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!  

Totes-tacular!

It's been a totes Market Tote summer!

All the folks at Fancy have been stitching up Market Totes-a-plenty. We make them as gifts and for ourselves, to take to the pool and to the market....They are just so quick and easy to sew--a delightful way to use and show off your favorite cute fabric!

Aww, shucks...we blushed with pride when a dear customer told us our Market Tote pattern is the most well-written and easy to follow pattern that they have used. Well, we think it's about the simplest and most functional project around, so to inspire you to try making one yourself here are just a few of the fancy totes we've made:

Melissa is showing off her two totes, the green tote is made from the recent Tula Pink Night Shade collection. (Can you tell she is a Tula Pink fan? Her a-line skirt is made from Tula Pink's Parisville fabric!) Her purple tote is made from an adorable organic print from Birch fabrics and veggie print pocket.

Betsy made a Market Tote from stash, picking one of her favorite Japanese forest friends prints accented with a Melody Miller pocket and Essex handles. Instead of finishing her handles by turning them, she ripped the fabric for a cute frayed look and accented it with some decorative machine stitching.

Allison's adorable tote features a super-cute mustard clothing print from Japan. We love mustard clothing + adorable prints from Japan! Do you recognize Allison's skirt fabric? Yep, it's the forest friends print that Betsy used for her tote! That's totes crazy!

Angelique has made about a bajillion totes, but most of them have been gifts for friends. Lucky friends they are! These two totes are just for her, though. Her newest one on the left is an amazing Anna Maria Horner velveteen. Velveteen makes a fantastic tote! The tote on her shoulder is a totes crazy print from Alexander Henry.

Emily made a natural hemp ticking tote with extra long handles so she can wear it like a messenger bag. Perfect for bike riding! For her Echino car print tote she chose some hot pink cotton webbing for handles. Hot! Emily has also made about five million totes for lucky friends.

Erikia used this fantastic yellow Valori Wells butterfly print to make her very first bag ever! It looks amazing and she has already whipped up several more for friends.

Better Know A Crafter: Ysolda Teague

Ysolda, as you may know, is an amazing knitter. She is in town visiting us and we couldn't be happier. Come by tomorrow night for a special lecture, booksigning and meet & greet!

Last time she payed us a visit, Ysolda surprised us by spending a few hours in our sewing studio, designing an adorable skirt which we published as a free tutorial on our blog. (You should make one!) We love Ysolda's secret sewing side. When she rolled into town this time she immediately started designing a super-cute handbag!

Ysolda Teague

Tell us about your crafty self and what kinds of crafts you do.

I design knitting patterns so I kind of craft for a living. My job involves a lot of thinking about making stuff, a lot of writing and calculating along with general business stuff. I love it, but it's definitely cut into my craft time. I've done almost every craft at least once. I spent my childhood sitting on the floor of the crafts section at the library, falling in love with crafts and craft books.

Tell us about bag you've made.
I've been hauling a huge bag around on this trip and I thought it might be nice to have a smaller one. I've loved this car print for ages but never used it. I like the contrast of the cars and the flowers on the handles. These Japanese handles are really cute and they were easy to use--they give a really professional finish.

I didn't use a pattern and my bag kept getting more elaborate. The piping was the hardest part, but I think it was worth the hassle of sewing through so many layers where three piped seams came together.

How did you learn to be so crafty?
My mother is an artist and, although she is more into drawing and painting than craft and didn't really teach me techniques, she always made sure there were lots of supplies available. As far back as I can remember I had my own little table in the kitchen and there was always paint set up. We made playdough and crafted decorations for all my birthday parties. Crafting was so much a part of my everyday that I was shocked to find out that my friends didn't live like this or that they weren't allowed to make so much mess.

I couldn't see how to make a living with crafting and decided to do something intellectual at university. I turned out that I couldn't live without making things and that's when I fell in love with knitting. I could sneak a project into my bag and pull it out during dull lectures. My notebooks started to fill up with ideas for my own designs. Crafting became my life even when I tried to do something else so I figured I may as well give in. And now I'm sneaking time to make things that aren't "work"--where I can just focus on just putting something together, making it up as I go along.

What is your favorite animal?
I'm currently obsessed with narwhals. I love that so many people don't know they're real.

Thanks Ysolda! Happy sewing (and knitting, of course!)

