inside:
When I sent MissMeliss’s tote via DHL from La Paz it cost me $55.00.
My last guest at the
HoneyMoonHut very kindly agreed to send all the bags to my sister Dee and she agreed to mail them off to everyone.
So for Dee I made a Horsey Sassy Bag. She is a horsewoman, and loves to sew.
I made this for her as a gift of love and to give thanks that when she was recently thrown from her horse and broke her neck she was not paralyzed.
The brown is Thai silk, my wonderful Janome 9500 and I embroidered the horse on the front. The blue fabric is Batik. The Bakelite barrel button is one from the collection I received at my 50th birthday bash.
The
Lazy Girl Designs bags are wondeful, the instructions are clear, easy to follow and Joan’s wit shines through. I highly reccommend them to anyone beginner or advanced. I have made many of Joan’s bags and have never been disappointed. And neither have the recipients of my gifts.
Thanks for visiting.
Here’s another beach photo:the beach in front of my house on a still, silent morning.
I love the elephant print.
8 Comments
a little sewing on the side
April 6, 2010what a nice blog you have!! Thanks for stopping by and commenting on my blog to let me know you are here. Those bags look great and now I know about LGD.
Robin
The Sewing Loft
April 9, 2010Hi Susan! I love the Thai silk and African fabric bag. That elephant pocket inside would have me digging for something all the time just so I could see it. Great bags. I am so glad I found you here. 🙂
Barb
Susan Fogel
April 9, 2010Barb! It feels good to know someone in the blogosphere.
Anonymous
April 15, 2010I am very impressed with the bags you made! Following your blog from Loreto!
Susan Fogel
April 17, 2010Thank you all for the nice comments.
And someone from Baja sur as well…thank you.
shirl
April 20, 2010Somehow we are still linked, maybe by ESP…I also have the Lazy Girl Summer Tote pattern & was looking at cutting it out just this afternoon….I love making totes & bags, small projects that allow so much creativity. Especially love the elephant print in that lining.
Susan Fogel
April 20, 2010Shirley!
Looking forward to strengthtening that link wehn we move to FL.
[…] Coffee is big in our lives and among my friends here in La Paz. And my friends all remind me of their upcoming birthdays and purse needs, when they are at a party where I present the guest of honor one of my bags. And so my very first Lazy Girl bag had the most wonderful coffee themed fabric. Here is that bag.Miss Meliss’ Coffe Bag […]
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