hello sweeties!
here is a fun, fast and free sweet little mini-sewing pattern for you!

Designing  your “Potpourri Heart” should feel awfully familiar…remembering how you made your first Valentines in grade school…folding your paper in half and drawing your half-heart!  This time just add a 1/4″ seam allowance as you cut it out.  Voila! You now have your sewing pattern. 

Feel free to click the following link, then print it out on a standard 8.5″ x 11″ piece of printer/copier paper at 100% so you will have the correct pattern proportions.  Enjoy!  [ View and Print PDF Pattern ]

XOXO,

-ellen

Wanted to share a bag I made using fabric that just said, “Valentines”, to me!  This is an example of The Preppy Mini-Tote Bag pattern, with Black Wood Handles. We offer this bag pattern with Light Oak and Walnut Finish Wood Handles as well!  Definitely one of my favorite bag patterns to make since there are very few pieces, and it uses very simple bag construction as well. Great for a bagmaking class too, now that I am thinking of it!

Just checked to see if the pattern was available as an Download in my online store, and realized it has not been added to the other bag patterns! Very sorry! ( adding this to my To Do List, asap! So please check back in a few days if interested) Do take a peek at the other bag samples available for viewing in my Flickr Photostream. I hope it will lead to a “Preppy Mini-Tote” design of your own. Please ask for this handbag sewing pattern by Ellen Medlock at your local independent fabric retailer, or Quilt Shop!

Many thanks,

-ellen

Yippee! It’s almost Spring…!!!! So please be thinking of scheduling your Quilt Shop’s Ellen Medlock Trunk Show!
Those of you who I have met at Quilt Market, know I have ALOT of darling sample bags to share for your display!
You can see many of them on my Flickr Photostream. They are gathered in Sets by bag pattern or product. Please take a peek! Flickr is awesome!

If you would like more info on hosting a Trunk Show, please drop me an email, and I will be happy to send you the details!  info@ellenmedlock.com

Thank you,

-ellen

I am so excited that my very first strike-off’s for my initial fabric offering “Enchanted Damask & Spring Dot”  have arrived this week! Help me celebrate by commenting on which colorway- PINK, CITRUS, or TURQUOISE are your fav! A random number drawing will determine who will win ONE YARD of the “Enchanted Damask & it’s coordinating Spring Dot” as soon as it arrives at the studio! Please let your most beloved quilt shops know about it too, so I can sell out and design lots more fun stuff for us to “play” with!

-ellen

Talbots Jacket 2010

The Trend
Recently Pantone, ( forecasters of color trends, and inventors of one of the most widely used graphic color standards)   announced it’s choice of the color, Turquoise as the “Color of the Year”. Click here to view their press release and the color chip associated with the emerging color trend. Although it seems it has never really left us, you may have noticed its presence building in the fashion and graphic landscape!

 

Coach Francine Bag 2008

 

The Word…
After doing a bit of quick research, on the word- which I feel has such an alluring quality  of it’s own… I found that the word “turquoise” was derived around the 16th century from the French language either from the word for Turkish (Turquois) or dark-blue stone (pierre turquin)^. This may have arisen from a misconception: turquoise does not occur in Turkey but was traded at Turkish bazaars to Venetian merchants who brought it to Europe. The first recorded use of Turquoise as a color name in English was in 1573. Who knew?!

Turquoise Pebble

The Stuff
The gemstone from which this color is named, we here in the US associate chiefly with the desert Southwest, but is actually found in many other arrid regions around the world… Iran (historic Persia),  the Sinai, and a minor source in China.

The Meaning
Psychologically, we associate the color Turquoise with a  restful, relaxing, calming atmosphere which can be seen in the color of the water in the lagoons of the tropics,  swimming pools, and vacation time. Is there any wonder it was an easy choice to soothingly take us away from the chaos of our daily lives?!

The New Blue?
In color theory, Turquoise is known as a slightly greenish shade of Cyan. To fully know Turquoise,  we have to say hello it’s Momma- Cyan (blue). We all come into contact with Cyan daily as one of the main colors in our inkjet printers, along with yellow and magenta! You know- the “C” of CMYK color processing.  Artists know Cyan,  as the color halfway between blue and green on the color wheel, and is a secondary color along with magenta and yellow. Cyan is made by mixing green and blue light.

