Captain Maverick!

As you all know, I love seeing my bags in their new homes, especially being enjoyed by their new owners.  All of you do such a great job modeling and I love seeing your smiling faces!  Today's model is no exception.  Except he's not really smiling - more like doing that "distant look" thing so many runway models do.  Without further ado...

Here he is - the ever-handsome, suave, debonaire, Captain Maverick!  Harr!

The Cap'n and his pirate booty!

That's right, Ch. Kantasia's Diamond Maverick has his own Bags by KZK bags to help him and Lisa the (not so) Mean tote around all of his important pirate bounty when he travels to shows.

Here he is, checking out first one side of his Super Shopper...

...and then the other.

Sniff, sniff?  Harr!

It almost looks like he's checking for something, doesn't it?

Previously... in the Bags by KZK Studio...

Stormy, doing a quality control inspection

My trusty Guide Dog for the Color Blind and I were quite honored when Stormy, the Supreme Commander of the Army of Four, paid the Studio a visit.  I think she wanted to make sure it was good enough to send to the Cap'n!  ☺

Thanks for a GREAT modeling job, Maverick!  Please ask Lisa and Cecile to give you lots of ear scratchies and tummy rubs for me!

Thanks for reading!

KZK

Order Up!

I'm over-due posting about this order, so let me just dive right in!  It's another order for Cecile - and it was TONS of fun pulling everything together!  It's split up into three areas:  Pirate items, Penguins, and non-Penguins!  Pirates first!  Harr!

From the Pirate fabs, Cecile ordered a Super Shopper and a Storm Bag.  I kicked in some other items, to make the best of the fabs.  Here's everything just upon completion, in the Studio:

Super Shopper, Storm Bag with Hold the Phone! Bag, 

Huffle Duffel, 2 eye glasses cases and a couple of key fobs.

Roger the Rat not included.

Let's take a look at the Super Shopper!  Here's the front:

And a detail shot of the pocket area:

I quilted in a variegated white-to-black.  It was the perfect thread!  Here's the back:

And here's a look inside, at the lining and pocket:

I love that fabric!  

On to the Storm Bag!  Here is one side:

I used grommets along the top; they seemed to fit the nautical/pirate theme!  The straps have so many options done that way!  Shorter, as pictured above, or longer, as seen in this next shot:

Yes, it's the same bag, turned "inside out".  Remember - the Storm is fully reversible!  You get a completely different "look"!  Here's a better look at the fabs on that "side":

I paired one of the pirate fabs up with some swirling water and recycled denim. I love it!

I took that same pirate fab and made a Huffle Duffel:

I lined it with one of the fabs in the packet that really didn't quite "go", as per both me and my Guide Dog for the Color Blind.  It's GORGEOUS... but didn't exactly fit.  I thought it would be a wonderful lining:

Harr! It's lined with gold! Harr! ☺

I almost forgot!  Here's a close up of the Hold the Phone! Bag for the Storm:

With some cool glass beads for accent

You get a better look at the quilting, too - I did sort of a twisted rope.  Again, seemed "nautical"!

What next?  The Penguins?  Let's get to it!  Cecile wanted a Boo Tote made from some sweet penguin fabs for a friend who's about to have a baby.  Here's the front:

And the back:

All of our blue polypro options for the straps were the wrong blue.  Black would have gone well, but for a "toting around baby stuff" bag?  Dave and I like the yellow!  Bold, fun, colorful!  Here's a look inside:

Two more penguin fabs!  Aren't they... cool?  Ha ha ha, had to say it!

Speaking of cool, let's move on to the "non-Penguin" items!  It's all Arctic wildlife!  From this line, Cecile wanted a Deeve Bag.  Here it is!

I totally love the look on that polar bear's face!  :)  I did some careful cutting to get him front and center, and made the placket shorter than normal so he could be showcased.  The reverse side of the Deeve is wolves; I have no idea why I don't have a shot of that!  I used a part of the fabric on the Hold the Phone! Bag:

I used clips of all the arctic animals on the HTP! Bag, tying everything together.  Take a look inside the Deeve!

The fabs are so beautiful - and look at all the room in there!  And a nice pocket!  Check that out:

I used a lovely variegated blue for the quilting and top stitching on the bag, and did a cute little snow-flake looking stitch along the top of the pocket!  I also did that along the top of the HTP! Bag:

Last, but not least, I tucked these little "extras" inside for Cecile:

Cecile, thank you so much for your order!  Repeat business means quite a bit to me!  I truly appreciate it!  I also appreciate you sending pix of a VERY special, incredibly handsome model with some of the bags.  Tune in tomorrow to see him!  :)

Thanks for reading!

KZK

We Won't Get Fooled Again!

