Small Tote Bag and Mr Squash

Funky Birds are back. Well, not all of them but just Mr Squash this time. This is his name according to my Not So Little Boy. Mr Squash is quite large and looks totally puzzled. I don't know why. That's just the way he turned out to be when I sketched him along with some friends.

While working on a different project related to my Funky Birds, I suddenly found myself thinking of a bag. A small bag featuring one of the birds. It happens to me sometimes, I just know what I am going to do, there is no time needed for working out different aspects of the project. It's simply ready in my head, I just have to follow all the steps. The bag is made of linen and cotton blend that is quite easy to work with. For the lining I used bright brick red with white cotton. A running stitch along the top in matching red thread. The bag is small, about 25cm by 23cm. Big enough to fit some craft supplies on the go or maybe lunch or a Little Girl's grocery shopping.

I tried a new applique technique this time. After all the details of Mr Squash were ready, I stitched it together with fusible web, turned it the right side out and then ironed on to the bag. I finished it off with a blind stitch around the edge. The eyes, beak and feet are made of felt. Again something new for me - the combination of fabric and felt. I really like the effect of this type of applique. It's a bit time consuming but worth the effort. Have a great day everybody!