Sneak Preview #3

Gadzooks ... I have some sewing to do!

Sneak Preview #2

Three more sleeps until new bags...

Adoption Updates

Zaza's mama has posted a couple updates lately on their adoption progress:

• August-5th
• August-28th

Only four more sleeps until new bags!

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Just a tease

I'm on vacation and we won't have new bags posted until Sept-1. But, here's a little sneak preview of what Grandma Grace is up to.

A Long One

OK, this will be a longer post, so bear with me...

First things first, this week's bag biddies (winning bidders):

• No Girls Allowed -- TR -- $36
  
• The Odyssey -- Katie -- $65
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Secrets -- Kristy -- $56
• The Quilt of Life -- Katie -- $140
• Strait is the Gate -- Grandma Rober -- $50
• The Elephant: Peaceful Giant -- Marmaduchess -- $61

Please email BagsforZaza@gmail.com to arrange payment and postage/pickup.

Thank you SO much - it has been such an exciting week here at BFZ. I was really hoping to reach our goal of $3000. We didn't quite get there, but we're only short by $30!!!

Since I haven't heard from the anonymous person who bid on the reversible Junie B. Jones bag, I'm willing to sell the bag for $30 to the first person to email me at BagsForZaza@gmail.com (plus postage from Abbotsford, BC). Ready, set, go!

Sold to Mandolin Mom - thank you so much!

And now for the happy-for-me, but sad-for-you news that BFZ will be on vacation for one week. But we'll be back on September 1st with a brand new batch of bags, some new goals, and a few other little changes.

If you would like an email reminder when new bags are posted and little BFZ updates, please join the Facebook Group or send an email to me with the subject of "subscribe".

With LUV overflowing from my heart,
Jennie C.

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It's a SIX Bag Week

We have some spectacular debuts at BFZ this week: our first man bag and a new style of purse! And because last week was only a four bag week, we're making it up to you with a SIX bag week.

Bid on a bag by leaving a name and a bid in the comments section for the bag you want. Or just comment and tell us what you think. Bidding starts at $25 and increases by whole $s. The highest bidder at 8am (PDT) on Saturday, August 23rd gets the bag!

Keep scrolling down to take a look at:

• No Girls Allowed
  
• The Oddysey
  
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Secrets
  
• The Quilt of Life
• Strait is the Gate
• The Elephant: Peaceful Giant
  

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And if you missed yesterday's post, that's because there wasn't one. But we'd still like to know - "What's in your bag?"
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No Girls Allowed

Click on any picture for a larger view.

I am so excited about my first bag for the burlier gender, No Girls Allowed! Is it a man bag, a murse, a mag? Whatever it is, I created it with men in mind, but I'll be inclusive and let the gals bid, too.

I received a fabulous donation of heavy denims from someone I like to call Mystery Pete, as I didn't met him. Both the charcoal and brown denims used in this bag are naturally faded and washed looking.

What makes it extra manly? The strap is knotless for a smooth, straight line. The side pocket is wider (for those burly hands). The top stitching is sewn with a special double stitch - so really, it's double doubled - for extra strength. This bag is seriously tough.

The back double pocket has my trade-mark slash sewn holes.

Under the flap is an extra pocket for keys or a cell phone.

The underside of the flap and the inside of the bag is sewn from a subdued gray plaid.

The inside double black pockets are sewn from what I call football mesh - that sporty, holey fabric that football shirts and other manly sports clothes are sewn from.

Who has what it takes to be the wearer of Bags for Zaza's first MAN BAG?! Kudos to my brother-in-law Brent for his fantastic work modeling this bag for the photo shoot.

Bid on this bag by leaving your name and a bid in the comments section. Bidding starts at $25 and increases by whole $s please. Highest bidder at 8am (PDT) on Saturday, August 23rd gets the BAG! Postage extra (from Abbotsford, BC). This bag was created by Jennie C.

About the Bags ~ FAQs

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The Odyssey

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The Odyssey is aptly named as it is a somewhat ship-shaped purse.

This little number is made of soft tan fabric with large chocolate colored chenille dots. The center of the bag is, of course, the reverse of the fabric for a warm fuzzy feeling.

