Protruding Zipper Shoulder Bag

I made this bag last night and I am so loving it!


Check out the fat bottom gusset.


When you get sick of the recessed zipper look, what's the next option? Protruding zipper!

I didn't want a recessed zipper for this bag because it would change the look I wanted. A protruding zipper is a lot easier to do than a recessed zipper. You sew the zipper gusset separately and when it's done, you sew it onto the outer bag's top raw edges (right side together). Then you sew the lining to the outer bag the regular way. (Just pretend the zipper gusset isn't there) The ends of the zipper can be hidden with fabric tabs.

The length of the zipper gusset is a personal choice. You can make it as short as you like or as long as the width of the bag. Just remember that the ZIPPER needs to be as long or longer than the width of the bag.

Happy sewing!

Zippered Pouch Handbag

So I wondered how a handbag would turn out if I were to make the zipper the way I would for a top zippered pouch. I think it turned out pretty good.


The only difference is I have a bag gusset for this handbag which actually turned out to be really handy to avoid the awkward corners when turning right side out. I think the gusset make the awkward corners go away. If you are thinking of trying this yourself, just avoid thick batting or anything thick. Otherwise you will need an industrial strength sewing machine to sew through the layers at the zipper ends.


My birthday just came and went. I had a great day. This doll was one of the presents I received. I can't wait for some free time to sew some doll clothing for her to feature on Dressedupdolls.

I just realised July MAAD is next weekend. I'm feeling all jittery. I wanted to make a few bags which had been swimming in my head for a while and I fear I won't have time to make them all. Last week a friend gave me a tour of Arab Street and Textile Centre which I did not know exist. There are lots of fabric shops and interesting bag and sewing supplies. I usually shop at Spotlight as it's air-conditioned and everything is labelled in English. I'm so pampered! Time to make a change Jane!

Another blistering hot day. Enjoy your day. Cheers.

Recessed Zipper in a Hand Quilted Boxy Bag

Can you see the rainbow lines I quilted?

This is a HUGE boxy bag I made this week and believe it or not, I hand quilted it! Of course, 5 minutes into it, I completely regretted my decision. My hands completed cramped up. So why not stop hand quilting? Ah, hah! Well, I kept going to see if I could complete it. And now I am typing using a chopstick clamped in my mouth. Just kidding!



The recessed zipper in this bag is done differently from the previous bag. The lining and the outer bag are cut the same height. The recessed part of the bag is attached to the completed bag. The raw edges of the recessed part is then cleverly hidden by doing a fold-down and topstiched.

Recessed Zippered Shoulder Bag

This was my first zippered top bag.


The zipper is set 2" down from the top. I think this way of doing zippers is called recessed zipper. How much you want to "recess" your zipper is entirely up to you but the lower you go, the harder it is to zip the bag. And if you set it too high, then it wouldn't be a recessed zipper.


A tabbed end is not necessary for the zipper. I just think it looks nicer.

For this particular method of sewing recessed zipper, the lining is shorter than the outer bag. You need to exclude the height of the "recess". But remember to retain the lining seam allowance. Also, you need to be precise when you sew the zipper onto the "recessed" fabric. Just a little off and you'll end up with a zipper that bulges out when zipped. Not pretty.

Embroidery without a bag

Since June MAAD ended, I had been lazing around not making anything.I've signed up for July MAAD but I have enough stock.

The next few weeks I'm concentrating on upgrading my skills in sewing zippers in bags. How do I do that? Basically I make bags with zippers! Sewing a pouch with zippers is a lot different from sewing a bag with zippers. For one thing, you need gussets and all unless you want all your bags to look like one giant zippered pouch! Heh heh.



This is a piece of embroidery I completed recently. It's done in backstitch which I like a lot it being similar to drawing with a fine pencil. When I was little and still living in the big ole house in the village, I used to scratch "motifs" on the whitewashed walls with a nail. Okay, they weren't motifs, just scribbles. Then I grew a little older and discovered mechanical pencil and spent many years drawing on my biology book, you know, one page lined, one page blank. At one point, I thought I would become a mechanical pencil artist. Well, that never happened. So here I am, drawing with my needle and backstitch.

I haven't decided what kind of bag this piece of embroidery will be part of. Since I'm doing zippers, the bag will have zippers. The bag will also be simple of course.

I think I will do a post on zippered bags. Wait for it.

My 2nd MAAD outing

A big hello to those who went to MAAD on Saturday and Sunday and recognised me from my blog. And thanks to everyone who supported me. I truly appreciate it and it's all the encouragement I need to continue with what I love doing - making more bags! My next MAAD will be in July. Hope to see you all again.

This time around I sold 15 bags. I feel so loved! Muah, muah. (:

Cheers everyone!

June MAAD this weekend

I'm selling my bags again at June MAAD at the red dot design museum this weekend 6th and 7th June from 11am to 7pm 28 Maxwell Rd.

I'm really into shoulder bags now and below are just a few which I hope to sell at June MAAD.