Button Up Boxes - Pattern Release!

I'm super excited to announce the release of the first pattern of 2018! The Button Up Boxes!

These little storage miracles are fully lined, machine sewn, stores FLAT when not in use, stacks when buttoned up, and can be washed! They come in three sizes but includes instructions to be adapted to any size you wish! And it's the perfect reason to use some of those adorable buttons we all have lying around!

This pattern comes with both inch and centimeter measurements and is available in both English and Swedish here!

These are so much fun and super quick to make, takes less than an hour! The perfect little gift box!

The pattern came to be I was making christmas gifts and I really wanted to make some pretty boxes. So I actually went looking for a ready made pattern for one (cue gasp!), as I didn't really have time to make my own. I wanted a lined box, machine sewn, without any raw edges and with the possibility to wash it and store it flat when not in use... I found no such patterns! By then the wheels had already started turning in my head and late that night, the Button Up Box was born!

~~~~~~~~ ♥ ~~~~~~~~ ♥ ~~~~~~~~ 

My amazing pattern testers were awesome as ever and tested the pattern between Christmas and new year now, and just look at all the amazing little boxes that were born! A sincere thank you goes out to each and everyone one of you for helping me make this into my best pattern yet! I'm so very grateful for all your help and hard work!

Cheryl Wright Simmerman - of Adarra Handmade made this lovely, classically romantic set of boxes, so beautiful! 

Casey of JC'Mila Designs - whom can be found here on Instagram and here on Facebook made these gorgeous Tula Pink ones! Such beautiful color combinations!

Ann-Kristin Kristoffersen - of Kinnas Lappteknik made these adorable froggy ones! Look at those beautiful wooden butterfly buttons!

Laura Downs - of funwithtotes whom can be found here on Instagram made this crisp and classy looking polkadot version, and look at that matching button!

Barbara Dörig - Whom can be found here on instagram made this beautiful set of Tula Pink ones! Such a lovely tower!

Christine Davis - of Bags by Bags of Style whom can be found here on Facebook and here on Instagram made this stunning set of faux leather boxes with a beautiful weaved pattern and super cool metal closures! Awesome! 

Gillian Woronko - Made this beautiful flowery box, and brilliantly chose to use old clip earrings instead of a button to close the box. She used it to house a flower, such a great way to spice up a potted plant for gifting! 

Kristin - whom can be found here on Instagram made this beautiful, ombre lineup! Such a great way to use different shades of the same fabrics!

Michelle of MEW Designs Australia - whom can be found here on Instagram and  here on Facebook made this beautiful set! Love the colors!

Nicole of DDsBagsAndMore -  who has a great store here DDsBagsAndMore Etsy Store made this fun versions with snap buttons too so you can choose if you want them fully buttoned up or only half, very clever!

Noor Rats - Whom can be found here on instagram made these lovely boxes to store her sewing supplies, I love how she opens the one for wonder clips for easier access when working. 

Pia Jestin -  Who can be found here on Instagram made this adorable lineup! Love the color coded linings and buttons and just look at that adorably tiny 2" one!

Sue Reed - of Dreamscape Studio made this stunning lineup of faux leather and embroidered boxes That white contrasts so beautifully against the colorful linings and embroidery! 

Tania Chanroux - of Smart Made Designs on Instagram made this super cool combo! Those buttons where just made for that fabric! Love the edginess!

Anna Van Berlo - Whom you can find here on Instagram made this pretty flowery version with the most adorable little hedgehog button!

Terry Druga - whom can be found on Instagram here made this lovely sketch book version! The simplicity makes it beautifully  classic!

Paris Purse Pattern Release!!

This is the statement purse every woman deserves! This lovely little bag is sure to turn some heads when you walk into a room, and with it's small size and fancy design it's perfect for that special event or wedding!

The construction is surprisingly fun and once you've made one, you'll surely want to make another! It has 3 interior slip pockets and is fully lined without any visible seam allowances. It's named after one of our fashion capitals due to its to me chic and fashion forward look, and from looking a little like the eiffel tower from the side. ;)

This pattern comes with both inch and centimeter measurements and is available in both English and Swedish here. If you have trouble finding the frames, I have a list of retailers by country here.

This little purse was in the works for over 6 months, some of you with better memory than I might remember the first sneak peeks on Instagram back in June but now she's finally here! I've worn my Paris Purses sooo many times and I always, always get comments and compliments.

The interior is very simple, but there's a few slip pockets for cellphone and cash so it's absolutely enough.

Both of them are equally pretty I think, but the Tula Pink Tabby Road version in the front is the one most popular and turns more heads when I'm out.

But the more classic silver and black all cotton version is generally more easy to wear.