Better Know A Crafter: Sara Caugill

Sara is looking so adorable in her happy little yellow dress and handbag! She is an amazing seamstress--the bag is of her own design--and we always love to see what she has been sewing!

Sara Caugill

1) Tell us about what you do.

I'm a high school math and art teacher. I love making things, and I really love using things I make. My goal is to learn how to make shoes. I sew, knit, spin, do stencils. You name it, I have probably done it.

2) Tell us about these two cute projects.
I made the Colette Patterns Parfait Sundress in cotton voile. I designed the purse myself. It's my super-secret-hearts-bikes purse. The strap goes from shoulder bag length to messenger bag length. The purse seriously holds tons. My u-lock fits in perfectly! The dress is made from Anna Maria Horner voile.


3) How did you learn to sew?
I started sewing around the time I began walking. My mom taught me. Now my mom calls me for sewing advice. I really started sewing in earnest after high school. My first dress was made without a pattern.

4) What is your favorite animal?
The narwhal. Also, my two cats: Harry the Dirty Dog & Walter Marzipan Coupatti

Thanks Sara! Happy crafting!

Craft Trade!

We've all been pretty excited about craft trades around here lately. One of our knitting instructors, Sunne, is an amazing sock knitter and color-work knitter. I've knit a few socks on occasion but embarrassingly have not actually made it through a pair of socks. While Sunne is the most prolific knitter we know, she does not sew. Hence, craft trade! Where everyone is satisfied with a magical handcraft item they wouldn't make for themselves.

I'm super excited about my craft trade with Sunne--the beautiful Fair Isle socks she made for me are my first-ever-very-own handknit socks! I chose two colors of soft Malabrigo Sock yarn and she knit them up using the Wallflower pattern by Stephanie Van Der Linden published on Twist Collective.


For Sunne I made a Fancy Pack in a beautiful Nani Iro fabric that she picked out. The Fancy Pack is a sewing pattern I developed when I felt the need for a cute bag to carry things along with me and be totally hands free. Sunne was really excited about her new Fancy Pack. She loves to walk her dog, Roscoe, around the neighborhood and what a perfect little bag for it. She invented a sweet new way to wear the pack--over one shoulder like a sash. Cute!


Hooray for craft trades! Thanks for my super-sweet socks, Sunne! If you'd like to learn to knit socks Sunne will be teaching a socks class this fall for us as well as a lace knitting class.

New Books That Make Us Want To Craft Everything!

Inspiring new craft books are arriving left and right! We can't keep up with all the lovely, inspiring craft projects!

We are doing our best, as Jaime shows below modeling her new "Pointy Elf Hat" from More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. She knit hers up in a couple hours in Malabrigo Aquarella yarn. We love how Joelle's books are divided by how long each project takes, including everything from quick two hour projects to eight hour and longer projects. Every project is simply beautiful.


Jaime and I both got inspired to make the cute toys in Sue Havens' Make your Own Toys book. Jaime made a cute little fox and I made a floppy patchwork kitty. These were so much fun to make. What an adorable use for all our favorite sewing scraps!


The handsewn dolls in Hillary Lang's book, Wee Wonderfuls, are cute as cute can be.


Alicia Paulson's newest book, Embroidery Companion, is a beautiful modern take on vintage style embroidery. Alicia includes patterns for embroidery, cross-stitch and crewelwork projects. It makes me want to embellish everything!


Style Stitches is Amy Butler's newes book, chock full of structured bags for every seamstress. Twenty-six new Amy Butler bags just waiting for you to make them! Yes!


I'd better get back to crafting!

Better Know A Crafter: Sue Brooks

Sue is an adorable lady who always brightens our day when she comes in the shop. She blew us away when she came in with this amazing bag using one of our favorite Megumi Sakakibara fabrics.

Sue Brooks

What makes you want to be crafty?

I love making crazy purses--it is just so much fun! I love to slice and dice fabric, then put it together into something fun. I love to sew. I'm learning how to knit now.

How did you create your sweet bag?
I used great fabric from Fancy Tiger. I made up my own pattern for the purse.


How did you learn to sew?
I've been sewing since I was 16. Now I'm 61!!! I'm always learning something new. Fancy Tiger is a great place to go for fabric, buttons and roving.

What is your favorite animal?
Dogs and giraffes

Thanks Sue! Happy crafting!

Better Know A Crafter: Cade

Cade just finished sewing the most awesome woodgrain oilcloth messenger bag. It is the woodgrainiest and we love it!

