Aurifil Artisan November Showcase – Bag Making & Travel Handmade
Today we are thrilled to once again be featuring gorgeous projects by our talented team of Aurifil Artisans! Since you’ll probably notice we’re posting this November Challenge a week into December 😉 it’s because we decided to give our Artisans a bit of extra wiggle room with this challenge since November is a crazy month with the holidays kicking into full gear.
We hope you find some bag making inspiration, and don’t forget you can click on each Artisan’s name below to read more details about their gorgeous creation!
Leslie Meltzer – I made a Bowl Me Over 2.0 bag (pattern from @patternsbyannie if you want that info) using all 40wt. It was quilted with a 1″ grid because simplicity can be the perfect opportunity to show off the beautiful colors of Aurifil. 🙂
Kristina Brinkerhoff – I am always juggling a pile of books to and from the library, so when I saw the new Matilda fabric line from Riley Blake, I knew it would be perfect for a library book bag! I used my favorite Aurifil 50 wt in white (2024) from start to finish and love my new sturdy tote bag!
Amista Baker – I made this using @riflepaperco canvas IV + cotton, a metallic flecked cork, and a beautiful bronze strapping from @sewtospeak to finish it off. I skipped sewing tabs into the bag for the strap and opted for cork strips with screw-in rivets instead. I love it.
Steph Skardal – Sallie Tomato Myrna bag with cork, quilted panels, and gunmetal hardware. Quilted panels made from scraps from a previous quilt, and domestic machine quilted with monofilament. Myrna bag pieced with 50wt thread and some 40wt top stitching detail added.
Faith Essenburg – I’m showing off my #aurifilartisan November project and I made another of these #bookletpouch by @aneelahoey I had forgotten how simple and FUN they are to make and it made a great gift for my nephew☺️ I used a beautiful soft gray 40 weight thread that’s a little thicker than standard 50 weight, number 2600. There are a lot of thick layers at the end of this bag and my thread didn’t break once, actually my Aurifil thread never breaks, and that’s just one of the reasons I love @aurifilthread 😏❤️
Heather Black – I made the Tiffany bag using 50 wt and Forty3. I dug deep into my stash and chose a “vintage” Melody Miller canvas print. It was a little hard to cut into this fabric but having coordinating Robert Kaufman Essex and Arroyo linens helped.
Sharon Burgess – Molly bag by Sharon of Lilabelle Lane Creations made with two prints from Anna Maria’s Conservatory Chapter 3 “Wild” collection.
Krista Hennebury – Love this gorgeous Charade Tote designed by Jess of @sallietomatopatterns . I just finished making it for the {extended} @aurifilthread November Artisan challenge 💙. Beautiful #aurifil40wt cotton topstitched onto the @andoverfabrics linen blend Village print and leather scraps that I used for the accent corners! Interfaced with @thermoweb Heat n Bond fusible fleece (on the linen) and lightweight woven (on the lining).
Lou Orth – Market Tote (from Anna Graham’s book – Handmade Style) quilted in 5 different 50wt threads.
Sheri Shish – I really LOVE bags, but normally I’m terrified by the instructions and all of the hardware and cork or vinyl. So when I signed up for this challenge, it was to push myself to make a usable bag that was more than just a tote!
Tighe Flanagan – I make some patchwork tote bags using orphan pineapple blocks and Forty3 thread for assembly and topstitching. With the end of year crunch, I needed a quick make that didn’t require any special hardware or notions, and I was able to make it all from my stash!
Jennie Pickett – For the November Aurifil Artisan Bag Making Challenge I decided to stretch myself and use Wax Canvas for my bag instead of quilting cotton or canvas like I usually use. I chose a Coyote Brown canvas because I wanted to make a bag for my husband to take to the gym.
Sarah Goer – Sarah quilted the exterior of her Open Wide Zippered Pouch (pattern by Noodlehead) in 50wt Light Lilac, Violet, and Dark Turquoise, using a variety of quilting motifs. She loves how the 50wt thread adds beautiful texture while blending nicely with printed fabric.
Karen O’Connor – The November Aurifil Artisan Challenge asked us to make a bag and I chose the GINGER bag by Sallie Tomato Patterns. Though I am not the most confident bag maker, and some steps stumped me for a bit, I successfully created the bag. Playing with thread color and matching the mint and peach threads perfectly to my external and lining fabric choices made for a wonderfully colored bag that I will start to use immediately.
Laura Piland – 3-D sewing makes me all squirmy and uncomfortable, which is exactly why I knew I HAD to say yes to this challenge! I used three different colors of Aurifil 50wt thread for constructing the bag, as well as Island Batik fabrics and Kraft-Tex. As a quilt maker, I’m not confident in bag making, but I’m pretty darn proud of how this Holly bag turned out!
Elaina Sabado – Market Tote •••••This project was inspired by many of the beautiful designer bags I’ve come upon while online. I wanted to try and recreate the same feel and look with woven fabric while using one of my favorite color palettes. I don’t often work with just solid fabrics but paired with matching and contrasting Aurifil threads, it really allowed me to enhance the structure, texture and fine details of the bag. It was such a joy to make.
Isabelle Selak – The Zippy Crossbody bag pairs Jade Aurifil thread with some colorful Alison Glass fabrics for a useful new grab and go travel bag.
Kerry Goulder – Additional pages of the #SewPlushPlanner will perfectly store all of your embroidery and cross stitch needs, including and especially 21 of your favorite Aurifil Floss spools. Travel handmade with your current crafty project to work on during your vacation or other downtime..
We hope you enjoyed seeing all these gorgeous projects created by our Artisans! You can find even more inspiration on our Aurifil Artisan Pinterest board. ❤
I just have to say WOW! I am so inspired to try a bag of my own. The biggest challenge will be choosing which direction to go given the good ideas here!
I just have to say WOW! I am so inspired to try a bag of my own. The biggest challenge will be choosing which direction to go given the good ideas here!
I love these bags. So many fresh new ideas. I think I am going to have to make one for myself.