~~~~~~~~ ♥ ~~~~~~~~ ♥ ~~~~~~~~ 

I could easily spam you with a million more photos of my Paris Purses (and I might still do that at a later stage *lol*), but now, let's take a look at the BEAUTIFUL creations my pattern testers have made! A sincere thank you goes out to each and everyone one of you for helping me make this into my best pattern yet! I'm so very grateful for all your help and hard work! 

Casey of JC'Mila Designs - whom can be found here on Instagram and here on Facebook made this absolutely drop dead gorgeous version in Tula Pink Elisabeth combined with her Spirit Animal fabrics! Such a stunning bag!

Tania Chanroux - of Smart Made Designs on Instagram made this gorgous Tula Pink Eden version. She combined it with the most striking pink cork fabric which she also used to replace the lining top fabric - which was a stroke of pure genious if you ask me, so pretty!

Terry Druga - whom can be found on Instagram here made this beauitful, so striking version in Mod Corsage by Anna Maria Horner, the hardware used is gunmetal color. 

Nicole of DDsBagsAndMore - who's great store DDsBagsAndMore Etsy Store carries the frames for the Paris Purse, can be found here on Instagram and here on Facebook made not one but TWO beauitful versions! One soft and angelic and one happy and full of sunshine! Lovely both! 

Katrien - The talent of www.katrienette.be whom can be found on Instagram here and Facebook here made this breathtaking, soft gray version. She did her sides a little differently as you can see in the details and only zick-zacked the raw seams instead of encasing them, made for a very pretty alternative look. 

Kristin - whom can be found here on Instagram made this very lovely, classic looking version that hides an adorable secret! Namely the super cute Tula Pink fox fabric hidden in it's lining! Just look at that cute little fox! 

Nicole Williams - Made this amazingly cool version! Such an super cool, edgy look with those fabric choices, love, just pure love!

Pia Jestin - can be found here on Instagram and she not only made this beauitful flowery version, she's also the inventor of the Pia's Soft Paris Purse Handles, they give a softer grip for your Paris Purse! Make sure you check out the tutorial!  

Lori Peoples - whom can be found here on Instagram made this beautiful butterfly version in muted, foresty color tones wich goes so perfectly with her brass hardware! So pretty! 

Michelle of MEW Designs Australia - whom can be found here on Instagram and  here on Facebook made this super cool, edgy version. Love how she chose red for the sides, to give it an even bolder look! Such an epic bag! 

Soft handles for the Paris Purse

One of my lovely pattern testers, Pia Jestin whos beautiful works can be found here on Instagram decided that she wanted softer handles for her Paris Purse, so here's her tutorial for making Pia's Soft Paris Purse Handles. As you can see in the photo, this will give you a small section of padding outside the frames to make the handles a little softer to hold. Here is her pretty Paris Purse:

Cutting Instructions:
4 ✂ 1/2" x 4 3/4" of your heavy fusible interfacing.
2 ✂ 1" x 5 1/2" of your exterior fabric.

Instructions:

1. For the female part of the frame (with the opening), take two of your heavy interfacing pieces, in the middle of each, cut away a 5/8" x 1/4" big rectangle like in the photo . Fuse them centered to one of your fabric pieces like in the photo with a small, scant 1/8" opening between the two in the middle to allow for folding.

2. Make 1/4" long cuts in the fabric next to your heavy interfacing in the middle to allow you to fold up the fabric around the interfacing like in the photo, glue in place.

3. Fold up the short ends of your fabric over your interfacing and glue in place.

4. Fold in half lengthwise and insert into your frame. The little fold we made will allow the lock to be inserted without seeing any raw interfacing. 

