A bag for my mum

Mother's Day in the UK was the 3rd of April but my mum had taken herself and my dad off to Russia so I couldn't spend the day with her.  We had our "mother's day" at the Craft show and I sent dad with a card to give her on the 3rd (which he forgot to do and I had to text him) but she has yet to receive her present.

I knew I wanted to make her a bag.  She likes cross the body bags with adjustable straps.  I found a pattern I liked in The Bag Making Bible by Lisa Lam and decided to alter it to my specifications.  It's the Piping Hot Hobo incase anyone is wondering.  I had the pieces cut out ages ago but was waiting for the fusible fleece.  Then I was waiting for these:

I couldn't do anything till the D rings arrived (if they're called that when they're rectangular) as that was one of the first bits to be sewn.  I chose some Amy Butler fabric.  I wanted the outer fabric to be the lining and the lining to be the outer but the shop only had half a yard of the lining left so I had to swap them over.  Once again I had to tackle piping.  I was very confident but it was hard this time.  I couldn't feel the piping through the fleece.  This is what happened.

Yuck, my thumb is gross.  See how I've missed the fabric?  I tried again.

Nope, not working.  So I unpicked and tried again.  Success!

I originally had my zipper foot on as it said to use a piping foot, but there are 4 layers of fabric, 2 layers of interfacing and 2 layers of fusible fleece there and my machine wasn't having it so I changed to my walking foot.  Much better.  To find the edge of the piping (the third time round!) I hit on the idea of using this little gadget.

The bag in the pattern has a single lined slip pocket, but personally I think slip pockets are pretty rubbish as things fall out of them.  I decided to put in a lined zipper pocket too.  Using the techniques in the book, it is SO easy to mix and match with elements like this.

As I was running low on the lining fabric and didn't want to use too much incase I messed something up and needed it, I lined the pocket in the same fabric as the piping.

This method of a lined flush zipper pocket is really easy.  To the front of the lining I added a slip pocket, just because!, and a gathered top pocket.  Again, both sets of instructions were really easy to follow.

And here it is, all sewn up.  This is a view inside to see the lining and you can also see the magnetic snap closure for the flap.



Here it is with the flap closed.  It looks a bit odd as it's empty, I probably should have put something in it for the photo shoot! I changed the pattern for the flap as I didn't add the black line down the centre or the tassle.  I now think perhaps it does need something.  You can also see the adjustable strap in this photo.  Again, I added this myself as the pattern used ready made handles.

The strap is very long.  The bag doesn't quite close properly as I didn't realise right until the end of the construction that I needed poppers either side of the gusset to hold it shut!  I have some sew in poppers, but I don't think that's the kind she means.  I'm going to try to get hold of some before I see my mum.

I'm not so sure I like it now!  Maybe it will look better if I get the poppers.  This did make me feel more confident about sewing my own dream bag someday soon.