Saturday, March 31, 2007



Bags and spiders.

A short post before I start ferrying playdate children home and cooking a quality tea for a little bit of husband spoiling this evening!

Answering a few questions : there are 4 ways in which you can have a plastic coated bag-

1. Purchase the fabric pre-coated, as I did in yesterday's bag. It was Moda's faded memories and available in my LQS.

A bit pricey but it came in these next colourways as well and they are the bag stash waiting for the right moment. I posted a pic of the big blue one I made my sister for a beach bag at Christmas so go back there for a search if you would like to see it.

2. Make the bag in normal fabric sewn with clear thin table cloth plastic like in this demo photo. This was my first try and I wouldn't let you look too close. Very fiddly and difficult to turn. You also can't iron the fabric so difficult to get a clean look. I moved onto the pre-plastic coated after this!!

3. You can buy iron on plastic here that bonds to the fabric. Probably not a bad idea but worked out at least as expensive as the pre-coated and I felt it left more scope for me to muck it up!

4. You can send fabric to plastic coating factories here and get it done for you. I know this as I chatted to an apron selling lady at a field day and that's where she got hers.

The plastic coated fabric is also brilliant for toiletry purses and aprons. I'll show you some of the purses another day when I can borrow one back or make another. Last picture is the toiletry laundry bag I made with the zip section of my floral skirt. I don't like to see things like pre-done zips go to waste.

The quilt is coming along nicely; mainly drank coffee, ate Lindt chocolate and worked on my Lone Star at quilters last night so you will have to wait a little longer for an update.

What is a spider? I didn't think it was just an Aussie thing but maybe I am wrong. A spider is a drink made of (usually) red lemonade (soda?) with a big scoop of ice-cream in it and it reacts and froths up the glass. It's usually in an ice-cream sundae type glass and my kids think it is wonderful as they are not allowed "bubbly drink" at home.

Have a great weekend, I am, as my beloved Australian Rules Football season has started AND I get cricket as well!!

10 comments:

Kim said...

Thanks for the explanation on the plastic coated fabric. I think I would much prefer the pre-coated variety. I haven't seen any in the quilt shops anywhere in my area--guess I'll need to check it out. Nope, no spiders here in the U.S. that I'm aware of--not that kind anyway! Sounds to me like one of our rootbeer floats (which could be made with any kind of soda really).

Lily Mulholland said...

Yes I must get my hands on some pre-coated stuff and make a couple of bags for pressies :)

tami said...

I haven't seen any plastic coated fabric in our quilt shops in Maine either. I made a plastic coated scrap catching bag, but I used Heat 'n Bond vinyl. It worked out fairly well. It is a little hard to get a good bond because your iron has to be cooler.

Patti said...

I've not heard of spiders. Here we put ice cream in a glass and pour root beer or coke over it and call it a "float". It foams just as you describe. Must be about the same thing.

Susie said...

I agree with Patti, your spider sounds like a "float" or possibly an ice cream soda. Thanks for sharing this explanation.
:)

Beth said...

OOH I'm SO glad that a 'spider' is a DRINK...:::Shudder::: I have been fighting scorpions again...so I had visions of BUGS! ick ick ick!

Cynthia said...

i haven't purchased any of the pre coated fabric yet but i have seen it at the Craft shows and at the LQS. Maybe some day i'll buy some and make a bag.

CONNIE W said...

Your blog post is great...thanks for sharing the tips on the fabric and everything that you wrote. :)

Jenni said...

I shouold of guessed you are an AFL fan - which team? Lions here of course.

Susan said...

I never heard of this spider before. =)

I'm wondering, if you had a laminating machine, if you could just laminate the fabric? I think it might work like the stuff you didn't like that you used, though.

Fortunately, I don't make bags and purses! =)