Creation
They take about five hours to make from the fabric off the bolt to the finished Fresh Baguette! Button closures were added several years ago. I use all kinds and sizes of buttons, including vintage and those I make out of polymer clay. Button and fabric hunting are favorite pastimes. Fabric is purchased everywhere! I try to support brick and mortar stores, but also buy from favorite Etsy sellers. Fabric is quality quilting cotton fabric now selling for an average of $10.75 a yard. I like to use organic fabrics as they are often extra fun prints, but they sell for around $18.00 a yard.
Button closures:
Homemade polymer clay buttons:
First I find three compatible fabrics that go well together. I then decide which piece will be the main part of the bag, which will be the bottom, and how each of the three fabrics will be used inside the bag. I cut out each piece using a pattern. I like to center fabric and also am careful to put the focal point of a fabric in a choice place. For example, if the fabric has huge flowers, I decide if they should be centered, or sometimes I like to have them be off centered a bit.
As you can see below, I like seeing the typewriter off center. Makes the bag more interesting. This has to be thought about as I am cutting out the bag.
This flower fabric works best here centered:
Choosing fabrics that go together is fun for me. Designers typically make a line of fabric with hues, patterns, and maybe a theme that go together. These make it easy to pick three fabrics from the designers' lines that work well together. The below bag shows two fabrics from the same line. The colors will match well together.
The challenge that is left to me is getting the scale of the top to go with the scale of the bottom. Scale has to do with the size of the figures on the print. I like to choose a large scale for the top - it makes a statement. I use a smaller scale for the bottom - this helps the top "pop" with its design. Using a different scale on the top and bottom adds interest to the design of the bag. Sometimes I use a piece from one designer, and then choose coordinating pieces from other designers. I pay attention to hues, and again scale.
To own your very own Fresh Baguette is $55.00 and $65.00 for an organic Fresh Baguette!