JayP is this week's Bag Biddie

JayP, please email BagsforZaza@gmail.com within 1 week to arrange payment and postage/pickup.

Thanks so much for your support. All proceeds from this fundraiser go toward Zaza's adoption.

Check back tomorrow morning for another bag!

It's like we're on a roll or something...

Mia's Story

Mia's Story was created by Linda and is located in Phoenix, AZ.

Click on any picture for a larger view.

Bid on this bag by leaving your name and a bid in the comments section. Bidding starts at $30 and increases by whole $s please. Highest bidder at 8pm on Monday, June 29th gets the BAG! Postage extra.

Mia’s Story is a bag with a surprise, just like Mia’s Story. This bag is not the typical BFZ size. It measures 11.5” long, 9.5” tall and 2.75” wide. A smaller, cozier version of our large carrier bags. The straps, however, are longer than usual, measuring 49” the way they are tied in the photos. It can be shortened or lengthened by changing the knot.

This collection of fabrics has a rich history, just like Mia’s Story. My friend, Regan, came over and was picking out fabrics for her bag while my mother was standing nearby wearing black pants with orange, red, pink and yellow flowers embroidered across the bottom of the legs. She asked if my mom was almost finished wearing those pants. :o) So the pants were donated to BFZ several days later.

Regan also bought a child’s sized Asian top with little men embroidered on it at a second hand store and brought it to me for her bag. Her bag was finished without the little men included. They are inside Mia’s Story as pockets with their original frog closure from the little shirt. (That was the surprise, in case you were wondering.) There are two little orange buttons anchoring the top of those pockets.

The pockets under the flap are made of an embroidered placemat that I picked up at a second hand shop. It is covered in tiny blanket stitches that are so adorable.

The insides of the bag are a soft green silk-like fabric, the color of the plants from Mia’s Story. The same pale green is also the underside of the straps.

Also on the straps are vintage pieces of a quilt called Grandmother’s Flower Garden made of 2” hexagon scraps. This was a remnant from my great grandmother’s stitching shop. It includes four different fabrics in greens, yellows and soft oranges.

The sturdy orange fabric makes up the sides, side of the flap and the straps of Mia’s Story. It is a rich woven decorator fabric with several shades of beautiful oranges.

Pockets include: cell pocket, two on the back of the bag, two under the flap and two inside for lots of storage.

The flap and outside pockets are adorned with black satin ribbon with tiny white polka-dots.

Happy Bidding! And Thank YOU for helping bring Zaza home!

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Most Marvelous Miriam

Tonight's Bag Biddie is Miriam! Thanks so much Miriam ... again. We know where to find you.

All proceeds from this fundraiser go towards Zaza's adoption.

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P.S. I was looking at a baby name website and for the first time thought to look up Zaza. It means movement. Neato, eh? It's not even her real name, but it speaks to the journey that's ahead for this little girl.

P.P.S. Why was I looking at a baby name website? Because our own adoption is actually moving along and although we're not changing our children's names, we're adding an extra middle name.

G'night.

Vintage Flowers

Can you believe it? A new messenger bag! So very exciting.

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Vintage Flowers was created by Grace and is located in Phoenix, AZ.

Click on any picture for a larger view.

Bid on this bag by leaving your name and a bid in the comments section. Bidding starts at $30 and increases by whole $s please. Highest bidder at 8pm on Fri, June 19th gets the BAG! Postage extra.

“Vintage flowers” was the name of the collection that this beautiful rose fabric was from. The two main fabrics were from a donation of high end fabric samples from my friend, Cheryl. They were over $50 per yard and so nice to work with. The Lime green is an embossed, cotton blend from Belgium and the floral is 100% cotton from the UK.

The flap has rounded corners and is trimmed with a perfect piece of ribbon Linda had in her stash and the eyelet is from a skirt Linda made years ago.

The front has the two fabrics with two pockets trimmed with polka dot ribbon and eyelet. For the cell pocket on the side I had a cute ribbon designed fabric piece that I just had to use for some added interest and I trimmed it with pink braid and two other contrasting fabrics.

The back has two large pockets trimmed with striped ribbon, eyelet and a matching flower button.

I had fun using different fabric pieces and trims to make the 38½" strap.

The lining is made from a pink Ralph Lauren cotton sheet and the lime green fabric. I made a double pocket of a beautiful fabric sample of green and off-white silk, which I trimmed with pink fabric and polka dot ribbon and secured with a fancy green button.

The bag measures 11" x 11¾" x 3". It is interlined with iron-on fabric to make it sturdy.

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Sabbatical, but...

