I get a lot of special requests. This time it was a meerkat doll. I seriously couldn't picture one in my head. I did some research (i.e., a Google image search) and familiarized myself with them. I couldn't find many artisan-made plush meerkats. After some sketches and input from my customer, I came up with this 16-inch plush cutie!

I am so happy with how the two different chenille fabrics look together! It's hard to find chenille these days, and it's very expensive when you do.

I can't even remember where I got the brown chenille, but I've used it on many projects. It's almost gone now. :(

The ivory chenille is repurposed from vintage drapes. I bought it specifically for plush animals and I *love* it on the meerkat!

The buttons were also a vintage find from my stash. I love being able to use things I've collected!

This little gal is ready for her trip to Australia! 

One of my best customers ordered a messenger bag from me, in a cute owl fabric. It was the second messenger bag I've made, and it might be time to add them to my Etsy shop.

I made the long, adjustable strap out of a natural-looking upholstery fabric. It's soft, very sturdy and non-slip on your shoulder. The bag can be worn across your body (left) or over your shoulder.

My customer wanted a safe pocket for her iPad, so I made a padded, stabilized pocket with a Velcro closure. In the photo below, I put a book in that pocket. There are all sorts of other slip pockets in the bag's interior.

If you haven't had the "pleasure" of installing a twist lock (also called a turn lock), let me tell you it's a pain! It took a good hour to carefully install it. I'm so glad for the book by Lisa Lam called "The Bag Making Bible," which has lots of photos of techniques like this.

Where did I learn to make messenger bags? From an Australian bag-maker named Nicole Mallaliew (see her blog You SEW Girl)! It just so happens that this owl bag is headed to Australia!
Here are the bag's little sisters:

I'm so grateful to my customers who give me so much practice at different types of bags! - Rene

I love when a customer likes my work so much that she orders gift for others! My super customer, Lisa, ordered these two "Ellen" handbags for a sister and friend. 

The photos above and right were taken in my basement sewing studio. The nice lighting was created by only a flourescent light on the ceiling and a fabulous BlueMax floor light. I didn't use my camera's flash.

I like having the dress form/mannequin to hold my purses! She gives good perspective for size and style. 

But I am always experimenting with my product photos, which sometimes could look more professional. Some articles I've been reading gave me the idea to try a new location today. So I headed up to my dining room, where a set of patio doors allows a lot of  light in. Today in Wisconsin, it's overcast and snowing, but the snow provided enough bright light for my photo shoot.

Here's my super-fancy (ha!) setup. Two white posterboards served as backdrops and reflectors. 

Look at all that light coming in!

I didn't turn on any other lights, and I used my Canon Rebel XT without the flash.

The results, which I edited with Photoshop Elements (to crop, brighten, add a bit of saturation where the light washed the colors out)...

Not bad, huh? I'm not sure I like the table showing on the first two shots. Like I said, I'm experimenting. Here are the inside pics, which I truly thought wouldn't turn out. It looked so dark in there when I was shooting!

Even with my big ol' hand holding it open, I think it's a decent shot, even sort of professional.  

I don't really mind where the light gets super-bright. It's kind of artsy.

The front of the bag is washed out, but that's OK, because it's not the focus of this picture.

I'm amazed that the pockets and business label are in focus.

Here's the other side of the interior, with the zippered pocket and key fob. 

Nice, natural light that shows the fabric's true colors. 

Here's the purse hanging from my chandelier with a posterboard behind it!

If this bird purse looks familiar, it's because the original "Ellen" handbag was made of the same fabric! See the original one at left, which I photographed in my basement studio.

It looks good, but I have many problems with shadows when shooting with a single lamp.

I had two natural-light lamps for a while, but one broke.

