The Better Bag Maker - Reviews and giveaways (and generally being out there in the world).

I set up a window display in Melbourne today.

 

It took hours.... and while I was lost in a  tangle of fishing line and climbing up and down a ladder, I watched as passers-by stopped and looked at my work (nobody seemed to notice me, which was lucky, because I was doing things like getting tangled in fishing line and dropping the scissors all the time). 

It was nice to see people being interested.  Nobody laughed and pointed.  Nobody mocked.  Phew! It's always a bit scary putting something out into the world, for anyone to judge.

And in the end, it all came together (sort of... I still want to tweak...). 

If you're in the city, you can see the display at the CAE info shop*, on the corner of Flinders Lane and Degraves St. 

*I'll be teaching a few classes at CAE over the next wee while.

 

There is a blog tour (with giveaways!) being organised as we speak, but while the finishing touches are being done to the schedule, we have a few early-starters for you. 

 

If you pop over to PatternReview.com now, you'll find a review and a giveaway there. 

 

If you're not a PatternReview member... why are you not?  It's a fantastic resource for all things sewing, and basic membership is absolutely free ("Friends of PR" membership has extra benefits and is only about $30 a year).

 

 

I'm getting a little tired of showing the same old photos from the book, so here's a bit of 'behind the scenes' for you...

For every finished bag you see in the book, there were a few fully-developed samples made.  I like to refine and tweak each design, and know each project thoroughly before I start writing instructions. Then I make it again to test that my instructions make sense...and after that, I send the instructions to a pattern-tester to check it again.

This is the Toronto Convertible Tote/Backpack in Saffron Craig fabric and denim.

 

 

 And this is the Barcelona Satchel in a blue colour-way of Yardage Design's "Fans".

 

 

In the book, the Melbourne Weekender is in a Pippiejoe fabric, and here it is in another of Caitlin's gorgeous hand-printed fabrics. 

 

(Did you know that Caitlin has joined Ink&Spindle? What a wonderful one-stop-shop that is!) 

 

 

This Marrakesh Overnighter is actually the bag on the cover of the book, but I'm posting this photo here because (yes... again...) it was stolen from the Stash Books stand at the London Book Show.  

 

 

It's in very distinctive Kristen Doran fabric, and is a one-of-a-kind... so if you see it on the streets of your town, you know where it came from!

 

I'll be back with more news of the Blog Tour, but I can let you know that the first stop is one of my fabulous pattern-testers, and you'll be able to see other versions of the bags that are in the book.  Check out Blogless Anna.  She'll be posting her blog tour contribution next week!

 

You can see more of the bags on the Flickr group I created for the book.  Feel free to share your creations made from the designs in the book there.

 

 

AQC - the good, the bad and the heartbreaking.....

One day to go at the AQC and I'm tired ....and somewhat emotional. It's been a rollercoaster week. There was huge relief that I'd comissioned my brother to make tall pattern-display shelves, which also act as the 2nd wall I was execting to have in my exhibition space....but didn't. (The wall-of-patterns solution almost made up for the stress of the 2000 purse frames that were sitting in Australian Customs instead of in the new purse kits.)

There has been much poking-about-under-the-shelf in an attempt to fix the glitch-ridden slideshow display of photos from the book. Even the lovely Sarah-from-next-door came in to help (pictured, above....under the shelf cover).

I've been really happy to meet lots of wonderful people, loyal blog-followers and customers and people just "discovering" what I do. I've been overwhelmed by the response to the book. I've caught up with lots of bloggy friends. Lovely.

...And then someone stole this bag from my display ...the one in the precious Ink&Spindle fabric with a button from my (long deceased) Nan's stash.... the bag that was the conversation-starter on the stand, to introduce people to the book....

Its loss has triggered some deep sadnesses and tapped into all the stress I've ploughed on through during the production of the book, this bag and this show. It has - once again - shaken my faith in people. I've been an emotional mess all evening.

...and THEN.... My heart has been warmed by the wonderful crafting community and VERY GOOD PEOPLE who have already launched a campaign to find the bag. Cam posted this picture on Facebook within minutes of Jodie suggesting it... and then followed with a blog-button campaign here.

I've received loads of caring messages from wonderful people who heard the news. Thanks, people - even if the bag never shows up, you've restored my faith in the goodness in MOST of humanity.