Hi All,

Sorry to take so long to update y'all. Thanks for your prayers and well wishes. I've decided to take a break from BFZ. I'm calling it a sabbatical. My family needs me right now. I'm not sure when I'll be back, but I'm definitely not giving it up all together. I still have tons of donated fabric to deal with (unfortunately it's spread all over my house still) and I've really loved this project.

But, the good news is that Linda and Grace would like to keep sewing. Our little Columbian Zaza still isn't home and there are still some expenses that need taking care of. So stay tuned...

What about Jenn V? Well, she's mostly sleeping these days. I guess that's what a li'l cupcake in the oven does to you. Yes ma'am, you heard right - she's expecting her first child. In between sleeping and getting ready for the new baby, she's not sure how much sewing she'll get done, but I suspect that we haven't seen the last of her.

If you want to be contacted when new bags are available, just follow the "Stay in Touch" instructions over in the right column.

Treading Water

Hey all - sorry I've evaporated momentarily. I wasn't watching old Star Trek episodes, I promise. I've had a family upset this week and haven't been able to do anything in bag land.

I'm also having a bit of a think about priorities and how I can keep it all going. At the moment, I'm just treading water - not sinking, but not making it to shore either. Thankfully, my parents had me in swimming lessons before I could walk and I can tread water forever without sinking. Let's hope the metaphor holds up in real life.

As soon as I have it figured out and have had a good pow-wow with all involved, I'll let you know.

If you want me to contact you when new bags are available, just follow the "Stay in Touch" instructions over in the right column.

Happy Friday!

I Might Be a Trekkie

JayP, Elvis Takes a Back Seat is all yours. Thank you so much!

I didn't post last night because I was at the new Star Trek movie. It was so great. I ran straight home and watched Season 1, Episode 1 of the original series. I totally forgot about blogs and bags. I've always enjoyed Star Trek, but was never able to watch any of the series too regularly. I'm kinda tempted to backtrack and watch them ALL now. I just checked. That's only 716 episodes all together. So, at 1 per night - that will only take me 2 years. Ha Ha. OK, perhaps that's a bit unrealistic. Dang. Maybe I can sew and watch TV at the same time.

I'm hoping to have a bag finished tonight. Stay tuned...

A Bag!

I just surfed on over to my blog and noticed how it doesn't really look like there's a bag available. But there is! There's a bag! A really funky and different bag! It's down there.

Keep heading this way for bag called Elvis Takes a Back Seat!

Where are the Bags?

Where are the Bags? Where are the Bags you ask? Well, I'm not sure I like that tone ... but I know Linda is probably somewhere with her feet up, sipping virgin Margarita's. And of course, I'm just lazing around with a mud mask on my face and cucumbers on my eyes. Oh, wait - you mean those bags?

Linda was very keen and got all her sewing done before the weekend and sent me the pictures and everything. I started a bag, but at the spur of the moment dropped everything and drove over four hours to be with my Momma on Mother's Day. Therefore, I didn't sew. However, I did help get a load of fire wood. And I also managed to cut my lip, chip my tooth, and eat some dirt while on a little stroll through the forest. But all so worth it to hang out with my Momma.

So, here's Linda's bag and I'm back to the drawing board ... er ... cutting mat.

• Elvis Takes a Back Seat

Bid on this bag by leaving a name and a bid in the comments section for the bag. The highest bidder at 8pm (pdt) on Monday, May 18th gets the bag and ALL profits are put towards Zaza's adoption!

About the Bags ~ FAQs ~ How to Bid

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Here's some pictures of me not sewing:

Elvis Takes a Back Seat

Elvis Takes a Back Seat was created by Linda and is located in Phoenix, AZ.

Click on any picture for a larger view.

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 8pm (pacific) on Monday, May 18th gets the BAG! Postage extra.

Elvis Takes a Back Seat is a manly bag... as manly as Elvis. God rest his soul. The entire outside of the bag is made out of tan and beige diamond patterned plush fabric. It looks like a couch. Perfect for the man who loves the couch. The fabric washes like a dream.

[Editors note: I think this bag is great for a lady, too - so if you're only sporting double X chromosomes, I'll still let you bid.]

The interior and the under side of the strap are a ribbed sturdy fabric that matches the dark diamonds. I had fun inside making pockets... a pen pocket, 3 business/credit card pockets, two versatile Zune or iPod pockets, as well as a large side pocket for a day timer or note pad. The folded newspaper would also fit in here nicely.

Elvis measures 13.5" long, 10" tall, and 2.5" wide. The strap is 40" long. Elvis would have added a few rhinestones or peacocks, but I think it would have held his blue suede shoes quite nicely.

About the Bags ~ FAQs ~ How to Bid