Thanks for reading and viewing! I appreciate any comments, questions or suggestions! -- Rene

Weekends are for enjoying, right? Well, when my kids are busy with Legos and video games, and my husband is catching up on TV, what do I choose to do? Sew, of course! During the week, I'm always working on customer orders, and I'm definitely not caught up. But on the weekends, I allow myself time to try new patterns or experiment with techniques. I consider myself to be in continuing education, so it's important!

When I saw the Emily Bag online, I fell in love with the shape and large size. I just had to buy the pattern (ithinksew.com) and make some! I've made totes and I've made purses, but this bag combines the two styles. 

The exterior is a heavyweight home decor fabric in aqua. It has a subtle tone-on-tone stripe. It's more green than blue. I think it's an outdoor fabric, meant for patio furniture cushions and such. It's very strong and durable. Here's an extreme closeup from my Flickr feed, but it looks a bit too green in that photo. The interior is a brown/aqua floral cotton that matches perfectly!

The Emily Bag can be used as a tote or huge purse. I wanted it to have the features of a Sew Much Cuteness purse, so I added a zip pocket and a darted phone pocket to the lining. 

It was hard to photograph the lining because it's such a huge bag. It doesn't stand on its own, so here's the best I could do.

The approx. dimensions:
18 inches wide
14.5 inches high
7 inches deep
7 inch strap height

Emily has a flat bottom and wide side gussets. Because of the "V" on each side, the top of the bag opens wide too. 

It closes with an antique bronze-colored magnetic snap. 

This bag can be carried on the shoulder, if you're petite or thin. It's a bit snug for me to carry it that way, so I plan to make the straps longer next time.

The strap length is perfect for carrying with your hand or on the crook of your arm. 

This bag is made with typical Sew Much Cuteness quality construction. I double- and triple-stitched all stress points. I also sewed the exterior seams down, so the bag can handle lots of weight.

The interior and bottom pieces are interfaced with my favorite Pellon Shape-Flex. The handles have two layers of that interfacing.

This is a great overnight bag, school bag, work bag, shopping bag, diaper bag, large purse, etc.! It's really quite feminine and elegant... totally modern and eye-catching!

I will be listing this bag on Etsy for $65. You can custom order one in your choice of fabrics too. 

Thanks for reading! I truly can't wait to show you things after I finish them!

-- Rene

This is the second purse I've made with this beautiful embroidered teal fabric. Sadly, it will be my last because I have none left! So I'm going to celebrate it here. This is an "Ellen" style of purse.

I collect fabric from all over, so I often forget where it came from.

While I'm a bit sad that it's gone, I'm also excited for the two people who now own purses made from it!

You can see the other purse I made with this fabric here.

One of the very cool things about Sew Much Cuteness is that most of my items are one of a kind (OOAK). No cookie cutter stuff here!

Look at this gorgeous closeup:

How about this lining? It's a quilting cotton in natural with aqua and teal. The darker teal flowers match the exterior of the bag. 

I like the splash of "earthy" this fabric gives to this purse.

The interior has 2 slip pockets, a pen slot, a YKK zippered pocket and a magnetic snap closure. 

This bag is super roomy because I gave the bottom a 5-inch gusset. I think of this purse as a tote bag with handbag features. 

The double straps are also double-sided with both fabrics. I just think that looks neato.





Here's each side of the interior:

Thanks for looking & reading! If you're interested in your own custom "Ellen" purse, please check out this Etsy listing. Thanks & have a super day! -- Rene

My repeat customer Laila is an owl lover...apparently a lover of birds in general! She has chosen a lot of bird fabrics for her creations. Here's her latest purse -- a custom "Ellen" handbag with concealed top zip and extra interior pockets. She requested a matching zip pouch. 

I'm too exhausted to type a lot of details! So I'll share a slide show of photos with you.  A standard "Ellen" purse is $45 (although Laila ordered it when it was on sale for $37). Additional features like a top zipper and extra pockets cost a little more. Zippered pouches like these are $21. Hope you enjoy and let me know if you have any questions!  -- Rene