Trace's Super Shopper!

It's done!  With a big hug and a cookie for my Guide Dog for the Color Blind, I'm happy to report that Trace's Super Shopper is complete!  All that's left is finding a nice box and sending it on its merry way to Australia!  Here it is!

The Super Shopper

I love how it came together.  If the pix are a bit fuzzy, it's me.  Note to self:  Don't shoot pictures when we have wind gusts over 50 mph.  :)

Here's a detail shot:

The green with the light purple accent is one of two outer pockets - one on each side.  The other side is identical - no need to show you!  

I quilted in a King Tut purple mix; here is the side tag area:

I love King Tut threads and really think it helped "make" this bag!

Here is the top of the bag, at the strap area.  Check out the lining popping up; is it cute enough?

And I think you can see what I mean about the thread rocking it.

Check out how cute the top of the straps are:

It's the light purple from the pocket tops with a tad bit of the main fabric on either side.  Very cool!  The straps themselves are the chocolate brown in the main fab, with some batting inside to make it comfy on your shoulder.

You want to look inside, don't you?  OK!

I LOVE the lining fab!  Good call, Guide Dog for the Color Blind!  (How can he remember about fabs I've forgotten?)  Trace wanted lots of pockets, so I put that green one on the inside.  With an "X" to mark the spot.  ☺  

Here's a deeper look:

 
Oooh!  What's that?!!?  Why, it's the multi-purple Huffle Duffel that Trace seemed to like!

And it would appear that my Quality Control Expert (Zim) has tucked a few things in there expressly for his best friend Huffle.  He wants it to be a surprise for her, so I'll say no more.

Did you notice something tucked in the inside pocket of the Super Shopper?  I'm trying my hand at headbands, and Trace is going to try out a flannel one for me.  Here's a look at it:

Stuffed Siberian not included.  Click for a larger view.

These 'bands have gone to Shelli, Kathie, and to Valerie:

Feel free to click this for a larger view, too!

They're reversible and machine-launder-able.  (Spell-check let that fly, so I'm leaving it.)  Hit them with a hot iron, just avoid the tag or it will melllllllllllllt.  Thanks for testing them!

Trace, look for your package in a week or two!  I hope you like everything!

Thank you for reading!

KZK

Introducing...

...the LapPack!  

I kept putting off posting until I could find the "right" name!  Many thanks to the Super Shopper for his brilliant idea!  :)  It's the new design I told you about a while back.

Designed to protect your laptop, the LapPack is stylish, rugged, and will fit on your lap.  I mean - is designed to fit your laptop!  It's named in honor of two of our favorite puppies, Steve and Kat!  Because they ARE lap dogs  :) and their mom is the one who requested this very cool bag!

It's a clutch style and has a cute big-button closure:

I did lots of fun quilting on this one.  There is a layer of cotton batting in there to help protect your laptop.  I designed Valerie's to fit her MacBook.  She sent me the dimensions and I used a couple books to gauge the size.  Here it is, open:

I don't have a MacBook, so I pretended with other Apple products.  LOL!  I think I could make one to fit any laptop.

Valerie graciously took pictures of her LapPack for me, with her MacBook inside!

Not too snug, not too loose!  Just what I was aiming for!  

Here's a profile shot:

And showing the laptop:

From Bags by KZK

Thanks for the great idea about doing a laptop bag, Valerie!  And thank you for reading!

KZK

Fabulous Fabric

I had to reshoot a couple of the new fabs that came in - especially the peacock fabric and the purple that goes SO well with it.  Seriously.  This is a much more realistic look at the colors:

See what I mean?

Here's a better look at the matryoshka dolls, too:

It's just so CUTE, isn't it?!?

My Guide Dog for the Color Blind has been hard at work, too.  Remember I was trying to find the right "mix" for Trace's Super Shopper?  Dave reminded me I had a very cool light purple that he liked.

Dave, Guide Dog for the Color Blind

Yes, he led me over to my closet and signaled it was "the one".

He looks pleased with his selection, doesn't he?  And frankly... I love it.  I asked if I could pair these scraps with it, to use as pockets or other accents:

He told me he'd think about it.

Or maybe that was "he'd sleep on it."  I don't know what I'd do without him.  I think together, we found a winning combo.

I ♥ my Guide Dog for the Color Blind.

Thanks for reading,

KZK 

Gerri's Z Bag!

I put the finishing touches on Gerri's Z Bag yesterday and finally had enough of a break in the rain to take it outside for a shoot.  This kind of light is actually great at showcasing color; I may have to take that pink peacock fab outside for a reshoot!

