Laptop Bag 3 for Virginia

This bag is for Virginia, my friend Dodie's daughter. Not only is Gin 33 in a few days, this month would have been Dodie's 60th birthday. Virginia is wisely pointing out that it's better to have birthdays than not to have them. Virginia has moved from Chicago to Durham, NC, and it's been good. I miss the occasional dinners with her, but I'm very happy she's in a good place and closer to family.

Weaving with Fabrics: A Tutorial

I'm making another laptop bag, this one for a laptop that is 9.5 ” by 13”. Cut a foundation piece that is more than large enough for what you want to do. I've cut this foundation to 12.5” x 16”. You will also need 2 fabrics that contrast nicely. As you go through these steps below, remember that you can click on any picture to see the details better.

1. Cut 3" strips of fabrics, making sure some are long enough to lay diagonally across the foundation piece. Iron under a hem – ¼” – ½” - but no need to measure. This kind of weaving is quite forgiving.
2. Position your first piece of fabric. Bottom of piece sits at the corner and above. Upper portion of piece sits at the corner and below. You can change the angle of your weaving by how you position this first piece.

3. Position your second piece. Place a pin in the center to hold these 2 strips.
4. Fold back the first piece, and add a strip, snugging it right up to the first one. Place a pin through all three layers.


5. Continue folding back alternate strips and “weaving” in the new ones, using pins to go through all three layers.
6. Continue working your way toward the edges, turning the piece as necessary and always pinning.

7. At some point you may way to trim up the edges, being careful not to cut away any of the foundation.




8. Quilt (top-stitch) by sewing diagonally along all the folded down edges. Because this is a bag that will be carried, I want to secure all edges. The back of your piece will show diagonal rows of pairs of parallel stitches.

Laptop Bag #2

I like how this laptop bag turned out. The two different woven/quilted sides are beautiful, and there's a coordinating side/bottom panel which makes this case a nice sturdy little box. It fits my 11" x 17" laptop beautifully. The handles are sturdy and just long enough to put on my shoulder and secure the laptop against my side and under my arm. Now if there were just a zippered compartment inside the case. Perhaps the next one...

This laptop case is for Payal, Chris T's girlfriend. She's starting her 4th year of med school. She charming and personable AND she knows how to sew! The one condition with this laptop is that Payal give me feedback about this laptop case, like the length of the handles, etc.

A Laptop Bag for Laurel

Combining what I've learned from purse making and the technique I learned making Morse bags at Christmas, I made a computer laptop bag for friend Laurel, the travel agent. We were at a friend's house for an informal meeting, and Laurel came in clutching her laptop to her chest and dangling the power cords. She explained that she does have a laptop carrier but that it's big, bulky, and complicated. I actually get her point about the laptop case. This bag is sturdy, roomy enough for additional papers and power cords, and pretty. Perhaps the handles should be a bit closer together. Laurel will help me figure this out.

And a word about this fabric. I've had this terrific green for a couple of years. But it's too strong to be combined with other fabrics in a quilt top. However, in purse #4 and this laptop carrier, it's perfect.