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After our evening walk I hunkered down in my sewing room to see if I could finish the lining, pockets and zipper placket on my KFC Paperweight Frankenbag. I got close, but didn’t quite get it all done. I also documented all the steps with photos so I could write this up into a tutorial. It’s going to take some time to write that up so that it makes sense.

I did a lot of on-the-fly design as I put this lining, pockets and zippers together, and it sort of made my brain hurt. Luckily, all I have left to do is press and topstitch around the top of the bag, and then stitch down the zipper placket. I’ll finish that up tomorrow.

As I was walking my dogs this afternoon I had a brainstorm that it would actually be easier to do the initial attachment of the zipper placket to the lining before the bag lining was sewn together and attached to the bag body. So I figured out how to do that as I put this all together. It worked pretty well. And it means that there will only be one additional line of seaming showing at the top of the bag… it will be a little easier to hide that one row of stitching among the lines of match stick quilting.

Here’s a look at the pockets on the inside of the bag. One zipper pocket and a divided slip pocket.

I also figured out that zipper pocket as I made it. It turned out pretty well, but I will change a few things when I make the next one.

I sewed the zipper pocket on so that it’s a zipper AND a slip pocket at the same time. So it will do double duty. So many pockets!

This pocket is part of what made my brain hurt. I really figured this out as I made it. I really didn’t want to make a fancy zipper placket so tried to figure out an easier construction. It was easy to put together, but I used a light fusible interfacing on the pocket and it ended up being just too much. I also screwed up and ended up with the interfacing as the inside of the pocket, rather than a piece of fabric to line the pocket. But I’ve noodled out in my head how I will fix this in the next bag. In my sore brain it seems like it should work. But that’s what I thought when I made this one!

Take a look at this zipper placket once it was constructed. This part didn’t so much make my brain hurt.

I like these metal zippers and have been wanting to try them instead of the nylon zippers I use for my zipper pouches. But they present some challenges. First, you can’t sew over a metal zipper. So that affects how you construct things like pockets and plackets where you WANT to sew over zippers. Second, the zippers are a little stiff. I’m guessing they will loosen up over time and be more smooth to open and close. I have four more of each size to use up. I like the look of them, but I’m not sure I’ll buy more.

I received some more photos of Frankenbags made by blog readers. This first one was made by Debbie Fraser out of some lovely warm batiks. This one really makes me want to dig into my batiks! Maybe that’s the next bag I’ll make. I’ve been noodling some ideas out on how to use my batik scraps. Oh, and I love that vertical quilting. I want to try that too.

This next bag was made by Josephine Abbot. I love the way she incorporated that New York Beauty block. I’m pretty sure I have a few of those made from KFC fabrics and batiks laying around somewhere. I wonder if I can find them. They’re left over from this wall hanging.

Those KFC oranges, pinks and yellows are so pretty against that indigo background!

Here’s the other side of this bag. What a great use of eclectic scraps!

Thanks to Debbie and Josephine for sending me photos of their bags!

My snowball tree is in full bloom right now and it’s pretty spectacular! Some of the blooms are as big as my two fists together.

So, of course, I had to put some on Bender.

I’m happy to report that Rico’s sore feet were better in just a day or two. We’re all very happy about that!

I’ve had a busy few days and finally found a little time this evening to get into my sewing room and take a stab at putting a zipper placket in the first Frankenbag I made. There are some things very wrong with this bag that made it a good one for a first try at a zipper.

So I did some measuring, made a few notes and had an idea of how to construct the placket. Then I started cutting fabric.

Here’s the finished zipper placket.

I’m pretty darned happy with how this turned out for a first attempt. There are a few minor things I’ll change in the next one I do. But overall it turned out pretty well.

I left the zipper long so that there’s enough length to allow the bag to be opened wide.

Here’s the zipper and placket before I attached it to the bag.

I sewed each half onto the bag with the zipper facing up above the top of the bag. Then I folded it down and topstitched it down. This folding down and top stitching enfolded the raw zigzagged edge of the placket for a nice finished appearance.

Oh, man. There’s some really messy stuff on the top of that bag! And that’s why it’s my prototype! The handles don’t even line up! the good thing is that I learned a lot in making this bag!!! If you’re going to make a mess, you might as well learn something along the way!