The Perception
I have always thought it so interesting how each of us has developed our own mental image of colors over our lifetimes. Say a color name to 5 people and there will undoubtedly be 5 slightly different versions of that color word  pictured! My personal image when the word, Turquoise when mentioned, is more of a Turquoise Blue than the  pure gemstone  Aqua-ish Turquoise. Do you see it the same way? What is your perception of this color?

-ellen

 

I don’t know if it is the pull of the New Year…to organize, cull, clean, etc… but I finally felt I was ready  to say “goodbye” to 26 very unique handmade bags of mine!  Believe me, my husband is thrilled to see some of my creative clutter go up for adoption!  Hate to admit, I get emotionally attached to each one! After all these  bag “ friends”  have served well as samples in quilt shops, and quilt markets past-  and have many good memories attached! All designed to give ideas on different looks, trim and fabric combinations possible on my company’s sewing pattern line.
If you have a moment, please take a peek at them in my First Ever Super Dooper “Sample Bag Sale!”, and if interested, give them another loving home! Ha!
xoxo
-ellen

Sharing a sincere wish for A  Happy New Year in 2010!
Any resolutions to make more bags out there??
Would love to hear what tops your list of resolutions for the New Year!

The Front Cover of The Picture This Bag Pattern

Wow! I just went back through previous blog posts, and noticed I spaced out, and never told you about my latest pattern, “The Picture This Bag”!! Wondering if I was in too big of a hurry to hit the road to Houston for Quilt Market & Festival.. and thought I would share it when I returned?? I am scratching my head on this one! So please let me tell you about it!

One of my first KIT offerings.. The Paris Ville Bag (shown in my previous blog)  is designed from this new bag pattern, “The Picture This Bag!”.

The Paris Ville Bag

The Picture This Bag was designed to take visual advantage of the main graphic panel on the front and back of the bag. On the Paris Ville Bag, I have used a Michael Miller Fabrics scenic fabric, called Paris Ville, fussy cutting it encompass the exact scene I wanted per pattern instructions.  I was hoping that bag makers would design their own theme bags based on customizing that front/back picture panel area too! Creative ideas abound! Think about using novelty fabric, personal images of family, pets, seasonal themes..artwork…etc.

Customize your bag!

If you would like to incorporate your own graphics/photos into your own Picture This Bag… here is an idea for you…Grab some popular Ink Jet Fabric Sheets from your favorite sewing/craft shop, and using your  ink jet printer, print a special photo (or personal artwork) on to a standard 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of this crafty/sewy product. Many different brands are out there, so experiment to find the one you like the best. I like them all, but chose the June Tailor Ink Jet Fabric Sheet because I wanted a very white white background to show off my “Papillon” (butterfly) graphic for my patterns cover bag-  The Papillon Bag.

The Papillon Panel Graphic

By the way, The Papillon Panel is now available too in my online store.. right next to Bag Kits! Check out this fun fabric panel set printed especially for my company  from my artwork.

Please share your Picture This Bag ideas, and if you have already made your own version of this versatile pattern, please share it with us on my Facebook Group. We’d all love to see too!!!

-ellen

Now available! One of my first bag KITS!

I can’t tell you how long I have wanted to be able to “kit” some of the popular bags/totes I have designed over the years! Sooo many nice folks have stopped me at shows and requested “Kits, please!” 

2010 I am turning over the “kit” leaf, and following through with several more, so keep an eye out for them!

Well, here is the first!  There are a limited number of these cute “Paris Ville” Bag Kits now up for sale in my company’s online store! Each are tied with a grosgrain ribbon, that can then be used as part of the bag details if you wish! You might have recognized the bag’s style… it is made using “The Picture This Bag Pattern”. Fabric used is by Michael Miller Fabrics- in case it looks familiar as well!

A few details about The Picture This Bag Style…
Your bag will be approximately 8″h. x 10″w. x 4″ d.
The length of the shoulder straps are 20-21″ each.
There are options for 6+ Pockets!

Besides the obvious Pattern with Step by Step Instructions, and Fabric as shown, Purse Feet and Magnetic Snap Hardware (choose from siver or gold), Interfacing, and two tiny (but favorite!) details… daisies that adorn the side pockets! 

Please let us know if you have any questions regarding this Kit, and then grab one before they are gone!!

Happy Sewing,

-ellen