I do need to post about that third order.... but I need to come clean first.

Oh, King Tut!  Please forgive me!  I was swayed by the charms of another.  It was so brilliantly blue, so deep, so rich.... with a luscious sheen.  And the shop didn't have you in any blues!  So... I did it.  I bought another thread, even though I was unsure.  The shop owner swore if I'd just go slowly and use a 90 or 100 needle, it would be perfect.  I had my doubts... but I did it.  I bought it anyway.  

I used it yesterday for the first time.  I went slowly.  I used a 100, just to be on the safe side.  There I was, part way down a line of quilting... when SNAP!!!  Tried it again and SNAP!  And ... SNAP! again.  This blog is rated "G" for general audiences, so... well, you know how they show steam coming out of peoples' ears in cartoons?  There you go.

 

I'll never leave you again, King.  Well... OK, there are a couple others I'll leave you for temporarily, but not for this kind!!!

As The Who sang... We Won't Get Fooled Again!

I did manage to quilt down either side of my "stripes" on the bag using the blue, and along one end, but the rest will be the VERY wonderful variegated King Tut #926, "Red Sea" on the right, above.  Pinks to reds, thank you very much.

I foresee a trip to a well-stocked quilt shop to load up on the King!  Forgive me, King?

Thanks for reading,

KZK  (Conscience somewhat cleared now)

Two More LapPacks!

Today was a great day, as I put three boxes in the mail (or the Super Shopper did!) - one heading to Macon, one to Missouri, and one to Washington state!  I showed you the bags bound for Macon yesterday; here's what's heading to Washington!

First up, a MacBook sized LapPack!  Valerie wanted one made from Texas A&M fabric.  She remembered the rules surrounding the licensed school fabrics I discussed a while back and didn't want to see me carted off to the hoosegow ... so we cut a deal.  Not the same deal I cut once before, but I didn't charge her for this bag, so we're good to go.  Cool enough - and thanks for remembering about that!

I asked my Guide Dog for the Color Blind what best went with Texas A&M fabric, and he indicated "more Texas A&M fabric".   Or at least he didn't approve of any of the fabs I tried to pair up with it.

Dave, Guide Dog for the Color Blind

He IS from Texas... I guess he knows.  I did sneak in a pinch of that solid grey, though, and he had no problem with that.  Here's a look at the LapPack!

Since I had the fab, I also did a little key fob and an eye glasses case.  :)  Here's a shot of the bag open:

I used one of my lovely big, black buttons for it - I love those buttons!   And you can see the solid grey there for the scrunchy closure.  I think it's a good match.  

Valerie also ordered a Dell Inspiron-sized LapPack and sent some cool aviation-themed fabric for me to use!  Take a look!

I also threw in a key fob and glasses case her!  Aren't they fun?  Take a closer look at my splashes of color:

I think the red accents and that bright yellow button really spice it up - without making it look girlie.  (This is for her dad; I'm fairly confident he won't be reading this.  LOL!)  I did try one of the black buttons and it was totally boring.

I used the plane fab for the lining, too:

Isn't it great?  Love the fabric!

I quilted both of these LapPacks with a white thread with a lot of sheen to it.  It's just the right touch for each bag!

Valerie, I hope these two men in your life enjoy their new LapPacks as much as I enjoyed making them!  (And Dave liked having a little bit of Texas in the house for a while.)  Thanks so much for your order!

And thank you for reading!

KZK

A Tale of Two LapPacks...

I'm way overdue with some updates!  A couple quick blog admin things - first, I have combined this blog with the now-defunct Bags by KZK Extras.  So the pix of our bags in action, at work and at play, are now on this blog!  Please peruse the archives to see the bags in their new homes!  Secondly, I did a couple quick posts earlier today, just to have "stats" pages for some of the newer bags.  Or not so new.  But ones I hadn't made pages for yet.  :)  OK... moving right along!

Here are the latest bags heading to Macon!  I did a couple in-progress pix, and now they're ready to head to Georgia!  Remember the cool fab I used in Trace's Super Shopper?  Shelli loved it. Well... OK... it was actually left over from Shelli's kitchen curtains!  She asked me if I'd like her "scraps"... and the rest, as they say, is history.  Or new bags.  Here's her LapPack!

She liked that green, too, so I put some in.  Well... OK... I put some in because I didn't have enough of the other fabric.  :)  But HEY, it looks cute.  I did the scrunchie for the button out of the green, too:

Here is the LapPack open for business:

Cool, isn't it?  And speaking of cool... I HAD to make Shelli a matching headband, too.  For those of you who don't believe me about the curtains... take a look:

 

The ever-adorable Macon Bag-a-holic

How totally cute is she!??!  Now I need a picture of her with her headband on, in front of the curtains, holding her LapPack.  LOL!

