Day 6

It’s been a few decades since I left Alberta, but here I am — virtually waking up hungover in Janelle’s stock room. The past few days have been a crazy ride all over Canada with some of the sweetest, most talented sewists and bloggers up here in the Great White North.

I’ve dragged you along as I’ve criss-crossed the country with these ladies and peered into their sewing rooms. (A few of you were held hostage with a bow & arrow, but there were no charges laid so it doesn’t count.) So many miles, even more Kilometres, and oh so many pretty bags! — we covered it all with the help of our favourite enabler, Craftsy.*

This virtual road trip was a huge rush in so many ways, my head is still spinning. While I hunt down some Timmie’s coffee and dream of going home to my Montreal bagels, take a look back through the itinerary:

And be sure to visit all my new friends across Canada:

• Shelaine @ Shelaine’s Designs
• Fiona @ Tangled Blossoms Design
• Michelle @ Michelle’s Creations
• Reece @ Happy Okapi
• Ula @ Lulu & Celeste
• Deb @ Sprouting JubeJube
• Janelle @ Emmaline Bags

Each one of these bloggers has a discount link for you to take 50% off the class they reviewed. The discounts all expire next week, so now is the time to make the rounds and get those bag-making classes you’ve been thinking about. You can pick up Learn to Sew: Simple Bags for half price here, until Monday. No special link needed for Bag-Making Basics: Reversible Tote & Zipper Pouch because it’s always free.

Don’t forget you can enter to win a tote bag kit from Craftsy right now. Follow this link:

Enter to WIN a tote-bag kit

As long as I’m here in Janelle’s stock room, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to pick up some of that delicious bag-bling that’s stabbing me in the latissimus dorsi. This one‘s my favourite.

Until tomorrow, then!

PS. You know about tomorrow, right?

Day 5

We’re zipping across the wide expanse of Canada, the second largest country in the world geographically. And today we have a change in the itinerary. Do you have any idea how far out of the way you can go if you take the wrong exit? We originally thought we’d stop off at Shelaine’s place, toss her in her duffle bag and go out to see Fiona on the east coast. But we’re going straight through to Fiona first, because well, the TransCanada Highway does not go through Southern Ontario. I’m sure glad Terry Fox knew that before he started his run. Or did he?

Fiona got out of bed early to brush up on her skills with the Craftsy class 20 Essential Techniques for Better Bags with Lisa Lam. Her very detailed post is “riveting”, and as delightful as a big tin of Quality Street sweets from the other side of the pond. Go check out the sweet carpet bag she’s working on at Tangled Blossoms Design. And don’t forget to comment so she knows you want her tutorial. She even ups the temptation factor with a 50% discount code for the class.

With a delicious buzz and a few extra bottles from the Annapolis Valley wine country where she lives, we grab Fiona and backtrack to start Friday Happy Hour with Shelaine in Southern Ontario. As long as we’re close by, let’s just pick up some of the Niagara wine region’s Ice Wine. If you’ve never had icewine, put that on your bucket list too. You’ll thank me once that elixir of the gods hits your taste buds.

While we sip our wine, Shelaine is going to give us the skinny on how things went with her Craftsy class, Sew Better Bags: The Weekend Duffel with Betz White. I have my own strong opinions of the class and I’m dying to hear what Shelaine thinks. Come join us for Happy Hour and kick off the weekend un peu soul/soule. By the way, Shelaine has a special 50% discount link for Betz’s class.

Driving under the affluence of incohol is a very (very, very, very) bad thing to do so no more driving after all this wine. We’ll take our carry-on luggage and fly by the seams of our pants back to Emmaline Bags on Saturday for a wrap up of our adventures.

I’m off to start Happy Hour!

PS. If you haven’t entered yet to win a Tote Bag Kit plus stabilizer from Craftsy, do it right now!

PPS. To try for even more amazing prizes, be sure to bookmark this blog and come back on Sunday, April 10 at 1PM Eastern. Or you could sign up for my newsletter to get a reminder so you won’t have to set your alarm.

Day 4

We left BC last night and went over the mountain, to see what we could see. And all that we could see, and all that we could see, was the other side of the mountain, the other side of… Not a bad view, actually.

Today’s stop is at Michelle’s Creations in Alberta to see all the bras bags she’s made. Unlike me, Michelle has some sense of decorum and therefore didn’t pull out her unmentionables for us but she did show us the stunning clutch bag she made from her Craftsy class, Mix & Match: Clutch Bag Techniques with Janelle MacKay.