I’m going to finish up this bag below tomorrow night by making the lining, adding a zipper pocket on the interior and a zipper placket at the top. I’ll probably make a bit of a tutorial in the process.

I received a really fun package in the mail earlier this week from Wanda at Exuberant Color. She put together some of her older Kaffe Fassett fabric scraps for me. It was so much fun to open the package and go through all the gorgeous fabrics.

Wanda had told me that there were probably a lot of fabrics in there that I’ve never even seen before, and she was right. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this one. But it’s so pretty!

I just love this next one! It’s like a mini Uzbekistan design. The colors are so much fun on that off white background.

This next one is kite tails. I’ve only ever had it in one color way. I would love to have a lot more of this in every color way!

It’s going to be a lot of fun to make something out of these scraps! Huge thanks to Wanda. She’s been an inspiration to me since I found her blog a few years ago.

I got some new fabric in the last few days. This package of batiks arrived today. It was a really cheerful package to open!

I bought these yard cuts on sale online. I want to make some Frankenbags out of my batik scraps and I don’t have a lot of batik pieces that are big enough to use for linings.

I also picked up these Aboriginal half yards at a local shop that I love. They have a nice selection online and I can pick them up at my convenience.

Finally tonight… my blog readers have been really busy making Frankenbags this week! I have a lot to share with you.

Sylvie Dupont made two bags. Here’s the first one in lovely blues and greens with really fun pops of purple and yellow.

Here’s the other side.

And here’s a really bright and springy one that Sylvie made.

I really love that great big daisy! And here’s the other side and I love that pink horizontal strip!

This next one was made by Brenda Tonyes. I just love her fabric combo! Those deep and bright reds with the pops of purple… so good! And I love her leather handles.

And if you’re paying any attention, you know how I feel about that black and white Jumble. IT’S FABULOUS!!!

Here’s the other side. There are so many things I love about this.

First of all, the fish are so amazing! And I love that white and black squiggly fabric going across the width of the bag. And those little blocks at the top with the diagonal strips of Jumble… it all just works so wonderfully together!

Brenda told me that she saw one of my bags on Instagram and she immediately started buying KFC fabrics so she could do some improv and crumb piecing. She said she’s having a lot of fun trying new things.

This makes me so happy! I think life is so much more interesting when I’m learning and trying new things! It’s so much fun to see others doing the same thing.

This next one was made by Lori Schaeffer Taylor. I love that big fussy cut bloom! That’s a great idea for incorporating into a bag.

And I just love the paper weight and Roman glass strips! Those fabrics are some of my favorite KFC fabrics.

Here’s the other side.

I just love that green shark’s teeth strip down the middle! And that diagonal quilting has me thinking…

The final bags tonight were made by Susan Cook. This first one is a really fun one made from dog fabrics. Of course this is going to catch my eye!

This is such a fun little bag! I love the wavy quilting with the topsy turvy dogs. It looks like they’re riding along the waves!

Here’s two more bags Susan made.

I love those deep and rich purples! I need to sew more with purples.

And look… she’s put in a sipper placket!!! Here’s a better look.

This looks like it may have been put in the same way I made mine tonight. I think the zipper is a really nice addition.

Thanks to all of you who sent in photos of your bags! I’m having a blast seeing what everyone is making! So many wonderful ideas out there… you’re all keeping me behind in the things I want to make!

We started our winter radio fundraising drive this morning at 7 am. I was on the air asking for member support from my sewing room!

My cutting table is serving as a makeshift radio studio. The next ten days will be demanding and stressful! I will certainly be ready for my week of vacation later this month!

I finally had enough oomph left at the end of the day tonight to do a little sewing. So I sewed the lining and finished up the corgi bag that I’m making for a friend in Utah.

I really like the way it turned out. It’s amazing to me how some quilting and a few seams makes something look like something.

Here’s the other side. Not sure which is the front and which is the back.

My friend sent enough corgi fabric to use it for the lining. I made the pocket out of one of the batiks used on the outside of the bag. I like this bag a lot more than I thought I was going to.

And you know I’m loving this little tag!

Still haven’t landed on the best way to attach these tags. I think I liked it the other way better. I’ll keep working on the best method.

