Fancy Cooper Bag-A-Thon is bringing you a load of CUTE!

Kiyomi here, I've been coveting the Cooper Bag by the Walden line of Colette patterns since it came into the shop last year. I had a trip to the northwestern coast planned and I needed something to carry the various layers required and all the fabric souvenirs I would be picking up along the way. Lucky for me Fancy Tiger had a Cooper Bag class that walked me through every step of making this cute backpack!  

The Cooper Bag comes in three versions. The class covers the backpack style but leaves you with the skills to be able to complete any version. As a novice sewer, I'm not sure if I ever would have pursued the pattern on my own. The class was a perfect way for me to pace myself and not get overwhelmed by all the pieces (there are so many pockets!) and gave me courage to tackle the various hardware required for the straps and detailing. 

The hardest part was probably picking out my fabrics. I constructed my bag using Etsuko Furuya's 2014 collection for Echino - it has a very clever "birds and bees" theme. The bag came together pretty easily once the millions of pieces were cut. It was fun adding cute details like the yellow straps and the fussy cut bird pieces. This bag was a great way to showcase this amazing fabric with all the strap details and pocket separators.

One bag wasn't enough though. My partner mentioned how cute it would be if we had matching bags for our trip, and of course I agreed with them! So one bag down, I made a second using a Muddy Works Japanese fabric by Tomotake, and Carolyn Friedlander's Botanics collection for Serina's bag. These bags were perfect for our trip and now continue to be our go to bags for everyday use. The pattern book is well written with tons of pictures, but if you're hesitant about doing a large project like this on your own then I highly recommend taking the summer class!

Hi, it's Nathalie! Like Kiyomi, I've also been dreaming about making up a Cooper bag ever since we got the pattern. I'm a grad student and I didn't have a good bag to haul around my books and my computer, so I knew I needed to make a backpack. I'm a huge fan of Colette patterns (I've made several of their dresses) and I was so excited to see that they are branching out with some cool men's and unisex patterns. This bag is perfect - I love the magnetic snaps on the flap that keep the bag closed without fussy clips or zippers, I love that I can adjust the straps based on how full I fill it, and I love that it's big enough to hold a lunch and my most recent knitting project!

The pieces were a little bit of a pain to cut out because there were so many of them, but once I started sewing it came together really quickly. I've sewn a lot of clothing but I've never sewn anything with hardware before, so I was glad that the instructions for the straps were clear and easy to follow. We sell kits here at the shop for all the hardware you need for each version of the bag , so don't worry about where you'll find the right rivets, magnetic snaps, and slides!

I wanted my bag to be sturdy, so I made the lining and the bottom out of duck cloth. I think if (or when) I make another backpack, I'll add stabilizer to the lining to make it even more robust. I loved the bee fabric from Etsuko Furuya, but I have a little more muted tastes than Kiyomi. Pairing it with black and grey duck cloth gave me the more subtle look I wanted while also highlighting the fun and colorful honeycomb. One of the great things about the pattern is that there are endless possibilities for fabric combinations! You can follow the pattern recommendations for which fabric to use for different parts of the bag, or you can mix it up and use a different fabric for every strap and pocket if you want.

What a perfect comfy and casual bag for bike rides and summer picnics!  

2013 Holiday Gift Picks: Fancy Staff Picks (Part 2)

Welcome to part two of our Staff Picks Holiday Gift Guide! Today we have the best curated selection of craft supplies for the handspinners, knitters and seamsters in your life!

It's Miranda here! After spinning hundreds and hundreds of yards of yarn for Spinzilla, I'm finally ready to look at fiber to replenish my stash. There's no dreamier fiber than Sleep Season Goods roving! Meg's fiber inspires me to try new spinning techniques to let the colors really shine. She dyes the most beautiful colors onto several sheep varieties like Falkland and Wensleydale, and I can't wait to try them all. Happy stitching!

