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So the fabric is my fave-st from Amy Butler's Love range and the bag is a basket shape. So I HAD to call the bag 'The Love Basket'.
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DOWNLOAD THE FREE PDF PATTERN BOOKLET HERE
Please pop your U-Handbag tute/kit/pattern bags in here - I check out this lovely group twice a week, every week :)
Click on the pics to enlarge.
If this bag tute looks familiar it's probably because it's based on the first ever bag tutorial I ever wrote. My pattern writing skills have moved on some since then. Reading through the original pattern is a bit like reading thru my teen diary - a bit cute and a bit misguided! This bag is an enduring favourite of mine and of yours. The original has been downloaded close to 16,800 times - thanks!
In time for summer I have fully updated and improved this tutorial to make it a better bag, and the tutorial easier to use. Yes there are lots of steps, but none of them are particularly tricky or exotic. You can have this bag made in 2 evenings/afternoons tops. Loads of my lovely customers have attempted this as a first bag project and were real happy with the results.
The bag is a simple boxy rectangle shape and this makes it a perfect showcase for your more showy, large-scale pattern repeat fabrics. Seriously, how yum would you look if you were to team this bag with cute red wedges/ballet pumps and jeans? You just know it's going to turn heads :)
The bag is firm and crisp to the touch and it can happily stand up by itself The secret is the Ultra Firm Fusible interfacing - it works a charm for rigid bags and clutches. And importantly all creases and scrunches (made during bag construction) iron out completely.
The bag has a flat bottom and protective bag feet.
The fastening on this bag is improved from the original. This time round we have a much neater inner magnetic snap tab closure.
Inside view. Lots of room for your essentials, plus a paper back, water, snacks and a brolly for sudden showers.
You will need:
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• A pair of 7” x 5” (18cm x 13cm) Bamboo Bag Handles with hooks.
- • A walking foot is also handy to help cope with the layers
• 1/2yrd (50cm) Iron-on medium fusible interfacing
• 1yrd (1m) Ultra Firm fusible interfacing
• 1/2yrd (50cm) Heavy sew-in interlining
• 1 set of magnetic snaps 1 6/8” (19mm)
• 1 set of protective bag feet 6/8” (16mm)
• 1 Medium Grid Bag Bottom
• 1/2 yrd (50cm) lining fabric (I’ve used quilt weight cotton) and matching thread
• 1/2 yrd (50cm) exterior fabric (I’ve used quilt weight cotton) and matching thread
• Disappearing fabric marker or chalk
• Pins
I thought you might like to see the machine I sewed this bag on. It's Janome's brand spanking new Horizon. Sadly she's not mine. I'm borrowing her to road test her, but if you don't hear from me for a while it's because I've done a swifty runner with the machine. Heh! I'll do blog review soon.
See that lovely basket of flowers? They're from my Mum & Dad for my 37th birthday which was on the 11th. Now its nearly a week later I've come to terms with being 37 and I'm finally ready to share that fact with you. OX!