I had a fantastic weekend at a sheep herding clinic down in Molalla, Oregon. It was three days of dogs and sheep and friends that I haven’t seen for months. I think I was in heaven!

We really lucked out on the weather. It was cool all weekend, but the only rain we had was on the drive home Friday. I wore my parka all weekend! I’m so glad I threw it in the car at the last minute.

Rico was such a good boy and did an amazing job at the clinic. We really pushed him to do things that were difficult and he really rose to the occasion.

Unfortunately, he wore some holes in the pads of his front feet on Saturday, so his herding training on Sunday was very limited. Basically, he had blisters on his feet. Poor guy was in so much pain. He’s such a sensitive kid.

Luckily, he’s feeling sooooo much better today! Well enough to go for our walk this evening with his feet wrapped. He was very happy to get to go along.

And look how cute his is with his little pink shoes!

Bender went along on the weekend and got some special Bender time each day. He was pretty happy to get some one-on-one attention.

He would have posed on that tree stump for an hour if I’d asked him to. He is such an expert poser.

Back to the work week now. It will be a very busy and exhausting two weeks coming up. I have vacation scheduled for the last week in May and I’m really looking forward to it!

Next up for sewing is to figure out how to get a zipper placket in a Frankenbag. I have to put action behind some ideas to see if they’re going to work.

I finished making the second corgi Frankenbag panel tonight and got both panels sandwiched and quilted.

I may be able to finish this up tomorrow night and have it in the mail on Friday. I’m anxious to see it come together in the bag body.

I have to say, I wasted a lot of this corgi fabric! There isn’t enough space between rows to cut it with a seam allowance and not destroy the adjacent row of corgis.

Here’s some close ups of these panels. I just love the way quilting elevates these panels.

I just love that long string of corgis on the right side!

The way those paw prints and dog bones show up here and there is really charming.

I put this Aboriginal fabric bag in the mail today. I was sort of sad to see it go. But I know it will be loved and appreciated.

I got tagged on Instagram this evening by Aussie quilter Julie who is @patchwork_gecko on Instagram. She posted some pictures of a Frankenbag she made and said that she had been looking for a pattern and found a forgotten panel that was quilted and waiting to be made into something. So she cut it in half, made handles out of some leftover cork, made the lining and voila! She had this Frankenbag done!

I love that she repurposed something that was forgotten into something that’s really cute and functional! Those panels are just perfect for this bag!

Every day of this spring is prettier than the last. The dogwood trees are in all their glory right now. I must have passed 50 or more of them on tonight’s three-mile walk. The yard in this photo had THREE of various sizes in their front yard!

Finally, a picture of Rico where he doesn’t look tortured. But Bender looks completely stoned!

A friend of mine who has owned corgis for years saw the border collie Frankenbags I made recently and asked if I would make her a corgi bag. She said she had corgi fabric, so I asked her to take a photo of it so I could see if it would work. It looked fun, so I had her send it to me.

I was thinking I would use the same black and white fabric crumb pieces, but when the corgi fabric arrived it was clear that the fabric wasn’t black, but sort of a dark brown/olive green kind of color. And it looked terrible with the black and white crumb pieces.

So I started thinking of other ideas and ran a few past my friend. Here’s what I landed on.

I went with saturated batiks that are the colors of the little corgis. The fabric at the bottom (above) combines several of the corgi colors.

So I cut some strips and pieced up some crumb blocks because I really like that effect. Here’s the first side of the bag.

I just love that long strip of corgis on the right. I think it will all be fun when it’s quilted and assembled. I didn’t piece any blocks with the corgi fabric because it doesn’t lend itself well to piecing. I’m toying with a couple of ideas for the other side of the bag.

My friend sent enough fabric so I can use it for the lining too.

Several more blog readers sent photos of their bags in the last few days. There’s some really fun stuff here. I’m so amazed at what people are coming up with for their bags.

This first one was made by Jeanne Schoeffler. I just love the blues in this bag. Especially with that pop of orange right in the middle. And that black and white chips is pretty cool too. I need to dig out the piece I have and get it into a bag.

Here’s the other side of this bag. It looks like Jeanne used the same faux leather for her handles that I’ve been using. I like the way the handles look.

Oh! I just noticed the lining! I love it!!!

