In a New York State of Mind

This week was spent sewing up some of the great fabrics I bought during my visit to NYC in May.
I stopped in to City Quilter just to acquire this fabric. It was right across the street from theChelsae flea market so that  made it easier to get hubby to go along to ANOTHER fabric shop.

Hard to photograph, but there is machine quilting in various patterns
through each of the fabrics.

The first is a large tote with nylon web handles. I used New York Line by Line Day 
and New York Line by Line Night
These two fabrics are exclusively available from City Quilter but you can order online. I had the advantage of not paying shipping.

The cute little taxis are running around on TIMELESS TREASURES fabrics. The rick-rack print which I see as tire marks is from an Amy Sedaris fabric line I LIKE YOU which I already had stashed away.

I just think  B&W is the best for NYC.
Both sides may look the same at first glance but look closely. There is more night than day on side 1 and more day than night on side 2.

So I guess you would carry it differently depending on time of day??

I made the little I (heart) NY by downloading  and resizing it. I used Lesley Riley TAP paper to transfer it to the little patch of fabric.

The bottom of the bag is boxed at the lower corners and the bottom is stabilized with plastic canvas. I hate saggy bags.

The lining fabric has had all the selvedge cut off and I failed to note it except the description was that it was Japanese - y. I think it looks like fireworks. The yellow is actually metallic gold. Usually I avoid glitter and metallic so this was a great use for it. Don't you think it kind of lights up the inside so you could see your stuff easier?

There is a yellow zipper pocket and a black and white drop in pocket.

My latest sewing plan is to work with a fabric until it is all gone and then I won't have to deal with the scraps, but I have made four items and I still have a lot left of the NYC night and day and not much of  the taxis and the zig-zags.  This smaller one is more of a handbag. The day fabric forms an outside pocket.

The web for the handles is backed with the tooting taxis which also gives a faux piping on the webbing side.

                                                                                                                    

                  The recessed zipper needs to have a tail so I covered the end of it with a little I heart NY         tab. This can be tucked out of sight inside the bag if preferred.

I

Then a bag that can go into another bag. This time 

a decorative grosgrain ribbon is added.

The taxis are not two different shades of yellow but apparently my camera thinks so.

Finally, (for now) there is a wallet to coordinate.

My favorite part is the little yellow metal snap to keep it closed.

There are credit card pockets and a zippered section.

                         

                                         Here it is laid out flat showing the whole outside.

Here is a link to instructions to make it which says the early step of installing the zipper is the hard part. I disagree. The hardest part is when you have all those layers flipped right side out and you have to neatly top-stitch all the way around. You are warned to GO SLOW.

If you like these but hesitate to sew them up, stop by my Etsy shop 

CHERYLTHIMBLEFINGERS where they will be appearing shortly.

Now a post script to last week. The tablecloth top afforded some scraps 

so here is what has become of them.

Patting myself on the back for making these with no pattern.