The closure is a brown velvet ribbon that wraps around the four-fold button. Those were the buttons my grandma used to sew on my white wool sweaters.

Inside the bag is a luscious display of decorator cotton fabric in tans, browns, olive greens and light greens. There are two large pockets to keep track of loose articles that could get dislodged during flight.

The 13 inch straps are of brown cotton.

The bag measures 16 inches long at the top and 12 inches long at the bottom. The side is 4 inches wide and it stands 7 inches tall.

Just adorable.

Bid on this bag by leaving your name and a bid in the comments section. Bidding starts at $25 and increases by whole $s please. Highest bidder at 8am (PDT) on Saturday, August 23rd gets the BAG! Postage extra (from Phoenix, AZ). This bag was created by Linda.

About the Bags ~ FAQs

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Peanut Butter and Jelly Secrets

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This bag is so delicious, I couldn't resist giving it a yummy name.

Jenn V. created this bag from fabrics she had in her own stash, some fabric and buttons from her mother-in-law's stash and a thrift store find or two. (She sent me descriptions of the fabrics and I can't for the life of me find that email - specific descriptions will be posted on Tuesday).

Ooops - forgot the promised descriptions - here they are now:

• Light pink fabric and buttons - MIL
• White diamond textured fabric - same curtains used in Danny [Lynn]
  
• Striped fabric and black fabric were from a table runner that was the exact right width
  
• Green linen had a previous life as a table cloth
• Darker pink cord-textured fabric was a thrift shop find
  

This bag is nice and light-weight. Perfect for a purse, gym strip, or a beach bag (but not suitable for lots of heavy books or a laptop).

The straps and back double pockets are sewn from a pink/green/black/white stripe. Both are lined with gumball pink pieces.

The front flap is made up of individual strips of fabric to match the striped pieces. And the front buttons are hand-covered green velvet.

A side pocket and three inside pockets accented with pink buttons create a tasty finish.

Bid on this bag by leaving your name and a bid in the comments section. Bidding starts at $25 and increases by whole $s please. Highest bidder at 8am (PDT) on Saturday, August 23rd gets the BAG! Postage extra (from Abbotsford, BC). This bag was created by Jenn V.

About the Bags ~ FAQs

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The Quilt of Life

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The Quilt of Life is a red, white and black bag constructed mainly from three skirts. Two were Ann Taylor labels, so the wools and cottons are beautiful. The third is made from a black embossed floral cotton from my closet. I just needed a little more black material with pizazz and this did the trick!

The black piqué cotton with a white floral border worked perfectly for the flap. I used the same material for under the flap.

The cell pocket is trimmed with black grosgrain ribbon with white polka-dots. I had fun utilizing the white embroidered roses on the pocket trims and straps.

I added the black and white leopard print and the red plaid to liven up the lining.

The inside pocket is trimmed with silver rick rack to tie in the silver and white flowered fabric used in the lining.

All together a classy bag for the fall and winter.

Bid on this bag by leaving your name and a bid in the comments section. Bidding starts at $25 and increases by whole $s please. Highest bidder at 8am (PDT) on Saturday, August 23rd gets the BAG! Postage extra (from Phoenix, AZ). This bag was created by Grace.

About the Bags ~ FAQs

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Strait is the Gate

Click on any picture for a larger view.

Here's something new for BFZ, diagonal lines! This quasi traditional BFZ bag is slightly smaller and all its pockets, other than the handy cell phone one, can be located on the inside.

The brown, gold and blue-green woven material makes this bag classy, while the splashes of the muted blue-green and chocolate brown solids make it oh-so-stylish. You really can't go wrong with these colours.

The inside and under-strap is a delicate floral/stripe pattern to add a little extra femme touch.

No animals were harmed in the making of this bag; however, Leah burned herself once and bled thrice, but the bag came out alive and well. Thank you Jennie for adding the finishing touches and truly turning this bag into a masterpiece. [Jennie: No bleeding here, but I did break three needles!]

This bag is nice and light-weight. Perfect for a purse, gym strip, or a beach bag (but not suitable for lots of heavy books or a laptop).

