Bags of May

I don't just do sewing these days but it seems to be all I'm taking photographs of at the moment. I've finally perfected my own pattern, designed by me to my own (and my friend Jo's!) specifications. It's a shoulder bag with a flat base which is big enough to carry a book or an A4 file, a bit of shopping and the things your kids (and husbands) ask you to carry for them, with a pocket and either a button or a magnetic snap closure. I've never designed a pattern before so I'm rather pleased with this one.

I also finally finished my The Great Getaway Bag which is from Lisa Lam's The Bag Making Bible. I've had the fabric for this one since last summer. The outer is a PVC coated fabric from Laura Ashley and the inner and trimming is made from a rather expensive bit of woven gingham. But it's a bag made to last so it was worth spending a little time and money on. I used the handles and fittings from my old overnight bag and bought it a new strong zip (which is why my old bag bit the dust). It has a big outer pocket, an inner pocket and a zipped pocket. I can't wait to use it!

Having practised my PVC sewing skills I then made a Magatha Bagatha bag in this lovely beach huts print material. I've got this in the fabric version too but I wanted a bag for me (to carry around like an advert). It has a gingham lining too - red gingham and heart-shaped buttons are a Magatha Bagatha signature thing.

Another thing I've been meaning to do for a while is a cushion with an appliquéd dog design. For this I chose a picture of my late corgi Poppy which I posterised on PicMonkey, printed out and made into shapes for the appliqué. I used some corgi-coloured velvet for the main part of the dog with mercerised cotton for the details.

The finished cushion.

Finally, after a cold and wet April, we had a weekend of sunshine. Brian took this with his new camera with Bullseye demonstrating just how sloping our fields are and how close the hills are too. I love the shades of green in this shot. I meanwhile wasn't sewing (for once) but was finally getting rest of the early (late?) spuds in by making a lasagne bed which is a no-dig method of growing them - more on that in a future blog.

This week we also had visitors in the form of my cousin Keith, his daughter Claire and her delightful children. It was lovely to see them and hear some proper Midlands accents for a change. The sun came out to smile on them too just as it did for the barbecue in Llysyfran that we went to on Saturday night. After weeks of rain it was lovely to eat delicious food outdoors with some good company.