5. Insert into the frame and screw in place. The padding will extend slightly below the frame to allow for a softer grip.

6. For the your male part of the frame, just place your interfacing without cutting out the middle like in step 1. Skip step 2 and just fold in the short fabric ends over the interfacing and glue in place like in step 3.

7. Fold the whole piece in half lengthwise to get the result in the photo. Cut out a little section in the middle to make room for the lock (no need to make the fancier covered openings here as it'll never be seen anyway). Insert and screw in place.

~~~~~~~~ ♥ ~~~~~~~~ ♥ ~~~~~~~~ 

 ♥ Thanks a lot Pia for sharing this with us, it's much appreciated!! ♥ 

Where to buy the Paris Purse & Bergen Bag frames

To make the Paris Purse or the Bergen Bag you need a special frame that's 7 1/2" (19cm) long. These are becoming more and more common but can still be a little tricky to locate. Here's a small list of where to find them.

United States: 
Sew Deja Vu - Silver, Brass, Gunmetal, Gold, Embossed
MeiMeiSupplies on Etsy - Gunmetal - Has more colors in store

Sew Many Creations - Many colors, embossed and plain
MercysStudio - On Etsy, has all colors

Canada: 
Emmalinebags - Silver, Brass, Gunmetal, Gold, Rose Gold
Luxcrafter on Etsy - Silver - Has more colors in store

United Kingdom:

Sewhot - All colors

Belgium

Serialbagmakers - All colors, unique design

Australia: 
Voodoo Rabbit - All colors

Sweden: 
Borlänge Sycentrum - Silver - Also has Gold & Gunmetal
Textilia - Silver, Brass, Gunmetal
Made By Lullan - All colors

Asia: 
Handmadesgarden on Etsy - Brass - Has more colors in store
Temu.com - More colors from many sellers

A beginners guide to double cap rivets & wristlet straps

Many budding bagineers (love that word!) are terrified of rivets before they've even tried them (so was I!) and some after having made a few failed attempts where the rivets come in wonky or bent - swear to never use them again. Which is why I saw the need for:

A beginners guide to double cap rivets

First and foremost you need the right tools for the job, something to make a hole for your rivets with like a hole punch or hole making pliers, a suitably sized rivet setter, a slightly curved anvil and a hammer. You actually don't need anymore expensive tools than this to set rivets prettily.

After having gathered your tools, you need to choose the right rivet for the job, and here this comes down to the length of the post of the rivet mainly.  Many people whom have tried using rivets and failed, have done so due to using a rivet with too long a post for the job. Resulting in bent posts and wonky looking rivets.

These three sizes where the ones I considered for my strap. As you can see, they only really differ in length with 1/16th of an inch generally, however, it makes all the difference!

Line up your possible rivet choices and take the part of the bag you're going to rivet, in my case that is a wristlet strap for a glitter vinyl Bring the Basics Bag. I made this strap exactly like in the pattern but made it about 16" long due to the raw edges when using vinyl and this method.

I fold up the fabric like it will be when I set the rivet and use this to measure out how long my rivet post needs to be, press your fabric together firmly when measuring as that's how it will be once we set the rivet. Like in the photo, the tip of the rivet should only precisely be sticking out. So for this job, the 3/8" long post was the right one to use, however I only rarely get to use such long rivets, the smallest post (4mm) is the one I use most often.

Next we make holes for our rivets, use your favorite tool, I'm making a strap so I threaded on my swivel snap hook and placed a hole 1/4" from the edge the strap, I knew I wanted my swivel snap hook 1" in from the edge so the next hole was made 1 3/4" from the end of the strap to get them at the same distance. Thread on your swivel snap hook.

Next I made the hole on the other end of the strap, this one will be placed between these two in the fold like in the second photo so this last hole was placed about 3/8" from the other end.

Next put your single hole end in between the two holes one each side of your snap hook and push through the rivet. This shouldn't be super easy, then the post is too long! Push it up and through like in the photo and then press on the little cap part of the rivet. Press until you hear/feel a click and the rivet cap stays in place without you holding it.

On the floor or table place your cutting mat (will absorb impact and protect the surface) and on top of it your little anvil. Place your rivet in the anvil and on top of it place your rivet setter. If you're working with rivets with a sensitive finish such as gold, gunmetal rivets or similar I recommend that you place a piece of scrap vinyl, foam or similar over and under it to ensure you don't accidentally scratch the rivet when you set it.  