Gerri... I almost hope you hate this - just because it's calling me.  :)  Here it is!

And the back:

The straps are three different fabs:  the main fabric for the outside, and the two different lining fabs for the inside.  Can you see them here?

I put a "tab" up at the top - folding the strap in half, width-wise.  I think it helps it sit on the shoulder better!

Yes, OK.  It also adds another splash of color.  Like this bag is hurting for color....

I showed you the Hold the Phone! Bag a few posts ago.  Here's a bit of a close up:

Can you see the vertical lines of hearts?  Had to do it!!!  (Gerri is the owner/operator/baker behind Happy Hearts Dog Cookies.  Even my pups will cooperate for Happy Hearts -- that's how good they are!)  And the heart glass beads and pewter bead.

Here's a look inside the HTP! Bag:

Yes, the two lining fabs in there, too!  I have VERY little left of those fabs!  ;)

Here's a look inside the Z Bag:

A little row of hearts along the top of a nice, roomy pocket!  Here's a broader look:

Yowzah!  Tell me that won't make your heart happy?  And to close that baby up...

...a nice, big, shiny black button.  Sewn on with tons of the same pink thread I quilted with.  (You can also get a fairly good look at my quilting there!)

Gerri, thank you for your order!  I hope the bag is everything you want it to be!

Thanks for reading!

KZK

New Toys!

Well, sort of!  I received two packages in the mail yesterday and felt like a kid who got new toys!  They were both full of fabric - what could be better!??!  Valerie sent me some "left overs" from making vests and bandanas for Steve and Kat.  The canvas (the red and the khaki) is awesome - great quality and richly saturated colors - and the cottons are fun and bright and perfect for Hold the Phone! Bags!

She also threw in some red webbing that should be just about the right length for the strap on a Deeve Bag!  Many thanks, Valerie!!! 

Next up... I really did have a moratorium on buying new fabric.  Really, I did!  But Laura over at Over the Rainbow had a great sale going, plus 10% off through her newsletter...  OK, let me just show you what I got.  Here is the first one:

Yummy!

I had purchased some of that same batik locally and used most of it in Kathie's Super Shopper;  I LOVED how it went with so many things.  I was so happy to see Laura had some!

  

I fell in love with this peacock and the coordinating purple paisley.

They look even better in person, truly.  Those peacocks called to me!  So did this darling print of matryoshka dolls!

How cute is this!??!  I love it.

And here's the the last piece.  It was the one I had to have.

It's a glorious batik; the photo doesn't do it justice.  The brown is rich and chocolaty and the under-layer is minty green and that spa-type blue... in a bird/leaves print.  If I wrote that I could eat it, would that be too strong of a statement?  It's that good.

I'm almost done with Gerri's Z Bag.  This is what it looks like as of right now:

You can see that it's taking shape!

I've also finished the new bag design I was building that I mentioned last time - and my Guide Dog for the Color Blind solved my fabric quandary for the new Super Shopper.  He's good.  He's really good.  I'll share pix of both soon.

Happy, blessed Easter to all.  If you haven't seen it, please visit the Ao4 Digest for my Easter card.

Thanks for reading!

KZK

Working, Thinking, Building...

Gerri's Z Bag is coming along swimmingly!  Here are the liner and the outside, all quilted and ready to go:

Well, all ready to go together, get sewn, then turned right-side-out.  :)  Trust me, it's looking great.  I'll put some more work in on that later today.

I've also been thinking about a new Super Shopper or Boo Tote.  Not quite sure yet which one; not quite sure on the fab selections either.  Trace really likes the "peacock" style fab in the bottom of this photo:

I do, too!  Very cool!  And I love how the fabs at the top of the photo go... but I've got two "challenges" - one, I only have small scraps of the floral and the better (bottom) lavender, and two, I'm not sure how Trace feels about horses.  The batik in the upper right corner in the photo above really, REALLY goes well with the "peacock" fab.  But it has horses on it.  ???  Let me know.  Dave likes it, but then, he's from Texas.

Here are some other ideas...

I'm still thinking.  Neither Dave nor I are sold on anything yet.

AND... I'm building a whole new bag.  Tote.  Sleeve.  Err... whatever.  I'll come up with the name later.  I've got the prototype just about finished.  The colors are WILD, but my point was just to try out my idea and see how it fits.  If everything is good to go, I can work up more exciting color combos later.  Intrigued?  Stay tuned!

Thanks for reading!

KZK