The Books (for the auditors)

Oct-31-2008 - $4066.70
In October, we received $671, with $8.61 going towards October's expenses.

Sep-30-2008 - $3404.31
We've pulled in another $428, with only $23.69 going towards September's expenses. So - 94% of your purchase price has been going toward's Zaza's adoption!

Aug-31-2008 - $3000
Since this is a fund raiser, I like to be super accountable about monies raised. I mentioned before that there would be some changes coming for BFZ and how the finances work will be one of them. Up until now, we've donated 100% of the purchase price of each bag towards Zaza's adoption. We're mostly family and it was our way of giving. But now that we're at $3000 (thank you everyone), our personal expenses have been adding up and we will now begin deducting them from the purchase price. I don't anticipate this amounting to more than a few dollars a bag, as we primarily use donated materials and thrift store finds. Some examples of expenses might be: thread, needles, thrift-store purchases, and PayPal's percentage. At least once a month I'll update you with expenses and income in this post for those interested in how we're doing.

As for what our new goal is - I just don't know. For now, we've still got a ways to go before all of Zaza's adoption expenses are covered. And then -- maybe we need to bring someone else's Zaza home? We're just going to keep going ... until we stop.

... one more sleep until new bags!

Auction Open: Challenges Overcome

Odd thing happened this week, independently of each other, BFZ's sewers all took on some heavy-duty fabrics and have the bruised fingers and broken sewing needles to prove it. The results were worth it.

This week's bags are:

• That Hideous Strength
• Listening to Others
• Winds of Autumn

Bid on a bag by leaving a name and a bid in the comments section for the bag you want. Bidding starts at $25 and increases by whole $s. The highest bidder at 8am (PDT) on Saturday, November 1st gets the bag!

Please note: We've gone back to our old closing time of 8am (PDT). We can't possibly please all of North America - but we try. I probably won't stumble online until 9 or 10 or 11 - but winners should be officially declared before noon! Thank you tremendously for your continued support.

About the Bags ~ FAQs ~ How to Bid

That Hideous Strength

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Disclaimer: I'm in a rambling mood ...
I love books and I love naming my bags after books, but some book names don't make the most flattering bag names! Hereafter, this bag shall be known as Strength. And for good reason, the thickness of this bag makes it nice and strong, and sewing through all that thickness required strength of character (particularly patience) on my part.

My grandmother's lovely fine turquoise corduroy makes up the body of this bag, but I backed it with a heavy wool felt from Mystery Pete. Never again. Let me repeat that with an exclamation mark: Never again! My sewing machine still isn't speaking to me. My husband says all that wool felt would make the bag handy for keeping your lunch warm!

The flap of the bag is made from pieces of purple velvet upholstery, plaid wool from my aunt's stash of kilts, some cotton prints, and a lovely piece of trim (a thrift store find).

The bag features my standard side pocket and two back pockets accented with a sweet purple button. My bag model today is Amanda, my always-helpful 10 year old daughter. She's also very ticklish and apparently adjusting a bag on a ticklish model is just asking TOO much.

The coolest part of this bag is it's STRAP! I used a thrift store belt to make the strap adjustable. Simply cinch it to the spot you want it and buckle as normal. Neat, eh? Underneath the light turquoise belt of fabulousness is some groovy tie-dye purple and turquoise fabric that I had to sew together piece by piece to get enough to make these straps. Sew worth it!

The bag is lined with a purple floral pillow case and features two inside pockets.

OK, now for a little confession. I have pretty high standards, but the thickness of this bag defeated me a bit. The last row of top-stitching is double-stitched for strength, but it got a tad bit unattractive. On the inside, I covered up the ugly bit with a pretty ribbon, hand-stitched in coordinating purple thread. It doesn't show too much on the outside. Just want to be honest up front. Would I still be seen in this bag? Absolutely!

Now for a BFZ debut... A video of yours truly demonstrating the adjustable belted strap. This is SO embarrassing. Quality is bad (hideous perhaps?), staging is bad, light is bad, script is bad (there was no script) - but my daughter and I had fun with it.



And if you're incredibly starved for bad entertainment - here's the outtakes ... oh the humiliation gets worse... Outtake 1 -- Outtake 2 -- Outtake 3

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, November 1st gets the BAG! Postage extra (from Abbotsford, BC). This bag was created by Jennie C.