The next bag was made by Val Patenaude. It’s one of my favorites! She used some blocks that were left over from an Escher quilt she made. And I love the way she quilted it!

What a great way to use those left over blocks!

Here’s the other side of this bag.

I just love the relaxed and random feeling of this side of this bag. And the colors… well, they’re pretty amazing! And there’s more of that vertical straight line stitching. I really want to do this on a bag. It will likely be coming up soon.

Val said her quilting guild is doing a sew along day on zoom soon and they’re all going to make Frankenbags. I told her I’d love to see what they all come up with.

The third bag was made by Susan Conant. She did a really nice job of combining KFC fabrics and batiks. And I just love that white and black spot on the front.

Here’s the other side of this bag. I love that strip of bright flowers paired with the piano keys. And that big old pinwheel is great! I might have to include that some time soon.

Thanks to Jeanne, Val and Susan for letting me share the photos of their bags.

My lilac bush is in spectacular bloom right now. The smell around the yard in the evenings is so amazing! I wish you could smell this photo!

This lilac bush is huge. It’s probably 14 or 15 feet tall and about that far across. And it’s loaded with blooms this year. I am going to have it pruned after it blooms. It’s getting a bit out of hand.

I’m looking forward to a day off work Friday. Rico and I are doing a three day sheep herding clinic down in Molalla, Oregon. It looks like the weather is going to be fabulous and I’ll get to see friends that I haven’t seen since before Thanksgiving!

I’ll close with a cute photo of Bender balancing botanicals in the form of apple blossoms.

Just ’cause he’s so freaking cute!

We got up really early this morning and headed off to the Olympia, Washington, area for a sheep herding trial. We were on the road at 6:30 am for a two hour and 15 minute drive. Rico did an amazing job. If you’re interested, you can see his two runs here and here.

It was such a beautiful day. The skies were amazing and we lucked out on the rain. It was really wonderful to be outside for a few hours.

That’s Rico and his girlfriend Jolene. They just love to run together!

I finished up a couple of bags today. First up is this bag made from Aboriginal fabric scraps. I’m pretty happy with how this turned out.

Here’s a different angle that shows that vertical stack of strips on the right side. I just love that piece!

Here’s the back of the bag.

I added a second pocket to the interior of this bag. I made the pockets a little bigger than in my other bags and I added a vertical line of stitching to divide the pockets into two compartments.

Here’s a view of the interior showing both double pockets.

And I still can’t get over how much I love my new tags! What a fun addition to a project.

I got a message today from a friend I used to work with in Salt Lake. He had seen the bright and graphic batik bag I made from cutting up my wall hanging. He asked if I would make one for his mom for Mother’s Day. She has macular degeneration and he said her vision is failing but she can see bright colors. So I told him I had a bag that is essentially the same bag that I could finish up for her.

It looks just like the other one! The only real difference is the lining. I used a salmon/coral color batik. The first one had a green lining.

He asked me to make “lots of pockets” so I did the same double pocket treatment as on the Aboriginal fabric bag.

And again… this little tag!

Another one of my blog readers sent photos of the Frankenbag she made. Dawn White put together a really fun and eclectic combination of blocks for her bag.

Here’s the other side…

I love that little house block with the wavy quilting. What a fun and bright little bag!

I think I’m going to work on putting a zipper placket into one of these bags next. I’m going to do a practice one on the first one of these bags I made. I had screwed up a couple other things on this bag so I figured this will be a good one to practice on.

Then a friend of mine wants me to make one for her that has corgis on it. She is sending me some fabric she wants me to use. It should be here any day.

This will be a short work week for me. I’m taking Friday off to do a three day sheep herding clinic next week. I’m really looking forward to taking a day off work!

I put one of those Aboriginal fabric pineapple blocks I made the other night to use this evening. I made two bag panels, made the quilt sandwiches and got them both quilted, and got the body of this new bag assembled tonight.

Well, it’s another one that I just love. I think these Aboriginal fabric bags might be my favorite of all I’ve made. The fabrics are so rich and deep, but also really colorful.

Here’s the back. I chose to use strips of fabric to separate the crumb blocks and I really like how it looks.

I just love all that straight line quilting. It adds some structure to all those curvy and organic designs in the fabrics. I’ve gotten to where I can quilt one of these panels pretty quickly and accurately. Have I ever said how much I love my walking foot? I REALLY love my walking foot!

