Making it Girly

Yesterday, I gave a sneak peek at what I have been working on showing you the different tools I was using.  Today, I'm going to show what the tools helped me make!

The transfer pencil and tracing paper were used to make this cut-away rose.  Setting my machine up to applique, I stitched over all the lines of the transferred design using some variegated pink thread. Once I had completed the stitching, I cut away the light pink fabric (very, very carefully), to reveal the darker pink fabric I had placed beneath the main fabric.

My bias tape maker was used to make the binding I used to accent and finish the zippered top of the bag as well as the side seams (on the inside of the bag).

My serger was used to finish the edges of the strips (which became ruffles) with a narrow hem in woolly nylon.  My ruffle foot was then used to turn those strips into all these flirty ruffles!

Here's a glimpse of the elastic topped pocket I included inside the bag.

Want to see those ruffles again? A bit of vintage ric rac seemed the right touch to finish off the row of ruffles.

This bag is just about as girly as it gets!  It's also the first project I've made with my ruffle foot.  Years ago, I used a ruffle foot quite frequently when I worked as a drapery seamstress, but I never had that specialty foot for my own machine.  I wanted one, but kept thinking it was not so necessary, since I'm not a ruffle wearing kind of girl and being a mama to two boys, I couldn't justify it.  I just relegated the ruffle foot to a "someday" wish list.

My "someday" arrived when I bought Belle last month and I found a ruffle foot included amongst the original attachments.  Wahoo! (and a little happy dance....) Just because I don't wear ruffles, doesn't mean I can't add ruffles to projects I don't wear, right?  Ahem.  Consider yourself warned. ;o)   I suspect this  Can-Can Kit bag is only the start of me making a few frilly projects.

*Oh, by the way, this is my second variation on this bag.  My first variation can be found here.