Hey guys, it's me Tina! I was just thinking that I would really love to make an apron for cooking epic feasts. I really love the design of the Emmeline Apron, and the best part is that it's reversible. I would love to make my apron out of this new Super Lucha Libre by Alexander Henry. The flip side will be made of Dollar Signs from the Amy Sedaris Collection because cooking for friends and family is totally money! Not only is this combo AWESOME, it also matches my battle babes oven mitt Miranda made me this summer. So, if anyone would like to just make me my dream apron the Emmeline Apron, it's taught as a class right here at FTC! Happy Holidays, friends.

Hi, it's Nathalie! When winter weather hits, all I want to do is knit sweaters. I've been eyeing the Reine Cardigan from Brooklyn Tweed for months - I love the simple but elegant construction and the pocket detail. I'd pair it with Loft yarn in the color Plume, also from Brooklyn Tweed, for a lovely project kit. This is a gift that would keep me busy knitting and would result in a cardi I'd cherish for years!

Hi, it's Amber here! I am really excited about the new line of Walden patterns from Colette. These unisex patterns are classic and utilitarian, and might ask that you get out your mallet and awl. Hott! I'd pair this Portland-made sewing pattern for the Cooper Bag with some graphic screenprinted heavy cotton fabric from Premier Prints out of Mississippi. Throw in some Heavy Duty Fabric Wax by Portland's own Otter Wax and you have the makings of an awesome all-weather bag. Even better, all these amazing craft  supplies are made in the USA!

Hey y'all! This is Sara. My holiday pick would absolutely be the fabulous Knit Collage yarn. Since our last shipment arrived, I have been dreaming up a beautiful, lush cowl of this unique and sparkly yarn. As an added bonus, it's so fun and full of treasures, it will knit quickly and not add to my never-ending list of crafty to-do's. I could make a new cowl for New Year's!

As you can probably guess, we pretty much dream about amazing craft projects and supplies each and every day, so if you need more ideas for the perfect gift, swing by the shop and give us a chat!

xoxo,
the Fancy Tigers

Freia Ombre and Flux Yarns are Here!

Beautiful Freia Handpainted yarns are here! Tina Whitmore, the mastermind behind Freia Yarns, mills her line of gradient color yarns from US sourced wool. The color is then hand applied to each skein to create the long color runs that are so unique to her process.

We are in love with the ombre effect and stunning color combinations and couldn't wait to start a few projects. As soon as we unpacked the Freia yarns several Fancy Folks had projects on their needles.

Freia Ombre Sport

Our friend Allison knitted us the Viatrix Slouch Hat, a chevron lace knit hat that uses one skein of the Freia Ombre Sport and one skein of the Flux Sport. Viatrix Slouch Hat is one of the awesome patterns that is designed especially for the Freia yarns and we have available here at the shop.

Freia Flux Sport

The Freia Flux Sport yarn means shorter color runs and faster color changes. You can see the colors in each ball which makes knitting with these babies a blast!

Nathalie whipped up The Age of Brass & Steam shawl in no time, from one skein of Flux Sport - so perfect!

Miranda made a stripy Army Of Caterpillars friend using one skein of Flux Sport - adorbz.

Freia Ombre Lace

For a finer knit, the Freia Ombre lace balls feature long color changes over 645 yds of lacey goodness.

Check back on Wednesday for a free pattern by Tina: the Sweet Adeline crochet shawl pattern for Freia Ombre Sport!

Better Know A Fancy Tigress: Nathalie Hall

You might recognize Nathalie as one of the tigers of Fancy Tiger Crafts. She is a real crafty lady who makes all kinds of things--she sews, knits, embroiders, quilts--and she just whipped up this cute Clara Dress from Sew Liberated. Nice work Nathalie!

Nathalie Hall

Tell us about why you are crafty?

I am a social worker who crafts for my sanity. In the past I have done a lot of papercrafts and jewelry-making, but I'm currently mostly knitting because it's so portable.

Tell us about your dress. 
This is the Clara dress pattern from Sew Liberated. I really wanted to make a retro-feel dress and this fabric seemed perfect. The geometric buttons are fun, too!

How did you learn to sew?

My parents and my grandma are very creative people who love making things from scratch. My mom taught me to sew when I was really young, and then gave me a knitting book when I was 8. I never looked back.

What is your favorite animal?

Elephants--they are both strong and gentle, and they have really strong family groups.

Thanks Nathalie! Happy crafting!