Bid on this bag by leaving your name and a bid in the comments section. Bidding starts at $25 and increases by whole $s please. Highest bidder at 8am (PDT) on Saturday, August 23rd gets the BAG! Postage extra (from Abbotsford, BC). This bag was created by Leah.

About the Bags ~ FAQs

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The Elephant: Peaceful Giant

Click on any picture for a larger view.

If you're heading on safari soon, this is the bag for you. Or if you're going to school, shopping, church, the mall, New York, the movies..... this is the perfect all-occasion bag.

Peaceful Giant is an array of African prints, fabrics and textures. The flap includes plush leopard print with raised ridges... just like a real leopard (I think), an orange tweed, a black and gold stripe and a bold African print in cotton. The bottom edge of the flap is a burlap fringe... bringing the African hut feel to the bag. There is also a removable silver and gold elephant pin in the bottom left corner. (Not real precious metals.)

The bottom and sides are of black corduroy as well as two large exterior pockets on the back that are edged with a gold and black braid. (Jennie says I always add chenille to every bag.... the black stripes in the braid ARE indeed chenille.)

The inside is a bold print of brown, orange, brick red, black and olive green. There are two big pockets inside made of black and white flowered fabric that are lost in the array of prints, but they are there.

The cell phone pocket is adorned with a miniature version of the burlap fringe as well as the gold and black (chenille) braid.

This is a sturdy bag that would hold a laptop, library books or all your hair products including the hair dryer, three sizes of brushes, hair spray, gel, hair glue and Chi straightener.

Bid on this bag by leaving your name and a bid in the comments section. Bidding starts at $25 and increases by whole $s please. Highest bidder at 8am (PDT) on Saturday, August 23rd gets the BAG! Postage extra (from Phoenix, AZ). This bag was created by Linda.

About the Bags ~ FAQs

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Proud Parents

I'm a proud parent. My 14 year old, soon-to-be-adopted, foster daughter performed in a fashion and fine arts show at our church last night. The theme was "Your Life is a Gift". She has such a great stage presence and did such a fabulous job representing a battered and abused girl in her performance, I got tears in my eyes. I look at these moments of growth and maturity in her and I wonder where she'd be if she hadn't been with us. A proud parent moment. I wonder how I was possibly deemed worthy to raise and direct this complex young lady. A humble parent moment.

And of course, we have several proud parents of this week's bags to announce!

• Junie B. Jones is (almost) a Flower Girl -- was adopted by Sucker-for-Floral -- $40
  
• Pudd'nhead Wilson -- was adopted by Lisa BD -- $65
• Caddie Woodlawn -- was adopted by From-Work-Tanya -- $40
• Danny [Lynn], the Champion of the World -- was adopted by Kristy-- $30

Please email BagsforZaza@gmail.com to arrange payment and postage/pickup.

Thank you to you beautiful people! And, if you please, come back on Monday for more bags!

And a special thanks to my sweet hubby 'cause it's his birthday and he puts up amazingly well with a household covered in thread and fabric and buttons. XOXOX.

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A New Crop of Kids

By some happy accident, this week's batch of bags all ended up having people names: Junie, Pudd'nhead, Caddie, and Danny Lynn. I didn't realize this until I sat down to post them. There's only four bags and we were going to finish up another one and post it later, but the way the names came together led me to decide to save that last bag for next week and just go with these four siblings.

Bid on a bag by leaving your name and a bid in the comments section for the bag. Bidding starts at $25 and increases by whole $s. The highest bidder at 8am (PDT) on Saturday, August 16th gets the bag!

Up for adoption to loving homes we have:

• Junie B. Jones is (almost) a Flower Girl
• Pudd'nhead Wilson
• Caddie Woodlawn
• Danny [Lynn], the Champion of the World

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And if you missed yesterday's post, have a read and let us know - "What's in your bag?"
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Junie B. Jones is (almost) a Flower Girl

Click on any picture for a larger view.

Junie might have almost been a flower girl, but this bag isn't almost anything! It's the whole meal deal ... and a little bit more.

