Simply Stylish Bag
2015-Jan-25, Sunday 11:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chebeI made up this bag from a blank (no fabric) bag kit by U-Handbag. It provides everything you'll need; the hardware (snap, handle), interfacing, wadding, just without the actual fabrics. Which gives you great scope for personalising.
No, this isn't a knit. It's fancy (quilting?) cotton, the kind that you aren't really supposed to make bags with. But I don't have much experience with matching patterned fabrics, so wanted to play around a bit.
The light grey heart fabric is only on the outside; the bit on the front, the tab, and all the back. I took great care to make sure my hearts lined up nice and symmetrical. And I think it turned out alright.
The pink black-cherry fabric is supposed to be everywhere else. But while assembling the bag I realised it was just too much pink for me. (In my head I'd seen it as an accent to the grey, but it should actually be the majority.) So I limited it to the front pocket, inside the tab, and an extra internal pocket that I added myself.
For the bag lining (inside) I got a second grey fabric, a darker grey, with a less strong pattern of small flowers bunches/tree branches.
Pattern review.
The kit itself, on the other hand, is fantastic. All the bits you need, with very little wastage. I tend to worry whether I have the correct weight/type/etc, so having them all provided like this makes sewing a less stressful experience.
On the fabric matching front, I think something is missing. Which is why I added the extra internal pocket. I followed this tutorial, which for a heart shaped pocket boils down to cut out two shapes, sew together, turn right-side-out, top-stitch onto the lining back (before assembling the lining). It is sickeningly cute, but that's the vibe of the whole bag.
I still need something to tie all the separate fabrics together with the black strap. Perhaps I can add some accents in embroidery thread. Or decorate liberally with pins. We'll see.
No, this isn't a knit. It's fancy (quilting?) cotton, the kind that you aren't really supposed to make bags with. But I don't have much experience with matching patterned fabrics, so wanted to play around a bit.
Finished bag
Photo by chebe
The light grey heart fabric is only on the outside; the bit on the front, the tab, and all the back. I took great care to make sure my hearts lined up nice and symmetrical. And I think it turned out alright.
The pink black-cherry fabric is supposed to be everywhere else. But while assembling the bag I realised it was just too much pink for me. (In my head I'd seen it as an accent to the grey, but it should actually be the majority.) So I limited it to the front pocket, inside the tab, and an extra internal pocket that I added myself.
For the bag lining (inside) I got a second grey fabric, a darker grey, with a less strong pattern of small flowers bunches/tree branches.
Surprise! Cute pocket!
Photo by chebe
Pattern review.
- While the pattern does include colour images, they were printed in colour saving mode, which makes it quite difficult to pick out details.
- It seems like the pattern uses Lining and Pocket interchangeably. Which makes sense if you make the bag-interior/lining the same fabric as the front pocket interior fabric. But then they need to correct the Main Body pattern pieces to say "3 x Lining", not 1, because otherwise you get to step 23 and find you don't actually have any fabric cut to make a lining.
- A little reading between the lines is required. For example, step 27 says; press in preparation for topstitching in next step. Step 28 does not mention topstitching.
- And step 20 is terribly confusing. What they want to say is, "place the right sides of the Pocket fabrics together, and stitch." To illustrate;
This is Wrong. It will lead to unpicking.
Photo by chebe
This is Right. It makes happy.
Photo by chebe - The finished bag is a lovely size, and sits at a good length. (Although the fact that the top is mostly open will limit how often I get to use it here in highly-changeable-weather-land.)
The kit itself, on the other hand, is fantastic. All the bits you need, with very little wastage. I tend to worry whether I have the correct weight/type/etc, so having them all provided like this makes sewing a less stressful experience.
On the fabric matching front, I think something is missing. Which is why I added the extra internal pocket. I followed this tutorial, which for a heart shaped pocket boils down to cut out two shapes, sew together, turn right-side-out, top-stitch onto the lining back (before assembling the lining). It is sickeningly cute, but that's the vibe of the whole bag.
I still need something to tie all the separate fabrics together with the black strap. Perhaps I can add some accents in embroidery thread. Or decorate liberally with pins. We'll see.
