Wednesday, April 04, 2007

grab-it bags

From the Better Homes & Gardens magazine Quilts & More: Grab-it Bags

The pink bag is Amy Butler fabric. I followed the pattern exactly for this bag. Well, the best I could, as I really had a hard time understanding the sewing of the handles.

This bag is from a thrifted sheet. I altered the pattern and am still not sure how much I like it.

Changes for bag #2:

1 - Made bag larger.
2 - Interfaced pockets, made larger and closer together.
3 - Sewed pockets lower on lining. (Things are popping out of the pocket and bag, i.e., my cell phone and lip gloss.)
4 - Sewed lining handles longer than exterior handles to see if they would sew together better. They sewed together easier, but still not pretty.
5 - Used fusible fleece instead of cotton batting (thick seams), but the bag is too stiff.

It seems the weight of the contents of the bag has put stress on the handles and they look stretched and wrinkly (pink bag). It's also a difficult bag for a mom to carry around with kids in tow. So it's cute, just not very practical.

1 comment:

LJ said...

I made this bag a month or so ago. I found the handles a bit harder to understand how to sew as well. I worked through it. I used a thrifted jean skirt for the outer area. A regular cotton for the inside. It turned out okay and I use it but there is the possibility of things falling out if it swings or is carried wrong. Thankfully I sewed on a zippered pocket on the front to hold loose things. Not sure I'd make it again. If you make it again try a sturdier fabric like corduroy or demin. If you'd like I could share a photo of mine, it's somewhere on my blog. Happy sewing!