The Snap To It Key Fob & The Kristine ID Wallet - A Good Pair!

As you would probably guess, I made several Snap To It Key Fobs as I was writing the Snap To It Key Fob pattern. Since the release of this free pattern, I have made a few more - they are so fun to make and fast to sew up! As I was writing the pattern, I kept thinking that the Snap To It Key Fob would make a great wristlet strap for a wallet or wristlet. I had to try it out of course, so I made a Kristine ID Wallet and matching Snap To It Key Fob.

I think it turned out so cute! I combined Essex Linen in Teal with a pretty floral called September Blooms designed by Shopcabin for Hawthorne Threads. The print comes in two sizes and I used the “little” size in the Peacock color. I then added Squared Elements in Honeycomb by Pat Bravo for Art Gallery Fabrics for the lining of the Kristine ID Wallet.

By making the exterior of the Kristine ID Wallet out of two fabrics, I hoped to accent the floral fabric and make it coordinate with the Snap To It Key Fob even more. I really like how the blue linen makes the floral fabric take center stage!

Those snaps are turquoise SnapSource metal snaps, I love the way they look with the fabrics. I also love the copper-colored hardware I used for this Snap To It Key Fob. I got this pretty 1¼” rose gold/copper finish key fob hardware from Bagmaker Supply.

I think the Snap To It Key Fob and the Kristine ID Wallet make a great pair, don’t you? I like that by adding a Snap To It Key Fob to the Kristine ID Wallet, you can snap your Kristine ID Wallet to a grocery cart, baby stroller or strap of a purse, making it very convenient.

If you don’t have the Kristine ID Wallet pattern you can purchase it from the Uniquely Michelle Craftsy Pattern Shop, the Uniquely Michelle Website Shop or the Uniquely Michelle Etsy Shop. The Snap To It Key Fob pattern is a free pattern that can be found in the Uniquely Michelle Website Shop.

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The Manhattan Bag by Janelle MacKay

The Manhattan Bag by Janelle MacKay of Emmaline Bags can be made in two sizes, the larger "Mamma" size and the smaller "Miss" size.  I had a customer ask me to make The Manhattan Mamma Bag for her.  The Manhattan Mamma is a nice, large bag with plenty of pockets to keep everything organized.  This bag would be perfect for a day spent out around town and can be made to look dressier or more casual depending on what fabrics are used.  

The Manhattan Mamma has several pockets including a large zipper pocket on the back of the bag, a slip pocket under the flap and another slip pocket inside the bag. The flap on The Manhattan Mamma makes this bag unique, it is actually a large pocket that opens with a zipper that spans the entire curved edge of the flap. Inside, there is another surprise - a case, perfect for sunglasses that is secured into the flap pocket with hook and loop tape - how ingenious!

Janelle, of Emmaline Bags, writes this pattern clearly and includes great illustrations, making it easy to sew The Manhattan Bag.  Although I only made the larger, Mamma size, pattern pieces and instructions for cutting and sewing both sizes are included in this pattern.  This bag went together quite quickly for a large bag.  The darts that give this bag its great shape are easy to sew and the zipper on the flap is easy to install with Janelle's great instructions.

There are some nice design features about The Manhattan Bag that make it easy to vary the look of it.  The zipper on the curved edge of the flap can either match or contrast with the fabric used on the bag.  When the zipper contrasts with the fabric, it frames the flap fabric beautifully.  The Manhattan Mamma bag I made has a black zipper to match the fabric, but I have seen pictures of Manhattan Bags others have made with contrasting zippers that look amazing.  The Manhattan Mamma also has a middle section that is partially covered by the flap where you can use a coordinating fabric.  In all, you could use four different fabrics on this bag, one for the flap, one for the main body of the bag, one for the middle section of the front of the bag, and one for the lining.  My customer wanted the entire exterior of her Manhattan Mamma Bag to have the same New York City-themed fabric.  I suggested, and my customer agreed, that adding a red contrasting piping on either side of the middle section of the front of the bag would add a nice pop of color - she loved it!

I loved making this bag and I hope to make one for myself very soon!  You can by the Manhattan Bag on Janelle's website, Emmaline Bags.

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The Kristine ID Wallet Pattern Gets Some Publicity!

It is fun to release a new pattern and then have one of your testers write a blog post about it! Marilyn Brandt wrote about the Kristine ID Wallet on her blog, Shades of Bold on May 8th. Marilyn did such a great job sewing up not one, but two of these wallets during the testing phase for this pattern. I have already featured one of her wallets on my blog last Friday, but I want to show both of her wallets together in one blog post.

I love this brown and blue wallet! The small flowers on this fabric are perfect for the smaller size of this wallet. I also like the brown snap. Marilyn said that she likes to use regular snaps instead of magnetic snaps for a wallet like this and I think it looks great!

The front of the Kristine ID Wallet with its adorable envelope flap!

The back of the Kristine ID Wallet features a clear vinyl ID pocket.

Two pockets for credit cards or other cash cards are securely hidden under the cute envelope flap.

That blue and brown plaid fabric lining the zipper pocket coordinates well with the floral fabric on the exterior!

Although you may have seen pictures of Marilyn's bright green Kristine ID Wallet in a previous post, I added a couple more pictures of it here. Again, the green snap goes perfectly with the fabric on this wallet. Marilyn and I both like Snap Source for these snaps - they have nice long prongs and are easy to install with their special "attaching tool." The color selection that Snap Source has is really amazing as well!

I love how the underside of the envelope flap matches the lining of the zipper pocket in the next picture!

Love those checks!

You can purchase the Kristine ID Wallet pdf pattern from my Uniquely Michelle Etsy shop or from Craftsy! Have fun sewing!!!

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Welcome to My Blog!

I thought I should start my blog by telling you a little about myself. My name is Michelle Burke, and I am the Michelle in "Uniquely Michelle."  Uniquely Michelle is the name of my Etsy shop where I sell my handmade purses, bags, wallets and other items. 

I love fabric and I love to sew! I have been sewing for about 35 years. I started sewing around the age of 10 with my mom; we sewed a lot of quilts together. I have sewn throughout the years, both out of necessity and as a creative outlet. When my two daughters were little, I made clothes for them because it was a lot cheaper than buying clothes. When we moved into a new house, I made window coverings, pillows, chair cushions, and other decorator items. As people saw my work, they asked me to make decorator items for their homes, and so I started my first sewing business. In the last couple of years, I have enjoyed making and selling purses, bags, and wallets. Not long after I started sewing bags, my two teenage daughters, wanted wristlets and I couldn't find a pattern that I liked, so I designed a wristlet for them and wrote it up as a pattern. They loved it! And now that pattern - The Lindsay Wristlet - is one of the top sellers in my Etsy shop and continues to get great reviews. My next pattern is being tested now by my group of pattern testers, and it should be ready for release at the beginning of next month. I am so excited for its release! 

As for this blog, I want to write about what I am sewing, the patterns I am designing, and any tricks or ideas I have to make sewing more fun. Although you may not sew yourself, you will get to see my process and my products here, as well as bags designed by myself and others.  I mostly want to use this blog as a place where I can express and share my love of sewing and design! I hope you enjoy!

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