Strawberry Cupcake Bag

It is the season that makes me feel dizzy - literally... Dizzy of joy, dizzy of the rush to open my eyes wider so to accept all the beauty of this spring without fainting. Dizzy because of the sent of all the blooming flowers and grass. And the green... this green that seems to amaze me every year, as if I am throwing my sight on this green for the first time ever... 

Every single year, my heart starts jumping wildly with the first dark green after a stormy rain, with the first petal of the blooming cherry tree, right in front of my window, with the tulip buds underneath the tree. And my heart beats so strong, it makes me dizzy. I am drunk, after drinking all this beauty...

My strawberries look sad, after the winter, but I am about to make them happy, cleaning the dry, frozen leaves, making space in between them (they tent to hug each other under the snow, too close...), aerate the beds. I am always eager to anticipate the season in advance, so before they even flower, I honour the strawberries in this happy bag.

🍓Materials used:

HAORI beautiful medium weight solid pink yarn-dyed cotton - for the front and back

HAORI raspberry red for the bottom 

HAORI beautiful medium weight solid gold yarn-dyed cotton - for the lining

LECIEN Retro 30's Child Smile Spring 2016 quilting weight cotton - for the sides and cupcake appliqué, and inside pockets

Medium weight batting

Strawberry Handles - leather-like and hemp

Lace for the inside pockets

Metal accessories for inside assembly

Silver metal and pink plastic buttons

HAORI polyester thread for the handles

DMC embroidery thread

🍓Technics used:

Hand-appliqué

Hand-embroidery

Machine piecing

Machine-quilting

Hand-sewing the bias tape

🍓Size of the bag:

With the handles extended, the bag measures 40 cm.

Depending on the needs, the bag could accommodate different items in size. That is allowed by the accessories I added inside, that could work together in changing the shape of the bag. Fully opened, the bag could carry square or rectangular plastic containers or cardboard boxes, without damaging  the content. 

There are two crochet laced inside pockets for convenience - a small wallet/ cellphone pocket and one skinny pocket for pen or pencil.

The bag is finished with a front button closer.

This light happy bag is self-standing, thanks to its squared bottom. I didn't add any additional structure by interfacing the lining, since I wanted it to feel light and airy, like a spring morning. The bottom is quilted with darker raspberry red yarn-dyed cotton (not shown in any of the pictures). The bag is fully lined. 

I designed this bag, inspired by the handles and the approaching long anticipated season of spring.

🍓🍓🍓

When I first saw the handles, my 'pastry chef' mind envisioned a delicious strawberry cupcake with cream cheese frosting. While I was making the pattern for the bag, I was thinking that it should be simple and clean, very happy, with a main focus on the handles, accented by an appliquéd-embroidered cupcake. 

It was a fight and a struggle... Only, because I was measuring the proportions of the cupcake paper case and creating the appliqué, embroidering the frosting, appliquéing the cupcake itself (if you are painfully attentive, you could see the cupcake, appliquéd under the frosting, yum...)... and through all that process, I was thinking: "When will I be done the bag, so I could finally bake the cupcakes and enjoy their flavour???" 

My senses achieved the highest level of teasing. And I have to admit, I can not put a safety sign like "No strawberries were hurt during the process of creating this bag!" :(  

To fully honour the strawberries, I embroidered a textured strawberry and rewarded it with gold french knots for the seeds. It looks yummy...

I hope you enjoyed this delicious time, spent with me. I would gladly invite you to my kitchen at "Tablier taché" , where I put my stained apron and mix wonders. It is happy and welcoming there and everyone could enjoy a sweet bite. 

If you, dear friends from far away, would like to have a taste of these cupcakes, you could visit the recipe for the Red Velvet CupCake and play with it. I promise you best results.

Thank you for sharing your precious time with me! I am happy to hear from you!

With 🍓 Love,

♥ Ivelina