Here’s the front and back so you can get a better idea of how the entire panel looks.

I really love that stack of narrow strips on the right side of that panel.

I have Rico entered in a sheep herding trial tomorrow. That means it’s an early morning and we need to be on the road at 6:30 am. Have I mentioned I’m not a morning person? I had planned to stop at a quilt shop in Chehalis, WA, on the way home, but decided to skip it and head directly home. So I went online and purchased some batiks for bag linings on sale. From the look of my purchase, I plan on making a lot of batik bags!

I received photos from a few more women who used my Frankenbag tutorial. This first one is from Esther Wood. She said she wanted a nice springy feel. I think she got it! This bag reminds me of all the blooming trees and flowers in my neighborhood right now. Of course I love greens and yellows, but those pops of read just elevate the whole thing.

This next bag is from Ellen Trish Slade. I just love that big old star with the fussy cut bloom in the center. And that strip of strings on the right side is so much fun!

Here’s the other side of this bag.

I just love the big block on the right side of the photo above. Ellen said it was made from pieces left over from a piano key border. What a great use for those strips. She also made this bag four or five inches bigger than my bags. So this is a nice generous tote.

This last one is from Kris Cook. And there’s that vertical strip of flying geese again! I really want to use that in a bag soon! And the pops of turquoise… well, I just love those!

Here’s the back of this bag. I love this looser and swirly quilting. It makes this bag feel comfy and well loved.

Thanks again to everyone who has shared photos of their Frankenbags. It’s so much fun to get to see them.

I had a very simple yes delicious dinner tonight. I got some farm eggs from a friend on the weekend and I fried them up and ate them with some fresh asparagus.

I loooooove farm fresh eggs. Those chickens who keep themselves busy eating bugs and other fun stuff really know how to make a good egg!

It was a little rainy today so we only got one three-mile walk in. Here’s my cooperative and photogenic Bender again!

The weather looks a little better tomorrow, but it looks like we’ll do the sheep herding trial in the rain. But I’m glad to see the rain here for a few days. It was getting way too dry.

I didn’t do too much sewing this evening, but did manage to make two Aboriginal fabric pineapple blocks that I will eventually use in a couple of bags.

I really like the random appearance of these blocks. I think they’ll be really fun in a bag.

I also want to incorporate some flying geese strips in some bags so I went online and found a paper piecing template that I’ll use to make these.

This really is my preferred method for making flying geese. I get such beautiful precise points this way. My geese are kind of a mess when I piece them the traditional way.

I sewed up the second bag body from the wall hanging I cut up last weekend. It’s pretty much exactly like the other one, but I’ll use this sort of coral colored batik for the lining on this one.

I want to make one of these Frankenbags with a zipper placket at the top of the bag. I’ve been noodling about the best way to do this and have been watching tutorials and looking at different patterns. I think I have it all figured out but need to make some measurements and do some cyphering to make sure my idea will work. I might make this bag my prototype for the zipper.

I will also include a zipper pocket and a slip pocket on the interior. I bought these metal zippers a week or so ago. And the fabric I ordered for the lining arrived a few days ago. So I’m ready to go, if I only had a plan! I really like this bag so I want to make sure it works well and looks good.

Several more blog readers have sent me photos of their Frankenbags. It’s so much fun to hear from these women who are so willing to share their work. And it’s wonderful to see that they are making so many of these bags and tailoring the fabrics and design for the ones they love. It’s all been fun and really inspiring!

Here’s a bag from Connie Jones. Of course I LOVE the bright colors. And look at the fun decorative stitching Connie added.

This one is from Lucinda Tooker in Canada. She made it from fabric that she resist dyed herself. She made the nine patches years ago and never did anything with them. This is a great use for those nice patch blocks.

Here’s the flip side of the bag. She also added a zipper pocket in the lining.

This fun bag was made by Diane Levine from blocks left over from her Losing My Marbles quilt. I just love this one… the colors are so bright and circles are such a graphic treat. I love it when people include circles in their quilts because then I can admire them!

Here’s the back of this bag. Who doesn’t love a happy little spot fabric?

I like her squiggly quilting too.