To be quite honest, I was worried for Michelle that this could get ugly. Or at the very least, put her under too much pressure to be nice. I hate reading review posts where the writer is so afraid of offending someone that the whole thing sounds like rice pudding without the pudding. And this situation was particularly challenging in my mind. First, Michelle was reviewing a class by someone who is also on this tour. If feathers get ruffled in the car, it could make for a very tense road trip. The second challenge here is that both ladies live in the same small town. I don’t need to tell you how many ways things could go wrong there.

I needn’t have worried. Michelle did an outstanding job with the review and produced a bag that is so stunning … let’s just say if that bag should go missing from her house, there will be no shortage of suspects. (And they will all be zipping off to Ontario in the same getaway car.)

Pop in to Michelle’s and have a peak in her clutch bag. When she’s not looking, snag her link to get 50% off the price of Janelle’s class. But don’t let “Catherine” catch you.

Before I go, does anyone recognize what I was singing in the first line? For some reason, I get strange looks every time I go over Mont-Real (Mount Royal) and I burst into song. To the tune of “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow”, everybody sing …

The bear went over the mountain
The bear went over the mountain
The bear went over the mountaaaayn
To see what he could see

And all that he could see
And all that he could see
Was the other side of the mountain
The other side of the mountain
The other side of the mountaaaayn
Was all that he could see

Have fun with that!

Day 3

We drove all night … and we sang along with Celine Dion (oh yes, she’s our Canadian superstar): “I drove all night to get to you. Is that alright? I drove all night…” Sing along with Celine*, Deb, Ula and me as we visit Reece in Beautiful British Columbia today.

Reece from Happy Okapi has done some spectacular sewing, and written a review of the Craftsy class Sew Sturdy Travel Organizers with Annie Unrein. This is, by far, the most organized, honest and helpful class or pattern review I have ever read (and I read a lot!). Plus the travel organizer she made is just stunning! You have to see the photos. Outstanding job on both counts, Reece!

While you’re there, look for her link to get 50% off the price of the class.

Join us again tomorrow as we make a pit stop in the prairies to see how Michelle handles things with her Craftsy class, Michelle’s Creations — Mix & Match: Clutch Bag Techniques with Janelle MacKay. (Check out the complete tour schedule below.)

Day 2

{{Briiiiiiiiingggggg, Briiinnnng}}… Craftsy Calling. Get out of bed!

10 AM

Hello… HUH??? Whaaaaa? OH $&%! I slept in! I slept in. I’m late, I’m late…

I’m late for the epic road trip — The Great Canadian Craftsy Bag Tour. Wait for me, wait for meeeeeee.

Oh! I have the car keys… In that case, y’all come in, make yourselves some coffee (or tea. I got lots of tea) and hang out while I get myself cleaned up. Better to wait and miss the rush hour traffic on the bridge anyway.

1 PM

Just stopped off at Deb’s place with the Sprouting JubeJubes to see her pot of binding and grab some coffee. That Champlain Bridge, man! Anyway, I discovered she was over there making stewed rabbit. Go see what I mean! Poor Wabbit!

As long as you’re there, don’t miss the discount link to get your class for half price.

2 PM

We’re picking up Ula at Lulu and Celeste, and can you believe it? The woman is still in her pajamas. She’s not even finished packing her bag! Shall we leave her a comment and tell her to get a move on? We’ve got to get to Reece in Happy Okapi by tomorrow morning.

But don’t leave without your 50% off discount link to Craftsy.

Day 1

Catch up on Day 1 here and here.

Complete Tour Schedule

Monday, April 5

Emmaline Bags — Tour Kickoff

Seam of my Pants — Learn to Sew: Simple Bags with Nicole Vasbinder

Tuesday, April 5

Sprouting JubeJube —  Sew Sturdy: Home Organizers with Annie Unrein

Lulu & Celeste — Sewing With Oilcloth: Bags & Baskets with Kathy McGee

Wednesday, April 6

Happy Okapi — Sew Sturdy Travel Organizers with Annie Unrein

Thursday, April 7

Michelle’s Creations — Mix & Match: Clutch Bag Techniques with Janelle MacKay

Friday, April 8

Shelaine’s Designs — Sew Better Bags: The Weekend Duffel with Betz White

Tangled Blossoms Design — 20 Essential Techniques for Better Bags with Lisa Lam

Saturday, April 9

Emmaline Bags — Recap/Roundup

Sunday, April 10

Sur”prizes”

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Tags: bagmaking, bags, blog tour, carpet bag, clutch, craftsy, duffle bag, Giveaway, home organizer, oilcloth, tote bag, travel organizer