Cade

1) What makes you want to be crafty?

I rework old vintage jewelry into new cool pieces. I figure I have to dress the part of someone who loves things you cannot buy...you just have to make it.

2) Tell us about your sweet bag.
I have had the idea for a wood grain oilcloth bag for a while. I used oil cloth for protection against weather and a similar wood grain print for the lining. The strap is a karate belt and I found the patch in an old dresser. I didn't use much of a pattern.


3) How did you learn to sew?
I taught myself to sew when I was a kid. I always liked making costumes, so it was a process of trial and error. There are still a lot of errors.

4) What is your favorite animal?
Elephants and owls.

Thanks Cade! Happy crafting!

Better Know A Crafter: Megan

Megan recently came into Fancy Tiger Crafts and blew our minds with her amazing crocheted handbag. We had never seen anyone crochet with Noro sock yarn and the results were super adorable.

Megan

1) What crafts do you like to do?

I sew, crochet, knit, collage, basically create clothes and accessories with any material & get inspiration from the movies I watch while completing my project.


2) Tell us about your cute bag.
I crocheted this purse out of Noro Kureyon sock yarn and scraps I had laying around and created the pattern on my own.

3) How did you learn your craft?
My mom taught me to crochet (and sew) when I was five. She's artsy and crafty but denies being any good at her arts.

4) What is your favorite animal?
Rhinoceroses, hippos, elephants and manatees. Big, fat animals.

Thanks Megan! Happy crafting!

Better Know A Crafter: Sheryl Lemon

Sheryl is an excellent knitter and a craft night regular. We are loving the felt bag she just finished. This wooly owl applique was her first needle felting project--nice job Sheryl!

Sheryl Lemon

1) What makes you want to be crafty?
I've been a knitter for 40 years, but now is the most exciting time to be knitting: new yarns, great needles, etc. This is my only creative outlet and we all need that.

2) Tell us about your felted bag.
This messenger bag just kept evolving: added stripes and needle felting embellishment. The strap was the biggest challenge.


3) How did you learn how to do what you do?
My mother taught me to knit as a little girl and she still has the first out-of-shape scarf I ever made her! Hey, I still make scarves.

4) What is your favorite animal?
I'm pretty certain my spirit animal is an elk.

Thanks Sheryl! Happy knitting!

Better Know A Crafter: I. V. Anderson

This lovely lady came in the other day with a bag she had sewn from some of our Japanese Echino fabric. We love the way she appliqued birds and yellow dots onto her bag, mimicking the fabric's cute pattern. Sweet!

I. V. Anderson

1) Tell us about the project you've made. What pattern and materials did you use?
Purse with applique, modified commercial pattern

2) Tell us something about the person who taught you to do what you do.
My mother continues to inspire me every day, however, many wonderful women have taught and inspired me.

3) What is your favorite animal?
My dog Mattie!

Craftastic Weekend Project: Oilcloth Pouch

Here is an idea for a quick and cute project--a simple oilcloth pouch to hold all your goodies. Oilcloth is pretty awesome. It's waterproof, dirt proof, and easy to sew. This little zippered bag is perfect for craft supplies, art supplies or a re-usable snack pouch.

Materials:
12" zipper and a 3/8 yard of oilcloth

Here's how we made it:

• Cut the oilcloth into two 13" x 10" rectangles.
• Centering the zipper along 13" edge of one piece of oilcoth, sew zipper in place. Your oilcloth should extend past the zipper stops (little metal thingies) about 1/2" on either side.
  
• Repeat with second piece of oilcoth for other side of your zipper.
• Folding at zipper, put right sides together.
• Using 1/2" seam allowance, stitch around sides and bottom of bag. Be careful not to hit any of your zipper with your sewing machine needle.

(Optional) Square bottom of bag:

This is super easy, but hard to describe, so how about some diagrams? Click on the diagram to enlarge it.

• Right sides together. Pinch together side seam and bottom seam, lining them up and flattening the bottom corner.
• Mark a line perpendicular to the seam 1-1/2" from point of corner.

• Stitch corner flat along line. Trim to 1/2 from seam.
• Repeat for other corner.

• Now unzip your zipper and turn the bag right side out.
  

Nice work! What a perfect little easy gift. Come by Fancy Tiger Crafts and check out all the cute summery oilcloth we have in right now!