Shelli also ordered a LapPack for her father for Fathers' Day!   Take a look at it, in-progress!

So... err... no, you're not seeing double.  This was my first LapPack for something other than a MacBook, and after I finished the first one... my hubby brought a book in the exact size as Shelli's dad's computer.  I had MEASURED really WELL... but... err... it didn't fit.  The new one does.  :)  And happily enough, my hubby loves the first one and he told me it would be a great fit for the new, larger-sized Kindle.  (Guess who'd like one?)  Here's another look at the one for Shelli:

I love that fabric!  Her dad is a veteran, so it's just downright perfect!  Check out the back:

And a close-up of the "dispatch case" closure.

Yes, those are buttons from some of my husband's old uniforms.  Aren't they a great fit?

Here it is, open:

Shelli, thanks again for your support!  I hope you and your dad will be thrilled with your new LapPacks!

Thank you for reading!

KZK

The LapPack

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 a clutch style and has a cute big-button closure -

or a double-button "dispatch case" style closure.

 

The LapPack is quilted and fully lined.  There is a layer of cotton batting in there to help protect your laptop.  The prototype LapPack was designed to house a MacBook, but if given the exact dimensions, I should be able to make a LapPack to fit any sized laptop.  The LapPack goes for $30.

The LapPack is named in honor of two of our favorite puppies, Steve and Kat!  Because they ARE rugged, stylish pups who can indeed fit on your lap ☺ - and because their mom is the one who requested this very cool bag! 

Thank you for reading!

KZK

The Sitia Marie Bag

The Sitia Marie Bag is made from 5” charm squares and as such is definitely our most ...charming bag. It’s a sweet bag to carry, wherever you go!  

The Sitia Marie Bag

The Sitia Marie is as big as our totes, but comes with a coordinating Hold the Phone! Bag.  It is quilted and fully lined.  It has an interior pocket, split into three compartments.  The Sitia Marie goes for $50.

The Sitia Marie is named after three very charming Southern belles:  Sitka, Tia, and Cornelia Marie.

Thanks for reading!

KZK

The Huffle Duffel

I did a lot of thinking about just the right name for my new bag. It's a drawstring, so sort of a duffel bag. Small, yet bold.  A bit wild on the inside. And cute.  And so it became ... the Huffle Duffel.  

The Huffle Duffel is quilted and fully lined.  It has a double drawstring, to secure anything you’d like to tuck inside.  It is fully reversible!  Sometimes the outside is pieced, sometimes it isn't!  A photo of the first Huffle Duffel is shown at right.

The regular sized Huffle Duffel measures 8 x 10" and goes for $20.  Larger sizes are available for $30 and up.

Use your Huffle Duffel for CDs, computer programs, all those cords and chargers laying around, leashes and Hold the Phone! Bags, make up, or little cat toys!  There is no limit to its usefulness!  

The Huffle Duffel is named for our feline friend, Huffle Mawson, Explorer Cat and Honorary Husky, down in Melbourne, Australia.  She is small, yet bold, and a bit on the wild side.  And she is more than cute!  ☺

Thanks for reading!

KZK

The King

I love King Tut threads by Superior.  They are all just so colorful and smooth.  I'm working on a new LapPack ...

...and was just going to town, quilting with some King Tut variegated purple (948, Crushed Grapes)...

...when I got that sick feeling you get that something you don't want to have happen is about to happen.  And then it did!

  

The King is Dead; Long Live the King!

Fortunately, the last time I went to Topeka, I stocked up.  ☺  Close call.

I decided to do even more quilting.  Just because I could.

Oh!  And Jane!  You asked how I am able to sew through great thicknesses of fabric!  I use an 80 or 90 needle (Schmetz or Bernina) and a denim foot (#8 for Bernina).  Here's a look:

See how it has just a single, small hole for the needle?  Your sewing machine may have something similar!  

Stay tuned for progress on the new LapPack!  And did you vote in the poll in the sidebar?

Thanks for reading!

KZK

Gerri, The Pups, and her Z Bag!

Nothing makes me happier than getting photos of people with their new bags!  And hey, if there are pups in the pix, even better!  Here are Maya Marie and Bella helping Gerri unpack her Z Bag!

Maya Marie and Bella, unpacking

And here is Gerri, with Missy joining the fun!

Gerri, sporting her Z Bag, being admired by Missy, Maya Marie and Bella

I love how it goes so well with the outfit she has on!

Apparently, so does Bella!  :)

Thanks for the showing us your Z Bag, Gerri!  You and the girls did a great modeling job!

KZK

PS:  I put a poll up in the sidebar.  Please vote!  Thanks!