This puffy tote is COMPLETELY REVERSIBLE. Simply turn it inside-out to change the look.

In one mode it's bright pinks, purples, oranges, turquoise and more. The super bright floral is an amazing retro remnant I found at a thrift store. The hello-look-at-me band is a fuzzy turquoise fabric that lived it's first life as little girls sweater.

In mode dos, Junie is a fine turquoise corduroy (inherited from my grandmother) with another lovely, but more subdued, floral donation providing the contrasting pockets and straps . The band of pockets goes all the way around the bag, providing 6 pockets in total.

Two tote bags in one!

The puffy tote measures 13" wide at its narrowest point (along the top) and 19" wide at it's widest. It's 18" high and the straps are 24" (or 12" from bag to shoulder).

Bid on this bag by leaving your name and a bid in the comments section. Bidding starts at $25 and increases by whole $s please. Highest bidder at 8am (PDT) on Saturday, August 16th gets the BAG! Postage extra (from Abbotsford, BC). This bag was created by Jennie C.

About the Bags ~~ FAQs

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Pudd'nhead Wilson

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Pudd'nhead Wilson is the color of plum puddin'. The pictures on this bag do not do it justice.

The tapestry floral fabric is a rich plum with avocado greens, roses, ochre yellows... but it looks washed out in the photos. And my model said it was too hot today to be of assistance for the outdoor photo shoot. Sorry.

Anyway, this bag is my new favorite, with the wooden green and brown beads circling the entire bag. It's so go-go. The round bead closer to the top of each dangle is a fuzzy flocked ball. Adorable. The ribbon that the beads are sewn to is avocado green velvet.

The bottom and sides of Pudd'nhead are a rich oak brown of ultra-suede. The cell pocket is topped with tan corduroy and of course CHENILLE rick-rack. The knotless strap measures 44 inches.... long and luxurious. This bag reminds me of Renaissance times.

The inside of the bag is a beautiful tan decorator cotton with green vines. There are two large pockets inside of deep purple textured fabric. The bottom of the interior and the lining of the strap are a dainty corduroy that is not fluorescent purple like the pictures make you believe. It's a rich burgundy with lighter zigzags in the pattern.

This is a sturdy bag that would work well for a laptop, books, an excessive cosmetic collection, etc.

Bid on this bag by leaving your name and a bid in the comments section. Bidding starts at $25 and increases by whole $s please. Highest bidder at 8am (PDT) on Saturday, August 16th gets the BAG! Postage extra (from Phoenix, AZ). This bag was created by Linda.

About the Bags ~~ FAQs

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Caddie Woodlawn

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My sister designed a bag a few weeks back, using this yummy plaid-houndstooth (The Fox and the Hound), which she found at a thrift store. When I saw my daughter modeling it with her jeans, I thought they looked so great together. So, this time around, I've incorporated the jeans right into the bag! My daughter is thankful that I didn't use her jeans, but found a great thrift store pair to carve up.

A worn, but still serviceable pair of jeans make up the front, back, bottom and sides of this bag. All four pockets still work!

The flap and straps are made with a delicious wool plaid-houndstooth. It's likely a wool blend, as it's quite soft and not itchy to my sensitive skin.

The cell-pocket and flap accent are sewn from a rust coloured wool felt remnant that my Aunt gave my mom over 30 years ago.

The flap and straps are lined with a pair of my black, polyester dress pants which got ripped on a pew at Rachelle's wedding. I'm hoping she'll bid on this bag (if she wins, I'll pay for the shipping). The pants were extremely old, so I'm not bitter. And polyester never wears out and probably never decomposes - so we might as well re-purpose it!

OK, now for the inside of the bag. I love this retro orange and brown print; I found it at a thrift store. And the black pockets on the inside -- there's 5 of them -- bonus!

Bid on this bag by leaving your name and a bid in the comments section. Bidding starts at $25 and increases by whole $s please. Highest bidder at 8am (PDT) on Saturday, August 16th gets the BAG! Postage extra (from Abbotsford, BC). This bag was created by Jennie C.

About the Bags ~~ FAQs

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