About the Bags ~ FAQs ~ How to Bid

Listening to Others

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Listening to Others is made of four fabrics all from the colors of the
beach. Camel ultra suede, soft sea foam green velvet, contemporary
decorator fabric with shapes of brown, gold, tan and sea foam green and quilted polyester from a pillow sham.

The flap is ultra suede with rich decorator fabric samples making a nice design across the bottom for your fingers to play with. The pieces include a brown velvet lattice design with soft turquoise ovals and a patterned leaf fabric outlined with perfectly matching braid. The bottom of the front flap and under flap is the cushy quilted fabric that give the bag quite a bit of depth.

I used the patterned decorator fabric for the front and back of the bag.

There is a large quilted pocket on the front divided in three sections decorated with green velvet and two matching buttons. There is a pocket for everything: pens, glasses, cell phone, ipod, check book, etc.

The bottom and sides are decorator fabric and ultra suede accented with a cute piece of braid.

The cell pocket is the quilted fabric lined and topped with velvet. I used the same braid as on the front and added a fancy touch by using jazzy bead trim.




The inside front and back are velvet, sides and bottom velvet and quilted fabrics. The lining has three pockets with the smallest in the middle for sunglasses, pens etc. I used the decorator fabric to go across the pocket and brown buttons for an accent.

This bag is too fancy for the beach, but you will be reminded of sandy shores and green-blue waves when you wear it out on the town.

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, November 1st gets the BAG! Postage extra (from Phoenix, AZ). This bag was created by Grace.

About the Bags ~ FAQs ~ How to Bid

Winds of Autumn

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All the colors of Fall can been seen in The Winds of Autumn, rich olive and evergreen, brick red, camel colored tan walnut brown and black.

This is a sturdy Fall colored bag that will hold up throught the Winds of Autumn. The fabrics are so thick that the bag actually stands up on its own when empty.

The stripe is an upholstery fabric that is thick and heavy. It is cut on the bias for the sides and bottom of the bag for that diagonal zing. The front flap and the cell pocket are trimmed with olive green corduroy. The other fabric on the flap is a plush decorator fabric with brick red, green and tan in flowers, vines and swirls. The front of the bag and part of the strap is made of a deep orange material that feels quilted with tiny tan dots in the center of a diamond pattern.

The front and the back of the bag have low pockets of camel corduroy accented with plush brick fabric. The buttons are all from Donna's vintage collection with the exception of the burnished gold button on the back that has golden brown rhinestones shining forth. That makes seven pockets inside and out!

The cell pocket is not as deep as usual and is accented by a playful pineapple on the front.

Inside The Winds is a beautiful black and white floral design on a golden decorator cotton. There are double pockets inside of the striped fabric for heavy duty protection of your trinkets.

The strap is a mix of the four fabrics and is adjustable, as usual. The Winds of Autumn will be a welcome addition to the wardrobe of the discerning bag wearing woman on your Christmas list (or for you, if you can't part with it!)

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, November 1st gets the BAG! Postage extra (from Phoenix, AZ). This bag was created by Linda.

About the Bags ~ FAQs ~ How to Bid

Auction Closed: Yessireebob

Two elections down, one to go! Yessireebob - I'm both an American and a Canadian. I've voted in both the Canadian and U.S. federal elections this month (mail-in ballot for U.S.). And now we have our municipal elections coming up. I'm not one of those folks who automatically vote for a person because they belong to a particular party - I like to do my research. But, oh my - it's been stressful. And that's all the non-BFZ rambling I shall do for today. Do your research and VOTE!

This week's Bag Biddies are:

• Perennials for Your Garden -- Monica from NC-- $45
• Laughing in the Dark -- Val Y. R. -- $75
• Stormy, Misty's Foal -- Monica from NC-- $50

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

Thank you all you lovely lovely people - oh Zaza we can't wait to meet you! Come back Tuesday people...

P.S. I've also been researching Halloween costumes - gotta get the Incredible She-Hulk just right!

Auction Open: Can it be Only 9?

Only 9 more weeks until Christmas? How can that be? I wish we had 9 bags for you, but alas - only 3.

This week's charming trio are:

• Perennials for Your Garden
• Laughing in the Dark
• Stormy, Misty's Foal

Bid on a bag by leaving a name and a bid in the comments section for the bag you want. Regular ol' comments are fine, too. Bidding starts at $25 and increases by whole $s. The highest bidder at 9pm (PDT) on Saturday, October 25th gets the bag!

