Not quite what I had in mind!

For the forthcoming 'zip evening' at my local quilt group, I've been thinking about how to make a simple tote bag with a zip in an hour!  Well, I know you couldn't make the whole thing in the hour, but at least you could get the zip technique under your belt and finish the bag later.  I had more fabric left from my previous bag, so chose a zip and contrasting fabric to do the job.  I added tabs to the zip, and thought I could just bind the edges of the bag, and that would be easy. 

Here is one of the tabs.  It seemed like a good idea, but getting the biding round the corner was very tricky, and it limits the opening to the bag.  Plus, one side is bigger than the other, and one has a tuck in it! 

I suppose it doesn't look too bad  (you can see the tabs have more room on one side than the other, here!) but I think I'll have to go back to the drawing board on this one.  Unpicking is never my first port of call, but this time it'll have to happen! 

Getting ahead

I'm not a person who thrives on pressure.  I like to keep ahead of the game and be prepared.  So, here we are. I'm doing a zip workshop in July, so have made a sample already. 

This zip is integral, and has an inside pocket.  Normally I would put it in a bag lining, but since the workshop is just an hour, I thought it would be good to make something manageable.  This simple bag 

Can have a zip put in it very quickly, so people can get the technique under their belt.  

Then I made my challenge blocks.  Circles is the challenge, and here is my first block. 

I wanted to needle turn, but couldn't face the stress of trying to keep circles circular, so used the foil method.

You need a circle of cardboard the correct size.  Make a pile with a piece of foil, a circle of fabric larger than you want the circle to finish on top of it right side down, with the card on top. 

Pull the foil tightly round the card.  Make sure it's very circular, with no points. 

Iron on the front and back.  

When the foil has cooled, undo it, and hey presto!  A perfect circle ready to appliqué!  You can use the foil several times before it's too crumpled.  Good idea! 

Hope the recipient will like the blocks.