This final bag was made by Susan Cook. She made this bag from Japanese fabrics that were left over from a quilt she made many years ago and said she never imagined she would ever use those scraps. She has made this bag as a gift for her sister-in-law who is Japanese. She’ll be hand delivering the bag in a few weeks.

I really like that vertical quilting. I’ve been thinking about working that into one of my bags.

Linda sent me the nicest note about how she had sort of gotten into a quilting rut and was losing her enthusiasm, but has a newfound joy for making crumb blocks and can’t wait to make more bags.

I’ve had such a great time hearing from these amazing women. Thank you to everyone who has been so gracious and complimentary… and willing to share your work!

I sat on my patio this afternoon to eat my lunch, it was such a nice day. But I couldn’t help but feel like someone was watching me…

There are so many trees in bloom in my neighborhood. I had to stop on our afternoon walk and stick my nose into some apple blossoms… I could smell them from across the street. it was so lovely.

This tree is just down the street from my house and there are a good number of them around the neighborhood. It’s so gorgeous. The trees are just loaded and heavy with these big blooms.

I posted this photo on Facebook earlier today to ask if anyone knew what kind of tree it is. Apparently, it’s some kind of double bloom Japanese cherry. It’s pretty spectacular!

I am so happy that I got my first Covid 19 vaccine this afternoon! It seems like I’ve been waiting forever.

Oh my god…. I really need a haircut! And what’s with all those glasses? Why would I go out in public looking like this?

I’m feeling a little achy and tired tonight so I didn’t do much sewing. But I did manage to finish the batik Frankenbag that I started last night.

I chose a green batik for the lining. This is actually one of the first batiks I ever purchased way back when I was just getting started in quilting.

Batik fabric is wider than other fabric, so the piece left over for the pocket was a little bigger. I used it all and added a center vertical seam in the pocket so that it has two sections. Each section is big enough that I can put my hand all the way in to grab something. Each side would easily hold my big iPhone.

I really like this alteration to the pocket. I also just love green batiks! So I was happy that I had a half yard of this one.

I still have to hand sew the tag on this bag. I was just too tired to do it tonight.

Another blog reader sent me photos today of a Frankenbag she made from my tutorial. Lydia Ross is giving her bag as a gift and she included photos that she printed onto fabric! What a great idea, and what a fun gift!

Adding pictures is such a great idea. And look at those adorable owls. Someone is going to be very lucky to get this as a gift.

I’m so impressed with what you all have made! And I really appreciate everyone who has shared their photos. It’s really fun to get to see them all.

As I was wrapping up our walk this evening I noticed my neighbor’s dogwood tree. The sun was going down and the low angle of the light lit this tree up in such an amazing way.

The dogwood trees are just starting to bloom. They are one of my favorite spring bloomers.

Several months ago I sat down one evening, kind of spontaneously, and started making some crumb blocks from my batik scraps. I didn’t have any particular thing in mind. I just kept putting crumb blocks together, ended up squaring them off, and added some improv piecing, wonky batik borders, and some black and white borders to make it all bigger.

Here’s a blog post about making this piece. And another one.

I liked this piece, but I didn’t love it. I thought it might make a fun wall hanging, but I wasn’t driven to quilt it.

And tonight I pulled it out and cut two 17×17 pieces out of it…

…and made it into this… and I love it!

And the flip side…

I think this is so much better as a bag than it was as a wall hanging!!! I feel pretty good about the decision to cut it up.

I will line it with this green batik. Nothing better than a nice bright green batik!

There’s still enough of this piece to make one more bag and some additional pieces for a third bag. I have no regrets about cutting!!!

A couple more blog readers shared photos of their Frankenbags today.

Judy Jaudan made this on on her Singer Featherweight. I’m envious of all the blues! I rarely make things out of blue fabric and that means I have very few blues in my scrap pile. But I need some!

Here’s the other side. I’m really going to have to use some of that striped fabric in one of these bags! And I love that little pop of pink!

The other bag was made by Sylvie Dupont. I love those pops of red, and onion rings is always amazing when you cut it into strips. And again, there’s some of that gorgeous blue that I’m so jealous of!

Here’s the back of the bag, made with some fun crumb piecing.

Thanks to everyone who has shared photos of their Frankenbags. You’re really knocking my socks off with what you’re making and I’m having a blast seeing your projects!