The bag! warning- long post..

I had a hankering, for a new weekend bag. And having been given Lisa Lam's Bag makers Bible- what better opprotunity, than to make her weekender bag!

If you have seen the pictures, it is quite a bag. It looks capacious, and sensible, and, if made from suitable materials, should be robust.

If you are me, you have all sorts of fabric stashed away, leftovers from projects that Noah's wife took with her on the ark, as well as more recent bits and pieces, some bought, just because, and others bought with specific aims, now lost in the mists of time....So, what have I got that will make a substantial and robust bag?

Dark red cord! Yummy dark red cord! What was the original use? I have not a clue, but I have a good bit of leftover!

Copy out pattern pieces, choose lining, again from stash, choose pockets and facings, and cut out all pieces, and grind to a halt... in January. Oh, I had it started in my brain before I had the book... but it was all cut out and ready to go, in January. But no hardware for it.








I am in the group, Lazy Bums. This is a laugh really, and is designed to encourage the making of stuff that lurks in the shadows, not being made... May's challenge for this group, for me, was THAT BAG. 

So, I finally did the necessary, bought those findings, and started the journey.
Most of it was straightforward, though the instructions were set out in a way that was not natural for me. I have made bags before, as well as dressmaking and quilting, and I am pretty good at wangling, but some of my wangling was in frustration... just getting that tubing through the fabric tube took two and a half hours, and in the end, my DH did it! I didn't want to make the hole it threaded through any larger, as then it would 'bag' but boy was it a toughie!

 and I found the finishing instructions for that handle were not as good or as clear as they might have been- Fine if you used bought handles, but the made ones? not as easy...

Then there was the magnetic fastener tab, There is a helpful picture in the book... but no helpful instruction, to say, in this case, the 'short side' is longer than the 'long side' of your piece...


 I folded, I looked, I folded differently, I went back to the instructions, and refolded... In the end, I followed the instructions, and had another look.

 Does this look right? No... clearly, this time, I should have used the longer side as my short side... Let us start again..
I made a new and different tab.

This piece did come in useful later, it was 'repurposed' . And this bit is where Lisa really came up trumps! or her assistant, perhaps..

emails flew.. and I got extra measurements from the U handbag crew, to ensure I didn't get another mishap like that one! Three cheers for Lisa Lam! and Skye.

 Looks OK now doesn't it?


Probably a bit smarter than it did with the other tab, I am happy now.

and here is the inside of the front pocket flap.

 the front pocket now goes on like a dream..

the bag runs into itself with no problems..

 and even bottomless, starts to look like a bag!

 and with it's bottom in, even not yet lined, I think it is starting to look quite smart!


so now I need to put the lining together..

 zip pocket, check!
















 Slip pocket, check!

 Together! looks like nothing on earth...

 and even worse...


















but now it is in, it looks like a bag!

 smart enough to take away when I want to ..













and it has feet!

and that handy tab for when you pull the zip..

I am very happy with my weekender bag! Thanks Lisa. 

and I only had to buy the hardware for it... all fabrics I already had, and was ready to use in a good cause

What wrinkles would I try to remember for next time?  .... next time??? well, I may have to make some for my girls one Christmas, you never know... 

ok, 

wrinkle 1, remember the short side is the long side some of the time! 

wrinkle 2, the zip length needs looking at very hard when you are sewing the thing. It is fine to have a too long zip, but the instructions are unclear as to how this is dealt with. 

wrinkle 3, sewing the bag bottom on, treat each side as a separate unit, do not try to turn those corners.

 and there are three bag bottom pieces to cut. it is not too clear as to which bit of lining is the lining, and which bit makes the envelope to put your bought bag bottom in! Is that English? No? well I hope you understand anyway.. Putting in bag bottom is also a little trial of patience.. 

wrinkle 4, remember that lining fabric and outer fabric may have different stretch.. this becomes important in finishing the zip, and matching lining to zip.. 

Ta-daaa!