Firmly and decisively (but not too forcefully!) tap the rivet setter with the hammer to permanently set the rivet. It's actually this easy! Just pick the right size rivet with a correct size post and you don't risk those bent and wonky rivets! If you feel uncertain about the amount of force to use, try it a few times on a folded up scrap. 

Voila! One very pretty wrist strap!

Thank you all!

EDIT 31/10: Thanks to the lovely, overwhelming response I'm closing the applications a few days early, my sincere thanks to all whom has applied. To those I haven't had time to get back to yet, please know I'm reading and considering all applications, and I will get back to everyone.

Thanks again!

===================

I'm currently looking for both English and Swedish speaking pattern testers, mainly right now for my Paris Purse, so intermediate and up sewists in particular. But also for future patterns - so please read on!

What is a pattern tester you ask? A pattern tester is someone who is involved in reading, lightly editing, and sewing up a bag before the pattern is released. A pattern is not ready to be released until after they are tested by a number of sewists/bag makers. Pattern testers are an incredibly important part of the pattern writing process. As a group my awesome pattern testers are able to give the me a unique perspective on the pattern, catch any errors and can generate helpful feedback! You also get to sew my new releases before anyone else ;)

We work mostly through my Facebook group to which you will get an invite once accepted, I post when I have a new pattern in need of testing, a post with photos, description of bag and the skills and hardware needed to complete it along with a deadline for the test and photography of the bag. And then you just comment on the post if you wish to test that particular pattern =)

Are you interested in being a pattern tester, please ask yourself the following before submitting an application:

* Do you have the time? You will be given a specific time frame to for testing (usually 2-3 weeks).  Many patterns are being released on a deadline, so it is important to be sure that you have the time to commit before you agree to test. You absolutely don't have to test each and everyone of my patterns if you become a pattern tester, however, participating in a couple of tests/year is good.

* Do you have the ability to sew something less than perfect – this is important because, believe it or not, even experienced designers can mess up the numbers, write the wrong one or otherwise mess stuff up. And like when in this case, the pattern designer sometimes is very blonde, it's bound to happen. ;)  It is important to sit down and take a look at some numbers to make sure that they make sense before you start. Remember, the pattern hasn’t been published yet for a reason!

* Do you have a willingness to read slowly and carefully as you go through the pattern to look for typos, grammatical errors, and inconsistencies in wording. As English isn't my first language, help with grammar, spelling and wording is extra important for me. And for my Swedish pattern testers, as I work in English most of the time the wto languages does get mixed up for me so help with, grammar, wording and spelling in Swedish is much needed too. Nitpicking is something I very much appreciate I love grammar nazis in my testers!

* Do you have some way to make notes as you work, and an ability to share those notes – whether you send the information in an email body, as an word document, or a scanned/photographed image of your written notes on the printed pattern.

* Do you have the time to photograph your bag after finishing it and are you willing to let me use such photos in blog posts, social media and promotional material, always with full credit of course! You will receive 2 of my finished patterns as a thank you for each test you make.

Does this sound like it might be for You? 
If so, please email me a filled in application below to: Maria AT pinkponydesign DOT com

Pattern Tester Application, to be me at hand before 5th of November.

1. Name and any social media/blog.

2. Native language (interested in testing the pattern in Swedish or English, or both).

3. Bag sewing experience (how long have you been sewing and how experienced are you with sewing bags). Please attach some photos of bags or such you've sewn. 

4. Are you/have you been a tester before? Why do you think you'd make a good tester?

5. Will you be able to give honest feedback, even when such feedback is negative? 

6. Are you able to test the Paris Purse within the next 3 weeks? You will need a bag frame from one of the places in the link places and a very stable interfacing such as Fast 2 Fuse heavy or Pellon Peltex: https://www.serialbagmakers.com/rozy/#more-119

Thank you all for considering!