About the Bags ~ FAQs ~ How to Bid

Perennials for Your Garden

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[Added Oct-25th: This is a lighter weight bag; the fabrics are lighter weight.

This bag could hold your regular purse items and a lunch. Or your beach things. Or you could go geocaching with it. A paperback would be fine. Gym clothes and a yoga block. So many uses for this bag!

But not for a laptop or heavy books. ]

There is some major vintage stuff going on here. The yellow buttons inside are so fun!






Where did this bag come from?
MIL: flower fabric, all the buttons
Thrift Stores: pink "cord", green linen
Susan F: the blue swirly back pocket
Jennie C's stash: the rest :)

The body of this bag is made from a hefty denim-look fabric, that has the soft feel of flannel.

The avocado, gold, pink, and blue is printed on an unusual cotton canvas weave. So retro! The front of the bag has a cute triangle detail, with a velvety avocado button.

There are two back pockets, that really speak for themselves. And the yummy pink side pocket will hold your cell phone, sunglasses, or ...






The bag is lined with a green linen table cloth and features 3 pockets, trimmed with yellow vintage flower buttons.

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 9pm (PDT) on Saturday, October 25th gets the BAG! Postage extra (from Abbotsford, BC). This bag was created by Jenn V.

About the Bags ~ FAQs ~ How to Bid

Laughing in the Dark

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Laughing in the Dark is a sophisticated bag with many patterns and textures, appealing to women of all ages and stages. I decided to use only black and white on the exterior of the bag so it can match many outfits.

I used a black wool coat for the main pieces. The flap is pieced together with six different fabric samples outlined with black embossed cotton.









The front of the bag is black wool and black and white polka dot cotton for that classy sassy look.

Here's the hidden color: the under flap and two of the interior pockets feature a vintage green colonial print. The pocket is trimmed in gold with a unique white button that matches the circles on the barn. The black horse weather vane was so appropriate on the under flap above the barn. The weather vane is outlined with black and white polka dot grosgrain ribbon.

The sides and bottom are wool with black and white check adding a fun touch. The cell pocket has black velvet designer fabric with a diagonal pattern finished off with black and white trim increasing the envy factor for all who see it.

The coat had a darling curved yolk and so I cut it out and made the back double pocket. This is so handy for slipping your sunglasses or checkbook in for easy retrieval. The pocket has four lines of stitching and I outlined the top one with ribbon. It also has a vintage black button with black velvet ribbon and black and white fabric trim.

The inside has a double pocket and is made up of three complementary cotton fabrics. The adjustable straps as tied measure 46" and are wool and three different designer fabrics with black and white flower embroidered trim.

The bag is a little smaller than usual at 12¼" X 11¼".

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 9pm (PDT) on Saturday, October 25th gets the BAG! Postage extra (from Phoenix, AZ). This bag was created by Grace.

About the Bags ~ FAQs ~ How to Bid

Stormy, Misty's Foal

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Stormy, Misty's Foal is the color of a storm, blues and browns. The darling brown fabric with the tiny powder blue flowers was donated by my friend, Jill, who is a cowgirl, so reason #2 for the Stormy name. The vintage buttons marching across the flap are the color of Misty's mane... and were donated by my friend, Donna. Thanks girls!

The stunning stitching on this bag sets it apart from all the others. A 2nd hand store jackpot... I found this dark blue denim skirt with the tan colored diamonds, vines and onion domes ALL the way around. Score! I used every inch of it for the flap, the front and the back of the bag. Because of the size of the denim pieces, this bag is slightly shorter than most BFZ bags. It measures 12.5" x 10" x 3.5".

The accent fabric in powder blue (that matches the dainty flowers) is from the early 1970's from my mother's stash. She said it is so old, she can't remember what she made out of it. It is a soft cotton with raised and stitched flowers that almost feels quilted.

Inside the bag is a lovely bright stripe to help you find things inside. There are two large pockets across the inside of the quilted-like light blue material. The edge is trimmed with some vintage Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt pieces and more of the cute brown fabric. There is another antique button tacking the top of the pockets in sunny yellow to match the quilt pieces.

The strap has all of the above mentioned fabrics and measures 42" the way it is tied currently. It can be shortened or lengthened.

Stormy is looking for a cozy stall with other purses to live out the rest of her days.

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 9pm (PDT) on Saturday, October 25th gets the BAG! Postage extra (from Phoenix, AZ). This bag was created by Linda.

About the Bags ~ FAQs ~ How to Bid